I too had problems right out of the gate with the table elevation mechanism. I had read the unfavorable reviews but decided to buy anyway based upon Fine Wookworking's favorable review.brMy machine was improperly set up right out of the box. I spend several very frustrating hours taking the machine apart, properly setting up the indexing belt and adjusting the table mechanism.brOnce I got everything corrected it works great, but for what I paid, it is extremely frustrating to have to spend hours correcting what was to have been "factory assembled and adjusted".

I recently bought a 31-250 and initially experienced the same problemss that seemed to plague many who have written about their negative experiences ie, difficulties with table raising mechanism, belt tracking, stalling, sniping, etc. From previous good encounters with Delta tech support, I decided to give them a call.
br /
br /The call lasted 5 minutes, and the rep covered all of the material necessary to effect a proper setup.
br /
br /In setting up the feed table, the first consideration is that it has to be level. using a block of wood underneath the feed table at each of the four height adjusting screws, one must look for a "just makes it" fit between the top of the machine base and the bottom of the table support. Anything more than 1/64" will spell trouble.
br /
br /Next, the cast iron feed table must be firmly attached to the support and the timing belt tension released so that the vertical alignment of the height adjusting screws can be accomplished. Each screw has a bushing that is secured to the tool base with two small carriage bolts. Looking at the feed side of the machine, the bushing for the right screw, and the bushings for the two rear screws must be simultaneously loosened, but not removed. Then you give the feed table a good shake to re-seat/re-align the bushings. Tighten each of the bushings, then re-tension the belt as per the manual. The table should be easy to raise/lower with just a single hand and moderate force. If binding persists, try aligning the bushings with the table elevated at a different height. It may take one or two tries to get it right.
br /
br /The feed conveyor has a tendency to track the belt to the open end of the machine. With a new belt, or one that is misbehaving, the only way to set the belt is to tighten the tension on the open end side of the belt as per the instructions - enough to resist moving when pinched, but not so tight that you cannot stop it with enough pinching force. The motor side of the belt must be loose enough to prevent tracking to the outside - even if it is a little loose or floppy. Then run the feed conveyor for at least 5 minutes at high speed to ensure that the belt tracks correctly. For the first 2 hours of use on a new belt it is important to monitor the tracking as the belt breaks in.
br /
br /The total time to set up the machine was about an hour and a half, including the phone call to Delta.
br /
br /I did not experience any snipe problem at all. There is a kit that is available from Delta at no cost that corrects the pressure on the feed roller to help minimize snipe.
br /
br /On a dedicated 20 amp circuit directly connected to the wall outlet, I was able to hog off almost 1/32" in one pass with an 80 grit belt on a piece of oak that was 12" wide, without the machine bogging down or stalling.
br /
br /In short it is a solid machine. While the table may be a little fussy to set up initially, a few extra minutes spent getting it right gives you extremely precise results. The table mechanism can be adjusted to be perfectly smooth throughout its entire 4" range of travel. Don't even think about using this machine without a 1 hp or greater dust collector.
br /

I carefully compared this to the Performax 16-32 at a woodworking show. I had planned on Performax because a friend has the 22-44, but that's an entirely different machine (much beefier) than the 16-32. Side by side I decided on the Delta. Although it is more expensive, it is beefier (I could rack the performax arm).pIt was true right out of the box. Set up and alignment is straightforward and well explained by the manual. It is on a 20 amp circuit. However, this is a sander, not a planer. Stalling, tripping, or burning problems are signs of trying to remove too much material. I suppose with 36 grit paper you could remove stock, but even then only 1/64 to 1/32 at a time.pI have noticed no meaningful vibration, the unit is very quiet, even when removing stock (can hardly hear if no stock is in the sander). Belt change is simple (would have prefered 3" belts, but the 2" work fine).pMaybe quality control is really as bad as some of the reviews indicate. Mine was better than expected.

