When I first heard about Grizzly tools, it was on this forum several months ago. The threads I did see were of individuals who had problems with a casting, which gave Grizzly a bad name to me at that time. I have always been of the mind you get what you pay for, so stuck my chin up at Grizzly tools.
But now it seems that everyone here loves Grizzley tools. They appear to be a great price point. Even with getting the great deals I got on my current setup I could have done better with Grizzly. Bottom line is, I regret not doing a more thorough investigation of Grizzly tools before I laid down the cash for what I have.
There are many tools which I don't have, and I guess I would like this thread to be about getting a better feel for Grizzly tools as a whole, so I will not name the tools I am looking to get. I understand that different brands may have an area in which they shine so feel free to list Grizzly's shining star tools, and why you feel that way. I have used various Jet, Delta, and Powermatic tools, which has given me a feel for the brand as a whole and how they do things. I have also heard a lot of propaganda for buy american. Is anything american anymore? General tools maybe? What else?
I don't want to bash any brand, because I know that any company will have RMA's and warranty issues. It just seems to me that there has to be something allowing for the lower price point. Are you more likely to get poor machining? Do the handcranks, worm gears, adjusting mechanisms in general not work as well or as smoothly as other brands in a higher price point? Are the castings not as beefy? Are the tools harder to true and keep true?
I would like Grizzly tool owners to tell me about their Grizzly tools, and how they compare with brand X that they have also used if applicable. Only give a comparison if the two tools were similar enough. (i.e. don't compare Grizzly's 20" planer to the dewalt benchtop that you used to have.) I would doubly appreciate shop owners (commercial endeavors) contributing to this and I would like to know from everyone how often they are in their woodshop.