This review is for the Delta 18" Drum Sander. After 2+ years, I still like it, but there are some challenges in the design, and ALWAYS patience and meticulous set-up for every pass is required.

If starting with surface removal it is absolutely necessary to use very coarse grit. Otherwise - it takes FOREVER. Belt changes and multiple passes per grit - require considerable time. I can easily load and adjust the paper using the tensioning spring clip. But, I have to use vice grips to hold open the other spring clip - perhaps this is a MFR defect?

I usually do larger batches of work - cabinetry, doors, furniture... So I am sanding multiple boards per batch. When I'm in a hurry..., I carefully plane (with my planer) if required, then drum-sand using 60 or 80 grit paper, then remove the grooves with progressive grits using my random orbit sander. Changing grits on the random orbit sander takes a fraction of the time, and achieves finish-quality results much faster. I use random orbit sanders a LOT, and the drum sander only as needed to flatten, and uniformly smooth boards. I use more 60 grit paper than any other in the drum sander.

The drum sander has a special advantage over the planer/belt sander in some circumstances (For example the stereotypical cutting-board made by gluing up odd bits of wood, with end grain up). This kind of project causes tear-out on a planer, or an uneven surface using a belt sander. The drum sander has a special advantage over the any other tool in my arsenal in taming tear-out, flattening multi-wood joins, and with extra-wide boards.

For long boards especially, the problem with snipe is almost completely unavoidable. I have tried to minimize this with carefully set up in-feed and out-feed rollers, and this helps. But almost without exception I have a small snipe groove ~2 inches from the end of the piece. I remove this with my trusty random orbit sander.

THE WORST DESIGN FLAW IN MY OPINION - The feed belt adjusts the work-piece up and down instead of moving the drum up and down -- THIS MEANS FOR LONG STOCK THAT THE IN-FEED AND OUT-FEED ROLLERS MUST ALSO BE RE-ADJUSTED WITH EACH PASS. This is a pain, and unfortunately is the way the tool is designed. There is no getting around it, and rushing leads to unacceptable results - shortened sanding-belt life, excessive snipe, burned board surface, circuit re-sets, and recently a fried v-belt. The only cure is time, progressive grits, meticulous in-feed and out-feed roller set-up, and almost super-human patience.

For most pieces - Plane or belt sanding as required, and then random orbit sanding with progressive grits is faster by far. But when needed, the Delta Drum Sander has its place in my shop and there are jobs every month where I am very happy to have access to this tool. This is why I gave the tool 4 stars instead of 2.

If you have just a couple projects on the horizon, I would recommend going to your local wood mill and pay the professionals there to surface your projects as required using their ~48" industrial drum sander. Their results will be superior and this will be much more time and cost effective for infrequent use. Otherwise - be patient and meticulous - the drum sander has a unique place in my woodshop. After over 2 years using this tool, this is my 2c.

I have a small custom shop with almost all Delta tools. This is the worst machine I have ever worked with in 25 plus years of woodowrking. Adjustment are awfull, rarely does sand paper last any time before breaking(at 5+ dollars a pop). And today the sandpaper holder breaks , so how long will the machine be down before it can be fixed, days , a week?? Im done this tool is less than worhless, it is a $900.00 chain around my neck.
A former happy and dedicated Delta customer

P.S. Am I the only one seeing less quality since Black and Decker owns Delta,Porter Cable and Dewalt!!!!!

I purchased this sander locally about 4 months ago. I reviewed this column and many other review sites.I visited the local dealers to view the beige colored counter part. If possible I would suggest anyone to do the same. The delta construction is much beefier. I am extremly satisfied with my purchase. I paid $939.00 and no shipping. I am using the sandpaper supplied for my current project (converting rough sawn/air dried southern pine to make moulding, door jambs and baseboards for my log home).

