Are grizzly machines good?

[Travis Conner]

I noticed the newer stuff seems to be a good bit cheaper than the other brands, powermatic, jet and delta. Is it a cheaper knock off? I know for the helical cutter heads, I believe they have their own in house brand of head.

[Richard Coers]

Your replies have a chance of being a little lopsided on this forum.

[jeff norris 2011]

Simple answer is yes. Yes they are good for the most part. They do have some less expensive items that aren't great, but I don't think anything in that price range is.

[Patrick Walsh]

This is all I’m gonna add. Staying out of this one..


https://media.giphy.com/media/tFK8urY6XHj2w/giphy.gif




Your replies have a chance of being a little lopsided on this forum.

[Travis Conner]

Let me know when you run out, I'll bring you a refill. 😁

[Andrew Seemann]

Well, they are pretty popular around here, and the owner is a sponsor of the site. That said, they are a pretty good value for what you get, and their selection and support is good. The "big four" for the last few decades have been Delta, Powermatic, Jet, and Grizzly (you could maybe include General in here, but alas, they are no more).

Delta kind of went into a tailspin after Pentair sold them, and is just starting to recover. Powermatic and Jet are owned by JPW. Powermatic is known for their warranty, which probably drives up the cost of their tools. Jet was kind of a quality but still value line, but has crept up in price over the years. Grizzly started out with a little bit of a suspect reputation (I'm thinking 30 years ago), but is now known as one of the more quality and reliable brands. My next jointer will more than likely be a Grizzly (someday, sigh).

I've had tools from all four, Delta, Powermatic, Jet, and Grizzly. No complaints on any of them, other than the fact that my jointer is too small, but that is not the fault of the jointer; just the guy to cheap to upgrade it.

[Mike Kees]

I don't think that the statement "Is it a cheaper knockoff" is true at all. They are marketed direct to the buyer ,essentially eliminating at least one layer of "middlemen"and therefore reducing cost to the consumer. I have a Grizzly cyclone dust collector and a grinder to sharpen planer knives,both are good machines that do what they are supposed to do. I pretty much put all Asian made equipment in the same category no matter the color,it works . Yes there are better made machines out there but they cost far more. There are different quality levels in Grizzly's catalog as well. Get a catalog and spend some time looking you will quickly figure out there are "budget" tools and then better ones,kind of something for everyone.

[glenn bradley]

It’s hard to classify by brand in today’s market. It is wiser to shop the machine, not the color of paint. Through no preplanned sort of grand scheme I have ended up with five grizzly machines in my shop. I also have Jet, Delta, Supermax and an array of other colors. For the particular grizzly machines I have I feel they are the best bang for the buck. In the cases where Powermatic and others make near identical machines the cost difference makes no sense to me. This does not mean that Powermatic, Jet and others don’t have their particular machines which excel; they do. The point being that a generic brand question is not really viable in today’s market.

[johnny means]

In general, Grizzly machinery is a good value. I've seen plenty of their machines do commercial duty day in and day out for years.

[Curt Harms]

When Grizzly first came on the scene they did sell some Harbor Freight level machines. I still have one, a Shop Fox metal cutting band saw. It's pretty crude but it cuts metal pretty accurately and given my frequency of use - rarely - and I paid $80 for it at one of the last tent sales in Muncy PA, pretty good value . Their higher $ machines compare favorably to Delta/Powermatic/Laguna etc. etc. I know some cases where owners of orphaned "American" conpanies' machines have found Grizzly parts to fit perfectly. So yeah, some Asian machines are indeed knock-offs of U.S. machines.

[Joe Hendershott]

Like most things- you get what you pay for. If you have never used a better built machine then you will be just fine.

[Mike Cutler]

Travis

I have absolutely no dog in this fight. I do not own, nor have ever used a Grizzly machine, but I have seen this question asked many, many times through the years.( I do have a Grizzly 3HP motor though.)

On this forum you have professional woodworkers, "prosumer" wood workers, some very talented hobbyists, and DIYs that need machines for home maintenance and the odd projects.
if you're processing thousands of linear feet cut of material through a machine on a weekly basis, than a Grizzly probably won't have a robust enough build for your needs.
It comes down to build quality and machine tolerance. Their machines are much lower priced than others, but they're not really intended for widespread application in a commercial, or industrial environment.
I will also say, at the risk of offending some folks, that the machine lines you are comparing them too, are overpriced when sold as new. This is reflected in Craigslist,and FaceBook Marketplace, adds all over the country.

