G0716

As shipped it works great. But the unit comes wound with 3.25" sandpaper but specifies 3" sandpaper. Be sure to use the addendum as the manual has the wrong paper dimensions. The right clamp is difficult to use without more clarification. Grizzly has a video on YouTube about changing the sandpaper. Until I found this video I had no success in getting the sandpaper changed.

I make a lot of segmented bowls and this is perfect to make sure the glued segments are flat before turning on the lathe. Be sure to use a dust collection system because it makes a lot of dust.

I read reviews and am the next person to complain about the lift handles as I did the same thing. It became top heavy asi tried to move it and went over on motor and crushed the shield. Never even got to run it. I beat the shield back out and am making do with it. Also the cheap plastic wheels don't hold up to the weight.. And lastly the paper replacement is a total engineering joke. It is no longer available but if anyone is stupid enough to buy I have one for sale cheap.

I bought this direct from Grizzly, who have no reviews on their web pages. I got it when it was advertised and sold as a 10/20 inch open-end sander; and without the bracket on the end it works fine that way for wider pieces: the frame is plenty beefy enough and as long as the gibs are adjusted well there's little play in the ways. Changing paper the first time was a major pain because the pictures in the manual (including the addendum sheets) are unclear. Go to the manual on the web Grizzly site and view / print out the photos from the pdf. Then you will see how the right-hand paper clamp is supposed to work. Two big screwdrivers shoved inside the drum also help to stop the drum turning when clamping that end. The machine works well and moving it around is easy. I use it with a 4-inch 1 hp collector and see no dust at all. Last...buy much finer paper than you think you need to avoid a lot of later orbital sanding, e.g. 120 instead of 80, etc. BTW, the Amazon price is much too high: it's $425 at Grizzly right now, and good value for that.Added after much frustration, and some use...down to 2 stars...Installation of the paper fails about 2/3 of the time. When it succeeds, it's still a good machine, but the engineering of the paper holders is hopeless. And roll paper is not cheap. The left end is easy, but the right end, which is supposed to clamp the paper tight, is near impossible to get to, and fails to tighten the paper. (A second pair of hands helps.) Why they put the important clamp on the inaccessible end of the drum beats me. And the design of the holder clip could be improved by a starting student in high-school shop. So it's now collecting dust (coming off my belt sander!).

Here's how you change the paper. I'm a luthier; I build acoustic guitars. I've owned this drum sander for 3 years now. Here's how to make a mediocre sander into a truly useful tool.1. Replace the bolts that hold the drum assembly. They're made of cheap pot metal and they'll loosen. This will cause uneven sanding. Get some good stainless steel nuts and bolts and change them out. It'll make the sander as solid as a rock, and any adjustments that you've made will stay true.2. You may have to shim the drum assembly to ensure even sanding. Refer to the PDF on how to do this if necessary. But, I found that replacing the bolts took care of the problem.3. The dreaded paper replacement. I can change the paper in 5 minutes flat and it stays tight on the drum. It no longer tears up or shifts. The secret? Double sided carpet tape. I use Duck brand carpet tape, sold here on Amazon.Use a couple of small pieces to hold the paper tight, and in position on the drum, while you change the paper. Clean the drum with naphtha, which will dry immediately. Use a 1" square of tape under the sandpaper. I used 2 pieces. Refer to the download PDF, Not the written version to figure out the motor side clamp. Wrap the paper tightly, using a piece of tape under it as needed, to keep the paper in place. The clamp on the other end is much easier to use. The tape will ensure that the paper stays put and tight until you get ready to change it again. Use naphtha to clean the drum of tape residue.Finally, the reason I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars. The motor breaker is much too sensitive. It'll trip even if I'm only taking off 1/128" of material at a time. The machine is a sander, not planer. You have to sand in slow increments. Even though I only turn the thickness adjustment 1/4 turn, it will sometimes trip. It's annoying.I would give this sander 4 stars, if it weren't for having to replace the cheap metal bolts, the difficulty in replacing the paper, and the over sensitive reset.

I bought this sander directly from grizzly. It is an absolute hunk of junk. Don't waste your money on this one.

When I buy Grizzly products, I am prepared to clean up "fit and finish" issues. I have purchased a fair number of Grizzly tools, and I find most to be a great value. This drum sander is almost good bang-for-the-buck. However, the plastic parts (wheels, hood) degrade and crumble over time, and the sandpaper clamping mechanism is poorly designed and surprisingly difficult to use. It's unfortunate, because the overall mechanics of the machine are substantial. If a little more engineering and couple more bucks were invested in the cheap parts (the sheet metal sandpaper clamps, the plastic wheels, the plastic dust collection hood), this could be a 4-star tool.