Pic of my HF tool grinder

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I couldn't help myself, just had to get this. It was on sale for $120. The sucker is heavy, about 100 lbs. Even the water trays are cast iron. They must like cast iron in China.  Attached Images
Reply:Mike, Looks just like my Baldor carbide grinder. A few questions for you...how good are the wheels and what type are they, does this grinder have a motor reverse switch like the Baldors? That ought to do me for awhile.
Reply:I was looking at those. Yes the motor does reverse.
Reply:That looks very nice for th eprice!  Have you had a chance to use it much?  How does it do?Do you have the HF Part number for it?
Reply:Mike W,That HF grinder is so close to being my Baldor that it is spooky. Heading down to Texas in a week or so to visit friends and family and know of several HF stores along the route. While I don't need a second carbide grinder it does look like it might be a good idea to stop in just to see what is now available. Haven't had a HF catalog in some months.
Reply:I have that and love it.  Only had it about 3 weeks now, but as mentioned, is very heavy and actually seems like it's decently made.
Reply:I took the wheels off to give them "the ring like a bell test". Does that work the same with the steel back cup wheels? They were labeled 80 grit. Now since they are the green type, do I need to get a different type to grind HSS?When I had the wheels off, I checked the runout of the flanges and didn't detect any with a dial indicator. The tables will rotate +/- 45 degrees. The motor housing is machined cast iron. I haven't used it yet; I just turned it on and stayed out of the way.
Reply:Tony, the model # is 46727. You can download the manual from HF.
Reply:Mike W,  You will need a different set of wheels for HSS as the green wheels are formulated for carbide and will be ruined if used for anything but carbide. Its a bit hard to find other than green wheels to fit the arbors of this grinder. One place to try is ENCO who had them the last time I looked. Sorry I can't give you any indication as to their value or quality as I've only used my Baldor for carbide and grind everything else on the other bench grinders up at the shop.
Reply:This is interesting. I looked at a MSC catalog tonight. On page 1472 they have a Baldor for $786. It is the same grinder. It doesn't come with the wheels. They are $43 each. McMaster Carr has one on page 2489 for $758.02. MSC has another one that is not reversable for $268.73. It looks the same except for maybe the base where the switch is. Go HF
Reply:A few weeks back there was a piece on 60 Minutes where they were exposing the Chinese Knockoffs.  The Chinese official they talked to explained that when a manufacturer comes to Fhina to have his product made he has to expect that product to be knocked off and marketed.When you look at these grinders you have to wonder, are they the rejects from quality control, or has China just ripped off another product?Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Back in my previous life in Uncle Sams Canoe Club. The Ammunition ship I was on made a port call in Pusan Korea. We went shopping at the local "Mall". The stores were full of Addidas, and other brand name stuff. They said that the factories made export stuff during the day. After regular hours they made the same stuff for local consumption. I bought a bunch of stuff and brought it back for Christmas gifts. At that time we had a big Softball competition between the Wardroom and the Chiefs Mess. They always beat us, but we had them convinced that the winner bought the beer. Anyway I don't remember the brand, but I bought a Left hand top of the line, Name brand Softball glove for a couple of bucks.
Reply:Hey, I was in Korea with the USN in 71. I was stationed in Seoul. I bought 4 sets of American made drills downtown, still have them. Also got a Snap On torque wrench for like 5 bucks..
Reply:Even more interesting I picked up an old Colt SAA "Artillery model" revolver, made in 1883. It was originally government issue. The guy I got it from said that He got from his Father in law. The father in law told me He picked in up while in the Army in Korea, from a Korean National. I sure would like to find out the history on that.
Reply:Yeah, that would be neat. I picked up a alum oxide wheel locally today. $56 bucks, 1/2 the cost of the grinder. At least it is made by Norton.
Reply:Mike W,   To lower your costs for grinding you are going to have to bite the bullet some time in the future and purchase a regular bench grinder. This Baldor clone is a great carbide grinder, but for HSS and other non-carbide grinding it will take wheels not generally offered in this arbor size. They are available, as you've found out at $56, but at a higher price than the same wheel sized for a regular 6"-10" bench grinder's arbor. I'm afraid that the design of your new carbide grinder isn't optimized for much other than carbide grinding. To use this machine for other work is going to be costly and still be design restricted as to what it will be able to handle efficiently.
Reply:Hi Wyoming, I have a few other grinders to play with. I like the ability of the tilting tables with the HF. I repaired some chipped tools today. I wish I lived in your state.
