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Product Reviews » Jet 22-44 Plus Drum Sander
Jet 22-44 Plus Drum Sander
By George Vondriska
Photos: George Vondriska
Posted: September 4, 2009
I enjoy having the chance to write up the new products I see, but what those reviews lack, is any kind of long term testing. I love having the chance to use a tool for a while, then write about it. This is the case with the Performax 22-44 Plus Drum Sander. I've had one in my shop for over five years. Keep in mind that I teach classes, so my machines see a lot of use. This machine has definitely been through long term testing and has taken it well.
Drum sanders aren't cheap. The 22-44 retails for about $1,600, which is a chunk of change. In this article, I'll first tell you why I like having a sander in my shop, then talk more specifically about the 22-44. Keep in mind that I've had the machine for a while so, while the machine is still basically the same, some features may have changed slightly. Also my older machine, a Perfomax, is the equivalent of what is today the Jet 22-44 Plus.
Why a Sander?
Capacity
Portable planers are typically around 13" wide and stationary planers are commonly around 15" wide, though bigger machines are available. Drum sanders, like the 22-44, typically exceed the capacity of commonly used planers. So, when I've got a large surface to flatten, my sander has the capacity to do the work, my planer doesn't.
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| This "cookie" was cut from a pair of side-by-side walnut trees. I'm sanding the face to make sure they're parallel, dead flat, and smooth. Something I couldn't do with a planer. This will end up as a top of a stool. |
Sanding Versus Planing
Knives on a planer are, of course, cutting the surface away. On a drum sander, you're sanding the surface away. This provides a hand full of pay offs. One is the ability to sand man-made material. Need to take a tiny bit off the face of a piece of mdf or particleboard? Send it through the sander. One trip through your planer and you've probably ruined the knives.
What about end grain? My wife and I have made a bunch of end grain cutting boards. I'm currently working on a walnut slab stool. You can't send end grain through a planer without tearing up the surface, but the sander does an excellent job of leveling and smoothing.
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| Sanding the edges on narrow rails and stiles is much easier and safer than jointing the edges. |
Doors and Face Frames
When I make rails and stiles for doors and face frames, I send the parts, on edge, through my sander to guarantee that they're all uniform in width and the edges are silky smooth. This is much safer than taking these narrow pieces to the jointer to remove the saw marks. I routinely edge sand parts 3/4" thick up to 3" wide. Over 3" and they start to get tippy. If the pieces are thicker, you can edge sand wider boards.
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| Sanding a completed door or face frame makes all the surface level. Yes, you get some cross grain sanding marks on the rails, but they'll easily. |
After my doors and face frames are put together, I send the completed assembly through the sander. This does a great job of leveling any discrepancies between the faces of the rails and stiles and making the door or face frame, nice and flat.
I remove the cross grain sanding marks on the rails by setting up my random orbit sander with the same grit I ended with on the drum sander. It takes very little time to get the cross grain marks out.
Dust Collection
Dust collection, at least on my 22-44, is excellent. Although I also use good dust collection on my portable sander, my preference is to do as much sanding as possible at the drum sander to reduce the chance of getting airborne particulates.
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| Drum sanders are great for making really thin pieces, something that's hard to do on a planer without the pieces getting sucked up into the cutter head. |
Little Stuff
Sometimes I need to make tiny pieces. It could be that I need a spacer of some distinct dimension or maybe I screwed up and need a nearly paper thin piece to patch in on a project. Drum sanders are great for making skinny, skinny parts. Thickness control is nearly infinitely fine, so it's easy to dial a piece in to a precise thickness.
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| This piece of highly figured walnut chipped like crazy when it went though my planer. The sander saved the day, and this beautiful piece of wood. |
Battling Tear Out
Sometimes the prettiest wood is the hardest stuff to work with. Highly figured woods are prone to chipping when you machine them with a planer or jointer. This is another great application for sanders.
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| Resinous woods, like pine, and oily woods, like some of the tropical stuff, can quickly ruin a sanding belt. Once the belt is clogged as badly as this, it's done. |
The Downside
OK, there have to be a couple negatives. Sanding is definitely slower than planing. Even with the most aggressive paper you can find, you probably won't remove wood as quickly with a drum sander (called abrasive planing), as you will with a planer.