The machine name, or color, has nothing to do with the quality of what is produced by the wood worker. I've seen folks that could pull a tablesaw out of a scrap dumpster, and do wonderful work with it, and I've seen folks with tablesaws that cost thousands of dollars that can't cut a straight line, square to a side, with it.

[Frederick Skelly]

The machine name, or color, has nothing to do with the quality of what is produced by the wood worker. I've seen folks that could pull a tablesaw out of a scrap dumpster, and do wonderful work with it, and I've seen folks with tablesaws that cost thousands of dollars that can't cut a straight line, square to a side, with it.

Very well said Mike!

[Gordon Stump]

Well, in today's world I would not call Grizzly machines knockoffs. Yes, when Powermatic and Delta were made in the U.S.A., Asian companies copied them but that was over 30 years ago. So most of the name brands are made by the same equity firm in China. So a Grizzly is Grizzly. Good machines at good prices.

[Rick Peek]

My grizzly 17 inch bandsaw works flawlessly. Very happy with it.

[Jim Becker]

Like any manufacturer, there are both great machines and not-so great machines in the lineup, but as has been indicated, prices reflect the economies of direct marketing and having good control over the actual manufacturing. Buying from them is no different than buying from any other mass market brand name tool company...choose carefully and you'll be very happy. Grizzly is a success story.

[Ron Selzer]

"The machine name, or color, has nothing to do with the quality of what is produced by the wood worker. I've seen folks that could pull a tablesaw out of a scrap dumpster, and do wonderful work with it, and I've seen folks with tablesaws that cost thousands of dollars that can't cut a straight line, square to a side, with it."

So true, very true

I have Grizzly tools and will buy more, also have Powermatic, Sears, Harbor Freight, Jet, Delta, Woodmaster, etc.
Look the tool over good, then decide if it meets YOUR needs, YOUR wants and YOUR expectations.
I made a dealer take back a JET table saw in the 80's due to over 10 "defects" that I refused to put up with at that price point. Replaced it with a Delta table saw for $50 more that met my expectations for that price point. Later I bought a Jet jointer that met my expectations for the price point and have used it for 30 years+, happily. I have a 2hp, 2 bag dust collector generic Taiwan made that has worked good for over 30 years for me. A 15" wide belt sander bought used, generic Taiwan made works good for me.
Also have a SawStop ICS with all options available when I bought it. Found a cross threaded bolt, sent letter with pictures they sent me a new bolt, also very helpful on the phone when I was asking about how to disassemble for moving down into the basement. They have a very slick way of removing the motor.

There is some total junk out there so look it over good before buying, even the best companies make lemons sometimes, the really good companies stand behind their product and do what needs done to correct the issues. Some with "really good names" will tell you that is how it is live with it. Grizzly doesn't seem to be one to do this.

Good luck
Ron

[Travis Conner]

That's the other thing is the jet 208HH planer is the same looking planer with 4 or 5 different brand names. Same thing with the jointer. The powermatic jointer looks the same as the grizzly jointer. The only difference visually is the maybe the handle and knob designs, so it's like who originally makes these?

[Edwin Santos]

I don't own any Grizzly tools but I certainly wouldn't disqualify them if I were in the market.

It seems to me that early on in their history, the quality of Grizzly tools was questionable. But at some point they made a commitment to improving the standards of their machinery and things improved quite a bit. I have worked in a shop where they had a large Grizzly jointer with a segmented cutterhead and it was very robust and stood up to a lot of volume. On this discussion forum, there are more than a few very discriminating woodworkers who seem to be enthusiastic endorsers of Grizzly based on their tool purchases.

[Andrew More]

I currently own an original G1023 Cabinet saw from the 90s, a 1 1/2 HP Cyclone Dust collector, and a 8" jointer with segmented cutter head. I am very pleased with all three purchases, at the price point. I think this is an important point to make. Grizzly has excellent machines, that perform the task at hand, but are not luxury products. If you like tools that are functional, then Grizzly is excellent. If you want a tool that will blow you away, with quality in every point, then maybe you want to think about something else.

