New vs vintage bench grinder

[niksfish]

Hi to everyone.

I recently bought a vintage record vise, highly recommended in this forum. Im very happy with the quality.

Now, I don't really need a bench grinder, but they look so useful! I would use it very little as hobby use. But I always like to buy the good stuff. Mostly cleaning things like, right now, I'm using one hand or two to hold the drill with a metal brush accesory. It's kinda unconfortable. Also I cant take away material from metal things fast.

Would you preffer an old grinder or a new one? I don't know if the olds are worth it or the news are good too. For me, they look very simple and the old ones have wear...

 

[GeoBruin]

If you're not going to use it a ton, it's probably not super important whether it's "old iron" or a newer import as long as it spins true. The thing is, once you begin to appreciate how useful a bench grinder is, you use it more and more. And then every once in a while, you really lean on it and you begin to appreciate the value of a heavy duty machine.

In my situation, I have a lot of used stuff show up on Craigslist around me and it would be just as easy and probably cheaper to look out for a good used machine. But that may not be the case for everyone.

I'm sure you'll get some good feedback here on what to look for used and whether any of the new offerings are decent. Good luck!

 

[rancherbill]

Old new is a flip up. It's the stones that make the difference. Get a stone dresser to get them round and you will be set.

Even good quality stones are hard to accurately mount, use the dresser and it get the round on your current setup and cleans the stone so it cuts correctly.

 

[Shiftless]

You might think you will have very little reason to use a bench grinder, but when you get one set up, I bet you will use it often. I use one of mine for polishing. I could have bought a buffer which is really the same but has longer shafts.

Grinders have been largely replaced now by bench sanders with narrow belts.

There is a cult following for Craftsman “block” grinders named that because of the square shape. They are way over engineered and easy to rebuild if necessary. I have 3.

Here is a vintage bench grinder I bought a few years ago for $35 and repainted. I now use it with a 3M abrasive bristle brush on each side for polishing metal. I removed the guards and tool rests.

 

[ecotec]

Older bench grinders look way cooler than new ones. Probably cheaper, possibly way cheaper.

Try to find one that looks clean clean with a cool aesthetic. I bet you could find 3-4 vintage ones for what you would pay for one made in china new one. It depends how much time you have and where you live. If you live in an industrial city, no problem.

 

[1982fxr]

An old USA grinder in good condition is no comparison to new China dog ****. Especially if you're doing wire wheeling. just depends what's available in your area though.

If there are none just buy new, see how much you end up using it and you can always upgrade later if you want.

 

[DadsTools]

Hi to everyone.

I recently bought a vintage record vise, highly recommended in this forum. Im very happy with the quality.

Now, I don't really need a bench grinder, but they look so useful! I would use it very little as hobby use. But I always like to buy the good stuff. Mostly cleaning things like, right now, I'm using one hand or two to hold the drill with a metal brush accesory. It's kinda unconfortable. Also I cant take away material from metal things fast.

Would you preffer an old grinder or a new one? I don't know if the olds are worth it or the news are good too. For me, they look very simple and the old ones have wear...

I agree with those who say once you have one, you'll find more uses for it. I'm a hobby / DIY guy like you. I don't have any real shop work where I need one either, but it sure is convenient for sharpening, cleaning up the edges of a piece of cut metal, shaping metal parts, or the wire wheel side for cleaning off rust and smoothing. I have a small cheap 6" Black & Decker I bought perhaps 20 years ago. The lights and shields were trash, so I removed them. The tool rests are pretty chintzy too, but they work. Having a bigger grinder would be overkill for me, and unnecessary--the 6" has done everything I ever needed a grinder to do, and has done it well with zero issues. It sounds like you would be at a similar usage level as myself.

If that is the case, then like me you're not really looking to buy a project. But when you're looking at old vintage power equipment, you can easily run into that. You're new to the forum. After you hang around for awhile, you'll lose track of all the threads telling about, "I just bought this cool vintage grinder/drill press/bandsaw or whatever, and I need to fix/repair/replace/re-bearing/rewire such and such in it." Most of these members are enthusiasts for the old equipment, and are willing to invest the time and effort to refurbish or restore them, in other words, collectors, because to them the old stuff is really cool and nostalgic (and it is). But also, in other words, you're buying projects. If you go out looking for the old ones, that's the chance you take.

