On 10/06/2011 09:13 AM, Kevin wrote:
>
> And to follow up. I did some research since I'm now in the market for
> a new grinder :-)
>
> Is Baldor the ONLY company not sourcing their grinders from China or
> Taiwan?
>
> I know Craftsman, DeWalt (B&D), and the others have moved production
> overseas, but I was surprised that Delta, Rockwell, Porter-Cable, and
> especially Palmgren all seem to be using Chinese factories.
>
> So this may be a little off topic, but I'd love to hear comments about
> the different grinders and people's thoughts, experiences with the
> different brands.
>
> Obviously, I'd love a Baldor, but starting at over $500 retail it's
> kind of tough to justify spending as much on the grinder as I did on
> the lathe. :-) And yes, I'm checking craigslist!
>
> Kevin
>
I had that same grinder, and it lasted me about 10 minutes. The
first second I started it up, I knew something was wrong, as the wheels
would not run true. I tried truing them up, but the motor burnt up
before I could finish. I bought another one, more expensive than the
first, and it was almost as bad.
The wheels were warped, and the bearings weren't true, and one
bearing was far worse than the other, so the shaft would turn in an
ellipse. Nothing can be done about that, except replace the bearings,
which would've cost more than what I spent on the grinder in the first
place, and I would've still have to replace the wheels.
I now have a 10" Wilton Grinder that I bought from a local tool
shop. Even on sale, it was expensive, but well worth it. It runs as
smooth as silk. Out of the box, it had very little vibration, and after
taking a small cleanup pass with a diamond dresser, it ran even better.
I haven't found anything that would bog the motor down, even with some
fairly aggressive grinding.
The grinder was made in Taiwan, not China, so the level of
craftsmanship it just a tad better.
--
-Mark
Ne M'oubliez ---Family Motto
Hope for the best, plan for the worst ---Personal Motto
