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Thread: Grizzly offering South Bend Tools?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    fayetteville Arkansas
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    Grizzly offering South Bend Tools?

    Got my big ole Grizzly 2021 catalog in the mail yesterday. Was kind of surprised to see all those blue South Bend woodworking tools offered. Honestly, did not know South Bend made woodworking tools, know about their metal lathes, etc. Why would Grizzly be offering a competitor's tool line?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Peoria, IL
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    Higher profit margin?

  3. #3
    Grizzly is probably the manufacturer. All models look like one of their tools, maybe with the base different one some. Priced about $100 more than the similar Grizz model, with an additional year of warranty.

  4. #4
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    Lancaster, Ohio
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    Grizzly bought South Bend and kept the name going
    Ron

  5. #5
    And for all these years I thought Grizzly sourced out all of their products and just put their name on them. Is Grizzly really a bona fide manufacturer?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by George Waldner View Post
    Grizzly is probably the manufacturer. All models look like one of their tools, maybe with the base different one some. Priced about $100 more than the similar Grizz model, with an additional year of warranty.
    Grizzly owns factories and manufactures machinery? I thought they were only importers.

  7. #7
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    Sep 2016
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    Modesto, CA, USA
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    Grizzly bought the rights to the SB name. They sell stuff made in Asia and the makers slap a label on it that says grizzly, south bend, harbor freight, etc., what ever the buyer wants.
    Bil lD

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Hayes, Virginia
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    14,760
    I don't think Grizzly is manufacturing for companies other than the ones they own.

  9. Quote Originally Posted by Keith Outten View Post
    I don't think Grizzly is manufacturing for companies other than the ones they own.
    Correct.

    South Bend is a line of very high end Woodworking machines, often with features not available on other similar machines. For example, the edge-sander has a variable speed, we believe a first in the industry. Certainly not a gimmick as it is very functional. The jointers have a large emergency knee stop, besides the normal control panel stop. Many other components are different.

    We were hoping to launch earlier, but had to wait till we had enough models in stock. This project has been several years in the making with every machine being carefully specified with the factory. They are a little more expensive but worth every additional penny for the person who wants the best.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
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    Modesto, CA, USA
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    I guess it is kind of like the Rolls Royce name. The car company went bankrupt and now BMW makes, brand new design, cars called Rolls Royce. VW makes cars that are based on the old models and they call them Bentley. To be honest the BMW cars are probably then the older Rolls designed models being sold by VW.
    By now probably all the cars are no longer based on 20 year old Rolls designs. Maybe the engines?
    The Jet engine company stayed by itself.
    The south bend 9" lathe wa s good design for 1930 but by 1960 it was a little long in the tooth and it was still being made until the end. Their book " how to run a lathe" is still a good first lathe book. I think Shiraz is printing new ones under the Grizzly imprint.
    Bil lD
    Last edited by Bill Dufour; 01-10-2021 at 1:54 PM.

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