Resinous woods, like pine, can wreak havoc on sand paper and this applies to drum sanders, too. Like having a chip in a planer or jointer knife, one bad spot can ruin an otherwise good abrasive. If you've got narrow stuff to sand you may be able to avoid the bad spot, but don't plan on sanding anything that requires the entire width of the head. So, as a rule, you've got to avoid sanding resinous and oily woods, or risk eating up belts.
When I have a belt that's still got good spots in it, I save it for my lathe work. This cloth-backed paper is wonderful for sanding parts on the lathe.
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| Parts that exceed the 22" width of the sanding head are done in two passes. After the first pass, simply rotate the piece and send it through again. |
About the Performax 22-44 Plus
First, let's cover capacity. Why 22-44? The length of the sanding drum is 22", so that's the largest piece that will fit under the head in one pass. The phrase, in one pass, is key. That's where the 44 comes in. If you've got a part to sand that's wider than the 22" head, you can work it in two passes.
A couple things are key to making this work. One is that the sanding head is cantilevered. I admit I was skeptical when I first saw this. How, I wondered, could it possibly maintain accuracy with so much sanding head sticking out, unsupported, from the frame? We'll it's a beefy system and does a great job.
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| Parallelism between the sanding head and the bed is controlled by the black knob. When the lock bolts are loosened you simply turn the knob to seesaw the sanding head up or down. |
On initial set up, you don't make the head parallel to the bed, you make it slightly higher on the open side. I found it very easy to dial this setting in and, although I frequently roll the machine around my shop, I haven't had to readjust it. So, yes, you're sanding a slight crown (a couple thousandths) into large surfaces, but it's negligible.
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| Maximum thickness on the 22-44 is 4". Each turn of the height adjustment handle moves the sanding head 1/16", similar to most planers, so fine control of final thickness is easy. |
Maximum thickness for the 22-44 is 4", where on my benchtop planer it's 6". I haven't found the 4" max to be a limiting problem. The parts I'm sanding for furniture and cabinets rarely exceed 3".
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| The large paddle switch turns on the sanding head. The dial controls the feed speed. If you're working the machine too hard the red light turns on and SandSmart kicks in to slow the feed rate down to an acceptable level, which will probably save your project and your sandpaper from burning. |
SandSmart
This may be my favorite part of the 22-44. Here's the deal. The conveyor that feeds the material under the sanding drum is variable speed, and has its own motor. So you set the height of the drum and the conveyor speed. What if you've set it too aggressively, feeding too fast or taking too much off (or both)? That's when the SandSmart technology kicks in. It monitors the electrical load on the system and will automatically slow down the conveyor to a manageable speed if you're working the machine too hard.
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| This is the tracking adjustment on the conveyor belt, one of these on each side. I set it when the machine was new, once more after the belt has stretched a little, and haven't touched it since. |
Conveyor Adjustment
Like tracking the belt on a belt sander, the conveyor belt that feeds material has to be set to track correctly. Knowing how fussy belt sanders can be I figured this would be a constant concern, but it wasn't.
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| The sandpaper is wrapped around the drum. A clip on each end holds the paper in place. The clip on the far end is spring loaded, so applies a small amount on tension to the paper. It takes some practice to get good at wrapping the paper. |
Putting Paper On
On drum sanders, the abrasive is wrapped around the sanding head in a slow spiral. In order to do this, the end of the strip has to be cut at the right angle and the strip has to be just the right length.
It took a little practice to get wrapping just right. One end of the paper goes into the retaining clip, then you start wrapping. You can have a small gap between each spiral, but you can't allow any overlap. You've got to slowly turn the head with one hand while pulling the paper tight and wrapping with the other hand. Then, grab the paper in the spring loaded clip at the opposite end and you're good to go.
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| I've found that the most economical way to buy sandpaper is on long rolls like this one. You'll have to make a template for the angle on the end of each strip, and carefully cut the pieces to the right length, but the savings make it worth the effort. |
Since the paper is cloth backed, it stretches a little. I've taken to getting the paper on the machine, doing just a few minutes of sanding, then checking the tension on the paper. If it gets loose and overlaps itself, you're likely to burn your material and maybe put a bad spot in the sandpaper.
