Best bench grinder?
- Thread starter Rickkyyr8
- Start date
Shiftless
Well-known member
If you plan to use it a lot and don't mind spending big money, go with Baldor.
Mohawk Dave
Well-known member
Are you going to be running actual grinding stones/wheels and if so what are you doing with them?
Or wire wheels, flap sanders, etc, because if so get a buffer.
Or wire wheels, flap sanders, etc, because if so get a buffer.
Terra Nova
Well-known member
Just picked up a Jet JBG-8B from Zoro. It has some nice features but I wasn't blown away with some of the casting quality / finishes. One of the reasons I picked it was the cast shields and tool rests. They're beefy but were left as cast and the castings are fairly rough. Had to do some cleanup on one shield with a die grinder to get it fitting better and am planning to take the tool rests to work to mill them flat.
That said, it runs extremely smooth with no vibration and has a ton of power. It's a good mid-grade between the $100 China specials and the much more expensive industrial type units like Baldor.
That said, it runs extremely smooth with no vibration and has a ton of power. It's a good mid-grade between the $100 China specials and the much more expensive industrial type units like Baldor.
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tool_scrounge
Well-known member
New: Baldor
Used: Any quality US made vintage grinder.
Used: Any quality US made vintage grinder.
Shiftless
Well-known member
Good advice.
I have an old half horse Craftsman ”block” grinder but I mostly use a smaller unit that has a “Blue Point” label. Both are excellent machines but they run 6 inch wheels, not 8.
The big industrial one horse CM block grinder runs 8 inch wheels but has achieved collector status so the price reflects that. Those tools are ~50 years old.
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seber
Well-known member
I agree with Baldor for new. For used, look for cast iron covers and tool rests. Stay the hell away from anything with a bent steel rest. One other thing to look for is weight. Honestly, weight for it's own sake. The heavier a grinder is, the less it will vibrate when the wheels are inevitably out of balance. Especially true if you run a wire wheel.
As the owner of a relatively new Baldor (2 years old). I will say it is not the same Baldor my dad has had and I have used for the last 30 years. It’s still smooth, quiet and has plenty of power but the fit and finish of his is better. Just an FYI my Baldor came with made in China bearings. If I was purchasing a new grinder today I would buy another Baldor however I may get the 248-181TD.
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engineer2
Well-known member
Wilton is another brand to look at. Likely made in China, but mine has been good for 20 years.
Mr. Wonderful
Well-known member
I dont want to hijack the thread. Did you post how you adapted the multitool to that baldor anywhere on GJ???
Terra Nova
Well-known member
how do you like the belt grinder attachment? I’m seriously considering getting one. Thanks
I did not do a write up on mounting the multi tools to the Baldor but I can try to answer any questions you have just shoot me a pm so we don’t take away from this thread. I really like the multitool I find it much more useful than a standard grinding wheel. Like mentioned above you can easily switch between grits or even go from sanding to scotch brite to buffing and polishing in seconds. I’m not sure I would get the miter table for the disc sander again as I believe I could fab one just as good with some parts found for free on Craigslist or fb marketplace. I have since changed my wire wheel to one of the 3m scotch brite bristle wheels.