WEN BG4286 3-Amp 8-Inch Slow Speed Bench Grinder

Pros - Expensive, capable, and versatile. Price is very good! This grinder came with Aluminum Oxide (white) wheels (60 and 120 grit), which are way better than the boring gray silicon carbide wheels seen on many grinders. ANY grinder can benefit from it, and it's the most important upgrade you can make. The assembly took only a few minutes using only the diagrams. There is a magnifier lens built into the left (120 grit) protective eye. My initial impression was that the shield would be useful, but it turns out to be more valuable than I had imagined. is powerful enough for sharpening chisels and smaller objects. attempted splitting a wedge or an axe yet, but believe there will be no difficulty provided it's not done with brute force. A finer cut is preferred here (since it will significantly reduce the temper Heating that causes damage). In order to true the wheels, I used a Wolverine diamond-type wheel truer We improved the operation by using a point jig and the operation became even quieter and smoother. In my case, mounting to my grinder stand was complicated since I use the Wolverine sharpening system for my lathe chisels, and mounting height and centering in relation to the Wolverine components are very important. As for mounting, it is straightforward and very simple A couple of bolts at the right spacing does the trick (hint Install the device on a bench or a stand without the rubber feet). There are several cons to this feature During the time it takes for the motor to reach high speed, there is no torque to do any work - even when it is up to speed --the grinder motor is fine once it reaches high speed though. As a matter of fact, my grinder often stalls if it's not running at its best. As well as, it takes quite some time for it to come to a halt once turned off (which is not When I trued the wheels with the Wolverine dresser it took even longer for the car to come to a halt. In spite of being used for a long time, the motor runs relatively hot. If heavy production use is involved, that might be a problem.

After setting up Providing I sharpened ALL the chisels (over a dozen) to a fine, even edge, I was done in about an hour. figured out how much pressure to apply, and how to dip the tools in the water tray appropriately, I found that almost no heat discoloration occurred on my tools (mostly To put the final, mirror-like surface on my products, I use a separate grinder with diamond and stropping leather wheels It is difficult for me to match the finish on my tools, but this grinder does the trick for the vast majority of applications. If you are looking for an inexpensive grinder, one that can put a fine edge on hand tools, such as chisels, lathe chisels, carving tools, etc. , then this grinder is your best option.

Nataly CHAMBERLAIN

| Jul 11, 2021

If you want to save $50 more, just buy a Rikon. Despite the pain and suffering, it was not worthwhile. There is a lack of quality control in general. A copy has been sent to me. On the 120 grit wheel, a large chunk appeared to have fallen off. Shipped from the factory instead of being shipped from the warehouse. I mean it. Hey man, don't be a coward. If you hadn't seen it, you should have. If you need assistance, please call customer support. There is a new one sent out. It takes 4 days to complete. You get the kit and put it together, but the medium grit wheel shakes horribly from side to side. I put the chipped wheel on top. A small amount of wobble is present. I tried it again on the medium grit. Yes, death wobble does exist. The first time I called customer service, I did not check the balance of the wheel before contacting them. I did that! In that case. To Lowes I will go in search of a medium grit wheel since I do not want to wait to get another one for a week. Until I can order a better one or have one sent to me by Wen, I need this to get me through. In this case, the balance is "fairly" There is still something not quite right on the left as I suspect that the wheel shaft may be bent. I dressed the wheels so I no longer have extreme side wobble. I am not tampering with it any more since it is okay. It was not spot on the left side.
As far as quality control is concerned, there were several small things that didn't fit correctly, including a bent guide pin for the tool rest. It's a good thing I don't have to use it since I added a Wolverine jig and don't use the cheapo tool rests in the stock package. I don't understand the point of the plexi eye shields, particularly the one with the magnifying lens. The picture is so distorted you can't make out anything on it. Therefore, that grinder went into the trash and I will either make one from scratch or modify one to make it better. The Wolverine setup is now suited to it. I should have sent it back, but I am into it now after all the fuss. The setup should work without a problem. I mounted it on a Wen grinder stand, which actually worked out fine. It's necessary to mount plywood between the grinder and the stand in order to use the Wolverine setup, as well as a 1/2" or so wood block riser between the grinder base and the plywood platform so the Wolverine pieces are clear of So, that's that. What are the results. You are right. What a waste of time and effort. Not a chance. In view of my opinion, I could have saved a lot of hassle by simply spending an additional $50. The risk is that when you roll the bones on Wen and similar stuff, you can get hurt. The gamble may seem like a good idea at times, but it sometimes turns out to be a bad one. It's not worth it to spend this much time. A brief update It took me about an hour to shimm the wheels that came with it after I spent much time and energy fussing with wheels that were not concentric or did not mount with side runout, including wheels that were not stock. In school, we used to make paper holes to reinforce ring binder holes. In the article I read, some guys use those holes. I did not have them, so I did not have them. Cut a small stack of post it notes into about 1/2" squares and glue them to the glue edge of the cutting board. To get these marks I removed all the covers and rests from the grinder and rotated the wheel by hand while holding the pencil along the inside edge of the cover. I rotated the wheel until the pencil marked an indentation on the side of the grinder that was moving inward. In order to slide a stack of shims in right at the rub, I loosened up the wheel, slid it out as much as I could, and then tightened it up again. It had been tightened down and spun again with a pencil after I had used it until 90 percent of the side wobble was A single piece of post-it note fits over the hole and it only takes two or three to shim it in place. The program now runs like a charm. The results were very good, though not perfect. was able to dress it with a diamond dressing tool using a flat edge style tool, and I was able to get it as close to being perfectly round as possible without having to buy more expensive truing equipment. As a result, it now works as expected.

Irene Jenkins

| Jan 14, 2021

I have several other products from Wen and, like the other ones, this grinder offers great value for the price. For this price, it is an absolute steal for a slow speed grinder of this quality. This was the first product I purchased from Wen, and the first time I dealt with their customer support. There is a lack of funds or rather lack of resources. I received a damaged grinder in the mail. It was too late for me to handle a full return/exchange, as I had an immediate need to return or exchange the item. One of the shrouds and two wheels were broken after it had been dropped so hard that one was bent beyond repair. There was also a bad warp on one of the mounting washers. It was a relief to find the bearings and shaft of the motor were in good shape. The unit has proven to be very durable with that kind of performance. In any case, the shrouds and wheels were unnecessary as I was going to install CBN wheels. Although I did contact Wen about getting several replacement mounting washers, I could not get them. In fact, I was even willing to pay for them rather than rely on my warranty. Over two months ago, that was the day it was delivered. I've sent two emails but have not yet received any response other than an automated reply. . . I have replied. Although UPS have had their way with it, I cannot fault the product because it is still working at its best. Wen tools will still be considered for future purchases, solely with the caveat that I now know for certain I won't be receiving.

Muhammad McConnell

| Aug 17, 2020