When it comes to buying abrasive, you've got options. One option is to buy pre-cut pieces of sandpaper that are specifically sized for the machine, called Ready To Wrap. This is extremely convenient, but the most expensive way to buy abrasive.
An alternative is to buy a long roll of Performax abrasive with color-coded lines on the back, called Ready To Cut. Each color is for a different size drum sander. You'll have to cut each piece as you need it, but as long as you cut on the right color lines, you'll be fine.
A final alternative, and the least expensive way to go, is to simply buy rolls of sandpaper, not pre-cut and not pre-marked. This is what I do. I made a plywood template that gives me the correct angle for the ends of the strip, so just have to make sure I cut them to the correct length. Works great, and you can't beat the economics of it.
My Final Thoughts
Although the initial investment on my Performax 22-44 Plus was a significant chunk of change, I'm glad I made it. I use the sander all the time, typically sanding every piece of each project to 220-grit before assembly, leaving very little post-assembly sanding. I absolutely love having my project parts well sanded before assembly.
I recommend adding the infeed and outfeed tables to the machine, which sets you back another $140, but they'll really help on long pieces. They're on my soon-to-purchase list. I haven't had to service or replace any parts on my machine and I've been amazed at how well the head holds its setting relative to the table.
The 1-3/4-hp motor has plenty of oomph for me. The only time sanding seems to be going very slowly is when I get to finer grits, 180 and 220. At that point, I'm generally only doing a pass or two, so a slower speed isn't a big deal.
I think the 22-44 fills a great niche for those of use who need a surface sander, but don't have the space or budget for a larger machine. Sometimes I wish it could sand as fast as a machine with a larger motor (I mostly feel this when I'm sanding large panels) but for the most part, I'm happy with what the 22-44 provides. Jet's latest innovation on the 22-44 is an oscillating head. When this function is turned on, the sanding drum oscillates back and forth while it spins. I've watched demos of the machine at shows and have been impressed with the minimal scratches left behind, even when more aggressive belts are being used. If you're considering buying a 22-44, the oscillating version, though more expensive, is worth a look.
22 Comments
This past December, I purchased a Jet 22-44 Osc. drum sander. This was the best decision I made. It has reduced my hand sanding of parts to less than 1/6th the time I spent before. The sanding can be as little as .005" of an inch. Dust colection is great. No clouds of dust. The oscillating portion does a good job to where very little 'final sanding' is needed.
September 09, 2009 // 2:02 PM This is the first and only drum sander review I've seen. It makes me re-think my opinion the Jet, formally Performax brand sander. Thanks
Posted September 09, 2009 // 2:57 PM That's a lot of money to spend on something t hat I might use only a few times a month.
Posted September 09, 2009 // 8:32 PM Well then, don't buy it. As for myself, I would likely use it almost daily. If you are a serious woodworker you'll wonder how you ever got along without it! I have worked in places with wide-belt sanders and they are a major time saver. I don't have the budget for a wide-belt, nor do I have the space. I have both the budget and the space for a drum sander and now that I see a review for one that has been in use for 5 years, my mind is made up. I know of a few shops/people that use the Jet but even though they like the machines , they have had them less than a year. Five years trouble free says a lot. Thanks for your review.
Posted September 16, 2009 // 9:43 PM I dont, wont and can't believe a Jet nee Performax has run trouble free for five years. That is truly a WOODWORKER"S FAIRY TAIL. Who is drinking the KOOL AID? Real professional machines need servicing, adjusting worn part replacements etc.. Jet must be having ET and his associates from his space ship manufacture these in Taiwan to be flawless.
Posted September 24, 2009 // 4:53 PM I've had my drum sander for 3 years and had to do nothing too it but enjoy.
