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I'm thinking about picking up one of the Grizzly 15" wide belts. I'm tired of burning belts on my Delta 18/36.

Is anyone here using one? I've seen positive reviews here of the 18" closed model, but no reviews of the 15" open end models.

I have an 18" Grizzly and love it. Stay away from the open end machines. They just have too much deflection to be accurate.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I have a Sunhill open end sander and I think it works great. This looks exactly like mine:

I bought it used several years ago. It may by design have more deflection than a closed end machine, but I am pretty vigilant with the mic and keep up with what it is doing. I always send things through forward and back. Any deflection error is minor and usually imperceptible, and gets worked out with hand scrapers or sanders later in the construction process anyway.
Before I had this, I had the Delta 18", Before that, a Performax, and before that,a homebuilt machine. And before that and still in some cases, I'll hand plane and scrape my pieces. Regardless, The Sunhill machine is so much better than any of the others. A huge step forward. The closed end machines were out of my price range when I was shopping. At this point, five or so years in on this tool, I don't find myself wanting for the closed machine. The Grizzly looks very similar to mine. I suppose if I wanted to spend ten grand on something, one of the closed end machines might be the ticket, but at this time, I really don't miss it.
One thing that is really nice, is that changing belts takes under a minute!
The open end machine works for me. Just one opinion. I would be interested to hear others who have a similar machine, and if it is or is not working for them.
Good luck with your tool search!

The open end machine of Grizzly cannot be compared to performax. As long as your are not hogging off .100 you should do well. This machine is not unlike my 18. The sandpaper from grizzly pretty much is crap. I use belts from Industrial Abrasives. 1-800-428-2222 . I use the no loading paper and it does very well. Re calibrate the digital readout when you change papers. You will also need a good dust collector. If I am finishing sets that are pretty thick I use 36 to flatten and surface 60 grit to take to .030 80 grit to .010 and .100 to finish out.
I can do alot of sets in a short time. A good machine and one that will find more jobs that you can imagine . I use mine to sand down saddles. I make reset neck shims and perfling.
Have fun

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Neither can compare the cost of the Griz to Performax. A 25" drum from Performax cost more than a 15" Griz widebelt and can get the 18" for not much more. If had the money and room, would do that widebelt before got larger drum sander. I don't know how much a Performax widebelt is, but way more I would bet. The Griz 15" or the 18" a great machines for the price, particularly for this work. Heavy duty industral probably not, but that for the most part isn't what we do.
I have the 18" Griz drumsander and for the price and what used for would think do just as well and put it up against more expensive brands of same size and use, and I do quite a bit on it. Agree though, the abrasive not great, but at the price I get quite a few coco backs, sides, headplates and bridges done on the 60 grit, but use more in the lighter grits.

That said if doing heavy work with it all day and what some do here, and made my living doing it, would go with the Performax or other higher end widebelts like Timesaver or whatever those brands are. But that is with all my tools. Heck, I would learn and invest in CNC. But if tried that now and what I do, I would again be single and living in the shop, and that gets cold and benches are hard beds.

I found my Grizz 18 belt has more uses than just sides and backs. I can also run my bone saddles through it. A time saver machine would be about 3 times the price of the Grizz . I use mine sander about 6 to 9 hrs a week. The big advantage is changing the paper . A drum sander was an ordeal , in the belt, I open the door, through the air solenoid loosen the clamp block and remove , then replace the paper , reset the block and clamp , through the are solenoid and recalibrate the digital, in the time you read this I would have changed the paper and been back in business.
john hall
Zootman also got one

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it