All of my grizzly tools perform the task very well, in that I have little to complain about. However, the manuals tend to be subpar, generally consisting of simple black and white. In the case of the DC it was slightly out of date with the model I was actually shipped, which said I needed to direct wire the cyclone, but when it arrived actually had a plug. A quick call with one of their very helpful techs addressed the issue. I also had some minor issues with the power coat in the DC.

For the planer the mobile base that it shipped with would drop the base onto the floor with a very hard impact. Not a problem for anybody who occasionally moves theirs, but a problem for me, because I move it each time I use it. I fixed this with a new mobile base, instead of the free one included with the tool. I'm also a bit disappointed with the dust collection, in that the jointer does not appear to be sealed. This means I can feel the DC when I put my hand under the supporting table.

None of these are serious flaws that effect the quality or performance of the tool, but I also not the level of polish I would next expect it from a top of the line manufacturer either.

To me it's a bit of a Honda Civic, vs Bugatti Chiron distinction. A Honda Civic is a perfectly functional vehicle, but it's not going to have the same level of fit and finish. For me I don't need a luxury tool, so Grizzly provides excellent value for the money. I have bought tools from them in the past, and will continue to do so in the future.

I also drive a 13 year old Honda Accord, have a house in a less desirable neighborhood, in a low cost of ownership part of the country, and don't own any Festool products. I make a lot of my own tools, buy used off Craigslist, and look for deals on everything. For me value for money is a higher priority than people who want high fit and finish, cool looking tools, or items that convey status.

So you need to figure out for yourself what is your priority in buying tools. If you want something that works well, with a minimum of bells and whistles, Grizzly is a good brand. If you want something that looks amazing, will impress people, and has lots of bells and whistles, I think you want another brand.

[Peter Kelly]

That's the other thing is the jet 208HH planer is the same looking planer with 4 or 5 different brand names. Same thing with the jointer. The powermatic jointer looks the same as the grizzly jointer. The only difference visually is the maybe the handle and knob designs, so it's like who originally makes these?Chiu Ting Geetech are one of their suppliers along with Delta, Powermatic, Jet, Sawstop, et al. http://www.geetech.com.tw/index.php/en/strategic-partenrship-e

I'm pretty sure Grizzly doesn't manufacture anything themselves which is why a lot of this stuff all looks the same minus the branding.

[Alex Zeller]

Unfortunately a thread like this isn't going to produce much. A much better way to ask the question about Grizzly tools is to either pick out a specific one or what tool(s) you are looking for and then hear from those who own them and the comparable brands. For example I'm looking at adding a 20" planer. I do to the limitations I have it'll most likely be something like the Powermatic 209. But they are made by the same company for Powermatic that also makes Grizzly's X1033 line. From there a simple search will bring up lots of reviews and comparisons. If I still have questions then I would post the specific question.

My neighbor, who makes a living woodworking, hates Grizzly stuff. If you ask him their older stuff was pretty good (because he had a Grizzly planer that was better than he expected) but now they are not worth buying (because he knows people who've had problems with Grizzly products). Most comments are that Grizzly started off with lower quality stuff and has gotten better goes against his impression. But that's been the problem for Grizzly. When ever someone has a problem with their tools some people see a company selling low quality stuff. When someone has a problem with a Powermatic tool made in the same plant side by side with the Grizzly tools its usually dismissed because of their past US made tools. So it's much better to have a tool in mind so someone who bought a Chinese made Grizzly milling machine isn't going to say how good or bad they are when you are looking for a 10" Taiwanese made Grizzly table saw.

[Darcy Warner]

Their high stuff is fairly decent, it's not a lifetime machine, but they will promptly ship you parts you may need.

Mind the fact that a lot of that stuff will be obsolete sooner than later and parts will become impossible to find.

Every manufacturer is this way, they would rather sell new than support old.

I fear all computer controls in most new machines.

[tom lucas]

I own 7 grizzly machines. Obviously, I've found them to be satisfactory, especially for the hobbyist. Generally, they do what you need and expect. There are cosmetic things they skimp on a bit, but largely it's things that don't really matter. I have Jet and powermax in my shop too. I think Grizzly is as good as those brands from my experience. If you've got the extra dough to spend for higher end machines and think they are worth it, great! But, if you are looking for a machine that will do the job and leave some money in your pocket, Grizzly can be a good choice. You just have to able to live with the snobs that might turn their nose up at them.