Posted September 09, 2009 // 8:37 PM I have the little brother to the 22-44, the 16-32, have had it approx 4 yrs and have always had trouble getting the conveyor belt to track correctly. Have talked to the people at Jet and am doing the adjusting correctly according to them but the problem persists. I can only sand for 5 min max then need to stop the machine, loosen the tension nuts, slide the conveyor paper back then re-tighten. This gets to be too much!! Otherwise I like the machine very much. Anybody have this same problem with theirs?? I am looking for some solution & would appreciate anybody weighing-in with an answer. Thanks......Jim
Posted September 16, 2009 // 7:43 PM I do not own one of these but the problem has persisted even when Performax was the manufacturer. Please dont take offense but many of us are taken in by the hype provided by slick advertising agencies as a net result many woodworkers in their naivette are sucked in. That is the name of the game. We all like TOYS. If we look at ourselves as being mature with a good measure of insight and perception we should be able to be realistic and not adolescent in buyin woodworking tools as is the case. I dont know if you are professional or a well rounded hobbyist. In either case both are capable of getting sucked. Most of us cannot afford or do not have the space for a professional belt sander. Therein lies the RUB. The moral here is dont believe every thing the manufactureres and tool reviewers throw at you unless it is truly a professional machine.
Posted September 09, 2009 // 11:40 PM i would give almost anything to get this drum sander, large or small i have seen them work you can't beat they for sanding large flat area's. and of course thats what i do blanket chrest, case work . well may be i will make one i know they can be made. i would use it every day. that's my two cents worth. thanks cyrusbw
Posted September 16, 2009 // 9:33 PM Save your money! I dont know where you are located. If you can afford it try and get a real professional belt sander at an auction from an online used machinery sellers. You chances of having good luck and not having to tweek numerous times a real professional machine is very much in your favor. However, in purchasing a used professional machine you may have to replace some parts due to wear and tear, it will be worth it.
Posted September 10, 2009 // 12:09 AM If you can afford it, buy it! This sander is one of those tools that you don't use every day, but when you need it nothing even comes close. It's like having a Fein Multimaster. There are some jobs that can't be done with anything else. P.S. I got mine on Ebay at a considerable savings.
Posted September 10, 2009 // 1:08 AM I have had the performax 16-32 for about 6 yrs and have never had to readjust the conveyor belt. When you get close to it tracking right it takes very little adjustment of the adjuster to get it right. I'm sure your aware of this, but just a suggestion. Wonder if something in the tracking mechanism might not be bent or misshapen ? I questioned for a long time whether I needed one or not. When I finally bit the bullet and bought it I wondered what took me so long. It's a great machine.
Posted September 10, 2009 // 1:41 PM Dale, thanks for your input on the 16-32 machine. I am wondering if the drive roller might need to be fine-tuned? I'm not even sure if there's any "slop" in the fastening hardware to permit any "tweaking of the drive roll. I really like the machine except for this part of my problem with it, otherwise it does a great job. The only other trouble I've had with it is getting the end of the sandpaper to lock in place. I now use a curved pair of forceps/hemostats to clamp onto the end of the sandpaper roll and push it tight while hooked onto the tension lever.
Posted September 15, 2009 // 10:10 PM I have the Delta version of this sander and have to constantly adjust tracking on the belt. I may try a different belt to resolve the issue. Another woodworker with a similar ploblem told me a different belt fixed his as the diameter on one side of the belt was wider than the other side. This made it impossible to hold proper tracking. Other than that, I like the sander for most wide projects as long as I take very shallow passes. I think they are worth the investment even for occational use. Mine even come with a 4" x 9" drum sander attachment.
Posted September 16, 2009 // 9:22 PM Read my reply 9/16/09 This endemic in the woodworking tool industry geared to professionals as well as accomplished hobbyists. The real professional machines have to be adjusted according to the work but the adjustment stays in it's place and does not have to be tweeked numerous times to make it work correctly. From the many woodworking shows that I have attended over the years it is apparent and I say this without intending to offend woodworkers that they are an easy MARK for a new unproven TOOL TOY. Before Jet bought Performax I read many similar complaints and Jet hasnt really done much to improve the engineering of the machine to permanently fix the problem and reduce the number of HELP, I NEED HELP to get this DAMN MACHINE TO OPERATE AS HYPED the problem then falls on what we can assume to be deaf ears once the machine is in your hands.
Posted September 16, 2009 // 9:27 PM Occassional is spelled as you see it, There is no "T" in the word. I know this Delta Machine as I had a part time job with the now defunct WoodWorkers Warehouse a number of years ago when they first introduced the machine. There wer problems GALORE. Machines were returned for refunds.
