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Bench Grinders

Tool is mostly used for light work and grinding tools.
Is it worth going to 8 inch?
Jim

absolutely, and its not that big a price deal, what are the delta's, like $100?

anyway the availability and selection of wheels alone makes it worth going 8" (the wheels that come with them aren't much good), heck a 6" grinder is probably crossing the lines on the forum rules :D
 
I would get at least a 7 inch grinder so that you will have a good selection of graded wheels to choose from. I used 6 inch grinders for many years and then, as I got educated about these things, I started using the proper grade of wheel based on the intended use. I assure you that using the proper wheels will be a real eye opener for you. I sure wasted a lot of time before I figured it out.
Good luck, Mike
 
Yunno - I was gunna ask a very same Q that can git sidelined in here just fine:

At the Visteon sale this week they had UMPTEEN 12" Baldors.

I would like to fetch a real grinder or two one day. Something built a little heavier than what I have now that wouldn't vibrate so bad. Mostly use it for wire wheel werk...

But does a feller need ar even want to go out to 12"? Seems like a lotta wheel! I don't really doo eny snag grinding to make eny use of a big honkin wheel. ???

I'm thinkin' a big heavy [Baldor] 7 or 8" would be just the ticket. ???

-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
I bought a harbor freight Baldor 500 clone and I have to say it's doing everything I need from a grinder. It needed some tuning out of the box but so far it's sweet. $139 on special when they're on special.
 
Pennies on the dollar and better quality used. I have 5 bench grinders all bought used. Pickrd up a likr new Dayton 12" for $100. built a pedestal, and now it's one of my favorites Jim
 
All of my grinders were acquired used. I have two Old 6" Delta/Rockwell with lighted eye shields. They are very smooth running and good for smaller more delicate work, One was $20 at auction, the other $40 from HGR.

I have a bigger 10" Baldor with lighted eye shields, stone on one side and wire wheel on the other. Looks close to new. Paid $100 at auction.

Lately I've seen these types of grinders go pretty cheap at local auctions in the Metro Detroit area. When four name brand pedestal grinders are grouped together in one lot and you pay $100, it's hard to go wrong.

I agree that 8" is a nice working size for most work. The 10" with the wire wheel is nice because the larger dia makes for more access.
 
Don't buy a new Delta grinder I have one and it is the most gutless thing I have ever used. I do have an 8" Chinese grinder that I bought at Princess Auto that is good. They had two different 8" grinders, the one I bought was more money but almost twice the Amps. The Delta is probably made in China as well.
 
I also have an 8 inch 3/4 HP Princess Auto grinder that is working very well for my needs...the sale price was good too. Unless you luck out with an older grinder that is in fairly good shape I'm afraid that alot of the American brands are made off shore. The packaging graphics that import tools usually have looks the same and while I'm glad I can spot it it makes me angry that there is so much of it.

Ox, usually big wheel grinders have bigger HP and therein is one reason why most people want one. It is a pain if you have to remove metal quickly and don't have the horses. Dave
 
The only difference in a 10" and a 4" grinder as far as sharpening goes is the grade of wheel. I have used everything from my dad's 1971 model Craftsman 6" to a 1990s Craftsman 10" 3/4hp 3400rpm. Bigger is always better in this department.

My only grinder now is a 1hp 1750rpm 10" Cincy Electric on a dust collector cabinet. It'll turn a 1/2" HSS stick into a fine 1 1/2" deep internal boring bar in about 5 minutes, as long as you keep the work cool enough to hang onto. I have a #60 on one side for roughing, and a #200 on the other for finishing. When I bought it (Ebay), I was afraid it would not be enough power, but it makes that 10" 3/4hp Craftsman seem like a toy by comparison. It's at least 30% bigger overall and simply does not stall out.

I like the bigger grinder for several reasons. It is far heavier and less prone to vibration. It is incredibly powerful for taking off serious stock when needed (you can shove a lawn mower or bush hog blade into the wheel with all you've got and never bog it). The big lighted guards (with 6" GLASS windows and TWO full size light bulbs on each wheel) are actually useful in terms of protection, and give enough light to see what you are doing extremely well. The large size of the machine means long parts don't get into the other wheel. The big cast rests actually support the work. Wheels are not that much more expensive for good high quality ones and they last forever. You can dress a 10" wheel down a LOOOOOONG way before it gets so small as to become useless. The low speed and high torque of that 1750rpm motor keeps surface speed down, so work doesn't get hot so fast, while maintaining enough torque to pull the load. Finally, the baghouse collector on mine works extremely well at inhaling sparks and dust.

The only reason I don't have a 3hp 12" pedestal grinder is that I found this one close by instead. We have a 12" 3hp 3ph Baldor at work and it is a real beast. Only problem is that it has a rock on it that looks like a gravel road (extremely coarse) and nobody ever dresses or properly cares for it, since it is in the fab shop. With the right rocks on it, it'd be a great machine.
 
I've had (and still have) older US-made Craftsman grinders in 6,7, and 8" sizes and all are still going strong decades later. The smaller ones are fitted with drill pointers, special sharpening platforms, etc. These are readily available in decent shape used. The cast iron guards are fine, the motor and bearings are good. The only thing not to like is the tool rests.

Also a 10" Baldor which is fine in every respect. But, frankly, a belt sander/grinder beats a large wheel grinder for most uses in my opinion.

I had a made-in-Taiwan Jet which was decent, but surplus to my needs. The only grinder I've hated and quickly gotten rid of was a 7" Chinese made Wilton (and apparently the same as the Chinese-Made Craftsman). The "soft start" capacitor failed, the grinder was gutless, the guards flimsly, the tool rest junk, the motor poorly balanced, and the wheel retaining washers junk.

Also have a Kalimar 5" reciprocating diamond sharpener and one of those cheap Chinese Baldor tool grinder clones as above. Both have worked fine. Not sure why the Chinese-made tool grinder motor has decent power and balance -- maybe because it's not asked to do much -- but it's been a decent bargain.
 
i have a 6" old craftsman thats great, a new 8" dewalt thats real slow starting up, a newer 6" dewalt thats quiet and smooth as can be, plus a 8" delta that i have just a wire wheel on thats horrible. how can a guy balance a wiire wheel ? it bounces everything else on the bench into oblivion . . . .

the 6" dewalt is the best late model i have seen. . . . .
 
Here's mine:

Dad bought it new in the late thirties. It runs so quietly and smoothly....
I've had it now for about 20 years.
If I could find another good oldie.....

Yeah, the older and bigger the better. Bearings can always be replaced.

Pete
 

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