You mentioned, "I don't know if the olds are worth it or the news are good too. For me, they look very simple and the old ones have wear..." For what it sounds like how you would use it, I believe your thinking is absolutely spot-on. Those who espouse seeking out and restoring old equipment have something different in their hearts and minds, so keep this in mind. Over the years I've passed up a few great deals on vintage Craftsman block grinders at yard sales, saying to myself, "This is not for me. The right person will come along, and that grinder will be perfect for them, and I won't deprive them of it just because I can get it for $20." The old vintage grinders need to go to those folks who will appreciate them and are willing to put the work into them, not to me. One member above said he has three of them--that's the guy these old grinders belong with. My little B&D I bought new is perfect for me, and it will probably still be working fine after I'm gone.

Just some thoughts from an old geezer and fellow hobbyist...

 

[F-22]

Bench grinders are quite dependable, I'm not sure if there's any wear apart from the bearings and the brushes. I got a bunch of vintage grinders (I think 5) and never had to replace anything on them, and they were already decades old when I got them. Most are industrial-grade, 1hp+ motors. The last one I bought has a 2hp motor and a cast iron base. I got it together with three industrial drill presses and a nice small mill all for 1300€. I sold on two drill presses for 600€, kept the beefiest one and the mill and the grinder.

Ignoring the stand entirely (modern ones seem to only come with wonky ones, mine have heavy cast iron bases that absorb vibrations), a new bench grinder with a 2hp motor seems to be in the 1000$+ range.

If you're looking for sub-1hp, check out new ones for sure, but for any serious power an old one is way cheaper for basically the same thing. There's practically nothing more a new one can offer, except variable frequency (not hard to fit to an old one either, but you don't need it for hobby projects).


At work we have a ridiculously big 10hp pedestal grinder. It's a really old machine. If they ever decide to discard it, I'd probably pay a grand for it, it's amazing. It just devours anything you show it. I'm not even sure if I could run 10hp at home without a soft start (or star-delta), but I'd still buy it

 

[paulsomlo]

I can't imagine being without a bench grinder.

 

[Packard V8]

I can't imagine being without a bench grinder.

I can't imagine being without at least six or eight; range of large, slow coarse to smaller fine stones, wire wheel, polishing and buffing wheels.

jack vines, who probably has a dozen at present

 

[gatewaysysop]

I like my vintage Craftsman grinders for the look and style, but also the heft and build quality. They made it a half century or more and still run fine, so they'll tolerate anything I plan to throw at them. I'm not sure the same is true of newer offerings and I'm not interested enough to find out either.

 

[dnschmidt]

The only thing I use my bench grinder for is sharpening drill bits. Other than that it's my belt sanders. For drill bit sharpening, and for sharpening lathe tooling the round wheel provides the clearance you need to produce the cutting edge relief you need on drills and cutting tools. The relief is much harder to get using a belt sander.

 

[ecotec]

The only thing I use my bench grinder for is sharpening drill bits. Other than that it's my belt sanders. For drill bit sharpening, and for sharpening lathe tooling the round wheel provides the clearance you need to produce the cutting edge relief you need on drills and cutting tools. The relief is much harder to get using a belt sander.

If you get a wire wheel and a buffer wheel, you will use your bench grinder for so much more.

 

[niksfish]

Hey, thanks for all the replies and your advice.

I can appreciate the aesthetic of an old bench grinder, and the ones you posted on the thread are very pretty! So far, it's clear that I will buy one (new or used), since you tell me once I have one I will use it.

I'm not really sure if the price is good where I'm from, but I'll take a look. So far I saw a old one the same price as a dewalt new. Not a good deal. I'd like to have one used and restore it. I really like them. But for now it's not a good time since I'm busy with other things in life. But would be a nice proyect.

Old new is a flip up. It's the stones that make the difference. Get a stone dresser to get them round and you will be set.

Even good quality stones are hard to accurately mount, use the dresser and it get the round on your current setup and cleans the stone so it cuts correctly.

I'll keep that in mind, good advice.

You might think you will have very little reason to use a bench grinder, but when you get one set up, I bet you will use it often. I use one of mine for polishing. I could have bought a buffer which is really the same but has longer shafts.

Grinders have been largely replaced now by bench sanders with narrow belts.

There is a cult following for Craftsman “block” grinders named that because of the square shape. They are way over engineered and easy to rebuild if necessary. I have 3.

Here is a vintage bench grinder I bought a few years ago for $35 and repainted. I now use it with a 3M abrasive bristle brush on each side for polishing metal. I removed the guards and tool rests.

how about something like this?

looks very chinese but it has both things at once.

Older bench grinders look way cooler than new ones. Probably cheaper, possibly way cheaper.

