Customer Reviews

JET 708596K JSG-96OS 6-Inch/9-Inch 3/4-Horsepower Open Stand Belt/Disc Sander, 115-Volt 1-Phase

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I rec'd the sander a few days ago. It went together easy. It was quite heavy. Unless you've got some muscles, get some help placing the sander body on the stand.

The stand is solid and doesn't take up much floor space. There are pre-drilled carriage-bolt holes in the legs if you want to add your own lower shelf. I plan to do that at a later date but I thought it would be nice if Jet included the horizontal supports for such a shelf with the stand. Not a big negative just a suggestion. The stand comes with rubber-cushioned leveling feet unlike some of the other stands I've purchased in the past. It was a nice touch.

Other than the stand, essentially the only assembly needed is to attach the work tables to the sander body. The instructions are pretty good and they show in some detail how you get the tables lined up square to the sanding surfaces. I had a little trouble getting the belt sander work surface to go on smoothly but after making some adjustments to the 90 degree stops, it seemed to go on more easily.

The unit runs smoothly and with about as much noise as I would expect with a sander, although the graphite belt sander platen seems to make a little more "whooshing" sound when it starts up. The graphite is supposed to make it run cooler. I haven't confirmed that but it makes sense. There aren't any undue vibrations. Not having owned a stationary belt sander before this one (but I have used several) releasing the belt tension was new for me but makes sense. It's recommended so the belt doesn't take on an excessively oval shape or wear out prematurely. It's easy to do but I find that I have to line up the belt on the rollers before I move the tension arm back. Easy to do, just something to remember if you plan to release the tension when the machine is off.

The belt sander will lay flat if you need to do some surface sanding. There's a horizontal stop but no vertical stop. However, eyeball vertical is fine since the work surface moves with the belt assembly and as such stays perpendicular.

The disc sander is great for me. 9 inche diameter is all I need. I've considered 12 inch disc sanders but this machine gets the job done. I build furniture, cabinets and various (larger) craft items and I expect that it will handle my needs.

Adjusting the work surfaces requires some patience but wasn't too difficult. For example, if you want to change the angle on the belt sander work surface, you need to loosen two locking handles and line up the angle that you need while maintaining a gap between the table and the sanding belt. I find that when I tightened the right-side locking handle, it pulls the table toward the belt. I don't use the belt sander at other that 90 degrees too often, so I don't expect this to be a big deal for me. The disc sander work surface on the other hand is a breeze to adjust. There's an angle indicator on the table, so once the index is set to zero for perpendicular, moving to any other angle is a snap....

The 3/4 hp motor has yet to bog down on me. It seems adequately beefy so far.

I think this is a great sander. I've considered spending some money on Jet's larger sander and others in that class and was also considering other brands with lower priced units ... but when Jet re-released this machine, it didn't take long for me to make up my mind. As I use the sander more, I'll add more comments, but I expect to be very happy with my purchase and expect most other woodworkers would be happy as well.

Nice job to Jet on this one. I give it 5 stars for quality and value.

====

Update in 2010 (8 years later):

Just a follow up. The sander is still working great. I do use it fairly often (belt side mostly) so it seems to have held up well. Have not had any wear issues on the table adjustments. I have yet to change the sanding disc but belt changes are easy. I never got around to adding a shelf under the unit. And related to that, the legs are more than stable enough without any lower braces. So I'm pretty happy. I expect to get many more years from the sander.

I just took delivery...of Jet's #708596K sander with the 9" disc and 6x48" belt and am VERY pleased with the purchase.

Packaging was excellent with everything strapped to a wood pallet. After unpacking, I set up the open stand on a mobile machine base, then simply bolted the sander to the top of the stand. [Be sure and read the directions on stand assembly as this will eliminate trial and error attempts at short cuts]

Installing the belt is quite easy. Adjusting it to track requires careful adjustment of the tracking wheel, but this takes less than one minute. Once the belt is tracking and not drifting left or right, it stays on track until the belt is changed or for 6 hours, whichever comes first. For whatever reason, the belt will get out of allignment just sitting there. It is a good thing that adjustment is a simple quick process.

The work support tables install easly and are excellent. All adjustments are up front and easy to make and once made, hold their position.

