Bench grinders. Decision time

[MatBirch]

I know this is an old over-argued topic, but with a new shop rebirth on the way, it’s time. With a mid range budget, I am attempting to decide between a vintage lighter duty machine, vs a new heavier duty model.
I find units such as older 6” Wissota, Dayton, Milwaukee, Craftsman etc, for around 150-250$.(including freight) For similar money I can also pick up a brand new 8” Dewalt, Jet, Craftsman Pro, maybe even Wilton...
I have no desire for a resto project, I do that with motorcycles... I just want to use it. So if I go with an older unit it will be a nicer, running, useable as-is example, and will pay a few bucks more for it. I like the idea of the wider type over the block, but wouldn’t be a deal-breaker. I use a 2 year old Dewalt 6” at work, and it is just fine.

Thoughts??

 

[wkndwarrior29]

What do you plan on using it for? I would suggest an older powerful unit with a dust collection system for wire wheeling. For grinding wheels and tool sharpening I have a vintage Craftsman block grinder mounted to a board that I keep on a shelf and out of the way.

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[Bigwheels]

I have a jet and an older craftsman both are real good the jet is my go to

 

[Bigwheels]

I think if your looking for the best it would be a Baldor

 

[anndel]

I have a chinese made variable speed Delta from Amazon.com at my home shop and at work I have an older USA made Baldor.

 

[exmaxima1]

"Grinders" are great for wire wheels and buffing, but I haven't used a grinding wheel in many years---I switched to belt grinders. Belts are more efficient, grits are quickly changed, there's no dressing, and you can grind both soft and hard materials without fear of clogging a wheel. I would opt for one that has a rubber contact wheel to get the full experience of modern belt grinders, such as the Multi-Tool adapters.

It will cost closer to $300 to get a nice setup: $219 for the MT adapter, and about $50 for a vintage grinder (USA or Taiwan) to bolt it to. Best investment you will ever make.

http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_36_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT362_305

 

[jimreed2160]

I just got a new 8" Delta that has been working out well. It replaced a Wilton that blew a capacitor.

 

[sqznby]

I agree with exmaxima, belts are the way to go.
I have a 1hp Jet with the multi tool attachment and a unitized wheel for the opposite wheel. Love it.

I'm now looking into building a 2x72 belt sander.

 

[exmaxima1]

I agree with exmaxima, belts are the way to go.
I have a 1hp Jet with the multi tool attachment and a unitized wheel for the opposite wheel.

What is that? Is that a Scotchbrite wheel?

 

[MatBirch]

What do you plan on using it for? I would suggest an older powerful unit with a dust collection system for wire wheeling. For grinding wheels and tool sharpening I have a vintage Craftsman block grinder mounted to a board that I keep on a shelf and out of the way.

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Just general tasks, really. Basic stuff that I could make a $50 import machine useful for, but I would rather make it an investment that will last.

 

[MatBirch]

"Grinders" are great for wire wheels and buffing, but I haven't used a grinding wheel in many years---I switched to belt grinders. Belts are more efficient, grits are quickly changed, there's no dressing, and you can grind both soft and hard materials without fear of clogging a wheel. I would opt for one that has a rubber contact wheel to get the full experience of modern belt grinders, such as the Multi-Tool adapters.

It will cost closer to $300 to get a nice setup: $219 for the MT adapter, and about $50 for a vintage grinder (USA or Taiwan) to bolt it to. Best investment you will ever make.

http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_36_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT362_305

Love this idea as well. Sure pushing the limits of the current budget though...

 

[Bobioz1]

I agree with the belt grinder recommendations. My block grinder with MT attachment has no wheel mounted on the other side because I can't think of anything useful to put in there. The belt grinder does all the grinding and I use wire, deburring wheels and flap discs on an open wheel grinder. If space was an issue I could get away with only one grinder. I also have an old 1x42 Delta next to my portaband table that's useful.

 

[crewchief888]

bench grinder is probably one of my least used things i have in the garage.

mostly used to sharpen drill bits...

i have a 6" ryobi i picked up on sale around time a few years ago.

 

[sqznby]

What is that? Is that a Scotchbrite wheel?

Kinda sorta haha

I have another adapter to put a scotchbrite pad on as well.

Its a wearable wheel for finishing, very soft and will wear out quite fast if you're not careful.

 

[MatBirch]

Ok- so maybe the correct question should be-
Bench grinder or Sander?
I don’t build knives, or sharpen the mower much. Not looking to hog material from anything really. Profiling lathe cutters, tig tungsten, round off a corner on a fabbed bracket...
maybe disc/belt combo machine is the better way to go??

 

[crewchief888]

Ok- so maybe the correct question should be-
Bench grinder or Sander?
I don’t build knives, or sharpen the mower much. Not looking to hog material from anything really. Profiling lathe cutters, tig tungsten, round off a corner on a fabbed bracket...
maybe disc/belt combo machine is the better way to go??

for sharpening cutting tools, or your tungsten, the bench grinder is the way to go.

for metal working disk/belt sander would be far more convenient.

i have them both

just my $0.02

i acquired a 6x48 / 9" sander a couple years ago, one of my better additions to the garage

 

[exmaxima1]

I agree with the belt grinder recommendations. My block grinder with MT attachment has no wheel mounted on the other side because I can't think of anything useful to put in there.

