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Bench grinder recommendations wanted

rmcphearson

Hot Rolled
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Location
Rochester, NY
I'm shopping for a new single phase bench grinder for general purpose use in my maintenance shop. I currently have an Ironton which is a joke. It's always seemed to me that 3600 rpm is unnecessarily fast and annoying for a 8" wheel and brush. Baldor has a 8100W which is 1800rpm and Jet has a IBG-8VS which a variable speed 900-3600rpm. I'm budgeting $1k or less. I do not have 3 phase in my shop.

1) Has anyone used an 1800 rpm 8" setup?

2) Any other thoughts on bench grinders for general purpose use in a maintenance shop?

Thanks,

Roland
 
Variable speed is awesome for tuning out various vibrations and minimising heat when grinding different materials. I have some belt driven spindles with DC motors that go pretty low and they are much more compact without a motor in between the wheel: It allows a bit more freedom when using them.
 
Variable speed is awesome for tuning out various vibrations and minimising heat when grinding different materials. I have some belt driven spindles with DC motors that go pretty low and they are much more compact without a motor in between the wheel: It allows a bit more freedom when using them.
Do you just have spindles; no stages or face shields? I believe they used to make what was basically a full grinder without a motor. That sounds like the best of both worlds.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Roland,
Was going to send you a PM, but you're overloaded. Not pertaining to grinders, but your avatar.

Is that an Easy lawn mower in your avatar? My friend collects old lawn mowers. Mostly Moto-Mower and Ideal, but a sprinkling of some really weird ones. Just curious.
Ray
 
Longer neck allows getting in with odd jobs..Best table rests.. solid heavy bench to allow heavy push when needed..3/4 or 1Hp + so you don't stall RPM..good dresser like a carbordrumdm stick and a cracker-jack ( mini or full size and hold at angle so not to blow it up.)

You can scrape or tool the mounting flange to get true running sides if needed.

I have 8" 1800RPM that works fine and a number of of" 3600s .
 
Hopefully I'm not repeating the obvious or telling things you already know:

* The faster the wheel turns, the "harder" it acts.
* The harder the metal, the softer the wheel needs to be. (Not including carbide - for that you want a diamond wheel.)

So if you are grinding hardened tool steel, you want a softer wheel ... or a slower speed.
 
8" or larger for general snagging parts with a flat wheel...

7" or 6" (or the like) for needing various flat, radius and angle wheels because they are lower cost.

wheel board with a cover to keep room dust and oil off wheels. I like wood pegs at slight angle to set wheels on.
Stacking wheels in a cabinet often leads to dropping wheels.

Often 24/36/46 for snagging and 46/60/120 for forms.. or the like.

Soft wheels run cooler, grind and wear out faster... Harder wheels hold up longer, hotter and last longer.

Soft wheel for hard parts is true up to a point, then if the part is so hard the soft wheel will not penetrate the part a harder wheel may fill the need.
 
Consider a 2" belt grinder as Doug said. I hardly ever use a rock grinder any more. Works great on mower blades, fabrication even sharpening drills.
 
If you are using a wire wheel, Scotchbrite wheel, buffing etc. then 1880 rpm would be my choice.

Now, if you're grinding metal, sharpening drills etc. then a belt sander will serve you better. JMHO
 
Consider a 2" belt grinder as Doug said. I hardly ever use a rock grinder any more. Works great on mower blades, fabrication even sharpening drills.

Another vote for a sturdy belt grinder. "Standard" product around here seems to be with 4" belt and with 4 or 5hp motor. Those things remove metal pretty fast compared to bench grinder.
 
i use a lot of abrasives.

i need them all . if it were down to just one machine, a 6x48 rockwell belt machine is best, but i also need a
green SC wheel , and a fine wheel, and a deburring wheel, and a wire wheel....

as of today...

1960's rockwell 6x48
taiwanese 4x36
taiwanese 4x36
Somaca 4x106 wet machine

wilton 8"
ryobi 6"
2x generic 8" taiwanese machines
5 or 6 working angle grinders
3 or 4 working belt sanders
shop made pillow block machines....

i probably left a few out.

anyway, Baldor makes good motors- but don't buy them to be patriotic . the cast parts are chinese, assembled
in usa. not worth $700 for an 8" bench grinder IMO. i bought a M.I.T. Wilton/Jet 8"(same thing) for $200 , put
a pair of japanese C3 bearings into it( $14) and turned some new hubs from 4140 HT . the thing is whisper quiet... runs like a champ. no vibration at all.

still, there's always the need for another cheap grinder to house another scotchbrite wheel or wire brush.
it is fucking stupid(and dangerous) to go changing wheels whenever you need a different abrasive for the job.

afaik...seven $100 grinders beats one $700 machine all day long.
 
Do you just have spindles; no stages or face shields? I believe they used to make what was basically a full grinder without a motor. That sounds like the best of both worlds.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Two of the spindles are for scotchbrite wheels or diamond coated metal wheels so they don't need guards, and the third one, erm... I haven't gotten around to making a cast aluminium guard for the silicon carbide wheels.
 
I have a good 6" bench grinder with a nice 80 grit soft wheel and a blue ceramic 46 grit wheel which deals with all the tool grinding needs, then a 2" belt grinder, you need the ceramic belts, you need the speed and enough HP and the things just damn eat metal! Never found a spindle mounted wire brush that useful for anything much???
 
DSCN0489.jpgI have a Cincinnati Electrical Tool Co. 10inch. 1HP, 115v, 1800RPM.
CBN wheels for sharpening HSS.
I mounted it low on wheels so I could roll it outside when the weather permits.
Other wise any grit the wool filter socks don't get is already low to the ground and might not make it back up to bench height. Wishful thinking I know.
 
spindle mounted wire brush that useful for anything much?
Cleaning rusted bolts...?


The scotchbrite wheels are much handier than the wire wheels in my opinion, they have a few different grades and they are perfect for cleaning off surface rust, corroded aluminium or deburring sharp edges. Wire wheels just seem to shed wires that stab into you.
 
The best one I've used was a Grainger 8". Sorry, I can't remember the model number or other specifics. I do recall that it was very well balanced, right out of the box.
 
Consider a used three phase and a vfd. variable speed from 120 or 240 volts input. And used three phase grinders tend to be cheap.
Bill D
 
I have tried many different new brands and you just can not beat a Baldor. I think 8" 1800 is the ticket. I know it is above your price range but if you want a grinder that will work out of the box and last, Baldor is it.
A 2" sanding belt is a great tool but a Burr King is even more expensive.
 








 
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