Amazon.com Review

How many more projects could you complete in a year if you cut your sanding time by 75 percent? Put down that random orbital and check this out. This open-ended drum sander allows you to quickly sand materials up to 32 inches wide with just two passes through the machine. The 16-32 Plus has a 14 amp, 1-1/2-horsepower, continuous-duty motor, which means it will work harder for longer. The drum operates at 1,700 rpm while the feed adjusts infinitely between 0 and 10 feet per minute. More importantly, Performax invented a special spring clip to hold the end of the sandpaper roll, which makes for quick and easy paper changes, which is much more convenient than the changes of competing systems. And, while it's great for sanding larger boards, this Performax machine can also handle pieces as small as 2-1/4 inches long.

Parallel alignment of the drum is a simple turn of a precisionthumbscrew on the side of the machine, while competing machines requiretwo wrenches. Making this adjustment quickly and accurately iscritical. When sanding larger boards in two passes, it's best to setthe drum slightly off parallel so you end up with a small hump in themiddle, which the user can quickly fix with a random orbit sander,rather than ending up with a valley, which ruins the piece. ThisPerformax also features a ceramic tracking guide to reduce the numberof adjustments needed during sanding. Worried about snipe? You canadjust the foot-pounds of pressure and/or the contact to the roller.Try that with other drum sanders. Because the machine is of such burlyconstruction and the parallel adjustment of the arm is so simple, thedrum arm doesn't suffer from flexing problems. Use this tool instead ofa planer, or park them side-by-side in your shop. This tool is a dreamfor small commercial shops or anyone who just hates sanding. --NancyGleason ... Read more

Features

• Sands stock as wide as 32 inches on the 16-inch drum in two passes--with results within 1/100-inch uniform thickness
• 1-1/2 horsepower, single-phase, direct-drive motor delivers 1700 rpm
• The 5-by-16-inch extruded aluminum drum is self-cooling
• Variable feed rate adjusts from 0 to 10 feet per minute for surface, dimension, and finish sanding

Reviews (21)

Good for the price but has some shortcomings
I have been using a 16-32 for about a year in my home shop and am mostly satisfied with it. I bought the unit used and without a manual. The manufacturer sent one free of charge upon request.

Long lengths are hard to run evenly so you need to rough cut to length before sanding. It is fine for a non-production or low volume shop. Plan on taking your time, you can't push it.

The worst problem is lack of feedback. Some drum sanders have amp-meters to indicate motor load. This machine does not. Some kind of auto feed curtailment upon overload would be nice.

If you have a typical 5 hp dust collector running close by you can't hear the sander motor. The only feedback is to watch the motor shaft and with some kinds of lighting that is difficult due to strobe. Once, as a result I stalled it badly and thought I had zapped the motor but it thermal-reset eventually. I was most upset when I thought I had to hand-power-sand my project or wait for a replacement motor.

Guess I like it.

Precision Sanding at its Best
I've been "looking" at this drum sander for the past few years, and finally bought it about 2 months ago, and the only thing I regret is that I did not buy it sooner! I can't remember how to prep lumber without this machine.

The machine is very heavy, about 150 pounds shipping weight. The UPS man was kind enough to help me by unloading it into my garage shop. Set up took about 90 minutes, the instuction book was very detailed and the pictures were very helpful. The stand is very strong and steady, the casters are large enough to really move around on the concrete floor. The hardest part about the setup is the leveling of the drum to the conveyor belt. I had to do it twice before it was exact. The first time I did not use good judgment, I used a wooden board to help align the drum. In testing the first piece out, it was off quite a bit. I then followed the instuctions, and used a metal level on edge, and the results were well within the .010 inch tolererance as stated in the manual.

That all said and done, and after setting up the dust collection system to the 4" overhead port, I was ready to start sanding. I do a lot of resawing for the scroll saw, and this drum sander should be a staple for resawing. Each 1/4 turn of the control handle moves the drum 1/64", making it very easy to control the depth of "cut". You control the speed of the belt from about a rate of 1 foot/minute to 100 feet per minute. So depending on the type of sandpaper grade and hardness of wood, you control the speed and depth of cut.

