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.
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.
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.
Sanding the edges on narrow rails and stiles is much easier and safer than jointing the edges.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Photos By Author
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I need a feed belt for my 22 -44
I cant keep my conveyor belt tracking what wrong with it
Have new to me a model 634001 is the sandpaper size the same as the 22-44?
I bought a 22/44 used a few years ago. When I sand a board (for example a 1"x8"x4') I get a slight concave shape to the board. When I put a straight edge along the face of the board in the 4' direction I can see light under the straight edge ib the middle of the board. I've been doing very light passes but it keeps happening. Any ideas of what could possible be going on. I've inspected the drum and it seems straight.
Very good article! I love my sander. It was a hand-me-down from my step-father. I build custom furniture. I mostly use sinker cypress and sinker pine. I am in desperate need of some good, cheaper paper. Any ideas?
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I have a Performax 22-44 pro that I would like to sell. Excellent shape - little used. Any suggestions as to a fair price to set?
I am selling a Preformax 22-44 for a friend of mine who moved recently. I had no knowledge until I read your website, it was very helpful. Thank you .
I'm trying to find a replacement feed belt for the 22x44 performance pro-max lll drum sander.Can you help me.