After reading both the negative and positive reviews of this tool, I decided to give it a try, mostly due to the price. I am glad I did. Setup took about an hour including the mobile base. I fired it up and ran a piece of oak through the machine at a moderate feed rate. The belt drive slipped and didn't pull the wood evenly. I used the included hex wrench to adjust the belt tension by turning the adjusters 1/2 turn each. I turned on the feed drive motor again and checked the tracking...perfect!. I fed the wood thru again and this time it worked very well. Next, I put a cocobolo guitar back through the machine and checked the thickness in several areas. The dimensions were within .002", well within my requirements.
br /
br /I think that the negative reviews of this machine may have been a result of the user expecting the machine to be perfectly adjusted out of the box. My machine required minor adjusting to get it operate correctly. Another issue may be that a user might be trying to remove too much stock on a single pass. That isn't going to happen with a single drum sander that runs on 120 volts...
br /I am very pleased with the fit and finish as well as the castings and frame of the machine. I have a 1hp dust collector attached to the dust port and it seems to handle the task easily. My primary use for this machine is to dimension acoustic guitar backs, sides and tops. It is definitely up to the task! I got a 10% discount, a $100 rebate, and a free mobile base, making this machine a great value.

After studying both the Delta 31-255X and the Performax 16-32 Plus drum sander, I purchased the Delta unit. My primary reasons for this decision were the fixed drum/moveable table design and the Dec. 2000 Fine Woodworking review. The fixed drum design seemed to me to be a superior to the moveable drum found on the Performax sanders. I felt that the inevitable play that is found in moveable parts would lead to inaccuracy in the Performax models. The four post design of the moveable transport table on the delta also seemed to me to be a more robust design than a one or two post design. Reality, however, was a different matter. On the positive side, the sander's welded steel frame to which the sanding drum was mounted was indeed rigid. I could detect no play in the arm that housed the sanding drum or the sanding drum itself. Given this fact, if the transport table could be set parallel to the drum and maintained parallel ,accurate sanding should be attainable.
br /
br /The negatives associated with this sander are all related to the transport table. For starters, out of the box, the transport belt both drifted to the left and had insufficient tension to move a board through the sander. The tension problem was easy enough to fix once the drift problem was corrected. The instructions in the owners manual for fixing drift were virually useless especially when the belt started with insufficient tension and it wanted to drift into the drive motor bushing. It took a half a dozen attempts before I got it to track reasonably straight. The left side of the belt suffered some damage from the motor bushing before I got to acceptable tracking. The next problem I encountered was the transport table was not parallel to the drum. While following the instructions in the owners manual for correcting this problem, I found that the four posts were out of allignment relative to each other. As it turned out this was caused by the mechanism that raises and lowers the table. This mechanism uses a toothed belt to synchronize the movement of the posts. The tension on this belt was insufficient to keep the belt from jumping teeth as the crank was turned. Once the belt jumped a tooth or two and moved the table out of allignemt, it was all down hill. Within a few turns the whole table mechanism jams and will not move up or down. The instructions in the manual for correcting this problem work reasonable well but are time consuming. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to work through them. Once the table is correctly alligned and the tension on the toothed belt is set properly. The transport mechanism can maintain an accurate position relative to the drum. It is, however, very easy for the belt to jump a tooth and force redoing the whole process. This transport mechanism is the weak link in this sander. Delta could have provided a far more robust mechanism. I agree with the reviewer who suggested a sprocket and chain design. A sprocket and chain would virtually eliminate the tooth jumping problem and it would be much easier to maintain proper tension.
br /
br /When everything is properly aligned, the sander does a very nice job. I have used it to sand glued up panels for cabinet doors and am pleased with the results. I am not pleased with the maintenance time needed to keep everything alligned properly.