A cutoff wheel comes in handy.

 

[exmaxima1]

Kinda sorta haha

I have another adapter to put a scotchbrite pad on as well.

Its a wearable wheel for finishing, very soft and will wear out quite fast if you're not careful.

I just know it as a Scotchbrite wheel

 

[sqznby]

Ok- so maybe the correct question should be-
Bench grinder or Sander?
I don’t build knives, or sharpen the mower much. Not looking to hog material from anything really. Profiling lathe cutters, tig tungsten, round off a corner on a fabbed bracket...
maybe disc/belt combo machine is the better way to go??

I have a dedicated 6" bench grinder for my tungsten. That's the only thing that's used for.
I agree, disc belt combo really is a pretty nice and useful set up.

I just know it as a Scotchbrite wheel

It's the same thing. It's a finishing/de-burring wheel

 

[bcradio]

bench grinder is probably one of my least used things i have in the garage.

Same here. I have a Craftsman block grinder that I very rarely use. I usually opt for a handheld grinder.

 

[Bobioz1]

A cutoff wheel comes in handy.

That does look handy. Nice looking machine too.

 

[crewchief888]

Same here. I have a Craftsman block grinder that I very rarely use. I usually opt for a handheld grinder.

mine sat unused on a shelf for a long time.
couple years ago, i needed to sharpen a couple drill bits, and remembered i had a bench grinder.

i threw together a stand out of some scrap i had laying around.
decided i had enough material laying around to build a stand for my hand shear.

then a revalation...
i had some extra paint...


finally a week later i got around to sharpening the drill bits.

 

[454ragtop]

Figures you're on the other side of the country, have a bunch of extra grinders, a Delta, a Baldor and a couple CM blocks.

 

[scarrylarry]

"Grinders" are great for wire wheels and buffing, but I haven't used a grinding wheel in many years---I switched to belt grinders. Belts are more efficient, grits are quickly changed, there's no dressing, and you can grind both soft and hard materials without fear of clogging a wheel. I would opt for one that has a rubber contact wheel to get the full experience of modern belt grinders, such as the Multi-Tool adapters.

It will cost closer to $300 to get a nice setup: $219 for the MT adapter, and about $50 for a vintage grinder (USA or Taiwan) to bolt it to. Best investment you will ever make.

http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_36_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT362_305

Is that made by Jet tools ? If it is I inquired about that machine up here but they don't sell it in Canada .
scarrylarry

 

[scarrylarry]

Could someone explain what you guys call a block grinder ( maybe a photo )? Is it another name for a bench grinder as opposed to a one on a pedestal ?
Thanks
scarrylarry

 

[exmaxima1]

Is that made by Jet tools ? If it is I inquired about that machine up here but they don't sell it in Canada .
scarrylarry

It's a belt grinding adapter that you mount to whatever brand grinder you have at hand. They used to be made in Australia (I believe mine is), but they are likely now of Asian origin. You can buy it as part of a Jet grinder (it's not made by Jet), as well as others, and as long as you have at least 1/2hp it works fine. I have built numerous belt grinders of my own design, but the Multi-Tool adapter really is well made and engineered.

BTW, a "block grinder" is another name for the vintage Craftsman grinders (circa late 60's thru 70's) that look kinda like a block.

 

[scarrylarry]

It's a belt grinding adapter that you mount to whatever brand grinder you have at hand. They used to be made in Australia (I believe mine is), but they are likely now of Asian origin. You can buy it as part of a Jet grinder (it's not made by Jet), as well as others, and as long as you have at least 1/2hp it works fine. I have built numerous belt grinders of my own design, but the Multi-Tool adapter really is well made and engineered.

BTW, a "block grinder" is another name for the vintage Craftsman grinders (circa late 60's thru 70's) that look kinda like a block.

Great ,Thanks for the reply !
scarrylarry

 

[EOC_Jason]

The convolute & unitized wheels are very useful as they come in different hardnesses. But yeah basically think of them as a scotch brite pad. firmer / coarser ones are good for stripping rust, while finer ones are great for polishing / fine material removal.

To me the biggest downfall of most bench grinders is the tiny little work surface that is stock. Using a larger plate (that hopefully can articulate) gives much better geometry and a solid foundation to align the piece you are working with on.

I found a 1725 RPM motor with an arbor at an estate sale for like $4, I use the snot out of it with a wire wheel as the lower speed is much more forgiving than the 3500 RPM regular bench grinders. I built a box around it to catch (most of) the wire pieces that eventually break off (look on ebay for good USA made wire wheels), and all the crud that gets cleaned off.

I like the older grinders better as they tend to have more power than today's cheap chinese stuff. If you are just grinding tips for your tig it won't matter, but if you want to do any serious grinding or cleaning then you will be frustrated to no end unless you shell out some serious cash for a good Baldor or similar.

