Best Oscillating Spindle Sander?

DavidCBaker

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May 31, 2010
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I had one and sold it years ago. I'm in the market for one. What brand/model have you been happy with? Thanks!
 
I have the Delta boss spindle sander.  It works well with interchangeable spindles.  It's a portable bench top unit with a large table which was a consideration for me when I purchased it.

It's been around for maybe 8+ years and is still working fine in a home workshop.  Comes with a bag but you can also connect the Festool vac hose to it with a little tape to hold it in place.

It does oscillate which preserves the paper spindles and reduces burning on the wood.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-Bench-Oscillating-Spindle-Sander-with-Kit-SA350K/205112290  Not sure if it's still available as HD says out of stock as does Amazon.

Jet, Rikon and others also manufacture units.  I have no experience with them, however.

 
I also have had the Delta for a long time, dust collection with a vac is efficient and it works great.  If I had to buy new, I would be looking at the Jet because of the tilting table.
 
Clayton. I bought one for a little over $100 from a loca industrial auction and it came with 5 or 6 different diameter spindles. From what I’ve read, Clayton makes some of the best spindle sanders out there and I do believe they are (or were) made in the USA. The one I got was a bench top model but with a custom made heavy duty metal stand which brings it up to working height.
 
I wanted to use the Festool 36mm hose with the Rigid sander so I designed and 3D printed an adapter.  I shared the design for free here on Thingiverse.
 
This question pops up pretty often and on many different forums.  The majority of posts are just about always for the Ridgid, unless you include way more expensive stand alone machines.

I have the Ridgid and its ok.  Not a precision machine and you have to fight to keep it adjusted to a vertical cut, but it does the job.

I connect it to the stock hose on my large shop vac and that works fine.  The dust collection is surprisingly good.  Not Festool level, but pretty good considering.

The Ridgid also comes with a belt sander attachment, which I have never used, but sorta glad its there just in case, and it doesn't add to the cost.

One caution, if you are doing a lot of sanding with the same sleeve, loosed and retighten the knob at the top of the spindle ever now and then.  I left one on for maybe a hundred hours of use and it self tightened so much it was the devil to get off. [scared] [embarassed]
 
This is a category of niche tool of which a pro-sumer market may no longer be viable.  I would look for a used Clayton machine if a pedestal machine wasn't a viable option.  Powermatic had a mid-weight version a few years back that had a design flaw that turned them into paperweights with use.

 
lwoirhaye said:
This is a category of niche tool of which a pro-sumer market may no longer be viable.  I would look for a used Clayton machine if a pedestal machine wasn't a viable option.  Powermatic had a mid-weight version a few years back that had a design flaw that turned them into paperweights with use.

I've looked for one, indeed. Saw a few on eBay.
 
I have the Benchtop Jet unit.  It's reliable, quiet and not that heavy, so moving it from storage to Bench for usage isn't that much of a strain. Good Stroke length travel and DC collection works really well with my 1 1/2HP stationary Duct Collector through an adapter that takes the smaller Duct port of the Jet up to my 4" main line.  Jet had offered a larger than normal Spindle drum size, I think 3" diameter at one point as an option if you wanted to buy it, but I'm not sure it's in the range of their offered sizes anymore. Spindle storage is pretty standard with the extras tucked on the sheetmetal of the sander itself.
Tilting table is also a nice feature if you need it.  The price of the sander seems to have held pretty well over the years too.  Last detail, I seem to remember that the length of the sanding drums was a bit taller/longer than what others were selling with their Bench Top machines. For nominal thin material like 3/4" or 4/4 thickness, this probably would not sway anyone in one direction or another, but if you DID get a taller project for some reason, it's nice to have that extra capacity I guess.
 
based on bad experience with other brands I bought a CLAYTON - perfect performance, vibration free. I've used on in a larger wood shop used by more than a dozen people. That unit is probably more than 10 years old and running fine as well.

Ryan's $ 100.00 used purchase would be a winning ticket

Hans
 
For me, this was one of those tools I needed for my Adirondack chair projects but will see infrequent use. As much as I'm not a fan of Harbor Freight tools, their spindle sander fit the bill and has worked perfectly. Other manufacturers (Wen, Rockwell, Powertec, Shop Fox), all appear to make the identical sander. With their usual 20% discount it was budget priced and is there when I need it.

So there's an admission - I own a HF tool.  ;)

 
lunchman said:
For me, this was one of those tools I needed for my Adirondack chair projects but will see infrequent use. As much as I'm not a fan of Harbor Freight tools, their spindle sander fit the bill and has worked perfectly. Other manufacturers (Wen, Rockwell, Powertec, Shop Fox), all appear to make the identical sander. With their usual 20% discount it was budget priced and is there when I need it.

So there's an admission - I own a HF tool.  ;)

You will now NEVER be able to run for public office! :)
 
lunchman said:
For me, this was one of those tools I needed for my Adirondack chair projects but will see infrequent use. As much as I'm not a fan of Harbor Freight tools, their spindle sander fit the bill and has worked perfectly. Other manufacturers (Wen, Rockwell, Powertec, Shop Fox), all appear to make the identical sander. With their usual 20% discount it was budget priced and is there when I need it.

So there's an admission - I own a HF tool.  ;)
  There's NO SHAME in owning HF tools, there's just that ever present strange Oil Smell from both them and the stores that you have to get used to...... [poke] [poke]
 
I have the Porter Cable oss. Added a plate from Rockler a few years ago and can put it into my router table. If it is a bigger piece I can also take the tool to the piece and not wrestle the piece to the sander. My dad has the floor standing Jet sander and the tilting table is absolutely worth it. Just depends on how much shop space you want to dedicate to that tool.
 
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