I'm giving this 3 stars, not because of the sander, but because of Amazon. I thought I was supposed to get a free mobile base with this sander, but I didn't. I'm investigating that with Amazon right now.
br /
br /This sander took about 2hrs to set it up and start running, the manual isn't too bad, as far a manuals go anyways, it isn't great but tells you what you need to know. I've got several hours on it. I read all the reviews, and horror stories about this sander, I'm happy to say I've experienced none of these problems. It's true the sanding belt doesn't track 100% perfectly, it does take tweaking from time to time, it amounts to a 1/4 turn of the adjusting screws every so often. The manual also tells you that for the 1st several hours run time the new belt will stretch so adjustment may be necessary. It's not like you turn the machine on and BAMM the belt goes off track, it takes time for the belt to drift because even at its fastest speed the belt is still traveling pretty slow so it takes time for the belt to drift to a point where an adjustment is necessary. Keep an eye on it and it's no big deal.
br /
br /The setup was pretty staight forward, nothing too complicated. I ran a 16"x24" piece birch plywood to test it out. The sander was within .007" accurate right out of the box. I've adjusted it down to .004", that's the best I've been able to get so far, well within my accuracy requirements. This machine is alot quiter than I thought, as far as power tools go it is one of the quietest now that I have. This machine runs smooth with no excess vibration. I've changed drum belts, it's a little tricky to get the belt tight while wrapping it around the drum, but with a little more practice I should get better at that too.
br /
br /I will say, don't buy this machine if you don't have a DC, get a DC 1st. I think alot of problems people are having is because they may be trying to take off too big of bites of wood. I have a planer and jointer so this sander will not be used for thicknessing wood, only sanding taking off less than a 64th per pass, a 64th to me is too much anyways. This sander does everything it's been advertised to do and seems to do it quite well.

I have the X5 version of this machine and it is top quality. Compared to the performax, I like it that the table moves instead of the drum and the Delta is belt driven instead of direct drive like the performax.
br /
br /I noticed a lot of people complaing about this machine, but I have used three different models of this sander and all of them work extremely well and I have come to the conlusion that people are using them improperly. First of all these machines are NOT planers, they do not work well for dimensioning lumber. They do however, work very well for removing saw marks and for truing up panel glue ups and face frames. The key to good results with a drum sander is that you should remove small amounts of material, either 1/64" or 1/128" per pass seems to work best. Using this guidline, I have had no vibration issues, no problems with snipe and with the proper feed rate, I rarely burn up sanding belts or stall the machine. I have found that 120 grit belts are the best all purpose belts for most types of work and the 120 belts do not burn up or wear as quickly and also will remove stock for panel glue ups reason.
br /
br /Set up and adjustment of the sander is quick and easy. It took me about 1 hour total to get the machine tuned up and the drum running true with the table. I haven't measured drum run out, but there doesn't seem to be enough drum run out to affect finish quality.
br /
br /My only complaint about the design is that the pressure rollers are not adjustable. For smaller pieces, this means you need to have downward pressure both when inserting and when the piece is coming off the sander. I have since gone in an added a dry lubricant to the feed roller where the contact the spring mechansism and now all of these problems are gone. It seems that a bit of corrosion will build up underneath the feed rollers in the bushings that interferes with their function.
br /
br /Overall, I am very happy with the sander and is has found it niche in my shop, but just realize you cannot use this machine like a planer

I would love to have a dual drum sander, such as grizzly's 24" model. I don't really need the extra capacity of the Delta. However after much thought (my wife calls it indecision) I decided on the 31-255. As a part time job we rehab/restore old houses which results in the need to move my entire workshop every couple of years, more often if the house doesn't have a garage or barn, so the 450lb grizzly beast was out.p I've had the delta for two weeks now and I don't know how I survived without it. Assemby took about an hour. The first time I turned on the drum I couldn't believe how quiet it was. There was no wobble or shake to it. As a sander it's great, keep in mind it's not a planer, and expect to make multiple passes. p It's worked great on cabinet doors, old barn boards and cabinet stiles and rails. However, its not so great on larger face frames a r/o sander is quicker and easier. I haven't tried any really big and heavy pieces yet but so farn snipe has not been a problem. I find that my planer and jointer have gotten less use but they are still needed from time to timepOne side note -- after buying the delta it came to my attention that Sears sells a 18x36 drum sander that seems similar to the performax 16-32 for $699bravailable online only :

I purchased the 31-250 drum sander to sand tops, backs and braces for my hand made guitars. I set it up in less than an hour and it ran perfectly right out of the box. I did not have to make any adjustments and I was very pleased to find that I could actually run a glued top across the feed table. NO vibration, no uneveness, no problems at all. I was surprised to read the negative responses after I had purchased my sander. I have only run test pieces thus far and will write more after I run some highly figured Brazilian Rosewood through the sander. Right now I am very pleased with the product. Ran some highly figured rosewood and maple through the sander over the weekend and it worked great. NO snipe, no vibrations and even sanding across the board. Thus far I am very happy with the sander. (...)