 

[exmaxima1]

I like the older grinders better as they tend to have more power than today's cheap chinese stuff. If you are just grinding tips for your tig it won't matter, but if you want to do any serious grinding or cleaning then you will be frustrated to no end unless you shell out some serious cash for a good Baldor or similar.

I don't consider my Baldors as very powerful. My 1/2hp, like many Baldors, is a permanent capacitor run motor which runs incredibly smooth, but it has very modest torque. Startup takes about 5 secs, and a coarse belt will easily bog it down on larger pieces. My older Atlas 1/2hp grinder (cap start) is much stronger---it will throw the belt before it slows down. I maintain that it is the amperage that matters if you need a powerful grinder, and most Baldors are built for smoothness and precision rather than power.

 

[Packard V8]

Palmgren (now made in Taiwan) has some nice grinders for the money. I saw them at PRI and was impressed.

http://www.palmgren.com/

I should qualify the good value; the catalog I picked up at PRI had "SALE" pricing which made them a good deal. At list price, not so much, but who pays retail list anyway?

jack vines

 

[aczr2k]

Skip the "grinder" and buy one of these. After buying one the grinder is just used for wire wheels.

And its made in the USA

http://ickler.com/belt-sanders.html

 

[EOC_Jason]

Best find I ever got wasn't my old CMan... It was a Taiwan made Dayton 3/4HP made in 1987 that I found on eBay still new in the box! Rating is 10.8 Amps which puts it more in the 1HP category of other grinders I looked at... lol. Thing scares the heck out of me, I flip the switch and run around the corner till it comes full speed and even then I am very respectful of the machine, it will hardly slow down even when I'm really pushing into it...

I don't consider my Baldors as very powerful. My 1/2hp, like many Baldors, is a permanent capacitor run motor which runs incredibly smooth, but it has very modest torque. Startup takes about 5 secs, and a coarse belt will easily bog it down on larger pieces. My older Atlas 1/2hp grinder (cap start) is much stronger---it will throw the belt before it slows down. I maintain that it is the amperage that matters if you need a powerful grinder, and most Baldors are built for smoothness and precision rather than power.

 

[exmaxima1]

Best find I ever got wasn't my old CMan... It was a Taiwan made Dayton 3/4HP made in 1987 that I found on eBay still new in the box! Rating is 10.8 Amps which puts it more in the 1HP category of other grinders I looked at... lol. Thing scares the heck out of me, I flip the switch and run around the corner till it comes full speed and even then I am very respectful of the machine, it will hardly slow down even when I'm really pushing into it...

A friend of mine gave me a new Dayton grinder similar to yours---made in Taiwan, cap start, and ungodly power. About 12 amps I think. And, of course, I added a belt grinder to it using a 10-inch wheel from Grizzly.

 

[sqznby]

Skip the "grinder" and buy one of these. After buying one the grinder is just used for wire wheels.

And its made in the USA

http://ickler.com/belt-sanders.html

I really like that.
You could get pretty creative with how you mount it.

 

[tool_scrounge]

Skip the "grinder" and buy one of these. After buying one the grinder is just used for wire wheels.

And its made in the USA

http://ickler.com/belt-sanders.html

Any idea of how much they cost?

 

[aczr2k]

Any idea of how much they cost?

Price is in the link. $699 & $449


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[scarrylarry]

Great ,Thanks for the reply !
scarrylarry

Exmaxima1

I know you said 1/2 horsepower but does the size of the wheel the grinder normally wears matter ? example 8 inch

Thanks
scarrylarry

 

[exmaxima1]

Exmaxima1

I know you said 1/2 horsepower but does the size of the wheel the grinder normally wears matter ? example 8 inch

Thanks
scarrylarry

Not sure what you are referring to about the size of the wheel. Certainly an 8-inch wheel running at the same rpm as a smaller wheel will need more power, as the larger wheel has more leverage against the motor. If you are asking whether to buy an 8" vs a 6" for general use, I'd say to get the 6-inch: the wheels are cheaper, and more important, the 6-inch at 3450 rpm is an ideal surface speed for grinding/sharpening most ferrous metals.

What exactly are you asking?

 

[scarrylarry]

Not sure what you are referring to about the size of the wheel. Certainly an 8-inch wheel running at the same rpm as a smaller wheel will need more power, as the larger wheel has more leverage against the motor. If you are asking whether to buy an 8" vs a 6" for general use, I'd say to get the 6-inch: the wheels are cheaper, and more important, the 6-inch at 3450 rpm is an ideal surface speed for grinding/sharpening most ferrous metals.

What exactly are you asking?

So when I'm in search for a grinder to hopefully mount the MultiTool on does it matter what size the wheels the grinder takes as in a grinder that takes a 6inch wheel . Does the MultiTool mount to any of those size grinders 8or 6 inch
I'm I making sense ?
Thanks
scarrylarry

 

[NitroShark]

Baldor is a sponsor for my race bike. You know

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what I got.