Customer Reviews for Jet 1/2 HP 5.5 in. Benchtop Oscillating Spindle Sander with Spindle Assortment, 110-Volt JBOS-5

Great machine. Love the large solid cast iron sufacevto work on. The tilt feature is a real plus. Have used this OSS quite a bit building bar height Adirondack chairs.

This sander is big and powerful. I have only used it for a few days on a project so I can't give a long term review but the future looks good. Pros: Heavy duty, easy to set up, great results with little experience and the only oscillating sander on the market with a 1/4" spindle which I needed to carve some intricate details on molding I installed around corbels. Cons: I had a had time finding replacement 1/4" sanding sleeves. The sleeves for the Wen sander fit this but only go down to 1/2". Secondly, I had a hard time finding a stand for this sander. It stands 19" tall and when placed on your average work bench its almost at eye level. To be effective you need to be looking down at the point where the sanding drum touches the wood, in which case a work bench of 24" or less is good(my preference). I wish JET would sell one to go with it. I finally bought a Stainless steel restaurant equipment stand and cut the legs down until the work height is just about 39" which works for me. Bottom line: This is a good sander and I would recommend it to others.

Looks solid and seems to work well. Had to build a little rolling cart for it since it’s to tall for a bench top and to short to leave on the floor. It will get lots of use in my shop.

Did not have to put anything together. Worked perfect as advertised. Very strong and solid. I built a strong wood platform on brake caster wheels for the spindle sander to sit on (approx. 2 feet square). Doesn't vibrate.

Easy to setup and use out of the box.

This is a machine that will last me decades. Quality. Precision.

The sander arrived with a warped tabletop, the front right corner was about 0.020" lower than the rest of the table. That's considerable if you're trying to keep the material, you're sanding square. Jet support sent a replacement that showed up in just a few days that was dead on flat. Dust collection is not the best (didn't expect it to be) but was improved by covering the area in front of the spindle under the table with a piece of cardboard. It works great, I love it and would recommend it to anyone considering it.

Powerful motor, quiet, top is flat, low vibration. Issue is with the rubber drums that make this machine unusable. The rubber drums are oblong shape instead of round (verified with dial indicator - spindles are straight). You can also easily see the gap to the throat plate changing when you spin it by hand. Jet sent a replacement set of spindle/drums, but had the same issue. You cannot sand smoothly and causes the workpiece to bounce/chatter off of the sanding sleeve. Returned machine.

First off, it's much quieter than my previous spindle sander. Secondly, the inclusion of a 1/4" spindle--the main reason I purchased this model--really helps getting into the smaller areas that previously had to be hand-sanded. Third, dust collection is very good, though you may need an adaptor for a smaller shop vacuum. I haven't used the tilting ability yet, tho I'm sure it'll work well, considering how the machine functions otherwise. Delivery of the unit was flawless--very well packaged, with no damage at all. User Manual is also well done.

Works as expected. Like the tilting features. Storage needed for the wrenches.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

This is a great machine! Easy to buy at Home Depot also.

I was thrilled with the sander, it was easy to set up. All that was required was to put the sanding sleeves onto the spindle and insert the spindle into the machine. I was concerned with the comments relative to the two inch dust connection. All that was required was 2 wraps with duct tape.

Finding a decent spindle sander at a reasonable price is not easy. I really wanted to like this jet sander, but.... After about 2 years the machine is useless. Pros: -5.5" spindle is a big plus! -motor is plenty strong! -machine is heavy and stable Cons: - lots of motor vibration - loud! - the rubber sleeves break down over time and become unusable after about 2 years. A single (1) new sleeve costs $175 to replace!!!!! So basically as soon as the rubber sleeves wear out, the machine is junk. I still don't have a better answer for a spindle sander for my shop, but save your money and buy a cheaper one. This is NOT a workhorse sander!

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Very well made machine. Big and heavy. Taller than I expected so you will need a low sturdy table to operate it upon.

Very solid and all I expected

The best for a 13 " planer

I have a shop full of jet equipment so when i tell you it is good.......believe it!! This is a fairly heavy item that stays put and you don't feel like it is going to turn over if you put any pressure on it. Smooth quiet operation. Excellent equipment and the best price!

The price is high. I am having the worse time ever to keep the sanding sleeves concentric on the spindle ( I am using the 2" one ). I had a chance to borrow a different model and I was pleased with the smooth action of the tool ( no vibrations on the piece being sanded ). The sanding sleeves are to thin. I think the gap between the shaft and the rubber sleeve is the cause of the vibrations ( you need to compress the rubber sleeve to much and it takes an irregular shape ). The inserts are too thin and need tape or something else to bring them flush with the table. I need to find out the function of a set screw on the base of the spindle assembly because it was loose and when I tighten it, looks like it put too much pressure on some bearing ( I need to look at the assembly drawings when I have time ). The vacuum port, beacuse of the totally open base, doesn't do much ( on a tool like this where the sanding is done on the top of the base, it is hard to remove the dust ). At the moment, I wish I had bought a Delta !

Use to had to use my drill press to sand.but with this jet sander made my life eazy