I have owned my Delta Sander for several months- bought due to the favorable review in one of my woodworking magazines.
br /
br /Problems:
br /
br /Mechanism to elevate table is flawed. Cog belt constantly slips- I have spent whole days just trying to get table parallel. Table is diffuclt to raise and lower. Called customer service a few times but they were of limited help= suggested I take to service center. At nearly 200 lbs this is somewhat impractical.
br /
br /Motor must be removed to replace cog belt- not a one person job- motor is very heavy.
br /
br /No way to avoid snip.
br /
br /Tool might be good for small jobs- like crafts- but working with even small panel doors leads to disappointing results.
br /
br /I have many delta tools in my shop- love them all except this one.

I bought this sander because of favorable reviews. I have yet to even start the machine, I have had it for 2 weeks now. The table elevating system is poorly designed, and one of the elevating sprokets was not tapped completely through (poor workmanship at the factory)Delta customer service was very good about sending out new parts, but if the machine had actually been tried at the factory someone should have realized there was a problem. The use of a notched flexible belt is most likely a cost savings issue, but when it comes to quality I would rather manufactures stuck with more proven methods like they use in their planers(roller chain and sprockets)At this time I plan on re-designing the lift mechanisim as it looks like it will never work properly even when adjusted properly.
br /I really expected more out of Delta, for close to a thousand dollar investment I am very dissapointed.

This machine gets used as much as any in my shop. Once I figured out the limitations of the machine (feed rate and depth of cut), I have been enjoying using it. I used to pop the circuit breaker fairly often because I was asking too much of the machine.This machine has improved my woodworking.I find this machine to be very useful as an abrasive planer. Put a 36 grit belt on it, and it does a suprisingly good job of flattening. (Follow that with an 80 grit, and then 120 - and you'll be happy)I found that my opinion of this machine has steadily improved over the year I have owned it, and now I can't imagine not owning it - it is a real time saver.

I have had this sander for 4 years, and the infeed cannot be adjusted to track correctly. I have tried a new belt and every adjustment, talked to delta for support, all to no avail.

HAD FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS NOW AND USE ROUTINELY. THE DRUM AND TABLE WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND I HAVE SINCE CORRECTED ON MY OWN. THE FEED BELT IS DIFFICULT TO GET TRACKING PROPERLY. ONCE YOU GET THE FEEL OF THE MACHINE AND ITS LIMITS ACCURATE SURFACES WITH 1/64 FROM EDGE TO EDGE CAN BE EXPECTED AND NO MORE. THE DRUM IS OPEN ON BOTH ENDS AND OFTEN GETS LOADED WITH DUST CAUSING AN OVERLOAD/VIBRATION PROBLEM - A AIR BLOW OUT CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. DELTA COULD EASILY CAP THE ENDS OF THE DRUM AND ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM ALL TOGEATHER, A SIMPLE PLASTIC CAP. DON'T EXPECT THIS MACHINE TO SOLVE ALL YOUR SNDING WOES. CHANGING THE SANDING GRIT IS A PAIN ON ANY DRUM SANDER. I KEEP A 100-120 GRIT LOADED FOR MOST PROJECTS AND FINISH SAND BY ELECTRIC SNADER.

The perforamance of the machine has been great. It does require attention to detail for the setup but once that is done the performance is great. My first application was on white oak with 220 grit paper on 13" wide glued panels that had been planed to near dimension.
br /
br /The instruction manual does leave much to be desired.

