grizzly 2x72

R

Reynaldo Garza

Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
89
I'm a hobby knife maker and need to know if the grizzly 2x72 is all I need other than my 2x42. Also, I read that the tracking on this unit is not that good, true or false. For the price with a 10" wheel is not that bad for my hobby. Help me gents. Rey:confused:
 
Rey,

You are going to get mixed reviews on the Grizzly KnifeMaker.

I was going to go with it simply because of the cost and it had a buffer. I ended up going with the Coote 2"x72"x8" and could not be happier with it. I myself started with a Dayton 2x42" and quickly noticed I will need more power and more sturdier machine.

I say if you have a choice go with the Coote. Or get with Tracy and order a set of his NWG plans. I know that will be my next grinder.

Either way, best of luck to you. Oh and dont let people scare you away from the Grizzly, many makers use them to this day and have made awesome knives with that machine. We all have our own opinions...go with the one you feel most comfortable with financially and what you think appeals to your needs.

Chris
 
The grizzly is good for the price. I have one, it works well and is controllable. The long throw from the tracking wheel to the bottom wheel makes it easy to get the belt offline from the platen, especially when grinding plunges in the slack area.
I will likely build a KMG clone in the future as it will be more versatile and address the weaknesses of the Grizzly

-Page
 
I have heard that the Grizzly comes with an open-port motor, which is less than ideal for a metal grinding machine. If this is true then I would personally avoid it. The Coote (without the motor) won't cost much more, and you can usually pick up a motor cheap if you know where to look. I have scavenged several working industrial motors from the local landfill. The 1hp Baldor which is currently powering my Coote came from a second-hand lumber store for 25 bucks.
 
I have been using Grizzlies for about 18 years. Great grinders for the money. I have more expensive machines, but if My Grizzly blew up, I would order another (and I have!)
 
I use my Grizzly on every knife I make. I use my KMG now for all of the metal work, but my Grizzly still does handles well. I started making knives on a Grizzly, and it is a good machine for the money. It runs fast and can't be slowed down, it has an open port motor, and it has some tracking issues, but nothing that can't be dealt with, and I've made plenty of knives on it before I bought my KMG.

Just about any of your two wheel grinders can have tracking issues. A length of electrical tape on the tracking wheel or a stiffer belt tension spring usually help. The downside of the Grizzly is that it's not as versatile as the KMG or Coote. But it does what it's suppose to, and you can make nice knives with it.

--nathan
 
Reynaldo I dont think there would be that big of a difference to be honest. I dont have a grizzly or a coote I have a KMG clone . I had a 1x30 for my first 3 months then bought the ultimate machine. I would just save your money from the next 5 knives you sell and buy a KMG or NWG .That sort of upgrade will be very noticable. The tracking on my machine is so precise there is zero vibration no chatter and I can slack belt sharpen, or grind anything. I just bought a hollow grinding attachment with elevator and hidden tang tool. These grinders for the extra 500 bucks will be money well spent even if your just a hobby knife maker why not use a better machine if you could. You could make 5 or even 10 knives with the one you have to save up. kellyw
 
I made knives on a Delta 1x42" grinder for a year before finding a second hand Grizzly for half the cost of a new one. I couldn't be happier with it right now. But I'm just happy to be able to finally do hollow grinding and have a machine with a little more power.
I don't use the platen much and I have the long arm tilted back, so mine is pretty much set up for hollow grinding only. The tracking isn't the best, but I really couldn't be happier with my Grizz, it's a huge improvement over the 1x42"(which still gets a lot of use actually) I would definitely recommend the Grizzly. That said, my next grinder will be a KMG for sure!
 
I've owned the Grizzly, Coote and two KMG's (one was stolen).

Still have my KMG. :thumbup:

IMHO, the Grizzly and Coote are very similar, the difference being the price ... some say that the pulley setup for variable speed on the Coote is worth the extra cost, but personally the only "variable speed" setup that is worth it to me is one that is electronically variable.

If you can afford it and are serious about knifemaking, go with the KMG.

If you're thinking about knifemaking as a hobby, I would go with the Grizzly.

Down the road, if you stick with knifemaking, the Grizzly will have other uses:

eg. My motor eventually burned out in the Grizzly because I ground hundreds of knives and bowies in an enclosed space (over 2-3 years?), sold the wheel and tracking setup to some guy in Australia who modified his surface grinder to use belts. Last I heard, my ol' Grizzly is still in use.

Happy New Year everyone! :)
 
Many thanks to you gentlemen knife-makers, It sure does help to get advise well deserved from you all. I will do my best on my decision and for this new year I wish all of you gents the best that the Good Lord can give and your families. Rey
 
A Grizzly will do everything you ever need to do as a Knifemaker. It is easy to set up. It is one of the few machine that will hook up to 110v. It ready to go out of the box.
I make about 20 knives a month on mine. Not once have I wished I had anything different than the grizzly. I have even learn to hollow ground on the smaller wheel. So I don't even wish I had the larger wheel. But it is on my wish list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top