The main reason I purchased this unit over others in the market[some a good deal more expensive] is the outstanding dust collection system that is built into the machine. Belt and disc sanders can cover up a shop in sawdust in no time without some sort of dust control and this machine has the best I have seen. At the base of the belt there is a 2"x6" opening for the dust coming off the belt this feeds into collection area at the bottom of the machine. The disc has a 2 1/2" collection hole that also feeds into the base. Both of these openings are controlled be separate blast gates. at the back of the machine, there is a built in 4" exhaust port to connect to your dust system. This is an excellent design that gives you dustless sanding!

You can't go wrong with this machine. Particularly with Amazon's low price, no sales tax, and free shipping.

I was a little skeptical about this product, because of the relativly low price and the 3/4 h.p. motor. My previous sander had a 1 & 1/2 h.p. motor, and cost ($$$) 15 years ago.
Assembling the unit was straight-forward, and took about 30 minutes. The quality and craftmanship, with no regard concerning the price, is outstanding.
Once I starting using the machine, I became equally impressed with it's function. My last concern, the 3/4 h.p. motor, has never slowed or bogged-down, even while force-feeding it with varions types of walnut, and mesquite.
Everything works the way it is supposed to, and after 3 months of heavy use, I would highly reccommend this product to anyone seeking a heavy-duty home, or light-duty commercial belt sander.

Heavy duty and generally well designed. Plenty of power even for larger pieces. Assembly was fairly straightforward but not quite as easy as their 14" bandsaw--this statement based on the bandsaw's exceptionally clear owner's manual and instructions. Recommend JET use the bandsaw manual as the model for all its equipment documents.

Good design, fit, and finish on all the adjustments for the various accessories/tables. I found that nearly everything was square and within specs at initial installation. Motor is quiet but the belt does "whoosh" a lot.

Belt tracking adjustment is a mystery to me, however. After several trials, involving tiny movements to the adjusting wheel, the belt will run dead on center. Then I use it for a while, or wait until the next day, and the belt will run maybe a quarter inch off-center to one side or the other (haven't identified a pattern yet). Doesn't seem to get worse than this. After much thought I decided it's not a significant problem but it is a small irritant. I always loosen the belt tensioner when not using the machine, per the manufacturer's recommendation, and I don't yet know if this is a factor.

Other item: the sanding table for the belt seems to get out of square to the belt surface with fairly minor forces applied to the table. The brackets and tighteners that secure it aren't very large and are thus working at some mechanical disadvantage, so maybe I just need to tighten the bejasus out of them.

Overall this sander is an excellent piece of equipment and a delight to work with, when all is said and done. Would have given it 5 stars if not for the drawbacks mentioned here.

I bought this sander after reading the reviews of this sander and reviews of a similar Delta sander. If you're looking for a sander, look no further, this is the one to buy. I had a cheap 1/3 hp Delta that I threw away after using the Jet sander a few times. THIS IS A GREAT SANDER! Heavy, solid, and powerful. It goes through hard wood without hesitation. My old Delta would just bog down and sanding took forever. Now, I have to be careful not to apply too much pressure. My old Delta sander had alot of plastic and aluminum peices, but this one is cast iron and steel, solid. There is no comparison. I'd recommend this sander to anyone. Look no further, this is the one to buy.

While I was in the tool store buying something else entirely, I noticed that they were running a special on this Jet 'benchtop' sander. The price was right, and I'm not heavy on sanding gear, so I picked it up. Well, I'm fibbing a bit. Someone loaded it into the Jeep and I drove home. Then I tried to pick it up and discovered I was in trouble. It took pyramid building ingenuity to get it out of the car, down into my basement, and up on its stand without needing a back transplant.

Seriously, if this sander weighed any more than it does it would cause a gravitational anomaly. Now heavy is good, it dampens vibration and provides stability, so I'm not really complaining. But this is a small tool with unbalanced weight distribution and no place to get a secure grip. For a wimp like me it was almost too much. Be warned, make sure you have a friend available or get strong enough so that a 150 pound dumbbell won't bother you.

Setting it up was a bit anguished as well. This is my first Jet tool, and I found the instructions a bit terse. Again, this wasn't insurmountable, since the sander isn't a complicated piece of equipment. But I had to make some guesses - all of which turned out right.

What you get when the smoke clears is a 6x48 belt sander and a 9" disc sander. It uses a 3/4 horsepower motor that is quite capable of turning hardwood into dust. It has a heavy table that can be mounted at either the disc or the belt, and a lighter weight table that is meant for only the belt sander. It also includes a miter and a pivot center for sanding round items. The chassis has a dust removal port and an open stand is included. There is also a closed stand available.