After reading the reviews here I was a little skeptical about this machine. I don't know about the set up problems as I purchased mine used from a gentleman that only used it a few times. Let me say I was impressed by how quiet the machine runs. No problems with vibration and the finish on the stock is great. The machine is a little slow but once I figured out the feedrate and the depth of adjustment, no complaints here either. It sure works good for flattening doors and glued up stock. I mentioned that it is slow but after figuring how much time I spent on sanding before I'm way ahead of the game with this machine. No problems with tracking and snipe was eliminated by taking lighter passes . My only complaint is that the thickness indicater is on the opposite dide of the adjustment crank and is mounted low on the machine whereas you have to bend down to check the guage. A pointer would be better than a piece of sheetmetal here also. It was either this machine or a Performax 16-32...I'm glad I went with Delta

I got the sander set up and ready to sand in about an hour. Adjusting the table was not particularly difficult and it works beautifully. No complaints except I wish the gears on the timing belt for the table were metal and not plastic. There is room for improvement there.

I've had the sander for a couple of years. Get extra sanding belts as they clog or burn. (I usually use the sander for maple cherry) Also have a set of american sized allen wrenches regular wrenches handy because you'll need them often. Sander works O.K. but not ready for prime time.

I have been around woodworking tools all my life and for some reason have been very loyal to the Delta line. I chose this sander over the Performax simply because of the Delta brand. I bought it straight out of the catalog and never actually saw the machine until I got it. I've used this tool for over a year now and have to say that it works but overall I'm disappointed. First you simply have to get the extension tables and they are pretty flimsy. Then you need the mobile base. This adds about $200 to the cost of the tool. It's hard to replace the sanding strips, I can't do it without using a channel lock pliers on the end to squeeze the clip holding the strip. The feed belt is crap, I've already replaced it once. Despite constant monitoring and adjustment it will run to one side or the other and damage the edge of the belt. It arrived out of adjustment and I had to spend a lot of time tuning it up to get the play out of the table. This is a real pain to do and if the timing belt slips a tooth you have to go through an adjustment process or the table will not be parallel with the drum. This should have been a chain belt.
br /
br /It is rather hard to feed in the first piece and get it past the pressure roller system. I think this is a poorly designed, the rollers should be bigger and I think they should be rubber. The best thing about it is the variable speed which I found to be an essential feature of this sort of tool and should be on all planers as well. It goes to show that you need to actually see the tools and check them out before you buy.

Todate, no serious issues with the Sander.
br /Some of the height adjustment screws are hard to reach, as they are blocked by other parts.
br /The photo's in the manual, relating to the installation and adjustment are sometimes unclear.
br /The instructions are clear, but could be made more straightforward.
br /The infeed/outfeed table is a requirement, not an option.
br /Installing the sand-paper is easier then on my WoodMaster 2600 (old design).

I purchased this tool reconditioned from Amazon a week ago. Assembly and set up took about an hour and a half including checking the table adjustment. This is a heavy machine and I had to set it up all by my lonesome, it would have been lots easier to assemble if I had had a helper.
br /I debated purchasing this machine for almost 2 years and now I wonder why I waited. My very first job through the machine was a 33" X 45" desktop that I had glued up a year ago. It took about 30 minutes to sand both sides of the top completely flat. I bet that's why the top sat for a year. I think the trick to this sander is to go slow, it is NOT a planer. 1/64th of an inch at a time is a lot of material, think how difficult to hand sand that amount away, or how long it would take to flatten a 33" X 45" piece both sides. The reason the top sat a year.
br /I did have 2 issues that developed on the first use. One was the table and the other the feed belt. The locking bolt for one of the table raising legs came loose and I had to re-adjust the table, and the feed belt wanted to constantly walk to the left. I think the secret to the feed belt is to adjust it for walking when it is under load as I had it going straight with just a couple of small adjustments once I tried that. The table adjustment was quick and simple if you follow the step by step instructions and take the time to recheck.
br /I think many of the complaints on this machine are because the users try to do something with it that it cannot handle. As I stated earlier it is not a planer, it is a sander. I used it as a planer but took very small amounts (1/64th inch or less) with each pass and fed slowly. Also when raising the feed table the trick is slow and easy. The manual states that it should take no more than 30 inch pounds of torque to turn the table raising wheel or it is not adjusted properly. Turning the wheel slowly allows you to feel if there is any bind and adjust the table before the drive belt skips. I think the key to happy sanding is to treat the machine gently and pay attention. The 4 stars are because the condition of the machine was less than I had expected. There was obvious wear on the feed belt, and no sandpaper save for the one 80 grit strip on the drum. I would have hoped that it would have at least looked new and/or had all of the items a new one comes with. But it was less expensive so I guess you don't get it both ways. If I had it to do over I would buy new instead of reconditioned, but I would definately buy. Well, time to go make more sawdust.

