Last Modified on Jan 4, 2023
There are many types of sander used in woodworking, such as belt sander, disc sander, edge sander, random orbital sander, spindle sander,
finishing sander, and one of the most used sanders used for large projects, drum sander.
All the sanders are made to perform the same
tasks, make the surface smooth and give them a good finish but all works in a different way. Some are good for some small to medium
projects, and the rest are best for all projects.
For those who are not familiar with what a drum sander is and are confused between drum sander and thickness planer, let me first clear
their confusion. A drum sander basically works the same way a thickness planer works, but instead of a cutter head with blades that
remove a lot of material quickly, it has a drum with sandpaper wrapped around it.
So you're not going to remove a lot of material rapidly, but you're going to remove a small amount of material slowly and very carefully.
A drum sander is very useful in projects like end-grain cutting boards and where your projects are already assembled like cabinet doors.
So if you are finding the best drum sander for small shop, then below are some suggestions that can fit in any small shop easily and don't
occupy much space so that you'll have enough space left in your shop to buy other large woodworking tools like the table saw, wood lathe,
bench grinder or any other essential tool for a better finish.
Let's discuss them one by one.
Let's start with the first best small drum sander we have for your small shop that comes from JET. It is on top of our list
because of its compact size among all the drum sanders and the performance it delivers in this price segment. You can also call it the best drum sander for the money. One of the great
features of this sander is its sandsmart control.
This feature allows this sander to continuously check the loads you put on
the conveyer belt and regulates its speed, so you don't have to change its speed manually, which helps you save your time
and effort.
This JET JWDS-1632 comes with a robust steel stand measuring 20 inches wide and 37 inches long that provides
excellent stability to this machine, which seems to be of decent quality and can stay longer to support your sander if using
carefully.
This small drum sander is very lightweight compared to other heavy-duty drum sanders and weighs just 156 pounds that
means you can easily move it in your shop if needed.
It also comes with a dust collection port in which you can connect your
dust collection system and save your shop from the dust which releases from your workpiece. At last, this jet electric drum
sander is backed up with the JET 5 years of huge warranty.
Weight - 156 pounds
Options of color - White
Pros
Cons
If you are looking for a compact and lightweight drum sander for your small to medium-sized projects, then the next drum sander
is highly recommended for you. This best budget drum sander from Grizzly Industrial can be use to sand different types of
woods to remove a little amount of wood from your workpiece.
As you can see in its image above, it comes with two-sided sanding
materials. On one side, you can choose between 3-1/4 to 4-3/4 inch diameter sanding drums, and the other side comes with a 10-1/2
diameter by 7-3/4 inch long flap sander containing 12 abrasive flaps, which you can use to give to workpiece a final finish.
This
small drum sander is so lightweight and compact that you don't need anyone else's help to change its position; you can do it on
your own.
This compact drum sander uses a 1 HP, 110 V motor, which can go up to a speed of 1725 RPM and give you perfectly
sanded wood. It has a toggle on/off switch, which comes with a locking tab that ensures your safety and keeps you away from any
type of injury.
Its cast-iron body makes this machine highly durable and saves it from rusting. As this is a small drum sander,
sometimes you might face difficulties working with wide wood, so keep this in mind before placing the order for it.
Total Weight - 67.8 pounds
Options of color - Green
Pros
Cons
At number 3 we have Delta Woodworking Dual Drum Sander for those who don't have the budget issue and want a perfect drum sander at
any price point.
If we talk about its weight, then it's more than 500 pounds, which makes this machine extremely heavy, so probably
you'll not be able to load or unload it alone if you ever need, but if we talk about its performance, then this machine can become
your best partner.
With its 3 HP, 230 V powerful motor and dual sander system, it can sand any type of workpiece very accurately
and gives you perfectly finished material. This heavy machine doesn't come with a mobile base, so you'll need to buy it separately.
You can easily adjust the drum height according to your workpiece with its simple turning the lever placed on the machine's left
side.
Its heavy-duty steel frame design makes this tool long-lasting and sturdy, so you can trust this machine to work with any
type of wood, whether it is small or large. The Dual Drum sander also comes with a 5-year of warranty from Delta.