The machine is heavy and it took about 1 1/2 hours to set up out of the box. The only adjustments that I needed to make was the depth adjustment.I probably sanded only about a couple hundred board feet of planed stock with it. SYP has a lot of pitch in it so sandpaper gets clogged. All sandpaper gets clogged after about 50 bf with this type of wood. The drum sander is not a planer. Sanders are not made to dimension lumber. Sanders will clog your dust collector filter quicker than a planer. Planers dimension and possibly create tearout and drum sanders smooth out the light planer ripples and sand the wood to remove any light tearout. I joint my boards then face them in the planer then finish sand them in the drum sander and finally shape the edge on my shaper. You must do a final light sanding with an oscillating sander if you want to remove the sanding lines that a drum sander creates if you use less than 220 grit. You must have very good dust collection system (especially with finer grits). I have never torn any sanding belts and they take about 1 minute to install after the first 10 tries. I have built a stand from 2x4 lumber and casters and I soon will attach a sandpaper shelf on the metal base. I would not suggest purchasing another drum sander for under $7000.00.

You must have a planer to remove saw marks on roughsawn lumber unless you plan un using pre-planed lumber. The belt will bog down if you attempt anything but medium sanding with a 8" wide(or wider) board with the type of wood that I am currently using.

I am very happy with this machine.

No other tool (with the possible exception of a bandsaw) seems to evoke the wide range of customer reviews as does a stationary drum sander. After some 30 years building furniture and cabinets, I believe the reason is relatively simple: drum sanders are, by comparison to most other shop tools, complicated. They are relatively finicky, and many people seem to be attempting to use the machine in ways for which it was not designed. In spite of appearances, modern tool design engineers are neither inept, nor out to get us. However, some tools, because of the tasks they are designed to complete, are inherently unstable because the absolute fix for the instability would make the machine prohibitively expensive. For example, a drum sander that can take out 1/8" per pass, is self-levelling, and acurate to within .001" is entirely possible to design and create, and you can have one, too, for eleventy-bazillion dollars.
I own a Delta 31-255X (X5) and it performs perfectly. "Perfectly", to me, comes with the logical caveats. Yes, I have to occassionally adjust the feed tracking screws. Yes, it's slower than my surface planer, and yes, I limit myself to no more than 1/64" per pass. For all of that, it is an incredible machine. That having been said, I'm sure its chief competitor, the Performax 16-32 is also an incredible machine. The reviews are very favorable for both machines, and I would not trade mine. Like any tool, it is a personal choice, typically based on many factors. I have found that with most tools, patience is required in the setup and maintenance. I believe that if a person gets the feel of this machine and does not try to bully it, they will find it an indispensible part of their shop. Mine has a home for life.

I am a professional woodworker and needed a drum sander to finish sand my raised panel cabinet doors. I didn't really have the money to lay out for a nice, big, commerical grade machine so I figured I'd give the Delta a try.

Before I bought my sander I carefully researched and read all the reviews. To say the least I was skeptical about the machine but I figured I could just take it easy with it and get the job done until I could get a larger machine.

The Delta was well made, easy to assemble and adjust and ran smooth right out of the box. But when you start running wide cabinet doors through it it's weaknesses rear their ugly head.

Like a previous poster said it's a good concept but lacks in power. The main weakness I've had problems with is the conveyer motor. This whimpy little motor will trip it's breaker at the slightest little strain even at slow speeds. Guess what happens to your workpiece when the conveyer stops but the drum keeps on sanding?

The overall machine is not rigid enough to hold it's adjustments with continued use and trying to sand a piece wider than 18 inches always turned out to be a disaster.

For a hobbiest or occassional woodworker the Delta may be suitable but it is way too slow and whimpy to try to make a living with. The sandpaper can just kiss the wood on each pass and it takes many, many passes to properly sand a cabinet door, and if the conveyer motor stops while sanding you'll probably have to remake the door.

So I am ordering a Woodmaster drum sander for my shop and regulating the Delta to small trim pieces and balsawood. I love all my other Delta machines but this one is their "Pinto".

Rick Hogue
Pensacola, FL