Anyone using the Grizzly G1015 Belt Sander?

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nutria_man

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May 7, 2008
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Anyone here using the Grizzly G1015 Belt Sander? Seems a nice setup for a super small operation. with small budget. without having to go through the 'KMG' complexity and expense. They even offer a 10" contact wheel.

Anyone have any bad experience? Seems a lot better than the craftsman version.
Thanks for comments?
 
i have this. only problem ive had so far a wire nut under the motor came undone easy 2 sec fix. ive use'd the kmg style and if u had the choice money wise its worth its weight im sure.
 
I've been using my Griz for 3 years with no major problems. Flat grind and Convex so the closeness from 10" wheel to motor is not a problem. I recommend a glass piece added to the platen and a additional brace to the upper wheel area. Put some filter material in the air holes at the right side of the motor to keep crap out. It's a fast machine especially with the 10" er, but you get used to it. I just built a No Weld Grinder, but still use the Griz some. Good grinder for the money.
 
I have the grizzly and to be honest I kinda hate it. Dont get me wrong for the price its ok but thats it O.K. This machine runs fast and there is no reasonable way to slow it down. The contact wheel is next to useless if you want to do any hollow grinding. Then there is the tool rest. 95% of the time I dont use it but when I want to it takes a very long time to put it on. When it is on it does not like to stay in place. Also if it is on, it is in the way of the wheel.

Now for the good side of the grinder. I have had no problems with it breaking down on me. It took a few minutes to get it put together and I was grinding steel. This grinder comes with a motor. If you simply cant afford anything else and dont feel up to making your own than go for it. If you decide to upgrade in the future the grizzly would make a fine backup/seconed grinder.
 
steelshaper said:
I have the grizzly and to be honest I kinda hate it. Dont get me wrong for the price its ok but thats it O.K. This machine runs fast and there is no reasonable way to slow it down. The contact wheel is next to useless if you want to do any hollow grinding. Then there is the tool rest. 95% of the time I dont use it but when I want to it takes a very long time to put it on. When it is on it does not like to stay in place. Also if it is on, it is in the way of the wheel.

Now for the good side of the grinder. I have had no problems with it breaking down on me. It took a few minutes to get it put together and I was grinding steel. This grinder comes with a motor. If you simply cant afford anything else and dont feel up to making your own than go for it. If you decide to upgrade in the future the grizzly would make a fine backup/seconed grinder.
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Great info!.. what do you use? What set up do you have?
 
I picked up one of these grinders (used) in a package deal. I enjoy having it to use. Some folks I know who use it have set the platen and shaft back at an angle rather than straight up vertically. They then rigged up a brace down to their table to make it more rigid.

I know one fella who dismantled the whole get-up and separated out both the contact wheel/platen side and the buffing side from the motor. He rigged them up on their own axles with pillow block bearings. He selectively drives either side with the motor and step pulleys. He also cut the base under the contact wheel and re-welded at 90 degrees so it hung over the edge of his bench. This way he got the contact wheel to work beyond the edge of his bench, not over the bench. The grinding debris gets spun into a bucket/tray of water he has on a shelf under it. The water is also handy to dip his hot steel in while he is grinding.
 
Like OldWolf said, get rid of the graphite strip on the platten and put some ceramic on (Darren Ellis has this on his site). It's not the best, but for the $$ it was the right choice for me at the time. It does take a little more care and "finesse" to grind with the belt going like a bat out of hell.

I had the push pull power switch break on me, so I replaced it with a heavy duty toggle switch. Other than that, it gets the job done.

If you have the belt in the full upright position, I recommend that you wear a baseball hat. Sanding down the brim hurts less than sanding your forehead.

Here's a link to plans for a no weld home made grinder NOWELD

ric
 
Assuming this is the knifemaker's grinder, another option in a similar price range is the Coote grinder.
 
I use full face shield..been there done that..best invention ever... still get crap in the nose though.. just hate those masks..

thanks for the info on the grinder.. I am still unsure how best to get a set up...will consider all the options.
 
AcridSaint said:
Assuming this is the knifemaker's grinder, another option in a similar price range is the Coote grinder.
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Yes.. for making knives.. larger ones.. I used old craftsman bench grinder most of my life.. just figured I can start new with a better set up.

I saw a lot of info on the KMG type grinders.. and the no weld ones...just did not want to go that full route..some people were having issues with motors and switches burning up..last thing I need is a fire in my garage..
 
Several folks have had grizzly switches go out and I think I've seen at least one motor. The setup is basically a buffer motor that is open vented on the bottom.

The Coote isn't a full-on KMG grinder, it's a fairly basic two wheel grinder at an entry level price. You would have to provide your own motor, though I would imagine you could use a buffer motor for a little while, just like the griz has. The nice thing about a Coote is that you can setup variable speed for the cost of pulleys, it's solidly built and you can call the person who made it if you have problems.
 
I don't even have a motor.... when I got married all that stuff got the nix..

I read about the NEMA 4s and the motors and the KMG/no welds.. and for sure with $2k that would be the way to go... :-0

btw.. why in the heck are 10" contact wheels so expensive.. I saw a 14" also.. man.. like $500.. what the heck are those things expected to do?
 
I have the Grizzly with a 8" contact wheel and I can hollow grind with it with out any problem.
I built Tmickley's NWG Plans for 2"x72" Knife Grinder/Sander No welding required, and by making my idler wheels out of laminated plywood was able to keep the total build cost under $300.
I really like the NWG. with the 4 step pulley setup my low speed is some where around 800 SFPM and the high speed is scary fast.
 
Yes.. I just watched some videos by JT.. man.. the world of knife making has changed since the $59 old shop grinder. That slow speed was nice and controllable.

Also seems more quiet.. no roaring grindstones..

What is also apparent.. is there is lots of room to move around.. no motor right next to the wheel.
 
The motor next to the wheel is a prob for sure. You kind of get the hang of working diagonally up over it though when moving to the left, or from the left. I guess it really comes down to what you can afford (and how you define afford).
 
Well, what I'm trying to say here is that you can get a similar priced grinder from Coote and be in a much higher quality machine. If the griz was nema 4 with all the bells and whistles it would cost more. It doesn't cost more, so it's not any different than just going with a cheap motor. One can be had surplus for very little.

I understand the difference between $500 and $2000, but if I could get a nicer machine for $100 more I'd spend $600. That's just my take.
 
AcridSaint said:
Well, what I'm trying to say here is that you can get a similar priced grinder from Coote and be in a much higher quality machine. If the griz was nema 4 with all the bells and whistles it would cost more. It doesn't cost more, so it's not any different than just going with a cheap motor. One can be had surplus for very little.

I understand the difference between $500 and $2000, but if I could get a nicer machine for $100 more I'd spend $600. That's just my take.
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100% agree...for sure this discussion has swayed my thought process..
 
I just purchased the grizzly 1015 and for the life of me I cannot get the tracking to stay in one spot. The belt wants to fly off of the wheels. Also my drive wheel slid onto the shaft like butter and I have read in a lot of different posts that most people had to hammer the drive wheel on. I do have a little play with the drive wheel and it does seem to wobble a bit when turned on. Could this cause the belt to slide off the wheels? Also every now and the when I turn the motor on without the belt I can hear a weird soft grinding nose coming from the left side of this motor. Not sure what that is maybe it just needs to break itself in? I never owned one of these and I originally purchased it for wood working. I hope I made the right choice. If anyone can help me out with this matter I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much!!!
 
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