Should I Keep 2 Bench Grinders?

[kingmt01]

I only have one bench grinder & a belt sander. I do have two 4.5" hand helds & a small thing that looks like well some kind of bench grinder that has a fine wheel & a abrasive pad. I probably won't get another as long as these all run but not that I have each one I couldn't see myself without any of them. Before each one it seemed like all I needed but after the addition of each one it feels like a must & I don't know how I done without it.

 

[Sandia]

Well, there ya go, looks like a genereal opinion to me. You won't regret keeping it, and probably will want another at some point. I have three pedestal grinders and a one inch belt sander as well as a 6/48 belt sander with 14" disc. Big time savers.

 

[mws]

I'd have at least 6 if i had the room. I had four but one burnt out, faulty winding. Once you get your wheels mounted and balanced you won't want to change them unless you really have to. It's worth the time savings to have the wheels on a machine ready to go, even if it sits on the floor in a corner 90% of the time.

 

[uncle harry]

I suddenly find myself with a brand new Jet 8" JBG-8a bench grinder still in the box and a used in great condition 8" Baldor 812RE.
I had ordered the Jet from Amazon, but found the Baldor on Craigslist while the jet was in transit. (the Baldor was a bargain at only $50) I can send the Jet back to amazon for a refund if I have no good use for it.
I wonder if I should just send the Jet back or keep it and the Baldor. I've never had more than one grinder and that was 6".

What uses could I put 2 of them toward? I've been putting together my garage over the last year and have a Bridgport mill, a 12 x 36 lathe, full welding setup, (tig, mig, stick, oxy).

I have 5 each dedicated to different needs. As others have replied having different grinding wheels & other items like wire brush wheels etc gives quick convenience without changing wheels etc. This is especially the case for grinding carbide tools.

 

[projectnut]

I still have the bench grinder I started out with 40+ years ago, a General Tools 6" model belt driven by an old washing machine motor hanging under the bench. General may still be making them, looks like just this one and is in the same condition:

I keep a coarse wheel and a wire brush on it, and it is my go to grinder after all these years, even though it is anything but smooth running. It has seen a lot of use and never has needed any maintenance.

It is surrounded by two other 6" bench grinders, 3 sander grinders, a carbide grinder, all with various other wheels. One is an old school Baldor, another is a nice Wissota. One is an old Dunlap. One is a Taiwan 6x48" sander with a 9" circular wheel as well. One is the little HF 1x30" sander grinder. For a few weeks I had a 12" pedestal grinder, picked up from H-M member dlane. I finally realized I had no use whatever for it (just looked so cool!) and sold it to another H-M member, Ulma Doctor for what I had in it. The one I want, but really don't need, is one of those 8" ones the OP is trying to make a decision on.

And of course, also several die grinders, a tool post grinder, a Dremel clone, a Drill Doctor 750x, various sidewinder grinders, and probably some more I missed. And a bunch of extra wheels. No wonder I can't seem to make room for the surface grinder I really want to get to play with. 8^)

As you might have guessed, I am in agreement with those who think you should keep both, unless of course if you want to send one to me!

I have the same grinder sitting on the lower shelf of a table. I purchased it a few years ago to setup a deburring wheel. I got about half way through the project when I had to give up on a similar sized table that I was using to stage tooling by the lathe. The "grinder table" was moved in as a temporary replacement and hasn't moved since.

I have 2 other grinders in the shop. One is setup with a coarse and fine wheel for HSS tool sharpening and the other has the same setup for sharpening carbide.

 

[george wilson]

Be careful if your grinder breaks down to look at any press on connectors. Jet used metal thinner than a beer can for their press on connectors in a wet wheel grinder i bought new some years ago. They were so thin they cracked when the assembler pushed them on. When I called Jet,I got a huge lecture on how proud they were of their Jet machines. This from a young blow hard who would not have been fit to be my apprentice.

 

[housedad]

Well, I found some New Old Stock GA9R Baldor grinder guards for $70 on fleabay and they have come in. I found a guy on Craigs who had the cast iron tool rests for $20, and UPS delivered two Norton 3X Wheels in 46 and 80 grit today. K hardness. Still waiting on new spark guards to come from the factory.

Now I have to wait till spring to take it apart, clean and paint it as I don't have a heated garage. Oh, well. The grinder was the cheapest part of it.

 

[dlane]

I have a bunch of them , I keep the abrasive ones as far away from machine tools as possible.
Buffers and wire wheels are ok next to machines , but the abrasive dust stays as far away as I can get them.