I am an experienced woodworker that understands the limitations of a drum sander. VERY SMALL bites! I have the older Delta 31-250 version drum sander. Haven't had too many table problems or sanding problems although snipe is sometimes a problem. I think the Proformax has a better system that will allow keeping in feed and out feed tables set so that the stock continues to leave the machine level and prevent snipe. The drive belt and motor that moves the material through the sander is my big problem. The conveyor belt has never tracked very well and is difficult to adjust. It takes constant monitoring even after allowing time for it to track in. I understand that these things will need tweeking from time to time considering all the factors that will effect such a belt but this is excessive. Then the machine is less than four years old with minimal use and the motor is shot and three repair places including Delta tells me the this small motor is discontinued and I can't even buy brushes for it. They may be able to send me one at a cost of $256.00 plus tax and shipping but really can't tell me for sure that it will fit. Who wants to spend 25% of the cost of a new machine on an obvious poor design. Guess I will be looking for a new drum sander..... not a Delta!

I have had this sander for more than 1 year. At first I was very happy with it. The main problem was a loose clip for the belt. The belts will slip. BUT!!! Now I can't raise or lower the table. 3 days I have worked on this sander. Trying to adjust the table so the timimg belt won't slip. This happened 6 months ago and I was able to fix it. Now, so far no luck.

Not being a professional, but have been building a house and all the cabinets in it for over the past few years and have colleted and used many different tools over the years.
br /I read all the reviews before purchasing this drum sander. I read the ones that had the most complaints carefully. Even after that I still purchased one do to the fact that I needed one and feedback on other drum sanders had complaints as well. The sander was shipped very well and did not have any missing or damage parts. It took less then 30 minutes to put the sander together and about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to tone it up. The instructions are ok but I read then a few time to make sure I understood them. Like all other tools you purchase, the factory may say that it is preset at the factory. I have come to the conclusion that this is never so. I have always check and had to tone it up. I did find that the drum and bed was off and had to tone it. This also helped with the tracking of the conveyor belt. If the drum and bed is not parallel then the belt will not track. After tone the drum and bed I had to set the tracking on the conveyor belt a little. The sand paper is very easy to change from one grit to another. It is quieter then I thought it would be and with a proper dust collator (a must), very clean running. I would recommend this drum sander. I have had good luck with Delta and Porter Cable tools and would suggest them.
br /

I had this drum/thickness sander for over a year and thought it was really good UNTIL the table raising and lowering mechanism got out of alignment. As other reviewers have noted, this is a common problem with this machine. I spent around 14 hours of my own time trying to adjust everything properly following the instructions in the manual and gave up in complete exasperation. I took it to the warranty repair shop here in town and after working on it awhile THEY GAVE UP also. They had ordered some new parts and tried to get it back to functioning, but they simply could not get the table to raise and lower.
br / Fortunately it was the X5 version with a 5 year warranty so in the end I was able to get all my money back and purchase a Jet/Performax 22-44 which I like much better. My advice, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING THE DELTA!
br /

Time can only tell if this Delta will outlast the competitive Performax. I can tell you that at the time of purchase, Delta was the better value. Free Stand, free mobile base, 2 boxes of sand paper... 2 extra inches on the drum, $100 rebate. Wow! Great value!

