Rikon Oscillating Sander Review
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 лют 2021
- On this week's show, I give my view and review of the Rikon, 50-300 Oscillating Sander. If you are considering this model for your shop, I hope that the review answers any and all questions that you might have, but if not, please feel free to ask in the comments section and I will be more than happy to answer your questions.
If you haven't already, please don't forget to like and subscribe and click the bell so that you don't miss the notifications of future episodes of the show.
As always, I truly appreciate you stopping by the channel and taking the time to tune in to the program. Thank you.
Kenny, nice show and good review of the sander. As always I enjoy hearing the options of others regarding their tools. It sounds like the Rikon warrants a look should I be in the market any time soon. Thanks for the review.
I've been quite happy with this unit Paul and it puts my Rigid sander to shame as far as the materials that it is constructed from. It's a heavy unit that has performed perfectly for me. Thanks for tuning in to the show and taking the time to leave a comment.
My woodworking is dormant right now as I'm having to save up to close on a house in about a year, but an oscillating spindle sander is something I've never had but certainly will need, even as a hobbyist. This one instantly popped out at me when browsing for its moderate price combined with the solid build and almost universally positive reviews. I want a heavy-duty one that will last but I don't want to spend more than $500-600 on it, so I hope that in a little over a year when I've got my own garage that this tool is still available and hasn't shot up in price. I'd love to add it to my arsenal and hopefully make it last for decades!
Thanks for your comment Matthew. I can tell you that so far, my positive feelings about this unity hold true and the sander still performs just as well as it did when I first got it. The dust collection is top notch and I have never seen a sander with such an efficient dust collection system. I hope you are able to get your sander. Good luck with the closing of your house in a year. I hope your new garage shop is awesome. Thanks for tuning in.
Nice review, I really appreciated the close-up views of the table support and tilt mechanism. From what I've read this aspect is a shortcoming of similar bench top oscillating spindle sanders. Can't really tell if this one is beefier, but it might be. I did think the repetitive discussion of the nut sizes and the (trivial) difficulty removing the 90 degree spindle inserts was a little over-the-top. These are really mild annoyances at best and are solved easily enough with a single dedicated adjustable crescent wrench and a single bent piece of stiff wire. Appreciated the comment & *demonstration* of the dust collection--which was impressively good!
While they may be "mild annoyances", I also feel that you shouldn't have to purchase or fabricate a tool to use the machine during its normal operations of what it was designed to do. I appreciate your honesty either way Steve and I thank you for tuning in. This is still a great sander that functions very well and I have yet to have a problem with it. Thanks again for tuning in to the show and for taking the time to leave your comment.
I could overlook a quirk or two as long as the safety features care are sound. Also, as you said, that it is solid and -heavy enough so that the vibration is minimal. You gave a very indepth review, thanks.
Thanks for the kind words on the show Michael. It truly is a solid machine and the weight is definitely there. So far, I really like it. Thanks for tuning in.
Kenny, good job. Wish you had done this before I replaced my very old unit for a Triton. Looking forward to more reviews from your channel.
Glad that you liked the review Steve. Thanks for tuning in. How do you like the Triton?
I have a Triton. The issue is the oscillation mechanism is cheap plastic and can break (I know this because that's exactly what happened on mine). If I had to do it again I would definitely get the Rikon or the Jet. At this point just waiting for my Triton to die so I can replace it with something else.
@@RonAday You are not the first to tell me that the Triton is not the best quality. I was hoping to hear better results. Thanks for getting back to me with a reply.
Thinking out loud on the insert issue. Drill a finger hole in the insert placed in the area where you most likely place the wood piece to be sanded. Wood piece would more often than not cover the finger hole and have a minimal affect on dust collection. Another work around: The sanding sleeves will get worn mostly in the 1 3/4" area or so above the table. Ideally the table could be made adjustable up down but would add to the cost. Fabricating an auxiliary raised table would be an addition so one could fully utilize the whole sleeve. And I agree that since everything is produced globally, we all have had to deal with different fastener scales. Seems the Rikon wrenches are standard off the shelf rather than specifically for the sander. Too bad--a missed opportunity to excel. Good review BTW.