Posted September 23, 2009 // 6:39 PM Wow, what a flurry of interest in this machine. Obviously, lots of woodworkers are considering adding a surface sander to their shop. Lets see if I can address some concerns stated here. First, as I said, my machine has run trouble free for its life in my shop. I, too, am amazed, which is part of the reason I did this tool review. I have, in my career as a woodworking editor, done numerous tool reviews and tool tests, handling each objectively and professionally. Same applies here. No Kool Aid involved, I'm very impressed with the performance of this machine. Is it a professional machine? Well, I make my living doing woodworking, so it's a professional machine in my shop. Could you get something bigger/better/faster? Sure. My tool buying advice is that you save as many pennies as you can and get the most machine you can. If you've got the budget, space, and wiring requirements covered for a larger belt sander, go for it. I've used my friend's 20-hp Timesaver wide belt sander, and it's amazing! Won't fit in my shop, or budget, though. I've watched what I call the gizmo-ization of woodworking through the years. Lots of new tools hit the market all the time. Some good, some not so good. I taught hand tool woodworking in Africa in a school with no electricity. Do I want to give up all my power tools and accessories and do woodworking in it's purest and simplest form, only with hand tools? No way. Woodworkers do, however need to be conscious of the idea of "If I only had that _____, I'd be a better woodworker." It's not the tool, it's the practice. Buying a better guitar won't make me a better guitar player. So, practice your craft, but don't be afraid to examine new items on the market that can help you. Read tool reviews to get objective, experienced opinions. Talk to other woodworkers, but beware the disgruntled woodworker providing a statistic of one. Once you've made your purchase learn to properly use your machine, maintain it, and hopefully you'll be able to rely on it as much as I rely on my 22-44 Plus. Happy woodworking! G
Posted September 24, 2009 // 10:55 AM I have had the 22-44 for about 5 years. I got it when Rockler has it for about $950 I think. So for it has done 2 kitchens... doors/panels plus multiple chests and other furniture and has never missed a beat. Even when transporting across the country when we relocated it did not go out of adjustment. As to the paper... i use woodcrafts pitch cleaner (the pink stuff) mix it up in a coffee can and soak the paper then scrub with a nylon brush. Once dry the paper is almost good as new. The paper is robust enough to withstand many soak/clean cycles. In all, this is a superb machine with many uses.
Posted September 24, 2009 // 11:44 AM George: Thanks so much for this review. I have been looking for a sander for my high school shop. MY problem is space and I noticed you said you have moved yours around. This is what I intend to do also. I do have a 22" planer so this tool will be a nice addition to our shop. By the way I am just down the road in Somerset, Wisconsin do you ever give tours of your shop. I'd be very interseted in meeting you someday. Thanks Mark
Posted November 29, 2009 // 11:15 AM That's really a very smart idea, I like it and am fond of the ways it is implemented. I hope I could do it the same way.
Posted February 18, 2010 // 11:47 AM loved this review, however my shop is small could you do a review of the other types of drum sanders, Grizzley baby sander and the flat sander , the sand flee ?? which is best/ help need one soon
I bought a new Jet 22-44 and was very sorry I did. It failed within the first 1/2 hour and I had to wait for factory parts and do the warranty repair myself. Jet told me they were "doing me a favor" by sending me the parts. Some favor. The feed belt is very thin, almost like sandpaper, and doesn't grip worth beans. The hold down rollers are steel, small diameter, and lack sufficient pressure to maintain constant feed rate. I was trying to sand some 4/4 and 5/4 poplar 6" and 8" widths for replacement base and case and the machine could not handle the lengths, (7 to 14') even with multiple infed and outfeed roller stands. It seems to do ok with short pieces but ate one in five long lengths. I lost quite a bit of stock. In addition, you can easily see the outboard side of the drum head rise up above the inboard side when sanding 6" wide poplar and a .002 cut with 100 grit. Jet would only allow it's return if I upgraded and spent more money, and then after they took it back they tried to weasil out of that. I don't think these guys have much integrity. My local machinery dealer took a hit on their credability as well. I replaced the sander with a 24" Powermatic double drum which works many times better than the 22-44 and in addition I bought a second hand Grizzley 18" as a temporary unit and found it to be very noisy and poor on dust extraction but superior in feeding and consistantcy. I truely believe the Jet 22-44 to be a "hobby" machine, and I think Jet shoukld have re-engineered Performax's unit before putting their name on it.