Try to find one that looks clean clean with a cool aesthetic. I bet you could find 3-4 vintage ones for what you would pay for one made in china new one. It depends how much time you have and where you live. If you live in an industrial city, no problem.

Beautiful

I agree with those who say once you have one, you'll find more uses for it. I'm a hobby / DIY guy like you. I don't have any real shop work where I need one either, but it sure is convenient .....

I feel that we would do the same amount of work with a grinder. Thanks for your imput. 6" looks enough for me. I don't know how much hp but surely less than 1. Maybe 1/2. I think that if the grinder works is good enough. Changing the bearings and painting it is something I would enjoy doing. I like to maintain things like a drill or a vacumm cleaner. Dissamemble them, clean them, put some oil and fix small things...

My little B&D I bought new is perfect for me, and it will probably still be working fine after I'm gone.

You know? That really hits me spot on. I bought the old vise thinking that way. That if I buy something good it will outlast me, and some niece or something will be able to enjoy it... So, it looks like something very simple to the normal eyes, but I believe that guys like us think of tools like these like something else. Much more important and maybe transdecental.

Bench grinders are quite dependable, I'm not sure if there's any wear apart from the bearings and the brushes. I got a bunch of vintage grinders (I think 5) and never had ...

I don't think I would ever need that much power lol. Less than 1 hp seems like enough.

I can't imagine being without a bench grinder.

Simple comentary but at the same time says a lot. I need one! It happens to me a lot that I don't think I need something, then I have it. And made so much thanks to it... How could I not have it? For example, something as simple as a heat gun.

I like my vintage Craftsman grinders for the look and style, but also the heft and build quality. They made it a half century or more and still run fine, so they'll tolerate anything I plan to throw at them. I'm not sure the same is true of newer offerings and I'm not interested enough to find out either.

I see a pattern here. So, I'll try to get a craftsman too.

The only thing I use my bench grinder for is sharpening drill bits. Other than that it's my belt sanders. For drill bit sharpening, and for sharpening lathe tooling the round wheel provides the clearance you need to produce the cutting edge relief you need on drills and cutting tools. The relief is much harder to get using a belt sander.

how much do you use those belt sanders? I bought one of these machines but wasnt that useful (chinese but ok):

Maybe the belt version is better. Or maybe I used bad sand paper.

If you get a wire wheel and a buffer wheel, you will use your bench grinder for so much more.

oh yeah. I can imagine myself polishing stuff

 

[dnschmidt]

I use my belt sanders a lot. What you have pictured above is a toy 1/4 sheet sander not a belt sander. Mine cost $1000 each ten years ago and use 6 X 48 ceramic belts that cost more than that toy by themselves.

 

[dougf]

100% find older vintage ones. They run quieter and the motors are actually what they are rated at. The cheap chinese ones are loud and easily bogged down, you'll not be happy. Had a few and literally gave them away after getting an older Baldor and Craftsman grinder. One with wire wheels, one with fine and coarse stones.

 

[niksfish]

100% find older vintage ones. They run quieter and the motors are actually what they are rated at. The cheap chinese ones are loud and easily bogged down, you'll not be happy. Had a few and literally gave them away after getting an older Baldor and Craftsman grinder. One with wire wheels, one with fine and coarse stones.

that's strange. So the noise is due to the bearings? Or something else?

 

[rancherbill]

100% find older vintage ones. They run quieter and the motors are actually what they are rated at. The cheap chinese ones are loud and easily bogged down, you'll not be happy. Had a few and literally gave them away after getting an older Baldor and Craftsman grinder. One with wire wheels, one with fine and coarse stones.

You are comparing apples and oranges.

You cannot compare a 30 or 40 pound grinder to a 15 pound grinder. All of the cheap Craftsman grinders have died already. Old does not mean quality. High mileage grinders like the Baldor's were probably used a lot before they hit home shops.

The trick I have found is solid attachment. My grinder is firmly bolted to a 1 1/2" laminated piece of plywood scraps and then I use 3 clamps to hold it on the workbench. I cannot permanently devote workspace to a grinder. This gives it the necessary mass.

 

[exmaxima1]

You cannot compare a 30 or 40 pound grinder to a 15 pound grinder. All of the cheap Craftsman grinders have died already. Old does not mean quality. High mileage grinders like the Baldor's were probably used a lot before they hit home shops.

While this is mainly true, many older grinders ran smooth as silk yet didn't weigh all that much. Lots of the smaller 6-inch models from Wissotta, Baldor, and Dayton (Doerr) ran great and few weighed more than 15 lbs (minus the wheels). They were just made better with good bearings and dynamic balancing.