[Larry Edgerton]

I fear all computer controls in most new machines.

Me too. Its what keeps me from buying a High end shaper just now. I want the programmable bits, mostly because my eyes are not what they used to be and setting up just once per cutter would be nice, but, and this is a big but. They do not provide for manual override should any of the systems fail. Why not is my question? They sell the programmable as being a great option for small shop efficiency, but if I have to keep a manual machine for backup, how efficient is it? The machine I have been looking at are all over 20K so not chump change, but I live in the middle of nowhere and getting a tech here would cost me tooo much, and as an only machine with no possibility of continuing operation with manual controls, I would be dead in the water. I may just put readouts on my trusty Unitronix. If I find a tenoning table for it I certainly will.

[andy bessette]

Having owned Grizzly machines I will say they are not better than 3rd tier machines.

[Jim Andrew]

I have several Grizzly machines, and if you feel a certain machine is not good enough for you, just step up a level. They have all levels, just wish the price difference was not so great. I have a G0453 px planer, and would like to move up to a G0544, but the price is triple. Think some guys just don't realize quality equipment costs more than homeowner grade.

[sean meltvedt]

Travis, my shop has tools from Woodmaster, Belsaw, Sawstop, Delta, Bosch, Festool, as well as Grizzly. About half were purchased new, the others in various stages of use. I can honestly say that Grizzly is second only to the Sawstop for setup and fit/finish issues, and customer support. Recently my Delta planer wouldn’t be much more than a boat anchor if it wasn’t for gearbox parts from Grizzly that fit the Delta just perfectly. Additionally just last month I ordered a new spindle and bearings for my much worn early 90’s vintage Grizzly shaper. I would be in for a real challenge finding parts for many of my other machines. So in essence, Grizzly is well worth the money saved on new machines, and well worth the parts and service availability for older machines.
Cheers
Sean

[Patrick Walsh]

I work and have largely and nearly solely worked in shops with powermatic and or grizzly grade machines. You can make anything on them that you can a nicer machine. It’s just stupid annoying long term if you want to be able to depend on your machine to do what you want when you want everytime you walk up to it.

I have also guided and directed the dame shoots toward better more efficient solutions. With this topic it takes time to show someone the way it can’t happen over night as they need to see first hand with their own eyes the time savings and this cost savings increases in productivity over the long term. Not so long though to be honest.

If however your not annoyed by recalibrating a machine and or dealing. With sub par results such as lopping off the snipe planning in sa dining or hand planing out tear out, having to reinvent the wheel everytime you need a repeatable cut and make some crazy jig to cut cut a basic angle you will be just fine.

I do t say the above being at all critical just realistic and from the perspective of say a hand tool woodworker justifying hand tools only vrs machines and hand tools. If it’s for fun and you have the time by all means do it however you find fun. If part of that fun is and or it does not take the fun away for you to fettle with machines regularly use whatever machines you feel like spending on.

If your like me and get crazy annoyed when you walk up to a machine expecting a result you should be able to full well expect but can’t because the tool is a piece of crap and it thus sucks Andy joy you find in making things complexly out of it then sit down come up with a long term plan and or mortgage the house or take out a hefty business loan. Good machines are stupid expensive if you buy them new. You can buy great machines used but you will first need the experience of taking care of crap machines because you had no choice to tend to the potential problems if only they be enitial setup of used equipment.

[Bill White]

Grizz in my shop....Table saw, band saw, wood lathe. Best bang for the buck in my opinion.

[Prashun Patel]

You'd get a more accurate answer by inquiring about a specific model of a tool.

I've bought good bandsaws from them, and it is my (academic only) belief their top of the line models in (at least) lathes and bandsaws would compete against the premium brands' higher offerings.

That being said, I have bought very cheap things from Grizzly including some iron clamps where the casting cracked within a month. So, you have to do your research. It's not a brand where everything is created equally.

[David Buchhauser]

Grizz in my shop....Table saw, band saw, wood lathe. Best bang for the buck in my opinion.


