Kevin Groenke
04-15-2008, 8:14 PM
We have a Delta 31-278 Sanding Center, 6x48belt/12"disc sander which is in dire need of replacement. A non oem 2hp motor has been retrofitted, a mag switch installed, the disc has been welded on, the gap is now 1/8"+ and we've milled all the travel we can into the table: parts are no longer available. The machine has given about all it's got.
86563
The strengths of this machine are: fairly effective dust collection (w/1 out of the way hose), EZ belt changes, big disc table w/circle sanding attachment. It would be a drag to spend $1K+ for a downgrade on any of these points.
I'm in a design college student shop where sanders are the GO TO machine more often than they should be, so be it. We also have edge, drum, sponge and spindle sanders, but the belt/disc is probably used the most.
There seem to be far fewer of these to choose from than there were in the past and all have their shortcomings. I've considered the Grizzly, Jet, Rikon, Shop Fox, General Int. units but they just will not be tough enough for daily student use.
The machines I'm considering are:
PM 31A ~$900
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=60003
really cheezy table mount, ?able dust collection
Delta 31-300 ~$800
http://www.cpowoodworking.com/sanders/31-300.html
underpowered?, cheap open base, NEW delta quality
General 100-5 ~$5025 (yes really)
http://www.general.ca/machines/gen/sanders/100_4578.jpg
16" disc, 6x60 belt, big arn, $5K:eek:
Any comments on these specific models?
Any other recommendations?
Am I missing something?
Thanks
-kg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/groen004/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-14.jpgfile:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/groen004/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-15.jpg
86563
The strengths of this machine are: fairly effective dust collection (w/1 out of the way hose), EZ belt changes, big disc table w/circle sanding attachment. It would be a drag to spend $1K+ for a downgrade on any of these points.
I'm in a design college student shop where sanders are the GO TO machine more often than they should be, so be it. We also have edge, drum, sponge and spindle sanders, but the belt/disc is probably used the most.
There seem to be far fewer of these to choose from than there were in the past and all have their shortcomings. I've considered the Grizzly, Jet, Rikon, Shop Fox, General Int. units but they just will not be tough enough for daily student use.
The machines I'm considering are:
PM 31A ~$900
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=60003
really cheezy table mount, ?able dust collection
Delta 31-300 ~$800
http://www.cpowoodworking.com/sanders/31-300.html
underpowered?, cheap open base, NEW delta quality
General 100-5 ~$5025 (yes really)
http://www.general.ca/machines/gen/sanders/100_4578.jpg
16" disc, 6x60 belt, big arn, $5K:eek:
Any comments on these specific models?
Any other recommendations?
Am I missing something?
Thanks
-kg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/groen004/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-14.jpgfile:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/groen004/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-15.jpg