Trade in my drum sander for an RO150?

[Hnnguyen85]

It's a crazy thought, I know!! I have a supermax 19-38 drum sander that I've had about a year and used many twice, one of them to flatten a cutting board. I got the drum sander with the intentions of sanding table tops that I build but more often than not, the table tops are WAY to big and heavy for me to move around. Let alone try and feed it through the drum sander a million times.

With that said, I always end up busting out my ETS EC-150 with the hard pad to get the job done. It works great, but it's a slow process so I've been kicking around the idea of getting an Ro150 to solve that problem. While on that thought process, I figured I could sell my drum sander since space is valuable to me in my shop and the drum sander takes up A LOT of space.

What are your thoughts? Am I doing the crazy thinking again or does that seem like a good idea?

 

[Birdhunter]

I wouldn't let go of my old drum sander for any handheld sander, but I use it a lot. For my work, they are totally different tools with totally different purposes.

I use my drum sander to flatten glued up panels and tops for boxes. In many cases, a drum sander works better for flattening boards that a jointer/planer. This especially true if the wood is highly figured. I always do the finish sanding with one or more of the Festool sanders I own.

But, if you don't use the drum sander, no reason to keep it.

 

[Discap]

I have a 26" industrial sander in a warehouse. I have the RO 150 at hand and ready to go. I wish I had room for the big guy but it just mostly gets in the way. The RO 150 has done everything I have wanted.  Both of these were done with the 150. I am a hobbyist so the time was not an issue.

 

[Acrobat]

I just wish I had a drum sander, I find the 150 a bit of an effort to ensure all the tops when sanded are truely flat and time consuming compared to a drum sander. If you can find room keep it, but your call in the end.

 

[Holmz]

I just wish I had a drum sander, I find the 150 a bit of an effort to ensure all the tops when sanded are truely flat and time consuming compared to a drum sander. If you can find room keep it, but your call in the end.

Easy to get them smooth.
How do you tell when they are flat?