Once you get it all set up and working you are going to realize that this is a very fine tool. One that is built to last forever. Vibration is minimal. Adjustment and operation are easy and quick, thanks to the available power. If you are looking for a top notch utility sander, the Jet JSG-96 is your best bet.

This is my 4th Jet power tool. I have a jointer, band saw,and air filtration system already. I have some delta power tools (planer & drill press)tools but after I bought my first Jet I have never looked back. So when I wanted a sander I decided on the jet 708596K Combination 9" Disc 6" x 48" Belt Sander with Stand. I ordered it from Amazon and it was shipped by truck. I was informed of it's movement by the trucking company on their web site and within a week they had called and set up a day and time that was good for me. They arrived on time and the really nice driver helped me carry the unit up my driveway to my garage. Good thing because this baby was strapped to a wood shipping crate and very heavy. I removed the box from the crate and some how got it to the basement. I am used to JET tool manuals (which are pretty good) and I followed the instructions carefully and all went together without a hitch. After the base was assembled I placed..grunt....the sander on top of it (not easy to do..heavy is good though in power tools remember that!) And secured it with the bolts I had everything set up and adjusted within about hour & 15 minutes hour or so. The last thing I had to do was install the aluminum disc on the motor shaft, that's when things went bad. The disc had a run out of .085 thou. That means not useable and not safe to use. I have never had a problem with a jet tool before so I guess this is to be expected once in a while. Jet has excellent customer service (thanks MaryAnn)problem is because I bought it from Amazon I had to go thru them 1st instead of Jet just sending a new part. They said that is the way Amazon wants it. They even emailed Amazons phone number to call. So I called Amazon then they emailed me for more info (S/N etc) And then they contacted Jet to have them ship out a new disc. (7 to 10 days) The bummer at this point is I have had the sander set up in my shop for a week and can't use it yet. I would have gone 5 stars because I have used one of these (not mine it's broken) and they are excellent tools, but with all considered I chose 4 stars. I just want to reitterate If you have any questions or problems with a Jet tool email them they have been just terrific in helping me with other questions before this happen. So if you are concerned with customer service after buying a new power tool The WMH Tool Group (JET/POWERMATIC) will be there for you I am a believer....I just wish my part would get here!!!

Latest update 8/27/04 I haven't heard anymore from Amazon and it's a pain trying to get in touch with them about it. BUT The WMH Tool Group (Jet) says my part is backordered until 9/21/04!!! I am not happy that's almost a month of waiting.

FINAL Update 9/14/04 The new disc came UPS from WMH today. I put it on and if you are interested.... now has a run out of only .002 That just fine for a sanding disc. Now I can finally use it, I'm happy.

I was a little skeptical about this product, because of the relativly low price and the 3/4 h.p. motor. My previous sander had a 1 & 1/2 h.p. motor, and cost ($$$) 15 years ago.
Assembling the unit was straight-forward, and took about 30 minutes. The quality and craftmanship, with no regard concerning the price, is outstanding.
Once I starting using the machine, I became equally impressed with it's function. My last concern, the 3/4 h.p. motor, has never slowed or bogged-down, even while force-feeding it with varions types of walnut, and mesquite.
Everything works the way it is supposed to, and after 3 months of heavy use, I would highly reccommend this product to any seeking a heavy-duty home, or light-duty commercial belt sander.

Metal, not plastic, two worktables, best for the money I've seen so far, have to agree with all the others who point out the best features

Just took delivery of this unit and I couldn't be happier. I would agree with Jim Rapp's review whole-heartedly. The sander combo came well packaged, everything was there, set up was quick and easy (but look at the directions to avoid trial & horror in assembly of the stand).
The machine works great - no problems in the operation, other than occasional adjustment of belt tracking, but that's an easy thing to do with this unit.
I shopped around before buying and wouldn't even consider some of the other machines out there. This is my fourth Jet machine, and probably won't be my last. This thing "feels professional" and seems to be performing that way as well. Dust collection is great, the individual control for each side is a plus, and the machine certainly has the heavy construction to last a long time. The belt fence is a little on the "light" side, but you can always swap the disk table over to the belt side if you need it - one screw does it.