+1 on that!! I love most of my Grizzly stuff! And I've probably got over 20 of their machines. Their Taiwan machines are generally higher quality that their Chinese machines.
David

[Mark Daily]

+1 on that!! I love most of my Grizzly stuff! And I've probably got over 20 of their machines. Their Taiwan machines are generally higher quality that their Chinese machines.
David
+2 on that! I have a table saw, 14” bandsaw, 6” jointer and 1.5 HP dust collector that I purchased around 2005. All work as well as when new.
They will do anything any similar tool can do- their only limits are MY skill level.
I work out of my home shop making things for myself, friends, family and anyone else who will pay.

[Scott T Smith]

In my commercial shop, in addition to Grizzly I have Mattison, Delta, Oliver, Festool, Northfield, Laguna, etc. In my personal opinion, Grizzly offers the best value of any of the woodworking equipment vendors.

My Grizzly 12" 5 hp cabinet saw will balance a nickle on the table while's it running. Can't get much smoother than that. Any my 16" horizontal resaw maintains tolerances within a few thousands of an inch when cutting veneer. That's pretty much unheard of and the machine is an actual Grizzly design - not something made from generic castings.

We've run a Grizzly 5 HP shaper for days on end with one of their 1 hp power feeders. No issues whatsoever. Same thing with their 16" horizontal resaw, except in it's case we've run it for weeks on end.

Some of their inexpensive equipment is just that - inexpensive, but I've found their Extreme Duty and Z series to be excellent quality and value. Personally I like the Delta and Powermatic drill presses better in the $1,400 price range as opposed to Grizzly's offerings, but that's just me.

Just my 2 cents - YMMV.

Scott

[Bruce Lowekamp]

As others have said, it is good value at the price point. I would buy them again, but I make decisions machine by machine.

I have an almost 20 year old Grizzly 1018 jointer (basic 8" dovetail model with levers). Was $700 at the time. When I got it the tables were not quite coplanar. I was able to shim it level, though adjusting the infeed table was always a bit tricky. In practice I simply never adjust the infeed table. Have to make a couple extra passes rather than hogging off a lot at the start. For someone who spends all their time in the shop or who does it as a job, that would never do. But I don't get nearly enough time in my shop, and the amount of time I would save getting a better jointer isn't worth it; I'll put the money into something else. But with that said, I don't think I've adjusted the jointer in 15 years other than replacing the knives. It just sits there and makes my boards flat when I need it to. Discovered last week that one of the belts is really lose so I am replacing them with link belts.

OTOH, the Jet cabinet saw I got at the same time had the trunnion fail (doesn't tilt properly) and I wasn't able to repair it. It's now stuck vertical, and I probably will replace it with a Sawstop rather than pay hundreds to replace/send out the trunnion for repair.

Bruce

[Ben Rivel]

Eh, depends on what tool from them you get I guess. Ive had some issues over the years with their products and don't think Ill ever mess with them again as there is almost always a better option funds allowing, but thats just my take on it.
Also keep in mind who's a paid sponsor around here and keep that in your calculations. It DOES make a difference.

[David Buchhauser]

Eh, depends on what tool from them you get I guess. Ive had some issues over the years with their products and don't think Ill ever mess with them again as there is almost always a better option funds allowing, but thats just my take on it.
Also keep in mind who's a paid sponsor around here and keep that in your calculations. It DOES make a difference.


Just curious - how does it make a difference? Please elaborate.
David

[John Helles]

I bought a Grizzly bandsaw and it has been fine.
I bought a Grizzly Tablesaw, brand new, and it had a problem with its bearings from day 1. Real problem is that the company did not back up its product. After a long farcical episode with Grizzly CS, I had to return the dud at my own time and cost. Repeat: Brand new saw.

Their prices are attractive and lots of people like their equipment, but the trust factor isn't there for me.

So part of what you pay for when buying better stuff is assurance that you won't have 500 lb of useless steel in the middle of your garage.

[Mike Kees]

When you have been on this forum long enough you will read stories of people having problems with brand new machines of every brand out there. There is no such thing as a company that produces machinery that can keep 100% of the customers who buy from them, 100% happy, 100% of the time. Warranties really do not mean much,they simply provide peace of mind,until they are needed. Some companies will work very hard to help you ,others not so much. This is one of the main reasons I buy used equipment,I do not have time to deal with issues. I like to be able to inspect what I am getting and know what I will be dealing with upfront. The overall impression that I get is Grizzly is one of the companies that tries to help customers out. They also stock lots of parts which is impressive to a guy who owns quite a few obsolete machines from brands who no longer exist.

