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I myself as other reviews have mentioned, was (un)lucky enough to experiance gear oil all over the inside of the cabinet and into the on/off switch. After draining the oil and removing the leaking sight gauge I cleaned the area removing any traces of oil and applied hi temp RTV silicon around the outer edges ofthe sight gauge and installed it, waited 24hrs for it to cure,then refilled with fresh gear oil. After a thorough cleaning I proceeded to tracking down the culprit, turns out to be the gear oil sight gauge was leaking. So I contacted Jet and they promptly sent a replacment. So far no leaks. As far as the sander goes, It does its good job.
800 hours.For those wondering where to purchase sanding sleeves, Grizzly appears to have pretty good prices.My wish list for future improvements would be:(1) The extra spindles easily tip over, especially if you move the sander around on a mobile base. The machine arrived without damage or any oil leaks. Therefore I'd like to see the spindle rack redesigned and perhaps integrated into the body like the way OVS-JM or General does it. It was wrapped in plastic, bolted to a wooden palette, and boxed inside two layers of very thick (freight quality) cardboard. The table top was covered in a sticky rust-protective substance that comes off easily with a mineral spirit solvent.The base sits on four hard rubber feet that can be removed if desired.The edges on the table-top are now painted the same color as the base (off-white) and not black as shown in the pictures (which looks nice).The machine is very quiet, powerful, well manufactured and looks great.The manual says to replace the oil after 800 hours of use. A retaining clip could also be added per spindle to keep it upright.(2) The power cord exits the body on the left side and near the front instead of at the back -- which I find odd and predict it will sometimes interfere with the rollers on the mobile base.(3) I'd like the access door to be moved to the front and use a proper latch (like JET does on many of their other bases). That way, the extra sleeves, table inserts and spindle changing tools could be stored inside (there's room).(4) I wish it came with 150 grit sandpaper instead of 80 grit.(5) The typical JET style front switch has holes for a locking safety wire, but sadly it is not included.Regardless, this is still a wonderful machine that easily deserves 5 stars and should last many lifetimes (provided I remember to change the oil in 799 more hours of use).
I'm guessing that something fell (or was stacked) on the top-left of the box during shipping. Obviously the machine was tipped during shipping, instead of remaining upright per the labels on the box. It is shipped direct from the manufacturer, using the manufacturer's choice of shipper. Jet agreed to replace the bent/broken parts, although I had to call back twice because they were having "system problems" and couldn't get the order entered.
I even had to disassemble and clean the switch, because there was oil literally "dripping" out of it. The machine itself is excellent, and would get 5-stars if it could actually be delivered intact. No tell-tale damage to the box, but since there is no packing between the table and top of the box, this damage could occur without damaging the box. But it was absolutely my worst tool purchase experience, due to the manufacturer's bad packaging and poor choice of shipper.Shipping damage and leaked oil seem to be common for this machine (see other reviews). Only Estes can be blamed for this, but Jet could prevent the problem by sealing the transmission for shipment or supplying the oil in a bottle for the purchaser to add.The left-hand table trunnion and support bracket were bent beyond repair.
Another strike against Estes for whatever they dropped/stacked on top, and a strike against Jet -- they should pack better, with some framing protection of the table or at least some crush room and "do not stack" warnings on the box. If you are willing to accept that you may need to order parts from jet and do some repair work, the reward is a great machine. For my order, they used Estes Express Lines.The machine and accessories were covered with leaked gear oil from the transmission. Now that it is all fixed (due to several hours of MY labor, phone calls, and waiting for parts), it is a great machine. The threaded part of the trunnion locking knob was sheared off, leaving a portion stuck in the threaded hole of the casting.
The other trunnion was bent, and the table lock pin was bent. Good fit and finish, beautiful flat table, smooth running. Just be ready to put in some labor to get there.
I would prefer it had variable speed but I don't think any of the other similar machines have that either. The oil spills out of the machine when tipped during shipping, I'm told. After the unpleasant clean up, I briefly ran the machine and it does seem to do its job. The oil contaminated the spindle sand paper except for the smaller ones that came in a sealed bag. I chose this machine over the Grizzly since I like its looks primarily. Sorry for only 3 stars Jet. I hear that others have had this oil experience with the Jet and that makes me wonder why they don't correct the problem or at least send the oil in a container to be put into the machine by the buyer. The fit and finish is superior to the two Grizzly shapers that I have so maybe my choice is justified.
It is quite common for freight companies to be careless. But the Jet is a stationary machine and that makes it easier to control the work piece. But when it arrived sitting in a puddle of oil, I had doubts about my decision. And why is that. My porter cable hand held spindle sander does have variable speed and it comes in handy. This machine is well made with a nice sized cast iron top. Manufacturers need to expect that and not disappoint their customers like this. No oil all over would have meant 4 stars easily.
So, for the looks and rounded top corners, I decided to spend the extra couple hundred for the Jet. I wanted a comfortable and rock steady station to work.After looking at what was available, my choice came down to this unit and one made by Grizzly. There are virtually no differences that can be determined. It also has a 4 inch spindle. I practically never use 60 grit for my projects.
The Jet's table is rounded on the corners. The manual is nicely prepared in B&W and has good pictures to illustrate the points being made. I envisioned pemanent bruises on my hips from running into sharp corners of the Grizz.I own several Jet and Delta tools. I hooked up my dust collection and with only 650 CFM, it pulls most all the dust very well. I have customers in my shop all the time, so appearances mean a lot. The holes in these shelves accomodate the smaller spindles well enough. The manual is also pleasantly short yet covers all significant details.The spindle action is smooth and quiet. except one.
I spend a lot of time at the spindle sander. The result is you'll have exceptional control when removing material. Additionally, I wanted a dedicated tool on its own stand. There is plenty of power to quickly remove material but it is easy to control as well.
I like working with tools that are well finished, that have a surplus of power for the job, that have smooth and flat work surfaces, and look good. The work surface has been machined flat and sanded smooth. It has the nicest surface of any machine in my shop.The unit came fully assembled. I've tried some other bench top spindle sanders and had to move up from a piece of junk that I've been using for the past couple of years.I wanted a bigger table, smoother action from the sanding spindle, and a smoother surface to work on. I'm very impressed with the operation of the tool. It is truly the nicest OSS that I've used.The machine comes with a full assortment of different sized spindles of 60 grit paper. I've found that sanding spindles are available from Southern Tool and from Grizzly. I've got some on order for the sizes and grits I use most.
But the larger spindles have large nuts on the bottom and don't fit in the smaller holes. After looking very closely at the pictures and manuals offered by both companies, I decided that these were very likely made by the same company in China. They keep tipping or even fall out when I move the tool around.Other than the silly thing with the spindle storage, I feel that this tool is of the highest quality. I am not dissapointed. All I had to do was to remove the protective gunk that prevents rust from the table top and install the sleeves on the spindles. This is great for sanding straight edges or large arcs.One nit that I have is that there are two shelves for spindle storage, one mounted on each side of the cabinet. I am very happy with this purchase and highly recommend the tool for anyone who needs a spindle sander.
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