Edge or drum sander

[Erik Loza]

I have some experience with commercial widebelts and will say that using them for anything other than a poor man’s planer (which many shops do...), requires a delicate touch of balancing pneumatic pressure, feed rate, etc. My impression of drum sanders (at least from shops I talk to) is that nobody truly loves them. More of a “because I can’t afford a widebelt”-type thing. Just my observation.

Since the Hammer edge sander got brought up in another thread and we’re asking about popularity of drum vs. edge, I will say that the HS950 seems to be selling well here in the States, if that’s any indicator that folks are going for edge sanders.

Erik

[Gary Markham]

Thanks for all the responses. I had an old reliant 12” open end belt sander (not drum). Got it free from the lab at a particle board mill when the co I work for bought the mill to brown field repurpose. I never could get it to work very well so I gave it away after a year. I hav3 been thinking edge sander for a while and the new hammer got me looking again. Looks like I’ll order one Monday
thanks all
gary

[Mike Cutler]

Gary
if it means anything, My dual drum sander hasn't been turned on in quite awhile, but I seem to always have my belt sander clamped in the vise to use as a small spindle, edge sander. I would love to have an oscillating edge sander.
That said, I won't give up my dual drum sander anytime soon. I know it's not a wide belt, or a stroke sander, but it does work quite well.

[Ole Anderson]

Never had a drum sander, but I have a poor man's edge sander. It is an old Craftsman 6x48 belt sander upgraded with a 1 HP TEFC motor. Used it for production sanding aluminum extrusions for 15 years. I fabbed a vertical fence so I could use it for edge sanding. Just used it today edge and flat sanding parts for the Adirondack chairs I am building.