Thanks for chiming in with your table suggestions Dwight. I'm not a fan of drilling the inserts but as I stated in the video, an insert removal tool might be in my future. Thanks for tuning in to the show and taking the time to leave a comment. I truly appreciate it.
Hi Kenny, I also have an oscillating sander that I have now owned for about five years, they all look about the same shape and buttons and I think they are probably all the same with different badges. The only problem that I have come across is the poor quality of the gears inside. I have had to renew the oscillating gear three times and after the third replacement went wrong, I decided that I would have this as a none oscillated spindle sander. Getting hold of the replacement parts was easy and no all that expensive but enough is enough and I can still use it to sand things.
I'm sorry to hear about the gear problems in your sander John. Is it a Rikon sander or a different brand? Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Hi Kenny when you change a drum on the machine, do you have to take the spindle off each time. Great show as always thanks for sharing with us.
No. I used the wrong term. The spindle stays in the sander obviously and the sanding drums thread directly into the spindle. So it is just the drum you are removing when changing sizes. I hope this helps and sorry about the confusion. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
I bought this sander based largely on your review. Thanks!! The 14 mm wrench now works on the top of the spindle, which makes sense. I’m curious: I bought some sander paper for the spindles and the fit is really tight. Too tight. Where do you get your sand paper?
I actually buy the branded Nikon cylinders. You can find them here. www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/sanding/drums/101990-sleeves-for-rikon-oscillating-spindle-sander
I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
Thanks for review Kenny. I am thinking about upgrading my ridgid one to one of those cast iron tops. Might go towards the rikon one, as im very happy with my rikon bandsaw and a lathe
Although I don’t own any Rikon equipment, I’ve read in quite a few reviews of their products that parts were difficult to obtain or nonexistent. Have either you or Kenny needed to obtain repair parts from Rikon? I’m just curious because I’ve been looking at purchasing one of their bandsaws, but comments over the parts issue have me rethinking this. Thanks for the review Kenny!
@@tomt9543 Bought my lathe at LeeValley. After like 15 months speed controller broke on it. I called LeeValley about it and next day I had service guy at my house. He fixed it in half an hour and didn't even charge me. It was after manufacturer warranty though. I was like WOW. Bandsaw no problem at all. Anyway most parts are replaceable with Grizzlies Jets etc There is like nothing to really brake on bandsaw
@@marcelo403polo2 That’s good info! And as far as nothing to break, that’s what I thought about that anvil I bought! Ha! Thanks!
@@tomt9543 Seriously. there is just few bearings, tires and the motor. Thats it
@@marcelo403polo2 Oh I know! But the parts thing is just a pet peeve of mine. Whether you love them or hate them, Grizzly sells every part for every machine with their name on it. And regardless of who makes a machine, if you use it long enough, something is going to wear out or break. My plan B is that I have a machine shop with lathes, milling machines, welders etc. to make my own parts if necessary, but it’s nice to “buy and bolt on”!
Ridiculius barrel change setup.
Not every setup can please every worker. Thanks for tuning in and for taking the time to leave your comment.
To be fair to the manufacturer, bolts and nuts are pretty standard sized based on the diameter of the threads on the bolt. That isn't something they make, and its extremely rare to find custom sizes.
While I don't disagree with you, it is still the fault of the manufacturer when they don't provide the correct size wrenches to adjust their equipment. Thanks for tuning in and for taking the time to chime in to the conversation. It's very much appreciated.
I bought the Grizzly 1/2 hp g0739 The inserts set 60 thou below the table. Causing small pieces get caught. I made a gasket out of gasket material. I called the company. They told me it was in spec's. Of course!!!!!!
Unfortunately for a lot of companies, their "specs" satisfy the masses. For those of us who like things a little tighter and a little more accurate, we are left to adjust the machine ourselves. I hope that you gasket material fixed the issue for you. Thanks for tuning in to the show Ernie. It's very much appreciated.