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.
br /
br / 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.
br /
br / 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.
br /
br / 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?
br /
br / 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.
br /
br / 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.
br /
br / 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".
br /
br / Rick Hogue
br / Pensacola, FL

I don't understand why others had so many problems with their 31-255X sander it must be the hurry up I just gotta try it out blues. For the slipping timing belt blues it states in the manual: if the handle wheel is difficult to turn then the front right table leveling bolt needs adjusting. I found this to be the exact cure for my sander, once all four leveling bolts were adjusted the front right was readjusted and whammo the wheel turns very smoothly. The loose/destroyed belt blues are most likely the cause of not readjusting the belt after it has been used for awhile and excessive feed rate and cut. The burning blues are most likely the cause of high feed rate when using a very fine grit. I find this sander to be of high quality and sure it will give years of delightful use.

If you do not go slow with table speed and thin cuts the sander will eat a boatload of sandpaper in a very short time!

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.
br /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 have owned this drum sander for about 2 years now and had tremendous problem the 1st week of owning it tring to get the table adjusted level and skippping teeth on the flimsy belt. After a couple of days of adjusting I finaly got it working good and have used it on average about 3 hours a week. It seems to work better (the height adjustment) on warm days, what doesent though. I almost through this thing in the trash today as it skipped a couple of teeth for the 1st time in over a year and spent the next 2 hours readjusting the table so the height adjustment would turn easily. As soon as I can afford it I will be selling this thing and buying another peice of crap from China.

All I can say is I hope you're ready to spend all day setting it up and most of another bolting it to the floor to keep it in one place. I can't sell it without taking a huge loss because I could not dream of telling someone anything good about it. It needs constant attention. I have the one before the "X". They say they improved the table height adjustment, I hope so for your sake! I tried to set the speed to use fine grit paper and I could not keep the unit from vibrating right out of the moble base. Oh, then there's the little issue with the drum binding half way through a planed piece of wood, for no apparent reason. I spend more time setting it up and fixing it and the wood it ruins than it was worth. Expensive lesson learned.

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.
br / A former happy and dedicated Delta customer
br /
br /P.S. Am I the only one seeing less quality since Black and Decker owns Delta,Porter Cable and Dewalt!!!!!

No complaints at all! I really appreciate the way the sander was almost completely preassembled out of the box. There are only three major components to assemble - the main body, platen bed, and legs. I have purchased a lot of equipment that took 3-4 hours to put together and tweek. I had this together and sanding in less than an hour. I read the reviews here that complained about alignment problems and belt tracking. Mine has none of these problems and arrived from the factory completely calibrated and has operated without adjustment so far. This is the first drum sander i've owned so I can't compare it to any others but I can already tell it will do everything I will need it to do as a serious hobbyist.

I had mine set up and adjusted in about 2 or 3 hours. I burned a couple of boards feeding too fast or going too deep. Once I slowed down, It sands perfect.
br /It's not a planer. But it's a great sander.

I bought this sander after reading the bad reviews because of the price difference to others, but this sander is great. It took very little time to set up and it sanded perfect the first time without any adjustments. This machine was so quiet and smooth I was shocked. Thanks Amazon for a great tool at a super price.

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).
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /I am very happy with this machine.

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.
br /
br /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?
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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.
br /
br /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 purchased this item in August of 2004. It broke down in early February of 2005. It has been in the shop for the better part of 4 months waiting on an $11 part. Delta service centers in Auburn and Tacoma WA are snotty and sullen. There is no one at Delta that cares. I will never purchase another Delta, Porter Cable, or Black and Decker product because of the lack of service I have recieved on this unit. My advice is do not waste your money on this product. They break down too fast and no one will work on them or be there to help.

This sander is EXPENSIVE but very weak in it's performance. I am truly disapointed in this sander. It looks good but the drum can't keep up with the in-feed belt if it is set for maximum run. The machine's drum binds against the wood being fed into it if there are knots or if the wood is a hard wood. I paid well over $800.00 for what I was told was a great drum sander. I tried to return it the very next day as I found out that first night how poorly this thing performs. Save your money, buy a different brand if you want a machine that sands like it should. Shame on you Delta!

Trouble tracking the conveyor belt. Learned to live with it.brOther wise ok.