g1066 drum sander

[jim sauterer]

anyone own a grizz 1066 drum sander and how well do you like or dislike this unit.this is probably 10 years old.opinions appreciated.

[Zach Callum]

I own one, dual drum. Bought it used. I have only ever used it to clean up glued up panels. It is an ok machine.

[Alan Schaffter]

A few years ago I bought an old, used 1066 too:

First, once adjusted it works fair. I don't use it much. The price was right.

• Pressure rollers and springs- mediocre.

• Drums- ok, aluminum, larger that some units.

• Abrasive strip retainer clips- POS ( I converted to H & L). Grizzly conversion kit- reasonably priced at $33.

• Mag starter- broken, but seller supplied new one- has worked fine. Awkward position low on the cabinet. I moved it up and put on a new cord.

• Motor- 5 hp. Just barely powerful enough. Motor over-temps during long sessions.

• Conveyor belt- original rubber coated canvass, cracked, edges frayed due to tracking issues (a new rubber conveyor from Grizzly costs close to $400, more than I paid for the machine)

• Tracking control - marginal. Tracking difficult to impossible to adjust with existing conveyor belt, don't know how it would be with a new one.

• Infeed/outfeed roller bearings- Sleeve bearings, not ball bearings.

• No conveyor speed control- I swapped conveyor motor with a geared DC motor and added variable speed.

• Rear drum height adjustment- very difficult and cumbersome- many set screws on each side. Much easier on other brands.

• Table adjustment- a bit sloppy, leadscrew thread too coarse- can usually only turn crank max of 1/4 turn between passes.

• Table- raw MDF, should be topped with laminate or metal.

• Cabinet- primitive- sheet metal screwed to angle iron frame.

• Dust collection- fair, to poor. I enlarged the openings and made a 6" connection. Dust still cakes the exiting board. I plan to install a rotary brush on outfeed side.

[Chip Lindley]

If the price is "right", ($500-$700) the G1066 is a great FIRST drum sander! It will be adequate for most finishing jobs, while giving you something else to look forward to--like a Woodmaster! I wrapped both drums with the same grit, giving twice the sanding. With the hook/loop system, it only took a few minutes to change to a finer grit.

Alan, above, nails it!
~~Chip~~