The nice feature of the unit is it only takes about 2 minutes to change the sandpaper from the drum to another grade and you are back in business again. So it is very quick and easy to change paper as you prep the lumber. The first few passes in 80 grit (depending on how well the resawing operation went), then switch to 120 and finally a pass at 180. The only warning on the sanding process, make sure the grain is going with the sander, this is NOT a vibrating hand sander. With the measurement indicator on the side of the sander, you can consistently sand to the same thickness, time after time, board after board.

I am very happy and pleased with the Performax 16-32 Drum Sander. I am now doing a lot more resawing (saving money), not just when I have to because of lumber availability. No issues, No problems. Just a nice sanding operation and quick change sandpaper.

My dream machine is finally mine
Like so many wood workers I have been salivating over a 16-32 for years. I have had mine for around 6 months, built several large arts/crafts tables in record time. I almost never use my planer anymore.

First the machine arrived perfect, assembled easily and I experimented with various belt tensions on the conveyor. I suggest that you loosen the belt some and then tighten up until you can run 80grit on a 4" board at 1/16" without the belt slipping.

On te bottom of the conveyor assembly you will find 2 ceramic belt guides. REMOVE them. Humidity will cause dust to collect here and eventually rip the belt edge. It happened to me and Performex sent me a replacement FREE.

Next only plug this unit into a 20amp receptical/breaker. Most of your motor trip problems will disappear. NO extension cords.

Use a dial indicator to get the boom perfectly level from end to end. Do the work with the conveyor belt removed. When doing oversize material you need to adjust the boom end up a bit. WARNING the adjust is different for each grit (80, 120, 220) level. I wrote down the settings to save time in the future.

Take A lot of time to get the outfeed tables set correctly and always use extended rollers for long material. Or you will have snipe issues.

You can not have to much dust suction :-). Do not buy the tool if you can not provide 1000 CFM... or you eat sand paper.
I use 3 big shop vac's all working together rigged to a single 4" flex pipe. No laughing they were garage sell cheap. $25 each

Take it very slow for the final pass. Several thin passes are always better. Wear ear plugs.

Enjoy. I would buy this unit over a fancy cabinet saw every time.

No Problem at all
Prior to buying this sander I took the time to read the reviews of both the Performax and the Delta drum sanders. I was quite concerned with the feed back of some of those getting the Performax but after looking at the good and bad points of both units I ordered the Performax. Contrary to some of those who complained of set up problems I found it very simple and very quick to set up correctly. Allow me to add that I am a Journeyman Millwright by trade which I am sure helped to speed up the process but I feel that if attention is taken you would still be able to set this machine up without much problem. I did notice that after assembling the table the holes did not allow the mounting bolts to pass through as described. A large drill bit allowed the holes to be opened and the machine was mounted as instructed. There was no dent in the drum as was noted in other reports nor was there a problem with tracking. I have not stalled out the motor even though I have cranked down during the sanding operation. All in all I am very satisfied with the purchase and would highly recommend it to anyone considering this purchase. I purchased this sander for use in my personal shop. I build reproduction 19th century furniture, mostly 1860's.

The machine is ok, QA, documentation & packaging are ???
I received my unit in two heavy boxes. Opening the first box to put things together, I tried to follow the instructions in the manual, but I noticed quickly that there are discrepancies between the machine and the instructions and from that point on, it was common sense and experience to rely on. With the stand setup, I proceeded to open the second box and there I noticed that the main sander unit was banged up and the cap on the motor fan was damaged and one of the screws was sheared. So, what do you do? 1)call tech-support and try to go through the hassle of shipping everything back and wait for several weeks for another unit that could be in even a worse shape (reading other reviews, it looks like a common theme), or 2)fix the problem and move on. So, with that problem taken care of, the sander went on the stand and sanding began. Hmm..., something is not right!? The sander is removing more material on the inside of the drum than the outside. Watching the video that came with it (this is another pain. I have not used my VCR for years; give me a CD with the video, please!) I remembered that they talked about the adjustment of the drum. So, some fine measurement tools and a few passes and half hour later, it was within the range on both sides of the drum. From that point on, I was a happy sander and I ran some stock through it and they all came out nice and even. So, from that aspect, I am happy with the purchase and the product.
What disappoints me is that there has not gone enough thinking into the packaging of the unit and it does not have enough shock absorbent material around it in the box, so it can easily get banged up and damaged. The manual is not updated and does not match with their manufacturing processes or the stuff in the box. I found loose parts and parts that were assembled "wrongly", which is giving me the indication that there was no "Quality Control" in place to catch these, which is very concerning. Lastly, a unit with such a hefty price should come fully adjusted from the factory and the customer does not need to spend time to set every thing up. The thickness difference in my case was around 5/16" and I do NOT call this negligible! It was not a big deal though, since I have all the necessary tools and stuff to do it, but it is the principal. ... Read more

