Good Bench Grinder for Wire Wheels

Kerwin

Member
I just burned out a 1/2 HP, 6-in. second-hand bench grinder running a wire wheel. Any one able to recommend a mid-priced bench grinder that can handle a wire wheel?

I'm thinking of getting an 8-in. grinder but using a 6-in. wheel for the added power.
 
(quoted from post at 08:51:04 02/10/15) I just burned out a 1/2 HP, 6-in. second-hand bench grinder running a wire wheel. Any one able to recommend a mid-priced bench grinder that can handle a wire wheel?

I'm thinking of getting an 8-in. grinder but using a 6-in. wheel for the added power.

I've got a Chicago Electric bench grinder that came from Harbor Freight maybe 35 years ago. Had to replace the on/off switch just a few years ago. No other problems ever. That thing should have flat died about 32 years ago, but it is still running. It is just about the only item to come from Harbor Freight that I am happy with. I've been burned a couple of times since then, and now I refuse to ever buy from Harbor Freight again.
 
Picked up a unit out of the paper for sale ads years ago. It is a homemade metal stand with a belt driven grinder pedestal. Just has some old electric motor on it not real large ? That is one of the handiest things I've bought. Be easy enough to make if you can find the grinder holder.
 
A wire wheel does not take as much power as a grinding wheel. The wire wheel did not burn out your grinder. Something else did. Now years ago when had a grinder that motor went bad took everything apart and gutted the motor housing and cut the armature part off the motor shaft so had a nice smooth round shaft. Took torch and cut hole in side of motor housing and put a V belt thru that hole to a V belt pully on that shaft where we took the armature off of and just used a plain possibly 1/2 horse motor we had laying around and it probably drove the shaft-wheel at about the 1750 RPM of the motor instead of the overspead of the orignal grinder motor of 3600 RPM. Have one now with the 3600 RPM motor but prefer the old grinder arbor with V belt drive at the 1700 RPM. 1/3 or less HP motor handles a 6" wheel without anny problems. I bought an 8" wheel to put on just for reaching deeper into parts for cleaning but found I did not have arbor clearance for the larger wheel but a third horse would pull that 8" wheel with no problems,
 
I would say slowing and stalling the wire wheel repeatedly during the hour that I ran the grinder and wire wheel probably didn't help. So either it was crappy enough to no longer have the advertised 1/2 HP of power or the wire wheel was harder on it than most people think. I don't normally stall a grinder when using a stone.
 
Only if you got what you were trying to wire wheel jamed into the brush would it stall it if the motor was in good shape. I have 2 units with grinding wheels and 2 with wire wheels and 3 of them are the belt drive models.
 
I made a bench grinder just for a wire wheel out of a 1/4 hp, 1750 rpm motor. It works great. Doesn't grab things out of your hand, want to remove flesh, and sent things flying across the room like my 3600 rpm grinders do.

If I recall, I take a pic of it. Plan to someday make a second one for my other shop.
 
I use one of these (similar) on a 1/3 or 1/2 hp motor. The motor is mounted on a bench, with a home-made tool rest. Plenty of power for my use. No guard - wear a face shield, and maybe goggles too. Wife finds bristles stuck in my clothing all the time.
Arbor
 
Looked at some bench grinders when I was walking aroung in Home Depot; thought that the Ryobi looked like a pretty good grinder, but don't know how powerful it is. Price seemed reasonable.
 
(quoted from post at 19:51:04 02/10/15) I just burned out a 1/2 HP, 6-in. second-hand bench grinder running a wire wheel. Any one able to recommend a mid-priced bench grinder that can handle a wire wheel?

I'm thinking of getting an 8-in. grinder but using a 6-in. wheel for the added power.

If you get a 3/4 HP & up 8" it will do what you need... I had a 8" that just up and quit and replaced it with a 2 HP 10" I picked up at a yard sale I don't think I could go back to less it takes on all comers...

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW758-...1595&sr=8-1&keywords=10+bench+grinder
 
I hate to say it, but I have a Central Machinery from Harbor Freight 8". That I paid 29 bucks for over 15 years ago. I beat the hell out of that thing and it works great! I also have a 14" 3 phase grinder with a wire wheel that I only use ocassionally.
 
Good bench grinders are expensive! Cheap grinders, well, you take a big gamble...

I've found some good deals on used industrial grade grinders on Ebay. Even if they need a little TLC, in the end you get something that will get the job done for a long time.
 
I have had the wire go through the shirt and stick in my arm. I don''t use the bench one as much as I do the angle grinder. I have a 1/2 HP 10" angle grinder with wire wheel and like it better ( easier to get into tough places).
 
Just looked at mine today and one is a third horse but the other is a one sixth horse. Cannot stall either.
 

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