Grizzly Tools

John B.

Well-known Member
Everyone mentions Harbor Frieght.

Have many of you bought tools or shop equipment from Grizzly Industrial?

Their merchandize looks pretty nice.

I think I'm going to take a drive to Springfield Mo. and take a look at their woodworking equipment. Oh yeah and I'm taking some money with me and the truck...
Grizzly.com
 

Back in '92 I bought a 6" joiner, 2hp dust collector, brad nailer and 1/4" stapler. They all worked like expected.

But 25 years later, there is a glut of tools bought by Baby Boomers that they are trying to sell.

If you're in an area that has lots of peeps, just get on Craigslist and you can buy everything you want for about 40% of what Grizzly is charging. Or less.

Grizzly had to close the Missouri and Pennsylvania stores because they couldn't sell enough to stay open. It's just Bellingham now.

This is the best time to buy used tools in like forever.
 
A friend of mine recently bought both a small lathe, and a small mill. Both seem to be very well made, and he said he has been using the heck out of them with no problems at all.
 
Grizzly in Missouri is closed on Sundays and major holidays other than that they are going strong. Also take extra money and spend rest of day at Bass Pro Shops. Like going to the candy store for guys.

Joe
 
I bought 2 drillpresses from them, (one for each son ) I was disappointed with them. They work, but vibrate some. Basically they are a cheap made in China tool, with a good marketing program. Old made in the USA tools would be better. MHO
 
I bought a 8" long bed jointer from Grizz last year. It is OK but not impressive. Wish I had sprung for a Powermatic.
 
Aint that the truth but my shop is full of everything I need, watching nice tools sell cheap at auction and not biding is tough.
 

Lot of the Amish shops around here have Grizzly cabinet saws, jointers, drill presses, sanders, etc. I've ordered tooling from them. It's fair to decent stuff that usually takes a little finishing and tweaking to get it right. Good value for the money most times I think, but not up to the standards of old American iron.
 
As for my wood working tools the big stuff are all Craig's list finds My radial arm is and older Craftsman that i picked up for 90 bucks and two new bearings a new top and some fine tuning works great. My table saw is and older Craftsman with the big table and the fancy fence , gave 190 for it and here again some fine tuning and a super good blade it's great. My jointer is a Ridgid 6 inch and got it for 120 bucks and the local saw and knife sharping co. made me up two sets of carbide knifes for 45 bucks , my lathe is and older craftsman and got it for 40 bucks and some new paint and some elbow grease and 4 casters . my planner is a New Delta 22-560 and picked that up new at Lowes on close out for 120 , My Dust collection system is a Grizzle 1 Hp. and it was FREE just have to by the fittings and tubes . still looking for a shaper and would like to upgrade the planner to a 15-20 inch and a wood shop up out of the basement as i have no room , it's a major effort to cut a board over 6 foot long . Oh yea for got my bandsaw it's a Ridgid and that was new and at a greatly reduce price due to my Hissy fit over Ridgid's LIFE TIME TOOL WARRANTY . when Homer Depot started pushing there hand held power tools they offered a LIFE TIME warranty on them including the batterys if you bought before Dec. 31 of that year , i bought a heavy duty 12 volt Drill driver to upgrade over my Ryobi that the wife bought me . well it took a DUMP and i took it back to the store and the fight was on . Let me put it this way had the assistant Mrg. said one more word to me i would have layed him out on the floor , he ran off and got the store manager thinking that because she was a woman that would settle it NOT . I was not backing down and waas not going to roll over and play dead on this . NO i am not paying to have a tool fixed out of my pocket when you claimed LIFE TIME warranty including the battery's . This fight was vary heated to the point that people coming into the store were turning around and leaving . I was in the middle of a major remodel and had already spent a ton of money at Home Depot and i made that clear to the manager and flat told her that there was a ton of money yet to be spent and it would not be at Home Depot . well gee all of a sudden my drill was getting repaired and new battery's coming and to keep my business she asked what would it take to keep me as a Customer and i said that 14 inch band saw and she said it's yours for a 100 bucks BUT you have to take the floor model . well fast forward here 6 years , the battery's for this drill died and i take them in and the fight is on once again seams i am LOST in the system and they have no records of me BUYING any Ridgid power tools , shame on them i have all the receipts So now what BUD . well now they do not make the battery for this drill anymore so not letting this die we fought it and in turn they replace it with a new 18 Volt Drill and impact driver and a cheap radio . . And i kept the old 12 volt and sent the battery's out on my own for a rebuild . Now here's the kicker that OLD Junk Ryobi 12 volt that has been beat to death used and abused over the 35 years since the wife bought it for me has only had the battery's rebuilt ONCE and here i thought that This thing will let the smoke out in short order is still going . But back to wood working tools myself i like the OLD over the new and ok so it may take a couple bearings some elbow grease and a coat of new paint they are out there and it is the fun of the hunt and the fun of making the deal to get something that was made to last .
 
I bought a benchtop belt sander from Grizzly. It arrived in terrible condition. I got a return authorization, sent it back and they sent me a new one that was oaky - but not as good as my old Delta sander that rumbled like a freight train.
 
I was in the Springfield store a few months back. Picked up some dust collection parts to add to my Griz collector. They were very low on inventory on larger machines.

As to closing, I don't think so. Maybe you're remembering the Memphis store. It closed several years ago right after Springfield was opened. I picked up a shaper and dust collector there at the closing sale. Tulsa to Memphis RT in a day, long day.
 
Everybody speaks highly of Grizzly but I bought one of their wood shapers and found it was the most dangerous machine I've ever used. I let it sit for a couple years and finally set it up for cabinet door coping and use it for that only. I guess I'm like everyone else, I say you can't judge a company from one tool but I don't look to Grizzly for anything else. It could be I just got a lemon. Another shaper the same model might be fine.
 
Back in 97 (when ever the packers went to the super bowl)....for the price of a ticket my brother bought a table saw, planer, and shaper(all three Grizzly). Still going after most forgot the game score. We'd use them more but can hardly walk in the shop, let alone use large power tools. Few years after that bought a air nailer, again a good product.
 
You know how Harbors tools border on the edge of almost ok but not quite? Grizzlys are on the other side of that edge, just a little better than just OK. Plus they have a great range on models of many types of tools.
For the money, its hard to beat Grizzly. But remember you are getting what you pay for.
All in all hard to beat for the money if its a tool you only use occasionally.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top