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Thinking of replacing my fairly worn out Performax 16-32. Wold like to get away from the inherent inaccuracies in an open ended sander and the Supermax 25 is at a nice pricepoint right now.

Anybody?

No experience but - me want.

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Thank You and Best To All

Currently using the Supermax 37" dual drum. It had been very low maintainence and does a good job.
The folks at supermax are great to deal with and you are getting a US made machine.
Happy sanding.

Brian

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

I have one. Single drum. It is from before Jet took over Performax. I have had some tracking issues but I think it is because of my very uneven floor. When I get my new shop with a level floor and the sander stays stationary I think all will be good. Are there any specifics you want to know about. Over all I like it and I have had it for 8 years or so.
L

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Link,
Thanks for the respone. Can you lock the height adjustment so that it doesn't creep during the sanding process or is this even an issue to be concerned with? Also, does the drum need periodic adjusting to keep it parallel to the table?
Tom

Bri,
Not that it is a deal killer or even close to one but, I went to the Supermax website and in very small text it said "made in Taiwan to US mfg specs"

They must have outsourced the manufacturing since you purchased yours.

Never needed to adjust the drum, and doesn't creep a bit. Don't remember if mine is made in USA. I will check.
L.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

I have an old performax and a newer woodmaster 38in sanding drum. I will take the woodmaster made right here in KC over any supermax .There are also some used older 26in woodmaster sanders out there. The replacement parts can be procured from your local hardware store.

Thanks Ernie,
What is the basis for your preference? Have you owned or used a Supermax 25? If so, what advantages does the brand offer?
Tom

My biases are based on having the 16-32 machine for 20 years. I would also read reviews by PROS who use it, Not hobbyists. I feel their product is just ok.For light use it/s ok. If you plan to use it a lot . I would look at the general dual drum sander or the woodmaster.It/s a judgment call. I would not buy another performax .Shop for a quality product it is better to spend $$$ up front on a quality machine. If your mechanically inclined so much the better.Remeber this is just 1 mans opinion. Good luck.

Thanks Ernie,
I come out to Overland Park 3-4 times a year to visit my grandkids. Does Woodmaster have a showroom in the area?
Tom

Yes they do tom they are in n. KC. Call them for a free dvd.and check for their specials think Jan and july ?/ . another thing I like abt woodmaster is excellent customer service . When I had a few problems they got taken care of asap no BS. Lots of technical help . They get a 5 star rating from me . general in quebec , I have heard conflicting reports abt their CS. It pays to do your due diligence .If you want more info PM me and I will give you my fone number ernie

So to start with, I am a Professional and have been for 37 years. Comparing a 16/32 open end Performax to a Woodmaster is not apples to apples. I have direct experience with a Supermax fixed end 25" , Performax 16/32"s and cursory with the Woodmasters. I have physicly examined them and talked to my pro friends who own them.
They like theirs and are happy with them. They have had some little problems but all machines are projects, from Grizzles to Felders. (DAMHIK)
That said I think the Woodmasters are well made and a used one would be a good thing indeed. To me the Woodmaster is a sturdier machine with the box construction. I don't like the lunar module leg system of my Supermax however they did this to make it more portable. On my long list is to beef up the base of mine.
The reasons I choose my Supermax are I like the direct sandpaper contact with the drum . I think hook and loop systems are less accurate and I like the non rubber conveyors on the Supermax and don't like rubber conveyors because with small pieces they can compress and lose some accuracy. (This can be circumvented with a slave board that spreads the load.) I also didn't want a dual drum.
I haven't looked at a Supermax since Jet took over but mine has a American made motor and they were made in USA.
Overall I think the Woodmasters are a bit sturdier but as I said I wanted non hook and loop, non rubber feed mat and single drum. I think this gives a more accurate result but my friends said they didn't notice any thinning at the edges of pieces but they are doing different work than I am.
I would be interested in a test with smaller pieces and a very careful measuring of the edges vs. the middle of small thin pieces, thin as in 3/32".
Ernie what has been your experience with the edge to edge accuracy?
L.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Link,
It's my understanding that Jet doesn't own SuperMax. In 2005 two former employees of Performax started Supermax after buying the rights to build open end drum sanders.
I got this from the supermax site, click on the "About Us" link.


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Link , Will do my best to answer your questions. I use the old performax 16-32 with 60 grit paper for quickly removing anomalies. It/s had a lot of use. In it/s current dilapidadted state I just use the performax for rough sanding only then things move on to the woodmaster I have the 38 in single drum, which is a breeze to run an take care of. I like the rubber conveyor. I have the hook and loop on the drum and replaced it once .Only because I wasn/t paying attention an burned through the velcro after 4 years of use . I also burned out the reversing switch, and was give a new one free. The woodmaster is extremely accurate , at least mine is, with worn 80 grit I might get abt a .010 variable across 16in by 22in piece of spruce or rosewood.The dvd and instructions are very clear. If you have a problem , you call and someone always calls back and walks you through the problem .Parts, no problem hardware store or prompt delivery from their warehouse in . N, KC. There was an excellent article in GAL way back by bruce petros on the general dual drum 24 in sander . When the 16-32 dies I would like also to get another sanding machine to load with 60 grit. I have never used or seen the 25in performax , so cannot comment on it. But I did come across a used older woodmaster12 in drumsander locally cheap. Lots of cabinet shops use woodmaster. But then some pros use a timesaver as well. Shalom , and I hope that I have answered your questions as best as I can Link . PS forgot, the machine sands veneers very evenly down to .045. with no anomalies. Once in a rare while if there is a tear or crack opened up on the face, it might catch in the sandpaper ,happened just once.

Thanks Ernie, Sounds like you are getting pretty good accuracy.
L.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Thanks to both Ernie and Link for their comments.
Now my turn to decide between two good machines and an approximate $1,000 price differential.
Tom

Tom my 2 cents , try out and see as many machines as you can for your targeted price range. Kinda like road testing cars. Until you use it, you don/t learn it/s idiosyncracies and what you are willing an not willng to live with.

I have the SuperMax 19-38 open ended. I bought it new from SuperMax last year. It is very accurate not getting off more than .002" from each end. I haven't had to adjust it yet. It was accurate right off the crate. They are made in Tiawan, but make no mistake, these are very high quality, well built machines. And the price is reasonable I think. The Supermax 19-38 is much more sturdy than the Jet 16-32..but if you have to have a closed end, I bet you cant go wrong with the SuperMax 25. The people at SuperMax are great to deal with too. Kind of a small Mom n Pop shop.

Good advice from Ernie and I will take it.
Turns out this is sorta like the Ford vs. Chevy debate....
Personally I like Prosche

Porsche....fat fingers, poor eyesight.

Couldn't agree more. I've had mine for a year and love it.

Steve