18" Craftsman drum sander

If I were you I'd consider a Performax. The big difference is that the

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

Should have said a *bigger* Performax.

On the other hand, the Performax (at Rockler) is priced at $899.99 and belts (spiral wound on the drum) run $32.49 EACH. And the Performax is 2" narrower (effectively, 4" narrower).

Just mulling...

Jim Stuyck

I wouldn't (ok, didn't) think this that big a deal. I fed my workbench top, in halves, through the delta with no problems (each half about

Got a friend with the older 22x44 Performax and it is a nice beefy machine. The new Performax 16x32 (and even the new 22x44, I believe) just didn't seem as beefy as the delta. Both can have alignment problems and racking under heavy loads, but the Delta drum isn't as likely to flex as the arm is welded steel box beam, the Performax, while rigid, has a mechanical connection that must have some give or it would not slide. Delta table is supported all around, although the sprocket system has the potential (never observed) of getting one side out of alignment.

Bottom line, both good machines.

commercial versions mentioned in this thread, such as about 1.75" stock thickness and 12" width. Works well, but can't really compete with a 16" (32") or 18" (36") machine with 5" thickness capacity and an automatic feed.

Jim Stuyck

I had a Performax dual drum that had the bed move up and down, not the head. It was a pain. Did you guys notice that the Sears unit is a belt sander. It takes belts, not wraps. max

Why buy pre-cut wraps? I buy bulk (forget the length, 100'?) for about $50, cut as needed and get enough from one roll so the individual cost is less than $5.00. _______________

Depends on which one you get :)

Even with the 16-32 I'd rather lose the width and have the ability to have an extended support table. Try sanding a 30" wide, 8' table top without a support...

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

I was wondering about that. It surely looked like a belt sander. The "general features" describes it as "sander type: belt". The full product description mentions a "# 4 in. diameter drum wrap". Mebbe Sears is not sure what it is. Anyway you can't buy one since it is "temporarily out of stock...". twitch, jo4hn

I bought some precut Klingspor abrasive roll at Ebay for about $3-$4, plus shipping. If you have the time to monitor Ebay closely, you can find very good discounts.