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Miguel, the answer is quite simple. Get both machines!

Todd, I had that problem in my old shop when I was running the 10/20 (and dust collection) out of a single 15amp circuit. In my new shop I have 4 different circuits, the 10/20 runs on a 20amp circuit, the collector on a 40amp/240v circuit, and the 10/20 breaker has yet to kick off after a year and a half. And I use it every single day.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Yes, I understood Todd. I am also talking about the breaker on the 10-20, not the one on the fusebox. Once again, since I have my new shop with 4 different circuits, the 10-20 breaker hasn't popped. I am no electrician but I suspect the 10-20 peaks wildly in what it asks from the line, and when it doesn't get it fast enough, the 10-20 breaker pops.
I have all lights on a 15amp line, various power tools on two 20amp lines and a 240v/40amp line for the dust collector. When using the 10-20 it is alone on the 20amp line. Probably overkill, but it works.
In my old shop the 10-20 would kick off at the slightest occasion, but I had a lot of things on the same circuit, frustrating since the 10-20 breaker would pop way before (and much more often) than the one in the fusebox (rarely). Same 10-20 BTW.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

The 10-20 is a fine machine. I used it to build a harp guitar which is pretty wide. Yet, I would have liked a wider machine. If you can afford the price, I would go with the 16-32. Wide enough for many designs. I ended up with the 22-44, that is an awesome machine. There does appear to be an issue with overheating in the 10-20. I experienced it. Too many theories (as already mentioned). Mine is, the motor is not quite up to doing wide sets. There is a link in the tutorial section for aligning (leveling) the head. Take a look at it.

Mike

Laurent,
What can happen is, if you are on an overloaded circuit, the voltage drops, but the amps go up to supply the power the machine is demanding. Unfortunately, the internal circuit breaker (like all the ones I know) senses amps, so it shuts down. I'm not saying some of the machines may not have weak breakers, but a dedicated circuit will help. I'm using my 10-20 on a dedicated 20 amp circuit, and have never had the internal breaker blow.

Anyway, whether I just got lucky with my 10-20, or the 20 amp circuit is helping it; I think it is a real workhorse. I thought it was actually pretty easy to level the drum so I can sand wide pieces without a ridge. It did - really - need adjusting, though, it was way unlevel out of the box.
My shop is just whatever is left in the garage with both cars parked in it so the smaller footprint of the 10-20 was important to me.
Mike

now you guys are making me scared... hope my 10-20 will be a well behaved beast. here, kitty...


cheers,
Miguel.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Filippo,

I have heard every explanation under the sun for this. And the 10-20 is definitely plagued by it. I run my 22-44 on the same circuit and have never had this problem. And, the motor never gets hot either. I just think there is something about the sizing of that motor and the task it is expected to do. Something is out of sorts. Whatever it is, bypassing the thermal circuit seems a bad idea to me. Maybe this falls under the catagory of "it is what it is". I have never heard of anybody having this problem all of the time. Just occasionally. Me? When I was really working the machine.

Mike

I'm not very savvy about electrics, but just a possible clue to the overheating/trip out problems mentioned.
I use mine in UK, on 220 volts, and have never had it trip out or overheat (despite 3 years of abuse!), but of course it may be a different motor, it is 1200 watts input, about 5.5 amps.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Has anyone tried the Grizzly 10-20.

I used to own the 16-32. I never could be bothered to adjust it, I just used the tapered board approach, which had a lot going for it. I could see that working with a 10, but it might be a little more delicate controlling the offset. Anyone try it?

Not sure what you are asking. Aligning the drum to the platten is not difficult at all. And it is well worth the effort. Can be done in as little as 10 minutes.

Mike

...As long as one has the correct taper... right? Otherwise you have a problem. As per my experience, and it only concerns the Performax/Jet 10-20 and 22-44, the alighment procedure is 95% the same. Differences exist, but most folks can see them quite easily. So if by "bigger" machines you are referring to some other machines, I would have to yield to your knowledge there.

Mike

I agree that the 10-20 is easier to adjust than the 22-44. The larger mass and moment arm can make it touchy. But still, Joe's technique is easy to apply. Mine was definitely within a few thousandths after about 10-15 minutes of messing with it.

Mike

On the Performax I had, the adjustment was not really practical. I talked to the factory and they admitted it was difficult. There was a specific sequence of spacers and nut tightening that would work. I just used a platen and it get's the results dead nuts.

But my main question is whether anyone has as yet purchased the Grizzly 10-20, and what their impressions are.

You mean the "new" Grizzly 10" sander?
It looks like a cheap(er) copy of the Performax 10-20, the side bracket support for the drum looks alarming to me.

I never had any issue adjusting the drum balance on the 10-20, it's pretty straightforward and takes maybe 5 minutes. If I do it once a year, that's the maximum. I use a backing board only when thicknessing veneer sheets to less than .040", and that's to preserve my conveyor belt.
My hunch is that people want to use a drum sander like a planer, and that's not the purpose. Using grits that are too fine is also a common mistake. Wanting to take off too much material in one pass will bend the frame and the steel platter supporting the conveyor belt, generate too much heat and clog the sandpaper. Also, it obviously compromises the evenness on the piece.
And BTW good dust collection is not only efficient at working in an healthier environment, but it also cools the 10-20, giving much less opportunity for the breaker to pop, and lengthening sandpaper life to an great extent. A shop vac doesn't cut it, minimum is a 650CFM machine.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I have read a few reviews saying that end support is not needed. Just there if you want to run it as a 10 closed. That said, it would seem to me that for the price point, and applicability to the task, and the good reputation, veering from Jet/Performax is probably not a good idea.

Mike