Bench grinder?

[Joe Cowan]

I do not have a bench grinder and want to buy one for general sharpening etc. I tend to buy the best tools for my hobby shop and see prices up in the high $400 range. Looking at Woodcraft they have a cheaper version and wanted an opinion of the quality etc. This one is an 8" slow speed grinder for $124.00

http://www.woodcraft.com/images/Products/200/150780.jpg

[Jonathan Clement]

We got the Woodcraft grinder that you have pictured along with the Wolverine sharpening system. We use it for grinding our turning tools. We are happy with its performance.

[David Weaver]

I have one of the baldors you're referring to, and I have and have used import grinders. If you're happy with the rests on import grinderss and willing to take one back if it can't be balanced (woodcraft will make you right if you get a dud, so you just have to make sure you're happy with the one you keep), then you're really paying the baldor price only as a matter of principle (as in, there's no great reason to buy one unless you want to support what's made domestically, which is why I went that route).

I haven't seen a lot of grinders that quit, import or otherwise. My FIL is using a chinese grinder that's at least 30 years old and while he doesn't use it often, he beats it. I'd suspect the switch would go before the rest of the grinder if an import was questionable, and switches can be fixed.

[Don Jarvie]

I bought theWoodcraft one and it vibrated a bit too much so I got a Porter Cable. I added a Veritas rest and a white wheel.

[Steve Baumgartner]

I do not have a bench grinder and want to buy one for general sharpening etc. I tend to buy the best tools for my hobby shop and see prices up in the high $400 range. Looking at Woodcraft they have a cheaper version and wanted an opinion of the quality etc. This one is an 8" slow speed grinder for $124.00

http://www.woodcraft.com/images/Products/200/150780.jpg
I bought this grinder from WC on sale for $99. In my view, you get what you pay for, and whether this grinder is OK depends on your needs and expectations. The guards, tool rests, and eye protectors are all flimsy. A Baldor it is definitely not!

The wheels sold with these are inconsistent quality - some people have no problems, but others (like me) find it extremely difficult to get them to run true. The clerk at WC kindly let me try out several at the store before I settled on the one that seemed smoothest, but I still had to spend time at home tweaking it. And it still vibrates. Also, I have thought that the coarse wheel doesn't cut much faster or cooler than the fine wheel. So, be prepared to buy replacement wheels, eating up part of what you saved.

The motor gets quite hot if you work continuously for more than a few minutes, e.g. if you need major regrind on a lot of tools, but is fine for lighter duty.

[David Weaver]

I don't know how hot it gets, but the baldors will get pretty warm if you run them heavy, too. My baldor wheels were also out of balance (I got a stock baldor grinder, one with the cast iron guards and rests, but not one of the ones with expensive norton 3x wheels on it). If someone wants to turn a cheap grinder into a smooth grinder, the oneway kit is nice to have, though it really drives up the price of the grinder.

Given that the WC grinder is just an import grinder from the far east, I'd probably wait until they have a sale on it. WC has a habit of asking a lot for tools - they are extremely proud, and I think that grinder is no exception when it's at $125, white wheels or not.

[Bruce Wrenn]

To me bench grinders are a generic item. In my shop, I have a $29.99 special from Lowes that is over 30 years old. Up graded the stones years ago. I have a "nice Skill" (when Skill was a quality brand) to replace it, but it won't quit. Not going to fix something that isn't broken.

[HANK METZ]

I see them going for cheap on Craigslist all the time. I think people use the built on toolrests, find they can't even sharpen a fork with it, and give up. It's more a matter of what you use for a toolrest and truing up the wheels regularly. I use the Veritas jig for general- purpose sharpening of chisels, plane irons, lathe tools, and drill bits, it does all I need, and an inexpensive wheel dresser to get a fresh, square face.

- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

[Denny Rice]

I have the 8" PC Variable speed grinder that come from Lowes. Mounted the Wolverine system under it. It looks and works great.

[Kevin Womer]

I have the Woodcraft Grinder, bought it on sale for 89.00-99.00? I can't recall. Anyway, I put the oneway wheel balancing system on it-takes the vibration out on the wheels, I haven't bought new or should I say decent wheels yet, I am going to wear out the ones that came with it. I also put the Penn State wolverine copy on it for sharpening my turning tools and overall it works pretty well. I threw the guards and plastic junk that came with it away. If you are purchasing it for general sharpening it will serve you well, if you want to use it for turning tool sharpening and have a steady hand it will work just fine. The wolverine or other systems you can add to it makes it a precise, quick and consistant way to sharpen your turning tools-I use mine often. As for the baldor grinders I cannot compare this to them, I am sure they are superior in many ways, but wheels, the one way, and a wolverine will bring up the cost to over the cost of a Baldor anyway. All I can say for sure is turning while fun and addictive, is expensive up front and a grinder is needed if you purchase steel tools. Another option is the carbide turning tools with the replaceable blades might be a cheaper alternative than the steel tool route. Good luck!

[Doug Ladendorf]

I picked up the Woodcraft grinder when it was on sale for $99 and mounted it with the Wolverine jig. This combo has worked great for me and I've seen it in some pro shops. I did do a bit of wheel balancing when putting it together but it's been great since. As Steve said the tool rests etc are pretty flimsy but they do market it with the Wolverine jig so I don't think they expect people to actually use those (I wouldn't). One important thing to keep in mind is that this is a slow speed grinder at 1725 RPM. I'm not sure that the Baldor or others you are looking at operate at that speed or faster. Depends on what you want to do. For tool sharpening this works well.