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I'm finally thinking about getting a thickness sander. Does anyone have any experience with the new (came out last Oct.) Supermax 19-38 open ended drum sander? It seems to be a high quality sander and a good value.

http://www.supermaxtools.com/documents/ ... ompare.pdf
http://www.supermaxtools.com/wood-plastic.php

Looks quite a bit like my performax 22/44. I like it.

Imho open ended sanders always create problems . Have had one for 16 years. Love my woodmaster 38in single drum sander .They also make a 26in , which can be found used on craigslist.

I have the Performax 16/32, never had a problem with it. Extremely consistent sanding across the face when checked with a caliper. Feed bed came factory aligned perfectly. Unlike the closed units which require a dedicated space, mine has wheels and rolls out of the way conveniently when not in use.
This one looks even a little more heavy duty.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Open ended sanders of good quality do not create problems, but can be difficult to set up. Once set up, they are rock solid. They are still producing this design. It's not a bad design. It's cost effective. In guitar building, you will rarely need something bigger than 16/32. I have a 22/44. I love that thing. But I did spend a few hours setting it up. I've never had to redo that on two years of use. The tutorial forum has articles on how to do this. Don't do this, and yes, you will have problems.

Clearly, this is my opinion/experience. I'm sure others can point to cases where issues have arisen and I am in no way trying to minimize that.

Mike

Anyone using a 10-20? I've seen some good reviews including from luthiers.

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Build log

The tutorial is right here (or a link to it) viewtopic.php?f=10117&t=25090&p=338903&hilit=battery#p338903

The 10/20 is a good machine. But it's size will be limiting. I started out with one. But eventually traded up to the 22/44. That said, I think the most popular size for guitars is 16/32 (for those who use open ended sanders). I have also read lots of stories about the 10/20 overheating and tripping it's internal breaker. Mine did that as well. The motor would get incredibly hot. My 22/44 never gets much above warm and I can run it endlessly.

Mike

I appreciate everyone comments so far. No one yet has replied that has a Supermax so hopefully I will get some replies from someone that has one. I am comparing the Jet/Performax 16/32 with the Supermax 19/38. After reading several reviews on the Jet the majority are good or ok but it seems many people have issues with tracking the feed bed, motor issues, snipe, and so forth. Also something about the plastic drum lid seems cheap. The Supermax has 3 more inches in width, nice features that the jet doesn't have, and 1/4 more horsepower for just a few hundred more dollars. Also it seems like a more robust machine.

Mike, thanks. I might get the tiny one. With shipping it is half the price of a 16-32 and I don't intend to put heavy duty on it. Just take some of the bulk off the thicker backs and sides but still finish with planes.

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Build log

I have the Performax 16/32 and I'm quite satisfied with it. It would be nice to have a couple more inches of width, it's usually just a little short to get the full width of a top or back.
I've also had a little trouble getting it set up, I haven't gotten it perfect yet. It's about 0.003" higher on the open end, which is close enough for anything I do!

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Well, since no one here seems to have a Supermax drum sander I decided to take one for the team....placed my order today for the 19-38 model. I ordered it directly from Supermax in Minnesota and I had a delightful experience with Lisa the sales rep. So far so good. I will update this thread with a review and pics after I get it up and running.

Oh forgot to mention in my previous post, this thing weighs almost 300 lbs!