Whether you love doing Do-It-Yourself constructions or you are a professional woodworker, you need to have different power tools ready to create your best work.
Among the tools available in the market right now, one of the essentials any woodworker should have is a drum sander.
A drum sander is a powerful tool that lets you sand wood, especially wood flooring, to a beautiful and smooth finish. It usually comes with replaceable abrasive sheets so you can make a better finish for your masterpiece.
Now, if you do not own a drum sander yet and you are thinking of buying one, you might run into difficulties with choosing the right one. After all, the wood-sanding industry is full of different tools that you can use.
To help you choose the right tool, here are some of the things you should consider when purchasing a drum sander:
Quality
Like with almost every purchase you make, its quality is always a top priority.
Ensuring that your drum sander is of good quality and made from premium materials ensures you can use it for a long time.
A low-quality sander might come at a lower price, but it will easily break or cause more problems than good. So, when looking for the right woodworking equipment, it is better to be sure than sorry.
Additionally, ask for a warranty and the kind of support they offer before you buy the product.
Speed
Aside from quality, find out the pace of the drum sander you are eyeing and if it meets your needs.
Different sanders come in different speed settings. And the speed of your sander can affect the smoothness of your work.
Before you buy, find out what pace you want to work with and what is ideal for the wood you are mostly working on, so you can buy the best product for that.
Sound and Vibration
A powerful tool like a drum sander usually comes with a loud noise and high vibration when in use.
These sound vibrations can disrupt you when you are working, and can also cause commotion with your neighbors if it is too loud.
Find out the sound in decibels of the sander you want to buy and test it out to hear it for yourself. An ideal sander sound that is sufficient for home usage is usually at 95 decibels.
When it comes to vibration, a lighter sander gives off less vibration compared to a heavier one. Ensuring that your tool does not vibrate too much also protects you from potential Carpal Passage Disorder, which comes from excessive vibrations.
Abrasives
Another top priority in terms of purchasing a drum sander is its abrasiveness.
The abrasive is the original part of the drum sander that is doing all the sanding work that you see. Different sanders come with different types of abrasives, although it is most often replaceable.
Ensure that the tool you are getting has or is compatible with the type of abrasive that you want to use for your work.
Price
With any purchase comes the price, you need to consider how much you are willing to shell out for your tool, and how much the actual tool costs.
There are drum sanders at a low price, and there are those at a costly price. Although most quality sanders are at the higher price range, it does not mean that the cheap ones are no good.
The best thing to do is still to test out the product and see if it is worth the price and if you can afford it.
Considering all these things, when you purchase a sander ensures that you get the best out of your money. The trick is to read a ton of product reviews and look for the best product so you can see what other people think of the tool.
