Grizzly Machined Pulleys

[Shawn Walker]

Anyone have an opinion on the single belt Cast Iron machined pulleys from Grizzly?

I ask because... I am assembling my new GO490X Jointer, and the pulleys look a little nasty. The motor pulley even has a chunk missing.

The price of the machined pulleys seems cheap enough.
Just wondering before I drive back down there if they are worth it.
They say they are made in USA.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Being in BC, will Grizzly ship to you? Any dealer of Browning sheaves will have machined cast iron pulleys. Look under "power transmission" for a dealer near you. You may also have to look under "bearings." Call Grizzly about getting replacements as you said NEW jointer.

[John Hedges]

I also have a GO490 and the vibration was so bad I added a link belt which didn't help too much. I traced it down to the pulleys which were poorly machined. Grizzly replaced them but the replacements were only marginally better. I have a VERY hard time believing these are made in the US, since the GO490 is produced in China.

[Shawn Walker]

I'm only thirty mlies from Grizzly in Bellingham.

In the Grizzly catalogue they have upgrade cast iron machine pulleys you can buy. Those claim to be made in USA.

[glenn bradley]

I also have a GO490 and the vibration was so bad I added a link belt which didn't help too much. I traced it down to the pulleys which were poorly machined. Grizzly replaced them but the replacements were only marginally better.

That is a bummer. My G0490X is very smooth even with the junk-metal pulleys. I had problems with a fence and the first solution was not adequate and I told them so. They got the problem solved although on the second attempt. This was still faster than the service from Delta on a much simpler issue. I would pursue that issue with Grizzly till you were satisfied. The folks I spoke with were pretty driven to see that I was happy.

[Daniel Gibson]

I just unpacked a GO490X w/spiral cutterhead and parallelogram bed, I have checked and double checked everything I could find to check, the pully looks good and had no runout on the motor shaft or pully bore or the OD of the pully maybe + or - 0.001, I can say that if the pullys are not lined up with each dead on it will vibrate, for the past 43 years I have worked in the heavy machine works, which only means that I am a nut about things being done the best it can be.:D
No one else said if the had the spiral cutterhead or not. Grizzly had been the best people to deal with. Having owned SCMI 16" jointer I know I will have to learn to deal with the small machines.
I am rewireing my shop now and will see how it turns out soon!
Thanks
Daniel Gibson

[Pete Bradley]

You shouldn't have to buy new pulleys for a brand new machine. Griz should replace the defective ones.

Pete

[Shawn Walker]

You shouldn't have to buy new pulleys for a brand new machine. Griz should replace the defective ones.

Pete

The pulleys might work just fine. I haven't finished assembling the machine yet.
I know, I know... Everyone is thinking.... Why don't you just try it.

It's just that the on the pulleys on the Jointer don't look like the nicest ones I've seen, and the Grizzly catalogue shows USA made cast iron machined pulleys for $19.00 for both, and in the spirit of getting carried away, I thought... Hey maybe I should get those. :D