[andy bessette]

...part of what you pay for when buying better stuff is assurance that you won't have 500 lb of useless steel in the middle of your garage.

I love it. :)

[Steve Harman]

In my shop I have the G1023 Table saw, and the G0453Z Planer, about to pull the trigger on the G0495X or G0858 jointer, I just haven't decided which one to get yet.
So if anyone can help with my dilemma that would be nice as well.
I have no problem with the Grizzly equipment and I like to buy the best I can without breaking the bank, seems Grizzly has been able to do that for me.
Customer Service has always been pretty helpful as well.

[Gordon Stump]

In my shop I have the G1023 Table saw, and the G0453Z Planer, about to pull the trigger on the G0495X or G0858 jointer, I just haven't decided which one to get yet.
So if anyone can help with my dilemma that would be nice as well.
I have no problem with the Grizzly equipment and I like to buy the best I can without breaking the bank, seems Grizzly has been able to do that for me.
Customer Service has always been pretty helpful as well.

W1859 $500 off sale. Can't go wrong with your choices above

[Alex Zeller]

I think the Shop Fox W1859 is the same as the Grizzly G0857. Being the same company I'm not sure what you would get for an extra $250 other than an extra year of warranty.

[Christopher Herzog]

Would not hesitate to buy one. Nothing I have has disappointed me. Table saw, mortice machine, disk/belt sander.

[Carroll Courtney]

While 99% of my machines are all good ole american made,if I had to start over and no more vintage machines then Griz would be place I would go shopping.They offer all kinds of level for the beginner to the " I do this for living" kinda guy. But once receive I would become the quality control person and give it the once over very closely.

[Brian Holcombe]

I have had experience with their 8" and 16" jointers and their 'Extreme' 24" planer. I have relatively minor nitpicks with the user interface areas of the machine, I did not dig into the details of it. The fence on the jointer was fine, operated well. The tables are hefty but they are surface ground, on the face of it surface grinding seems fine but compared to the surface that SCM puts on their machines (circular cut) or a planed surface (linear grooves) surface grinding starts to quickly look less than ideal. I have a harder time face jointing on an 8" surface ground jointer than on a 20" jointer with a planed finish.

Their 24" planer was fine when new but after a few years of use it has feed issues that appear to be at least somewhat due to the smooth out feed roller. Other companies put a light texture on the outfield roller that doesn't damage the wood but does allow material to feed well.

I helped diagnose one of their 8" jointers at a local shop, turns out the webbing for the tables was laid out in a way that would actually allow the table to flex under load. I did not believe this until the shop showed me that when one of the craftsmen put larger material on the bed, the table flexed, and it was not material I would expect would flex a cast iron table. That said, probably its fine for the average home hobby shop.

Frankly, I prefer a buy once, cry once approach. I'm inherently thrifty but I like nice things, so I would just sniff out something good and used.

[David Sochar]

The Disclaimer: I do not own, nor have I ever operated any Grizzly Equipment.

Random notes:

I do enjoy the Grizzly ads as a yardstick for machine costs in general. I notice that over the years, the prices increase, but then the machines are stepping up in quality. It is a competitive world, and they have found that "entry level" and bargain equipment is just the tip of the market.

270,000 professional woodworkers in the US. 5.5 million amateur woodworkers in the US.

Laguna has been successful at at targeting the 'post grizzly' people that are moving up to a more professional level shop. They had terrible service problems when they began. When I had a problem with a bandsaw - a resistor that stayed hot [literally and figuratively] almost started a fire in the shop, the salesman admitted there was no parts manager or parts department, but he would be glad to sell me a new saw, that would work just fine. Eventually, I got a replacement motor and they made good on the whole, but it took several calls and months before it was resolved. In a commercial environment, I think of in-operational equipment in terms of hours, maybe days. This was months.

I do recall reading about lawsuits arising from the fact that one of the first Chinese knock-offs of the Delta 14"bandsaw had the Delta logo in their castings, thereby proving they used the Delta product to develop their 14" band saw that was selling for two-thirds of what the Delta sold for.

