Which belt/disc sander to purchase??

[John M. Cioffi]

I'm sure everyone here & on the planet already has one of these machines & that I am the last one to get one, so.....
What advice can I receive about these machines & what makes them so expensive?
?2 Which one is the one to buy, and why? Need good sound reasons for LOML. I've been looking at the Jet JSG-96CS. What about this one?This one seems to have great dust collection, which is unquestionably - a must.
I did druel over the "Big P" but it's out of my price range.
SO, I need all of your professional help on this one - every penny must be justified for the purchase!
Thanks much, in advance.
John....better late than NEVER!!!

[Ed Hazel]

I much prefer an edge sander for the same or less you can get a 6 x 80 edge sander.
After I got an edge sander I got rid of my smaller belt/disk combo machine. I have the Go564 and have no complaints with it at all.

Sorry to throw mud in the water.

[Lee Ludden]

I have one I picked up recently for a steal on CL. I haven't used it much yet, but I have used the disc sanding part several times.

The dust collection for the disc is pretty good, but due to restricting flow down to 2" and routing through the machine, the belt side doesn't do nearly as well.

If I hadn't found this for so cheap ($300) on CL, I'd have gone with the 1725 RPM one that Grizzly sells (G1276).

[Callan Campbell]

I've been looking at Combo Sanders all over again 5 years after purchasing my Grizzly 1276 unit. What I've learned from owning one of this type that you're considering, and from what others have posted on the Creek, could make for some interesting reading. As for the Jet, it's supposed to be a nice machine. The Powermatic does a few tricks more, like the angle slots cut into the belt worktable ,so you can angle the table downward, and not just away or towards the belt on a normal pivot. See PMs website for a manual picture of the machined casting of the belt support table if you need to.
I'm listing things I kind of considered back in 2005 when looking at Combo sanders, a 2004 review of them in Wood magazine that I downloaded, helped quite a bit. I believe your Jet was one of the machines reviewed.
[1] Look and consider ALL the features of the machine, in all of its various positions that can be worked, like moving the belt from vertical to horizontal, whether the disc side can easily use jigs like a circle sander. Next, how sturdy are are the table mountings for working either the belt or the disc. Some people, and some testers, have issues with the smaller machines that use a single post to support the table , versus a cast iron support with locking wheels on either side of a tilting support. How the table clears the belt or disc at an angle may also be something to think about. The single post models seem to move the table upward, away from the disc, losing capacity of your disc, when you have the table really angled. See Wood Magazines 2004 test of Combo Sanders for further info. If you find yourself only using the machine in one position for the most part, this may be a non-issue.
[2] Power. Starting point seems to be 3/4HP as a low end, with 1 1/2HP at the other end. My Grizzly is rated at 1HP, and seems fine for my uses, but I can see how aggressive sanding could stall it, or the 3/4HP models. Direct Drive is nice for not dealing with any drive belts, but most of the larger machines like the Powermatic you ruled out are belt driven.
[3] Dust Collection, a real mix in this dept. The Jet you're looking at , and others , have nice built-in dust tubing to direct to a standard 4" port. My Grizzly didn't come with any port for the disc side, [they still don't], but adding one from Grizzly is easy enough by drilling and tapping 2 holes.
I have seperate collection ports, 3" for the belt, and 2" for the disc. With a 4" main line connected to a single stage DC, they both work fine via reducing adapters, and I have tried sanding without using DC just to test things out. YOU REALLY want DC with a sander this large, as you already thought!!! I'm totally with you on this point.
[4] Cost: The Grizzly offerings have stayed remarkable price level over the years. Went up a bit, and now are on sale again. Benchtop models, so there's no cost of a base[I made my own for my unit], and the motor IS smaller, so cost reduction there too is possible I guess. Steel And Cast Iron costs have risen for everyone, the energy costs to make the machines have gone up too. 10 years ago alot of the larger sanders were cheaper, so it seems like you have to get, while the getting is less expensive..
Quality control would hopefully be reflected in the higher prices of some models, but we've seen posters and reviews who state differently.
Better dust collection built-in, bases with casters built-in, bigger motors, better tracking and better machined parts all add up. However, many of the machines seem so much alike, so it's hard to choose. Newwoodworking tested the Jet you mentioned, or its sister model that is a bit smaller in the motor dept. I listed some questions that I wish I'd thought of more easily when I was looking around in 2005-I bought on price alone, for the most part.

Do you want a base with the machine-Rules out the Grizzly's unless you're prepared to make one.
Do you want an open base , or a cabinet with the chance to store sander intems in it?
Pick your motor size, it's hard to go wrong with larger motors when it comes to sanding machines.
Watch your belt speeds on the spec sheets of the sanders, some people get a really fast machine and have trouble with burning certain woods.
How easy is it to change belts and discs?
How well does the tracking set-up work for the belt side, and do people need to redo it everytime they start the machine up?
Does the machine have any dust collection porting?
Is it a standard size, or oddball that will require adapters[Not a biggie, but you should know what you're getting into]
Product support, if you need a bearing ,or a question arises about the machine you bought, will you easily get help.
If you buy a lemon, and some people REALLY have, can you return easily from where it was purchased[Google amazon for some interesting machines and their not so happy owners].

[David Christopher]

Grizzly has a nice machine..the G1014ZX...my dad has one and he loves it

[Paul McGaha]

+1 What Ed said.

PHM

[Van Huskey]

First, I am not a big combo fan.

Second, I don't want a disc unless it is at least 12".

The PM is a nice machine maybe best of the breed in the "reasonably" priced new mahines. But is is still a combo...

If it were me I would get a edge sander and if you actually need/want a disc sander get a 12" Delta, Rikon or Grizzly unless you need a machine with near zero runout.

One good thing about edge sanders is they do come up very regularly used.

If you have a little time and really want a combo the PM 31a will probably be on sale during the "3000 hour" sale which might make the price more acceptable.

[Dave Lehnert]

I always thought most belt sanders belt speed run way too fast for woodworking. I make small items and trying to hold a part and sand on a belt is a challenge. About 3 years ago I added a belt sander to my Shopsmith and can run the belt as fast or slow as I need.
I would look for the slowest belt speed I can find.

[Van Huskey]

I make small items and trying to hold a part and sand on a belt is a challenge.

That is where a disc really shines, at the outside the effective spped of the sandpaper is fast for quick stock removal, near the center it is much slower for delicate work.