Drum sanders are an essential tool in woodworking. They make your task easy and quick. However, there are many types of sanders, each with unique features and functions, which makes it challenging to choose one. To help you out with that, this article features the 16-32 drum sander by Supermax Tools along with a complete buying guide.
Supermax Tools Drum Sander 16-32
Best for High-Tech and Efficient Sanding Needs
Supermax has taken its drum sander game to a whole new level with this advanced model, having a limited size, efficient performance, and improved features. Let’s have a detailed look at this drum sander.
Build and Assembly
This high-quality metal drum sander arrives almost assembled with only the stand to be put together, which hardly takes around twenty minutes. The 150 lbs. of the sander make it heavy to be carried alone, and you’ll probably need someone to help you place it on the 32-inch high stand.
The sturdy construction of the drum sander keeps its parts firmly together, preventing any kind of movement or vibration during installation or operation. The only point of trouble here is the bolting down of the machine to the stand. That’s because the holes on the bottom of the machine hardly ever align with the holes on the stand, and you might have to drill one yourself. So, be ready to hold the machine with one hand and drill with the other.
The Drum
The 5×16 inch aluminum-build drum spins with a speed of 1740 RPM, covering a maximum width of 32 inches. For desirable results, your stock has to be 2 ¼ inches long, but if you want to sand longer stock, you can install infeed and outfeed tables. They’ll let you sand up to 8-inch long stock in one pass.
With this sander, you can easily sand up to a maximum of 3 inches of your stock, while the minimum thickness the machine can sand is 1/32 inches. The machine comes with an 80-grit abrasive sheet to get you started right away.
If you are not familiar with the working of drum sanders, then you can start with a 36-80 grit abrasive sheet, but if you want to achieve maximum smoothness right away, then you better try a 180-grit sheet.
Power Requirements
There is a 1.5 HP motor, which needs to be connected to a 20 amp circuit with 110 voltage though it works fine with a 15 amp circuit too for less aggressive operations.
View Supermax Tools 16-32 on Amazon
The Conveyer Belt
The conveyer belt runs 21.5 inches parallel to the drum. There is a dial knob to manage its speed manually between 0-10 FPM. For heavier loads on the drum, the speed is kept low. In case the speed is not according to the load on the drum, your stock can get burned. To avoid, such situations the conveyor belt is equipped with the Intellisand feature, which monitors the drum load and adjusting the conveyor belt’s speed according to it. This protects your stock from burning or having scallops.
The Quick Lever
With the quick lever handle of the drum sander, you can easily adjust the drum height between 0-3 inches, unlike the traditional handwheel. This saves a lot of time.
The Turbo Vent
The drum sander has internal fins, which increase the air movement by 15 percent in the 1×4 inch vacuum port. According to the manufacturer, the vacuum port has to be connected to a 600 CFM dust collector, but an 1200 CFM dust collector turned out to be a better option.
Digital Read-Out
The machine is equipped with the Digital Read-Out technology, which is designed to achieve precise thickness by setting it to the exact thickness required. The only issue here is that it gets hard to read the measurement on the DRO screen in low light.
The Fast Lever
The fast lever is used to change the drum position depending upon the width of the stock. You’ll need this when sanding stock wider than 16 inches. It creates the extra space required to cover the entire stock at once and prevents ridges.
Here’s a good video overview of this model:
Pros
- Affordable
- Solid build
- Good customer service
- Convenient digital read-out
Cons
- Stand needs improvement
- Short power cord
Do We Recommend It?
We highly recommend it based on its advanced technology, which makes the job quite more comfortable. Its load sensor, which prevents burns, is efficient and can save you from much trouble. It arrives almost ready-to-work and is affordable too. However, conveyor belt issues can be a significant setback for some users.
Buying Guide
There are many drum sanders out in the market. If you plan to purchase one for your workshop, you must consider the following points.
Construction
Drum sanders are built to perform some difficult tasks. They need to have a solid body that can bear the load. Therefore, it is important to check the construction of each part of the machine.
HP
Checking the power requirement of the drum sander is a crucial step. Usually, motors have 1-5 HP. Higher power requires more money.
Volts
You must know the voltage limit of your workplace so you can get a sander according to it. It will be useless to get a sander beyond your voltage limit.
Capacity
The capacity tells you the size of the material that a machine can sand at a time. Open-end sanders have a larger capacity, but they are less stable than a limited capacity close-ended sander. It is up to you to select the one that best meets your requirements.
Dust Collector
A sander creates a lot of mess. It can be harmful to use a sander without a dust collector. You can choose a sander with the collector or get one separately. If your drum gets loaded with dust, it will start to vibrate and lose its efficiency.
Budget
Drum sanders are available in a wide range of prices. You might have to compromise at one or another feature if you are on a lower budget.
Technology
Technological advancements are being made to make our lives easier and machines more productive. Some traditional sanders might have a handwheel to adjust the drum’s height. That takes time and energy. However, some advanced devices, like the 16-32 model by Supermax Tools, use a Quick Lever Adjustment system for the purpose. Similarly, there are other such improvements too. Make sure to compare different machines on this ground.
If you’re still not sure whether this model is right for you, here’s another alternative detailed review this drum sander:
Conclusion
Supermax Tools understands your drum sanding requirements and aims to fulfill them by providing robust and efficient machines. The drum sander 16-32 by the brand is proof of that. The machine is quite convenient, advanced, and affordable. Yet, if you are looking for more options, do not forget to notice the features mentioned in the guide. They are essential to make the right choice.
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