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[ians]

I'm planning to buy a bench grinder using my machine mart vat free voucher.   I am considering this:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cbg6rl-6in-bench-grinder-with-work-light

or this

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cbg8w-whetstone-grinder

I have never had a grinder before so not sure if the whetstone is worth having over the second (fine) wheel. 

Any thoughts?

Cheers
Ian

[Kevin Wood]

They seem to have changed their range since I bought mine but I have one of the real cheapo (£20-30) 6" ones. It has a little belt sander in place of the other wheel which I find very useful. I think it might be this one but not sure. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cbg6sb-6in-bench-grinder-with-sander If it is they have hiked their prices!

They aren't exactly powerful but for the odd bit of sharpening and tidying up after a cut they are fine. The ones you are looking at are a step up from that, though.

I guess the whetstone might be nice for making a better job of sharpening woodworking chisels, etc. If it's just for the annual mower blade sharpen it probably makes little odds. :-/

Kevin

[mantahatch]

If you go for the wetsone grinder do be very carefull indeed.
Allways drain the water off after use. Never ever let the wheel sit in water for a period of time not used.

The reason is the wheel can become very un balanced when immersed in water, and when you switch on they can explode.

Unless of course it is a very slow moving wheel.

[feeutfo]

we went through a period at work of just buying new grinders once the wheel wore down, it was cheeper than buying a new wheel if you bought a cheap grinder apparently, i didn't really believe my boss at the time as he was probably being lazy and couldn't be arsed to find the right wheel for the machine itself.

Anyway point is the wheel will, ime, ware down to nothing before the motor on the grinder fails on even the cheapest machines, so when you add in home use and the fact you'll only use it once a week at the most perhaps? Then there seems little point paying more than 15 sobs or so for the basic item. Unless of course you have some specific function in mind.

I have an old work grinder in my garaeg, a very cheap one, its been there 5 years with lityle but regular use and is fine for eveything i do. Although a drill sharpening attachment would be handy it covers all my needs. Just stick a rubber pad under it before you bolt it down or it'll vibtate the whole contents of the bench onto the floor

[feeutfo]

worth getting a decent pair of safety glasses as those plastic guards are useless.

[Kevin Wood]

we went through a period at work of just buying new grinders once the wheel wore down, it was cheeper than buying a new wheel if you bought a cheap grinder apparently......

I would probably do the same in his position. Not for the cost but to do without the liability if someone changes a wheel and it bursts.

I think the whetstones on these are driven by a reduction gear so only a couple of hundred RPM.

Kevin

[waspy]

I bought one around a year back & then a few months after i had one given me
I use one for sharpening drills etc, the other has a wire wheel & a buffing wheel for polishing  Very usefull
As said- don't go for a dear one for how often it's used.