Dirk,
I owned one of the original Performax 16/32 and was extremely pleased with it. Only sold it after moving up to the 22/44, which I still own.
Assuming Jet hasn't made any significant design changes, I highly recommend it. Like any good woodworking tool, it will require time to get it set up and adjusted, especially if you run panels greater than 16" wide through it. Sandpaper is not cheap, but that would apply to any brand of drum sander. You will also need an adequate dust collection setup - the sander generates a lot of fine dust.
I find the drum sander to be one of the most time saving tools I have. Normally I only sand up through 120 grit. By then, the panel is flat and I can finish faster with a ROS.
If your budget allows, and you see yourself sanding a lot of panels wider than 16", I would consider the 22/44 or the Super Max 25.
Tim