Weight - 530 pounds
Options of color - Blue
Pros
Cons
Our list's next product is very famous among the professional woodworkers, which is Powermatic PM2244 Drum Sander. The drum sander's
drum is supported from one side, which most of you might think that this might create problem.
If you also think that, let me tell you
this drum sander is one of the most strongest sanders you might have ever seen, and you don't have to worry about its build quality,
it is awesome.
Moreover, this single side support gives this machine advantage over other machines that are supported from both sides.
You can sand the widest board without any problem as there is no restriction.
It has a closed stand that you can use to keep your
other important tool used for sanding like abrasive paper so, next time when you'll need it, you won't be wasting your time finding
it.
The Integrated LED control panel that most drum sanders don't have is a great feature that shows the machine's power, DRO & Belt
speed. This is a heavy-duty drum sander but doesn't weigh that much as its competitors' drum sanders weigh.
It weighs just 328
pounds, which I think is light for this type of powerful drum sander, but still, you'll not be able to move it alone.
Total Weight - 328 pounds
Options of color - Brown
Pros
Cons
The last best drum sander for small shop we have is the Shop Fox W1678 26-Inch Drum Sander.
If we talk about its performance, this
beast comes with a 5 HP, 220V, 25 Amp motor that allows the drum to move up to the speed of 3,450 RPM to handle any type of material
from large panels to figured woods, making it extremely powerful than other options available in the market.
It is on the higher
side of the price segment, but it contains every essential feature to make your dust sanding experience excellent, which justifies
its price.
It comes with a 26-inch sanding drum, which allows you to work with most wider boards without any problem. This drum
sander's built quality is also nice, making this tool completely reliable.
It comes with a dual drum system where the rear drum
gives you a nice and clear sanded material, and the other drum ensures that you get the accurate finish you want.
This machine also
allows you to connect a dust collector with it to make your shop clean and free from dust or debris. This Shop Fox drum sander comes
with a 2-year of warranty.
Weight - 546 pounds
Options of color - White
Pros
Cons
For a small shop, your drum sander also needs be small if you want to keep more woodworking tools. But the small drums sanders are not
capable of handling large projects precisely, or they take too much time to complete them, which most people don't like.
So it becomes
very important to know your shop area and then the size of the sander you are going to buy. The larger the sander, the more you'll
need to pay for it, and quickly you'll be able to complete your home and commercial projects.
In most cases, the drum size and table size directly depend on the size of your drum sander. The wider your sander will be, the large size
of drum and table you will get, which is a plus point.
But more than your drum sander's overall size, you should check the size of your
sander's drum & table because some large drum sanders come with a small size drum and table which is a waste of money if it is not helping
you sanding the wide boards or other materials quickly.
Drum sanders are one of the most heaviest tools needed for woodworking. Their weight may vary from 50-60 pounds to anywhere between
500 to 600 pounds. That's why it is not easy to move them for a single person until you have a mobile base under your drum sander.
You
don't have any other option as the heavy-duty drum sander is large and heavier in size. So you need to compromise with that and buy a
mobile base if you want to easily move your sander in the shop.
As you need a drum sander for your shop, that means you are going to use it for commercial purposes for all small to large projects.
As it is a machine, there may be a problem in the future if you'll excessively use it.
That's why the warranty plays a very important
role if you don't want to spend money fixing your machine. The longer the warranty of your machine, the better it is for you and your
machine. Mostly, power tools come with a warranty period of 1-2 years, and some come with 3-5 years, which is very good.
So we
recommend you to look for at least 3 years of warranty on any of your power tools and the same in the case of a drum sander, and If
it has more, then that is even better.
So these are some of the best sanders for small shops we have listed above. Here is a tip to help you make your decision easier, just
consider what kind of work you will get and where your shop is located.
Suppose your shop is located near the market area where you'll
need to handle all small to large projects and need to finish them quickly. In that case, you need something like Powermatic PM2244
or Delta Woodworking Dual Drum Sander.
Still, if it is located at a point where getting the large or heavy-duty
projects, chances are low, or you don't get that big projects where you need a big size sander, then without spending too much money,
you can go with JET JWDS-1632 or Grizzly Industrial Drum sander.
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