Features

• 1-year warranty
• Drum sander powered by 5 HP motor
• Heavy steel cabinet provides years of vibration free sanding
• Dual steel drums with hard Durometer Rubber coating assures a flat, mar free finish
• 1/4HP Feed motor is coupled to a 2 speed forward/reverse gearbox

Features

• 275 pounds
• 1 3/4 HP Motor
• Digital Readout
• 4" dust port
• Self Cooling Drum

Amazon.com

There's a saying among woodworkers about particular tools: "It only does one job, but it does it like nothing else." That's the case with Performax's ShopPro 25. Laminating different species produces a great look in a woodworking project, but if you've ever sanded a glued-up panel by hand or even with a palm or belt sander, you know the results can be unpredictable. Why risk a gouge with a hungry belt sander? With this beauty, you get a super-flat, super-smooth surface every time on workpieces up to 25 inches wide and 4 inches thick. Craftsmen will love the height adjustment's fine calibration, moving just 3/32-inch with every turn for sizeable or delicate depth changes. There's even a locking stop on the depth gauge for repetitive work. The feed rate adjusts like a dream from 0 to 10 feet per minute. We were especially impressed by the machine's quality: zinc-plated steel tension rollers, precision-flattened steel conveyor bed stabilized by four steel cross sections. Our only caveats: You'll definitely need a dust collection system with this, and if you're going to move it in your shop, buy the casters. A beautiful machine that does a flawless job.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Net weight: 310 pounds
• Height adjustment handle makes both major and minor adjustments for more precision sanding
• 25" single drum with 4" thickness capacity
• No-give conveyor offers infinitely variable feed rate, from 0-10' per minute
• 1.5 hp motor

Reviews (2)

Overall a very good tool
I purchased my Performax ShopPro 25 after doing a lot of research. I even kept the box it came, in just in case I had to send it back. It performed well from the begining. The operation is smooth and with great results. You do need a good dust collector. Changing the sand papaer is quite easy and fast. With the optional set of casters, moving this heavy machine around is no problem. You need to be careful not to try to remove a lot of material at one time, otherwise, it will scoarch the wood, and you can ruin an expensive piece of sand papaer. I guess this is obviously the case with all drum sanders. The only reason I gave this otherwise wonderful machine four stars, is that the height control handle does not operate as well as I expected, you have to use two hands if you are rotating it full turns. I do believe that Performax makes some of the best drum sanders in the market. I highly recommend this product.

Perfect For The Small Shop
I wish I had enough space for a large surface sander. But, I do have enough space for the Performax 25. It really gets the job done. I can plug it into any 110 outlet in my shop and since it is on wheels it will be used then moved out of the way. It is easy to change the paper for the most part. A little tough on the fingers to clamp the ends of the paper down. Performax remedied this problem by giving me a little bent peice of metal to use instead of my finger. The thickness guage is not as accurate as I would like, but I think it is fair. In summary, for the price and with the ability to be mobile, this is a good tool. ... Read more

Features

• 100 Grit
• Heavyweight abrasive
• Premarked for cutting
• No splices, seams, or breaks
• Between 8-9 wraps

Features

• 1 year warranty
• 22-44 assembly will attach to nearly any radial arm saw
• Can be used alone or combined with components to build your own performax
• Hinged dust cover - 2 1/2 inch dust port
• Dimensions wood to within .010 inch thickness

Reviews (2)

There was no manual included with this sander
The tool is fine but there was no manual included with the sander. Since quite a bit of assembly is required to mount this sander to a radial arm saw, it took a long time to set up. I think I finally got it right.