If the insert and wrench issues are the only problems it has...I’ll take it. I worry more about power, reliability, and durability than I do the minutia.
I intend to rectify that insert issue by making a simple removal tool in the shop. So that is one problem solved. The other small issue is the different nuts on the sanding drums. Some metric, some imperial but that is solved by having other wrenches in the shop. As for the performance of this machine, it's been great. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show and taking the time to leave a comment. It's appreciated.
The Ridgid drum/belt sander sell for $200-250, significantly less than the Rikon and have the added advantage of the belt sander option. Is the cost difference worth it?
I worked with the Rigid for years David and you will most likely see it in many of my older videos. As much as I liked the Rigid sander, I wasn't a fan of the insert system. They had a large plastic plate that just sat loose in the recess and then a metal ring would sit in that plate. Way too much play and too much flex for my liking. I also wasn't a huge fan of the dust collection on that sander as it really didn't take away the majority of the dust but rather, it allowed it to collect in the recess of the table top. The on board storage was kind of nice to have everything out in front where I could easily get at it but the Rikon's storage is just as convenient. The body of the Rigid sander is an all plastic design and the table top is aluminum as apposed to the Rikon which is all metal and the table top cast iron. As much as the Rigid served me well, the Rikon is a huge upgrade in my opinion and definitely worth the price difference. I hope this helps. Thanks for tuning in to the show David.
I just got mine today. The wrench thing hasn't changed. What a joke but how often am I changing sanding sleeves? Compared to the Jet JBOS-5 which I'm trying to sell, the tray that holds the inserts is much better than Jets. With Jet they are difficult to get in and out of the slots that hold them. The drums for the Rikon are easier to insert and remove in the holder too. I also like that there is an opening for the 3" drum if you decide to buy one. I too had to do a fair amount of adjusting but once done, all good. And yes, the dust collection is outstanding. The Jet, which is open under the table top doesn't even come close. Thanks for the video, well done.
Glad that you like the sander Rich. I still truly enjoy mine. The wrench thing is a bother and honestly, it's not just about changing the sanding sleeves. I don't leave any tension on any tool when it isn't in use so I release the drum nuts each time. Leaving tension on any tool will reduce it's overall effectiveness in time in my opinion so the wrench thing can be a little annoying. I ended up purchasing dedicated wrenches of proper sizes for the sander and store them on the side using magnets. Thanks for tuning in and good luck with your sander.
@@acutabove_woodworkings Hadn't thought about releasing tension on the drums. I like it. Surely can't hurt. Thanks again.
@@Rich32262 You're very welcome.
I have Jets version of this that has some vibration, unfortunately it's not the spindles. Worthless now. Since you've had this for a while now, would you buy it again? I also read it was cheaply made. Any thoughts are much appreciated.
I have had absolutely no problems at all with this sander. The body is metal, the table is cast iron. I have no idea what the internal workings are made of but the spindles are all heavy gauge steel. The dust collection on this sander is the best I have ever used on an oscillating drum sander and honestly, if I had to do it again, knowing what I know now, I would definitely purchase this sander again. I hope this helps you a little. Thanks for tuning in and taking the time to ask your question.
On back order but doing it. Thank you!
@@Rich32262 I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
Im tired of replacing tools that I cheaped out on. Woodcraft is running a Rikon sale currently and I'm thinking about ordering this along with the 12" disc sander.
Any idea of the country of manufacture? Many high quality tools come out of Taiwan. But, if it's Chinese, I'll pass. They are not the same.
This appears to be the same machine as the Jet with slight differences but the Rikon 3" spindle is less expensive.
So I wasn't 100% sure where the sander was manufactured so I checked the nameplate while I was in the shop yesterday. I'm sorry to report to you Barnes, that this sander is in fact made in China. I think, with the ability to save costs on the manufacturing of parts, that we are pretty hard pressed to find a tool that isn't made in China these days or at least has parts of it made in China. I've had this sander for quite some time now and haven't had any issues whatsoever with it but if you are dead set against a Chinese made product, then there is nothing I can do at this point. Sorry that I couldn't give you better news. Good luck on your quest for a sander and thanks very much for tuning in. If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to ask.