Finally, if you have never operated a Martin joiner or planer, or an Altendorf panel saw, or Butfering sander, you will never know what that experience is like. If you have never driven a Rolls or a Ferrari, you can't know the experience. Likewise, if all you know is Delta, Grizzly and Shopfox, you don't know what you are missing. You don't know what you don't know. Some people would say the experience is the same. I would argue that over time, the better equipment ages better, repairs more easily, sets up better and holds settings better than the lower cost machines. Yes, you do get what you pay for.

[Shiraz Balolia]

Today's society is very lucky to have great avenues to check out a company's reputation for quality, service and delivery because of forums and online access. This is a double edged sword as everyone is an "expert", even people who have formed opinions based on others' opinions, and no real first hand knowledge. That's not to say that people who have commented have no knowledge - they do, but we have seen posts from people that have no first hand experience with Grizzly machines, or the experience was based on a purchase that took place decades ago. We have come a long way since inception.

Grizzly offers the largest selection of machines under one brand in the World. We have machines for the beginner, for the intermediate user and the commercial user, all with different features and price points. There is a reason why we are the largest woodworking machinery company in USA and growing every year. We ship tens of thousands of pounds of machines every day and our sales do not depend on reasonable prices, but the whole package.

Many of you have watched the video "The history of Grizzly", but those that have not - it would be an interesting watch and might give you and insite into Grizzly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBQk1WmXpm4&t=6s

[glenn bradley]

Travis hasn't chimed back in so he may have gotten his answer. I own many brands and have already responded to this thread. I just wanted to add that it occurred to me while reading other's responses; I have only made one repair to any of my Grizzly machines in well over 15 years. A cent-clutch got replaced in my dust collector a decade or so ago. Other than that the Grizzly machines I have just do what they are supposed to without any fuss.

For the purpose of transparency, tools that have required repair are Ridgid, DeWalt Bosch and Delta. The Jets have fared well. My foray into Powermatic's drill press ended with a return. As mentioned in my previous post, different makers have different strong areas and one is wise to shop the tool, not the paint. A few of Grizzly's gems have given me more machine that I would have gotten at the time and they are still working just like new.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

I have a Grizzly table saw, band saw, mobile bases, and two dust collectors. I'm a very happy customer. The day my PM 50 jointer clunks out, I'm getting a Grizzly jointer based on my experience with their products and support they offer.

[andy bessette]

...That's not to say that people who have commented have no knowledge - they do, but we have seen posts from people that have no first hand experience with Grizzly machines, or the experience was based on a purchase that took place decades ago...

I have seen no proof of this.

My own experience with Grizzly has been unfortunate. Performance of a dust collector I purchased a few years ago was so poor that I sent it down the road. And a stationary buffing machine I own has failed and will be sold as soon as I can get it working again.

[Shiraz Balolia]

I have seen no proof of this.


Post 47 above.

Also, perhaps we are missing something, but would your purchases have been through another name because we are having a hard time finding you in our system. The only stationary buffers we used to carry under our brand were discontinued over 12 years ago.

[andy bessette]

Post 47 above.

Also, perhaps we are missing something, but would your purchases have been through another name because we are having a hard time finding you in our system. The only stationary buffers we used to carry under our brand were discontinued over 12 years ago.

1 post out of 47?
Both my Grizzly machines were purchased used, as were perhaps half the machines in my shop.

[Tim Nguyen]

For me, it has been the 14 inch bandsaw. It has been good. No problem. I have been considering the six inch jointer with the spiral blades.
I got the OK for a sawstop, otherwise it would be the Grizzly hybrid saw for me.

[Keith Outten]

I purchased my first Grizzly machines in the early 80's, it was a 15" planer and the Grizzly dust collector. Then a couple years later I ordered a 72" joiner and their cabinet saw. Along the way I bought their bench mill/drill and a small metal lathe. All of the Grizzly machines have proven to be reliable and great value. I operated a lumber kiln for ten years and ran more lumber though my planer and joiner than I ever thought possible. All of my Grizzly machines are still working fine in spite of their age. Most of the hours on my machines are commercial work for my sign shop these days.

The dust collector has done double duty for the last twelve years serving woodworking machines, my Laser Engraver and my CNC Router so it has more operational hours than any machine in my shop.