A GREAT CONVERSION FOR YOUR RADIAL ARM SAW!
FOLKS...LET`S FACE IT....ANYTIME ONE OF OUR SHOP TOOLS CAN BE UTILIZED, WITHIN A SAFE MANOR,(OTHER THAN WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR)TO PERFORM DIFFERENT OPERATIONS, WE CAN FULLY REALIZE THE TOOLS POTENTIAL....NOT TO MENTION SIMPLE ECONOMICS! ONE SUCH TOOL THAT INSTANTLY COMES TO MIND IS THE MULTIFARIOUS DRILL PRESS...."NUFF SAID!" ALBEIT, IN THE PAST, ONE WAS ABLE TO ACOMMODATE A SMALL HOST OF ACCESSORY TOOLING TO THE RADIAL ARM SAWS AUXILUARY SHAFT (A DRILL CHUCK, VERTICAL SANDING BARRELS AND/OR A ROUTER COLLET CHUCK)WE WERE STILL PRETTY MUCH LIMITED TO THE SAWS VERSATALITY. ENTER, PERFORMAX PRODUCTS CORPORATION FOUNDER, GARY GREEN`S PERFORMAX S/T DRUMSANDER, MODEL 22-44. THIS, OUTSTANDING,PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS OFFERED AS EITHER A FULLY SELF CONTAINED FACTORY UNIT, IN KIT FORM OR AS WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE.....AN ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT FOR THE RADIAL ARM SAW. IT`S SANDING CAPABILITIES ARE A FULL 22" WIDE WITHIN A SINGLE PASS OF THE HORIZONTAL DRUM.....OR 44" WIDE WITHIN TWO PASSES. ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD MY 22-44 (HOOKED UP TO MY OLD RYOBI MODEL 2002 RADIAL ARM SAW)FOR MEARLY GOING ON THREE WEEKS.....IT HAS ALREADY SANDED OVER 2,000 FEET OF MATERIAL, AND I MIGHT ADD.. TO EXACTING SPECIFICATIONS! I DO HOWEVER FEEL COMPELLED TO ADD AN ADDENDUM TO THE MANUFACTURER`S CLAIM INASMUCH AS "BEING ABLE TO BE USED WITH MOST ANY RADIAL ARM SAW" CASE IN POINT: THE S/T IS DESIGNED TO FIT 10" AND 12" SAWS WITH A COLUMN TUBE DIAMETER BETWEEN 2-5/8" TO 3-1/8" AND YOU MUST HAVE A 5/8" ARBOR ON YOUR SAW`S MOTOR SHAFT TO FIT THE, SUPPLIED, PULLEY FOR THE BELT DRIVE CONNECTION TO THE SANDER. ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR, TO CONSIDER, PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE S/T....IS THE MEASUREMENT OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOUR TABLE SURFACE AND THE SAW`S EXPOSED COLUMN....WITH THE RADIAL ARM RAISED TO IT`S HIGHEST ELEVATION. ONCE YOU HAVE THIS MEASURMENT, SUBTRACT 14-1/2" FOR THE S/T OR 15-1/5" SHOULD YOU INTEND TO UTILIZE THE POWER FEED UNIT AS WELL. THE DIFFERENCE, IN MEASURMENT, WILL DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM STOCK THICKNESS CAPACITY OF YOUR SANDING OPERATIONS. IN MY CASE.....THE RYOBI SAW NEEDED A MINOR COLUMN ALTERATION TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONAL. I DIDN`T PURCHASE THE POWER FEED TABLE AND AM TOTALLY SATISFIED WITHIN USING A PAIR OF "PUSH STICKS", THUS FAR. TO SUM IT UP...IF YOU NEED A WORTHY, LARGE CAPACITY HORIZONTAL DRUM SANDER, HAVE A RADIAL ARM SAW THAT YOU WOULDN`T MIND CONVERTING OVER TO A FULL TIME WORKHORSE ....AND, YOU DON`T WANT TO SPEND THE BIG BUCKS FOR PERFORMAX`S FLAGSHIP MODEL, THIS IS WITHOUT DOUBT....THE ONLY WAY TO GO! HAVE FUN AND WORK SAFELY! ... Read more

Features

• 80 Grit
• Heavyweight abrasive
• Premarked for cutting
• No splices, seams, or breaks
• Between 8-9 wraps

