SUPERMAX TOOLS Drum Sander with Flatness Guarantee, Intellisand Technology and Patented Abrasive Attachment System. Model 19-38 (SUPMX-71938-D)

This machine arrived as three boxes on a wood pallet. It was extremely well packaged and there was no damage, uncommon in my experience. Two of the boxes, containing the stand and conveyor system, were easy to move by hand. I had to have help moving the main head unit into the shop, and again when I was ready to lift it onto the stand. This is the nicest stand I have seen, heavy-duty and very nicely finished, and it went together perfectly in 20 minutes. The caster set from Supermax is also excellent, the smoothest rolling and easiest operating I've seen. The stand with casters is 32" high; lifting the sanding head unit onto it is not too bad with help, probably impossible without. It fitted the pre-drilled holes perfectly. This is when you see this thing is bigger than the pictures make it look! Then the conveyor system slides in easily and fits perfectly, takes another 5-10 minutes or so to get the 4 bolts in place. Then on go the (optional) infeed and outfeed brackets and tables, takes a little fiddling to get them both leveled with the conveyor table. I removed the sanding belt and checked the drum alignment, factory setting was dead on. That's it, reinstall the belt and you're ready to sand. Be sure to hook up dust collection because this machine puts out a lot of dust! My 1200 cfm portable dust collector catches most of it, but two dust ports might work better.It has an adjustable speed control on the conveyor feed. I hadn't realized until I received the machine that it also has a load-sensing feature that slows the conveyor if the depth of cut is set too great, and a digital read-out for depth of cut (or workpiece thickness).I tested it on some glued-up tabletop scraps, and then launched right into sanding three small tabletop glue-ups. The standard 80-grit belt achieved smoother results than I was expecting (helps to run the first few passes at an angle to avoid glue build-up on the belt, and the final pass straight through to make sure sanding marks are parallel to the grain), and no conveyor belt tracking adjustment has been necessary. The next project will be a 24"x40" tabletop that will test the FAST lever adjustment for avoiding a ridge in workpieces wider than the 19" drum. I'll update this review with those results.Bottom line: this is a quality machine, beautifully built and finished. I had to look at the shipping containers to verify it was made in Asia (Taiwan). It's much better made and finished than Grizzly, Jet, Shop Fox, etc. machines, I'd say it's the equal of my floor-standing Powermatic hollow chisel mortiser (or better, since that machine arrived with a dent in the stand that I hammered out before mounting it in a mobile base). The drum carriage is super rigid, the drum is well balanced and runs so quietly you hardly know it's on, and it remains surprisingly quiet when sanding. The optional infeed and outfeed tables are heavy-duty like everything else, and don't flex. Even the hinged drum cover/dust port is heavy gauge steel. The 19-38 is a very good value, being simply a rather plain, heavy-duty, industrial-quality machine that would be fine for a small professional shop. I'm happy with it, especially considering that I had nearly decided on the 25" Powermatic closed-end dual-drum machine for three times the price of the Supermax, and I would have been limited to 25"-wide workpieces.3 months later: Still a great machine after running several larger glued up panels. But I've discovered there is a learning curve. It has the power to take surprisingly heavy cuts, easily one-eighth inch in white oak. But I recommend taking light cuts if you can and flipping the panel for every pass, not one-quarter turn of the handle like my planer but one-eighth turn. This avoids snipe, and will flatten a bowed glue-up like a jointer rather than press it flat temporarily and thickness it like a planer. However, be alert when taking light cuts that the workpiece doesn't stall under the rollers for lack of pressure and scoop out a trough. No center ridges even without flipping the table lever. And I should update my comment above about dust collection. I'm more impressed with dust collection than in the beginning; it is the best of any machine in my shop. Bottom line: industrial quality.

Awesome drum sander. I read the reviews but make decisions in fuller research. Laguna Tools is a quality brand and the Supermax Model is amongst the list of quality Laguna tools.My machine came in pristine condition. No breaks, cracks, or rust complaints to make. Timely delivery and great price. Compared to other machines that have plastic moldings this machine is cast iron, steel and solid in build.The motor is quite and runs the drum smoothly. I got the in/out feed inserts and they are solid steel as well. You will not go wrong with this Supermax Drum Sander or with buying it through Amazon. Delivery right to the entrance way and no extras in freight. All to consider when purchasing a drum sander.

Love it, but you have to learn the does and don’ts. You can burn a belt and your wood if your not careful very fast. Always go over the adjustments when you first get it. It’s not as easy to put on a new built as it looks.This is a sander, not a wood planer. That was my first lesson. Don’t run old dirty wood through it. Plan it off first. You can gum up a built real fast with old wood that’s not been planed off first. I work with a lot of recycled wood.I’ve been able to do some really great things at the same time. Squaring up things. Making thin pieces for jewelry boxes That was impossible to cut down to size. Good luck, enjoy and be safe.

I haven't even opened the drum sander but I was so impressed I wanted to comment on how good the experience of receiving this item was. I have a rather tough driveway for trucks (26' length in this case), so I offered to bring my pickup truck to the road and take delivery there... but the driver said he'd get his truck to my shop no problem. He drove it perfectly and unloaded the drum sander into my shop and were gone within 5 minutes. Perfect!

This is the best tool! I love it more than I had planned. I like the adjustable feed rate and the way it slows down if it puts too much strain on the main belt. changing belts is a snap.

Top flight tool!

great

Does everything I want it to do.