Jet 22-44 Oscillating drum sander opinions?

[Kim Gibbens]

Hi everyone, I have decided that I could use a drum sander in my shop. I have done a lot of researching and watched countless youtube videos and I have cut it down to a few models. I had pretty much decided on a Supermax 19-38 or 25x2 and then I saw the jet ( which hadn't been on my radar because a lot of reviews said that Supermax was better in fit and finish than comparable Jet models) on a youtube video and I thought " that looks like a pretty neat idea". But, I haven't been able to find many reviews on it and I am curious as to why that might be. Too expensive compared to similar sized non oscillating drum sanders? Problems with the concept or execution? Can anyone who has used one or owns one give me their honest opinion, good or bad. The Supermax 19-38 seems to be real popular and has many fans, the Supermax 25x2 has more power (220 5hp vs 110 1 3/4hp) so those were the two I was concentrating on and then seeing the Jet in action on the videos threw a wrench into my plans. It was down to open end vs closed end and now there is an oscillating option I am considering. Help me out guys, black friday is coming and I want to be able to jump if there is a sale on the one I decide to buy.
Thanks
Kim

[Earl Rumans]

I was in your same situation last spring and I liked the idea behind the oscillation feature. I found a great deal on the Jet 22-44 OSC, so I pulled the trigger. I have been very impressed with the machine so far. The oscillation is only about 1 inch but it makes an amazing difference. You can turn off the feature and run it as a regular drum sander and I have run pieces through both ways to see the difference. The oscillation feature take out all the fine lines that are left when not using it and makes a piece finish ready. I have run 80 and 150 grits in it. The 80 will remove large amounts of material very quickly and things still come out very smooth. With the 150 grit, things come out so smooth that I don't think it would be worth it using finer grit. The biggest problem I have run into is I now need to upgrade my dust collection. I have the Jet 1100VX-CK and it has been doing a great job for me. With the addition of the drum sander it needs some help. The drum sander produces such fine powder dust that the DC filter will start clogging up fairly quickly. I am in the process of converting the DC over to a 2 stage system with an Oneida SDD setup. This is something I hadn't planned on and I don't know what your DC setup is but you should consider what a drum sander adds to your system.

I would highly recommend the Jet 22-44 and the fit and finish on it is great. Mine came spot on from the factory, all I had to do was adjust the tracking for the feed belt, which is very simple. I got the extension tables when I bought mine and I really wouldn't want to try running long boards through with out them. I don't really find changing the belts to be much of a problem, with the included tool. I know there have been many complaints about this procedure but I haven't had any problems and I don't change belts very often, I mostly stick with the 80 grit because it yields such good results. I may get a roll of 120 grit and see if that works as a good compromise between the 80 and 150. If you can see the Jet setup somewhere I think you would be impressed.

[Kim Gibbens]

Thanks for your reply Earl. I have the Laguna pflux1 as my dc. Your positive views help, I'm hoping they are all positive because I think the oscillation is a great idea.

[Earl Rumans]

Kim, one thing I forgot to mention is about burning on the Jet. I have used drum sanders, that others have owned, in the past and had to constantly watch for build up on the roll causing burn spots. I don't know why the small oscillation has such a large effect but when in OCS mode, I get very little buildup on the drum and I haven't had a single burn spot yet and I have done some heavy duty sanding with it. I think the oscillation allows the paper to stay a little cooler but I don't really know for sure, all I know are the results.

[Kim Gibbens]

Hi Earl, one thing I have read about drum sanders is that a regular drum sander leaves small ridges on the board and with the oscillating head you end up with wavy ridges. Has this been your experience? Another concern I have read about is that the sand paper can loosen up on the drum and with the oscillating the paper edge can get caught on the edge of the board and that can result in the paper overlapping and causing burning or gouging of the board. Do you use it in oscillation all the time or is there a time when that is not desirable? Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. For something that seems like a no brainer there isn't a whole lot of real user feedback on this sander.
Kim

[Earl Rumans]

I have never experienced any wave action, I guess it could happen if you had the feed turned way up but I don't use it that way. I haven't had any problem with the paper getting loose on the drum but so far I have only been using the Jet pre-cut paper. I don't see any real advantage to not using the oscillation feature, so I use it most of the time. If I was tying to do some very thin material, I would probably do it with the oscillation off, just to lessen the stress on the piece. I ran into the same problem, of not being able to find any decent info on the machine, before taking the plunge. I hope I have been able to help you in your decision making.

[Kim Gibbens]

Yes you have Earl and I thank you for sharing. Acme tool has a 11% sale this weekend, trying real hard to decide between the Jet and the Supermax 19-38.
Kim

[richard poitras]

Woodmaster would be my pick. Great unit.

[Kim Gibbens]

I priced out the Woodmaster 2675, with lift gate delivery, reversing switch, wheels and extension tables......... $3426. Not even close to the prices of the others I am considering.
Kim

[mark conger]

Hi Kim. I have been eying the same machine and trying to read up on it (opinions are sparse). I have had Jet 22-44 non oscillating machine for the past 10 years and it does a good job. It is a useful machine for edge panel glue ups, table tops, and door frames. But it does leave significant sanding streaks. I have found it necessary to start with an aggressive grit like 36 to remove the lipped spots and any high spots (any finer grit and it takes too much time). Then you must traverse the grits (80, 120, 150) to remove the streaks and still requires random orbit sanding afterwards if the project will be stained. Otherwise when the stain hits the streaks will reappear. The process is slow, and this machine requires patience to get good results.
When I saw Jet introduced the oscillating model I thought that is the ticket. So I am thinking about purchasing the oscillating version and selling the old 22-44. It looks like Jet is going to run their 15% off sale as we approach the holidays. Please share any other insights you have ran across.
Mark

[Kim Gibbens]

Hi Mark, yes Jet is running 15% soon. I decided to save some money and ordered the Supermax 19-38 when Acme had 11% off at Veterans day sale. It seems to be well liked and should suit my needs. If it doesn't I can always upgrade later.

[Earl Rumans]

Mark, the Jet 15% off sale is going on right now at several online places, CPO and others.