I thought mine was defective because of the rattle sound on the downward oscillation. Guess it's just normal machine noise. Lol
I don't think I have heard one of these machine that doesn't have that slight "purr" on the down stroke of the oscillation. I would venture to say that you machine is just fine. Thanks for tuning in James.
Im having an issue squaring up the table to the spindle. The manual says to use the stop cams to square up the table. This is a pain in the ass. Did you have to square your table top or was it already square to the spindle?
Are you referring to the left to right squareness or the front to back squareness. The front to back takes some adjustments and it can be finicky to get the stops adjusted correctly. Most tools that have angle adjustment are a pain to get them calibrated correctly but once you get them adjusted, you're golden. The left to right squareness was correct from the factory but I had to adjust the stops front to back in order to get the drum square to the table. Take your time and realize that it will take many adjustments before you get it perfect but once you finally get it adjusted, you will be happy with the results. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
@@acutabove_woodworkings I am referring to the left to right squareness. I had to loosen the four bolts, where the work table angle brackets mount to the work table. It squared up but, now I have found other issues. Im having an issue with a out of center rotation. It looks like item 2B, in the manual, was machined slightly off center. When a spindle is threaded into the "spindle bushing" it increases the out of center motion to about 2.5mm. The other issue is that the work table will not center up with the spindle. I loosened the four bolts that fasten the worktable brackets to the oscillation assembly. However, there is not enough tolerance to center it.
@@MrFlintwalker1 To be completely honest, this doesn't sound like something that is acceptable and if it were me, I would be contacting Rikon and inquire about a replacement machine. This is the first that I have ever heard of such problems with this unit. There are some machines that do make it through quality control with obvious defects and any good company will stand by their product and make things right.
@@acutabove_woodworkings I spoke with Technical support yesterday. I sent them pictures of the apparent issues. They said they would resolve them. So I guess they are working through, how to best resolve this. In the mean time, I'm back where I started. No spindle sander! Lol. Thanks for listening and responding.
@@MrFlintwalker1 I would be interested in hearing their solution. From everything I've been told from other viewers, Rikon's customer service is excellent.
hello good video, what makes you like rikon tools
I am not devote to any certain brand of tool, but this particular sander is well built, with a cast iron table and a metal body. It's heavy with low vibrations and solid adjustments. I'm glad that you liked the video. Thanks for tuning in.
Weird having Metric and Imperial for those Nuts can't understand why Rikon did that?,
i have the Triton Oscillating Sander and i am happy with mine and it's one Spanner, but not all tools are perfect which really they should be at least 99% perfect, considering how much we pay for these Tools.
Stay Safe,
Barry (ENG)
The only reason I can think of is that the different parts are manufactured in different regions. Possibly some in Canada (metric) and some in the USA (imperial) That's about the only explanation I can come up with. I guess it will remain a mystery. Thanks for tuning Barry and taking the time to leave a comment.
The reason in the difference metric-SAE size nuts on the sanding drums is simple. Rikon engineers suffer from the disease "CIR"....(cranial impacted rectum).
LOL. I guess that's one way to put it. Thanks for the chuckle and for tuning in.
Metric and imperial got to be Chinese
It would seem that the majority of tools are these days. Thanks for tuning in to the show.
For a machine that costs this much money, the nut and insert problems are enough to warrant NOT purchasing this machine. Any company without the quality control and design oversight to let these obvious flaws through is not worthy of my trust and respect. Why respect them when they do not respect me as the end user?
You make a good point Eric and that is exactly why I post reviews with as much honesty as I can. It provides you with enough information to make an informed decision about whether or not this product is right for you. I'm glad that I was able to provide information that you might not have had access to otherwise. Thanks for tuning in to the show and for taking the time to leave your comment. I truly appreciate it.
@@acutabove_woodworkings I enjoy your show and look forward to it. Your honesty is much appreciated. Keep up the great work!
@@ericburres2875 Thanks for the kind words. I look forward to your comments on future episodes of the show.