Features

• Adds length to the feed table to handle longer boards

Reviews (4)

difficult to adjust
This is an extremely important addition to the Performax 16-32 drum sander that doesn't compare to an otherwise well designed machine. The installation is relatively easy, two bolts on either side to mount the side brackets. The trick is to get the tables flat corresponding to the conveyor belt. After raising and lowering the tables and brackets several times I managed to get them close, but not where I wanted them, which is dead on. As a previous reviewer stated, they have a tendency to trail off (down) at the ends away from the machine, which makes them almost useless. Take it from a guy who has owned both the Performax and the Delta: you are still better off with the Performax. This item should be at least close right out of the box, and perfect with a few adjustments, but I'll have to settle for close.

Hard to adjust.
It took me the better part of two evenings to get these tables installed and adjusted properly. Even after I got them the way I wanted them, during use they didn't provide the positive support I was hoping for.I mostly just use them to keep the workpiece from falling to the floor.

Flimsy and ...
I returned these tables along with the Performax 16-32 sander. (see my review titled "Extremely Disappointing") The problem with the tables is they can't be mounted to be co-planer with the bed of the sander. Instead, they tilt downward, away from the conveyor. They also don't align evenly with the conveyor from side to side. Aside from giving the illusion they beef up the 16-32, they are of very little use. Save your money and build your own.

A Great Addition to the Performax 16-32
This is a great addition to the Performax 16-32 drum sander. the infeed outfeed tables allow for the use of longer boards, and a 'storage/holding' area for smaller items. More importantly, with the longer boards, it offers support to the sander, taking the possible stress and weight away from the drum sander itself when the board is not 'balanced' on the feed table.

The installation was quick and easy, about 5 minutes total. The infeed outfeed tables attached to pre-existing holes on the Performax stand. Adjustment is just moving the tables up or down to align with the sander's feeder table, then tighten the bolts. That's it.

Before I had the tables, for pieces longer than 24 inches, I had to hold and 'level' the board as it feed into the sander to avoid the weight of the board gouging up or down on the sander, especially on the ends of the board. With the infeed outfeed tables, this problem has almost been eliminated, except of the boards that are 8 feet long.

Overall, a great investment, that makes the 16-32 drum sander even more productive. ... Read more

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup

Features

• Four sanding strips precut for the Performax 16-32 drum sander
• 60-grit for fast stock removal, rough finish
• Sheet easily locks in place at the correct angle for quick and simple grade changes
• Sandpaper rolls up on the drum sander for perfect sanding performance
• Precise precut fitting for long-lasting paper

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup

Features

• Precut for the 16-32 Machine, no measuring required
• 220 for extra fine finish on harDWoods

Features

• Four sanding strips precut for the Performax 16-32 drum sander
• 100-grit for medium finish (1/64" stock removal per pass)
• Sheet easily locks in place at the correct angle for quick and simple grade changes
• Sandpaper rolls up on the drum sander for perfect sanding performance
• Precise precut fitting for long-lasting paper

Reviews (1)

Great Conveniance in Sandpaper
This 4 pack in PRECUT sandpaper is a great boon to the Performax 16-32 drum sander. The sandpaper easily locks in place at the right angle and perfectly rolls up on the drum sander to create the perfect sanding operation. Changing sandpaper grades is quick and simple with the precut sheets. The 100 grit is perfect for a medium finish with about a 1/64" stock removal per pass.

The precut paper is easy to work with, and quick changes when going from rough cut to final finish. With proper care and alignment, the paper last for several thousand board feet of sanding. If the paper becomes overlapped on the drum, it will create burn marks on the wood and weaken the paper on the overlapped edge, also reducing the productive life of the paper.

I'll spend the few bucks more and let Performax cut the sandpaper to the exact angles needed for perfect drum fit. ... Read more

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup

Features

• Precut for 16-32 sander, no measuring needed
• contains 1-36 grit, 1-80 grit and 1-120 grit

Features

• Extra stock support for sanding
• Table size 10x22 inch each

Features

• Aluminum Oxide
• Open coat for non-loading
• Heavy-Duty X weight cloth backing
• Antistatic backing for easier dust pickup