Delta grinder (Need some advice)

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mountainrocker

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Westfield, IN
Hey guys,

I am just starting out and need a grinder/ sharpener. I found a good deal on a new Delta GR275 6" grinder. It's lowest speed is 2000 rpm, it has a white wheel and a grinding wheel. It is $80.00. What do you think?
 
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That is about what I paid for my slow speed grinder from Woodcraft, but its slow speed is about 1725 I believe.
 
Woodlvr said:
That is about what I paid for my slow speed grinder from Woodcraft, but its slow speed is about 1725 I believe.
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They have been raising the price. Looks like it goes for $120 now. It' still a good deal compared to other slow speeds especially since it comes with 2 "correct" wheels.
 
If you can, try to go with an 8 inch grinding setup.

The 2000 rpm is not bad.

There is an issue with the newer Woodcraft grinders, and most of them have been removed from the shelves due to bad bearings, or bad bearing/shaft fits.

If you can afford it, then the delta gr450 two speed is a better fit, and you can replace the non-aluminum oxide wheel at a later date.
 
Maybe that's why mine has been on back order going on six weeks now. Estimated ship date says sometime After 4/29. That's a long time to be out of stock on a piece of hardware. Maybe it's getting an extreme makeover. Crossing my fingers anyway.

JerrySambrook said:
If you can, try to go with an 8 inch grinding setup.

The 2000 rpm is not bad.

There is an issue with the newer Woodcraft grinders, and most of them have been removed from the shelves due to bad bearings, or bad bearing/shaft fits.

If you can afford it, then the delta gr450 two speed is a better fit, and you can replace the non-aluminum oxide wheel at a later date.
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There is a lot of hype about slow speed grinders. I have been sharpening tools for 40 years and have found that any grinder with a good, level wheel works fine if you take your time and dont overdo it to burn the steel. Better to get a decent grinder with a wheel leveler and spend money on other things.

Don
 
Woodcraft had that 8" grinder with the white wheels on sale for $89 last month. Of course, if there has been problems with them, I guess I'm glad I procrastinated and missed out on the sale. :rolleyes:

I put a Norton fine wheel on mine, in place of the coarse wheel that was on it. It is a 6" high speed standard grinder, but I've learned to use it for sharpening lathe tools. The standard tool rests are terrible to use, and so I'll probably replace them with a Wolverine set, giving me some time to find and buy that ultimate grinding system at some point in the future. The Delta can always go back to its original use in my shop -- general purpose grinding.
 
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One additional problem with the Delta 6" is that the base is trapezoidal and it does not play well with the Wolverine sharpening system... DAMHIKT
 
JeffT said:
One additional problem with the Delta 6" is that the base is trapezoidal and it does not play well with the Wolverine sharpening system... DAMHIKT
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Jeff,

Thanks for the heads up. I may just get a replacement tool rest for the one side with the Norton wheel. I did see an adjustable tool rest somewhere for about $30 that looked like to would be OK. And actually, it is hard to imagine anything aftermarket could be worse than the standard tool rests!
 
Woodcraft 8" slow speed grinder is coming up on 2 months of back order. Every time I check my order status, the ship date is pushed out even farther. I guess it's time to shop elsewhere.
 
I picked up the Porter-Cable 8" variable speed grind at Lowes today. I was real hesitant on trying it, but I have to say I'm very pleased. Plenty of power and it runs surprisingly quiet once it spins up to speed. I trued the wheels but the 60 grit wheel still has a slight side to side wobble I'll have to check out tomorrow. Runs great with very little vibration. If I get the 60 grit wheel wobble issue resolved it should run silky smooth. Probably my only two very minor complaints would be "No template to drill the mounting holes" but nothing you can't figure out easily. The other is that the grinder spins forever after power is switched off. Certainly nothing to really complain about but I've never had a grinder keep spinning that long after it was shut off. Overall I think it's a nice piece of equipment especially at $119.00.
 
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