Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm about to order a Thickness sander finally....and after too much thought on the subject....I'm on the fence over deciding between the : 22-44 plus ( closed base,1-3/4 hp)...and the 22-44 Pro....(3 hp motor, Sandsmart feature, seperate motor to drive the table belt) The pro will be about $800. more, and while I can manage this...I wonder if I'm just as well with the Plus unit...and spend the difference elsewhere. Any advice to help tip me either way...from owners with either of these machines, .....to a sensible decision?

Michael

I'm speaking from no direct experience of the 22-44 here ...

I've found that my 16-32 is plenty big enough for guitar work. I'd be worried about going with a larger drum that is only supported on one end. Are there problems with the unit staying in allignment? At 22 inches, I think I'd want supports on both ends. Of course, if you want the 44 inch capacity, then that is a deciding factor.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

The 22-44 size is definite...and the Jet model is definite...just curious as to whether 3 hp motor, and the Sandsmart options are advisable, and worth the upcharge.

Michael

Mike,
Yes, definitely go with the 22-44, I have the Pro,
However only because I bough mine used on CraigsList.
If I purchased new I would have gotten the Plus,
Keep in mine the Pro with the 3hp motor requires 220V,
I would think the Plus would be just fine, also it will be
more convenient because using 110V it can be moved
anywhere in your shop.
IMO the width was important, I like having the extra
space on either side of my work piece. Some of the tops
and backs I thickness are 8.5" each, 17" after joined,
with the 22-44 no need to trim. A small thing but still
a convenience.

Gregg

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Gregg

That's what I'm looking for Greg...thanks.

So..the 1-3/4 Horse motor handles the load just fine. Wondered if 3 Horse was overkill.


Michael

My buddy has the Pro, the 1-3/4hp 110V motor handles all his needs just fine.
Never an issue.

Gregg

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Gregg

I have the 22-44 Ocs and it is great, Like todd said it is great on rosewoods.

Gary

Huh. Did you post this question on another forum? Seems familiar. Isn't the Pro the one with the oscillating head? For the stuff we do here, my 22-44 (non-oscillating) is more than fine. But if the additional $800 is chump change, then go for it! I only wish I had the closed base! The open base that came with it may be ok, but I put the Jet casters on it and it tended to torque the mount plates out of square. I reinforced the bottom of the frame with 4 pieces of angle iron and all is fine... but still... would be excited to find a closed base. This is a VERY heavy machine. Mine came with Sandsmart and a separate conveyor motor (all the models, 10-20, 16-32, 22-44 do).

Mike

No...only posted here. That I know of.
$800 is not chump change to me.....been saving for some time to do this. Your opinions here mean a alot to me.


Thanks ; Michael

I have the 22-44 with the 1.75 motor, but mine does have the sandsmart feature on the conveyor. At any rate the 1.75 motor is more than enough for a drum sander.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Do you find the sandsmart usefull...professionally?

It only ever engages when I try to sand more than I should in one pass. But I think it's nice. I'm assuming the machine would stall when the feature kicks in and if that is the case then yes it is very nice.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I have the same model. It sands anything I have tried to put through it including all of the rosewood species. Personally, I'd save the $800 for something more useful. The Sandsmart feature is nice but after awhile I have learned to take appropriate bites which effectively sand the plate without too much heat buildup. I love the 22-44 and have never had a problem with the quality and uniformity of its thicknessing.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I've got the 1.75 hp version and it is not under powered. Is the "pro" the one with the open base and the truss over the drum? That looks like a completely different sander and may have other advantages/disadvantages.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

I think it is also important to consider how many pieces of wood you will be processing with the machine on a yearly basis. If you do not process many sets, the $800 extra for the sandsmart feature would really be waste. Just take off minimal material in each pass and you dont need that feature. Sand smart protects you when you try to remove too much in a single pass. If you were in a rush, you might make that mistake. If you are thicknessing one guitar set at a time, you wont be in a huge rush because your paycheck does not depend on you building dozens of guitars. Know what I mean?
If it were me, I would not spring for the extra $800 unless I were processing lots of wood with this machine, and I am not worried about the extra money, but I do worry about throwing money away.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Here is the one I got:

http://www.amazon.com/649004K-4-Inch-Sa ... 193&sr=8-1

Here is the price history:

http://camelcamelcamel.com/649004K-4-In ... B00020BNAY

I bought it in May of 2010 ($1100). Got free shipping. If you will be patient... watch the forums, it could go there again.

I wish I could find a closed base, but my mod is working fine. I do not have the in out tables... but will get them someday

Mike

looked at mine it is model: JET 649005K (closed base... I use the storage to hold all my paper for it) It's much better than the Delta I used to have, and LIGHT YEARS better than the grizzly dual drum one I had 8 years ago or so.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Thanks again for all of ya'lls opinions...helped quite a bit.
I'm going to spring for the Pro unit.

Michael

The sand smart feature probably negates the notorious thermal breaker problem. I like it. I have not burned any wood using the 22-44. Even maple.

Mike