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Thread: Who has a Baldor Grinder and where did you get it?

  1. #1
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    Who has a Baldor Grinder and where did you get it?

    I hesitate to put this in the power tool section, because the specific use for it is entirely hand tool related - sharpening as well as grinding parts for tools (especially irons), and I don't think there's a lot of that going on in the PT section.

    I like a 6" grinder for hollow grinding because the hollow lasts well, much better than it does on the tormek, and despite the talk of how weak the edge is with the hollow behind it, I've never actually had an edge chip up into the hollow area.

    My first knee-jerk reaction is to just buy a baldor 6" grinder new, or try to find one used. They don't seem to go for a lot less used than they go for new, at least around here.

    My other option is to find an old and good 8" grinder and use that for grinding, and keep my cheapo ryobi 6" for hollow grinding. The catch seems to be that older 8" grinders that show up here are three phase grinders and 220.

    What other brands should I be looking for used? Dayton?

    * does anyone have one of the new 6" baldor grinders?
    * Do they feel like they're worth $250 (for one with decent rests)? or $300 in the case of the heavier 6" models with cast covers and exhaust ports?
    * are there any other differences with their puzzle of different numbers for 6" grinders that i should be aware of?
    Last edited by David Weaver; 11-23-2010 at 8:25 AM.

  2. #2
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    I'm sure everyone does it differently, but my 6" with gray wheels is used for general grinding. I have the Woodcraft 8" with white wheels (and use the Kirby system) for grinding irons and chisels and a Wolverine system for lathe tools.

    I'd love to have a Baldor and missed the auction day at the local Community College where they sold two of them. Understand they went for $25 each. Obviously the auctioneer had no idea what he was selling.

  3. #3

    Yes it's worth it

    I have a Baldor and a Milwaukee. Both were far more expensive than the import alternatives when I bought them. Both are terrific grinders and I would spend the money again without question. Less vibration, robust build.

  4. #4
    Hi David -

    Fabulous grinders. I have an 8" Baldor buffer NIB out of sheer "covetousness" ... had it for 10 years....

    It's hard to imagine regretting the purchase of a tool you use, that's so well made...

    Cheers -

    Rob

  5. #5
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    I have 2 OLD Craftsman grinders from the 60's. They have flat fronts,which is good because their flat front motors don't get in the way when grinding things like draw knives.

    these old grinders are still going strong after many decades. They do not have a lot of monetary value,but have been just fine.

  6. #6
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    This place had good prices on Baldor grinders when I was looking about a year ago but freight ($140) was a deal killer for me (I settled for a Woodcraft with Oneway wheel balancer):

    http://www.mile-x.com/baldor-8-bench-grinders.aspx

    Looks like Coldwater is in western Ohio so likely not a practical driving distance for pickup for you, either.

  7. #7
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    I'm going to guess the milwaukee grinders went overseas since you got yours?

    They are listed as discontinued or out of stock items on amazon.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim McFarland View Post
    This place had good prices on Baldor grinders when I was looking about a year ago but freight ($140) was a deal killer for me (I settled for a Woodcraft with Oneway wheel balancer):

    http://www.mile-x.com/baldor-8-bench-grinders.aspx

    Looks like Coldwater is in western Ohio so likely not a practical driving distance for pickup for you, either.
    You're right, they do have good prices, but out of my driving range.

    The local sellers here are less than 10 miles away, but their prices are not competitive and they don't stock the grinders locally, it'd be like paying extra to get them to order it to their shops instead of just having it delivered to my door.

    It'd be ideal to get a grinder that I could run first, but I don't think that's going to happen. my ryobi works fine, the arbors on it just aren't straight, never were, and they just soft metal.

  9. #9

    Who has a Baldor Grinder and where did you get it?

    tools for working wood had one in their cataglog

  10. #10
    Contact Joel at Tools for working wood. He not only carries Baldor, he carries the good baldor grinders. It is a lifetime purchase.

    George
    George Beck
    Fishers Laser Carvers

  11. #11
    Baldor makes the best motors hands down IMHO

    What I have is a HF 10" 2HP Bench Grinder I use with differet size wheel..

    It has a 1750 RPM motor so its slow speed vs high 3600 and might be a version that you want for tool sharpening..

    If you use it for light grinding like sharpening should last you a lifetime..
    I got mine shipped free for $77 A deal I could not pass up

    I just checked and don't see HF listing them anymore

    But a Slow Speed Grinder maybe what you want........

    Last edited by Johnny Kleso; 11-23-2010 at 12:14 PM.
    aka rarebear - Hand Planes 101 - RexMill - The Resource

  12. #12
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    I looked into this last year, and ended up with a Jet JBG-6A for $120 shipped. It's got gobs of power, and cast iron guards with dust collection ports. I used the extra dough for better wheels and the Oneway balancing system. Also beware it does not come with tool rests that are adjustable for angle, so you've got to make your own or buy tool rests. I made my own from 1/4" steel stock, which are quite rigid when attached to the cast iron guards.

  13. #13
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    I use a cheap Woodcraft dual speed 8" with the Norton 3X cool wheels and the Oneway balancing system. It runs very smooth & quiet. For the small amount of grinding of I do (turning tools/certain chisels/plane blades), the set up is more than adequate.

  14. #14
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    What's funny about the tool rests is that the cheap version ryobi grinder that I do have came with two cast aluminum tool rests about the size of a credit card that are adjustable for both tilt and distance from the wheel. It was $39. It is very easy to use for plane irons and chisels with the side that doesn't have a drill bit slot built into it (only need one wheel, anyway). I guess I lucked out with that.

    I have seen the larger slow speed grinders, but what I like about the 6" is that if you don't have ham hands, you won't burn tools with it full speed, and the hollow is nice and deep, which is excellent for keeping the honed bevels smaller. I just want one that doesn't dance with a true wheel (if my ryobi grinder wasn't clamped to the bench, it would make its way off in less than 15 seconds).

    I saw joel's TFWW flyer, but the grinder comes with friable wheels and a diamond dresser. I've not had any trouble with cheap gray wheels that are dressed fairly regularly, and I like that they're long wearing, so I don't want to pay extra for the wheels and the diamond dresser (i already have a cheap diamond dresser that works fine, too). Otherwise, that's the grinder I have my eye on.

  15. #15
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    I bought my Baldor 6" slow-speed grinder from Tolls for Working Wood.

    Was it cheap? No, but compared to what I have invested in blade tools...

    I bought it originally for shaping the irons for my H&Rs. I now use it for almost all grinder work, except carving chisels.
    AKA - "The human termite"

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