10-inch wheel -- what now?

[DaQo'tah Forge]

Yes J. Neilson, I too have noticed the arrogance of some people when it comes to cutting down the Grizzly. I believe their behavior is truly regrettable, instead of helping a new blade smith feel at ease with the purchase of a tool, they seem to take some sort of glee in their anti-grizzly comments.

I believe that my statements will still ring true under any examination, "If you got more than $1000.00 to spend, then there is no reason to get the Grizzly, However if your budget for your very first Belt grinder is under $300.00 then the Grizzly is looking darn good.

In the end, whatever belt grinder you get will always be able to help the new knife maker decide if this hobby is enjoyable. When I first started out, and searched for my first tools to help me make a knife, I got a 1 X 30 belt sander, and I thought the World of that tool when I got it. The 1 X 30 might seem far too small to make a knife on, but it's not. That first sander of mine allowed me my very first taste of knife making, and I still use it to this day when I do some of the Handle sanding.

Again what I have found true is the following-, The strong points behind the Grizzly are many: Motor included/buffer attached/ comes with a 2 X 72 sanding belt so you will be able to grind the day you get it/and it's not much money. The things against the grizzly are: One speed. Odd placement of the contact wheel is a hassle sometimes.

One has to always remember, that it's not the Belt grinder that is doing the work, it's the Sanding belts that are...

The belt grinder just spins the belt and good new belts can mean all the difference between haveing fun, and too much work.

 

[Burchtree]

I'm sure the Grizzly is a great machine for the price -- the showroom is close to my house and I've stopped and looked at it many times. But I've got the extra cash (not KMG extra :grumpy: ) and a motor from my old 1x48 grinder, so the Coote sounds like a good deal to me. Plus, since I want a 10-inch wheel, the Coote will only be technically $50 more.

I've been practicing my "hollow-grinding" on the 4-inch wheel (no rubber) on the top of my grinder and turned out some good, but small, little knives out of it. Hopefully hollow grinding on a 10-inch wheel will be be a little easier.

 

[Higgy]

I got me a Bader BIII and it's the best money I ever spent.

BUT!

I love Grizzly stuff. Although I don't have the grizzly grinder, it was a serious decision a while ago for me to just bite the bullet and go for the high-end machine. I will say that all the Grizzly stuff I have purchased over the years I have been satisfied with. The one caveat I have is that if you need solidity and reliability, as in production work, you'll be left in the cold if you buy the Grizz. That Chinese stuff needs a lot of pampering to keep it running right. You can't go wrong buying stuff like buffers and cheapo drill presses and stuff like that though.

I dunno, I say if you are exclusively a stock-removal knifemaker, then the centerpiece of your shop becomes your grinder. Just be able to live with your decision. =)