Looking for opinions on Jets new 22-44 osilating drum sander

L

lab123

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Mar 22, 2007
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I have been looking to buy a used drum sander for a year or so and have not been able to find on in my area, so I started looking at new.  I'm curious to hear from FOG members opinion on Jets new 22-44 oscillating drum sander.  It looks like a great idea, but having not used a drum sander before is it just hype, or an unnecessary feature dreamed up to have a new selling point?  Last my local wood shop is having an open house this weekend and has the 22-44 OSC on special for $1750.  Has anyone seen the Jet priced for less?

Thanks Loren
 
Loren,
  I havent used it.  Have only  seen the ads.  But, having a Performax  16-32 I can understand why  I w ould like a    n oscillating                drum. No  matter what I sand, sooner or    later                  t he        belt will have  a little nib or burn aea and  that w ill show on the wood...not bad but there.
 
Do you think the oscillating feature will cause very many current owners of non oscillating drum sanders to upgrade to get the oscillating feature?  In other words is it a good enough feature that it renders the old drum sanders outdated?  If thats the case I wonder how long before we see other manufactures with the same features?  Basicly I don't want to spend the extra money for osilation, but I also don't want to buy something that is on the way out either.

Thanks

Loren 
 
Late last year I bought the 3HP 22-44 Pro.  Right after I received it the Oscillating model came out and I wondered if I should have waited...  However I haven't had any burning issues sanding shop cut veneer up to 1+ material.  My assumption is that the burning would be caused by overloading the machine (hence my buying the 3HP model).  I think the Oscillating would help if you have to sand alot of material across the grain, as the sanding marks do run parallel to the direction of travel.

Carl
 
I will sell my current perfectly good 22/44 and get the Oscillating one immediately after its gone. I need that. The reason I purchased an RO 150 in the first place was to sand out the sanding marks across the grain the drum sander leaves.

Woodgeek your machine is a different breed a lot better with that 3 HP motor, I would not down grade to a 1.5hp just to get the oscillating. I am sure the lack in power and speed moving down the power range would aggravate you anyway. The burning occurs much more with the 1.5 HP 22/44 and really is not an issue on your unit.

Unless of course they make a osc with the 3HP unit, I have not seen that though.
 
yeah, by NO means would I get rid of my unit -- I LOVE IT, I just had that momentary concern one has when they buy something and then soon after a newer unit is released! 

Carl
 
Sweet digital readout included, I had to add that.

I sure wish they had the oscillating in that 3 HP version because my only complaint is that the 1.75 HP makes everything take so much longer for me.

A lot of the curly figured lumber I am afraid to plane even with spiral cutters because it tears out the wood and using the drum sander is much safer, but takes 10 times longer than shooting it through the 3 HP planer.

I may follow your lead and go with the 3HP unit and forgo the Oscillating, oh well I have time to decide as the 1.75 HP does serve me well enough for now. I should have gotten the unit you did to start with, I spent the same amount when all was said and done and I have a much smaller motor.
 
just an FYI, the DRO sucks -- it doesn't keep it's setting when you turn it off so you have to re-zero it every time (which is a cumbersome process...) I have pretty much stopped using it and just measure with digital calipers.  I'm going to do the upgrade to my wixey gauge on my dewalt planer and see if I can move it (the soon to be older unit) to the drum sander...

I really do love the unit otherwise though.

c.
 
lab123 said:
Do you think the oscillating feature will cause very many current owners of non oscillating drum sanders to upgrade to get the oscillating feature?  In other words is it a good enough feature that it renders the old drum sanders outdated?  If thats the case I wonder how long before we see other manufactures with the same features?  Basicly I don't want to spend the extra money for osilation, but I also don't want to buy something that is on the way out either.

Thanks

Loren 
Click to expand...

Loren,
  That is a hard one. I personally dont use the Performax all that much. I had a lot of problems with the feed belt tracking poorly. That is now solved but in that time I became familiar with what the Rotex 150 could do and while it does go at the spped the Performax does, I can cound on it. If I were to go out to buy a newe Performax type, I think I would want to go the oscilating route but it isnt enough to make me make a speedy trade. Your use may be different.
 
You know I have heard that.

I have never ever once had to adjust the tracking on my 22/44, ever and I got it about a week after they came out. On my old 16/32 I did have to mess with the tracking a little.

I think maybe the 22/44 are better in that respect as I still have the original conveyor belt  and have never touched the tracking out of the box. On the 16/32 I went through two conveyor belts that got ripped through messed up tracking.
 
I wonder if the 1.75 HP motor on the oscillating sander could be swapped out for a 3 HP or if the 1.75 has a special mount or shaft size?  I could call it the FRANKENSANDER

Loren
 
Just save up your money and get a 16" or wider wide belt sander and you will never look back.  The wide belts are so superior to any drum sander it is not even a competition IMHO....

Best,
Todd
 
A 44" wide belt sander would be a crap load of money.  A 44" wide belt sander is about 13,000.00 and that would be a cheap one. Plus 16" is nowhere near enough width for most  people that buy a drum sander.

That is one the reason people go with a drum sander and my biggest reason, I throw 36" work through their every day and actually need something to do 48" on a regular basis, another reason I got the RO 150 to help with the bigger work I can't get in the sander at all.

I do not see how the belt sander would be better for me personally, I already get perfect flat results with the drum sander and I really couldn't get a better finish and I would still get across the grain sanding marks.
 
I actually considered a wide belt sander.  Grizzly makes a 15" 3 HP Open End Wide-Belt Sander that's quite competitive with the Jet I bought.  Besides the fact that you need to have a pneumatic hook-up which would have been a pain, I noticed that the minimum board thickness is 1/4".  If you're using it for sanding shop cut veneer like I do, this would be a deal killer.  A great machine, otherwise...

c.
 
Pretty cool, but still lacking in width even though open.  A 1/4" I had no idea, as you I couldn't use it either it just does not go near thin enough.
 
nickao said:
You know I have heard that.

I have never ever once had to adjust the tracking on my 22/44, ever and I got it about a week after they came out. On my old 16/32 I did have to mess with the tracking a little.

I think maybe the 22/44 are better in that respect as I still have the original conveyor belt  and have never touched the tracking out of the box. On the 16/32 I went through two conveyor belts that got ripped through messed up tracking.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you've never had a problem with the tracking.  My experience has been the exact opposite.  The tracking has never been right on mine since day one.  This thread reminded me to get on the phone with WMH to see if they'll send me a new belt.
 
DID the belt rip?

I guess it must be a bad run or something becasue I used mine again all night long. I have had great use out of the 22/44.
 
It does have a little tear in it now but I've had it since last spring and like I said it's never been right.  I've heard of people reversing the table to help with the tracking but I haven't tried that yet.  It won't stay aligned for more than 10 minutes and then it starts griding against the tracking blocks on the under side of the table.
 
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