Reply:Mike W, There are benefits to living here as there probably are benefits of any given location. We are lucky enough, for now, to have no state income tax, low property taxes and, if you don't count crime per capita, low crime rates. Still, with under half a million population, the sheep out number us and end-to-end shipping rates are unknown here. Also, its best if you enjoy outdoor activities as "cultural" event are few and far between. It is nice to be able to listen to the local Crimestoppers program offering a reward for information for anyone knowing who jacked Aunt Martha's battery out of her 4x4 while she was in playing Monster Bingo instead of the latest megamurder elsewhere. While visiting my mom down in Texas she was telling me what a nice little town she had moved to. Picked up the Sunday copy of the Dallas Morning Herald (?) the next day for the advertisements and noticed the front page story was the anniversary of the multiple murders at the local Blockbuster video store there in Ennis where all the employees were herded into the backroom and killed. Couldn't wait to get back to the safe confines of WY.
Reply:That sounds like a nice place to live. I am flat stuck in Kalifornia because of the job. Maybe I can take a trip up your way one of these days.
Reply:Mike W,   If you do head out to this neck of the woods I would recommend that you either rent a car or get your licence tags swapped out for any state besides California as quickly as possible. As with many of the Western states, Wyoming natives are not all that thrilled to see the influx of Californians. Its sad to say, but the locals don't like seeing their property taxes raised because of the new arrivals demanding services that the natives have always taken for granted as being their own responsibility to provide for themselves.   A good example, although it is not a service offered...several years ago the wife and I purchased retirement property over in a subdivision near the South Dakota border in the Black Hills. As all the lots were 40 acres or more, most of the owners pastured horses or livestock of some sort. A Californian property owner in this subdivision phoned the local Sheriff's office to demand that something be done about his neighbor's horses roaming his property. When the Sheriff informed him that Wyoming was a "fence out" state and it was his responsibility to keep the neighbor's livestock off his property and not his neighbor's the owner decided that he didn't need to own property in Wyoming anymore....sold his property to a couple from Illinois.  Why do I know this...everyone was glad to see the Californian depart though I doubt that even a third of the owners had ever met the individual face to face.  While it is a nice state I never said we weren't bigoted in some way or another.  Just as every state has its benefits each also has its tawdy little secrets.   By the way, after a Wyoming winter or two and the frustration of trying to gain much of anything through the ballot box, we lose a lot of ex-Californians each spring. I've been up here for 25 years now and will never be considered anything but a new arrival. Since I live in a country that is known as being demographically made up of new arrivals, and the licence tags reflect that as well, I can look forward to having the locals in other counties display less than warm greetings to me if I should meet them on the road, roll down my window and ask directions. Sure you want to come out for a visit now?
Reply:Hmmmn.......sure not with Calif tags. I agree that people from Calif move to other states and mess things up. But they are the ones from LA and San Fran. If we could get rid of them, this state would be a lot better.
Reply:You ain't seen nothin till you see how well "people" from NY City area can screw up land and country.  Just check with the guys living in Florida.Apple Rotters from the Big Apple even know how to vote in 2 states during Presidential elections.  They also know very well what services are to be provided to them by the government, and have lawyers who will enforce their demands.If any of them arrive in Wyoming, feel free to employ the 3 S problem solving technique.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Wyoming-How do you catch a horse that is turned out to roam, if you don't have a horse at home to get on and go find'em?
Reply:pjt, First off let me say that I do not write the laws or even agree with many of them here in Wyoming. That said, let me also say that catching a roaming horse has absolutely nothing to do with the "fence out" law here in Wyoming. What it does require is that if a land owner DOES NOT wish to have open range livestock on his property than it is his responsibility to fence out said livestock.If you feel the need for further explanation I'll hunt up the Big Chief and a Sharpie and maybe I'll be able to work up a clear enough picture for you.  That fellow from California figured it out over the telephone without much extra credit work on his part.
Reply:Mike W,  Don't start apologizing for members of your state that others don't like, or even you don't like for that matter. As I said before...each state has benefits as each has tawdry little secrets. A Wyoming licence tag with 17 county will get you only just a bit further than a California tag in many places in the state. You don't have to like it, but it is better to know about it before reality sets in.I just found this on one of the machining boards, and figured I'd better put it here for the owners of HF grinders.  Aparently there is a problem if you aren't careful operating the switch that will blow hell out of the windings.It could be a "refurb". I've taken two back in the last 2 months. These are great machines for the price BUT you have to watch the on-off-on switch very carfully. They should have made the direction switch separate from the on-off. If you accidently rock the switch too far going to the off position, It will BLOW something inside. Result is one dead grinder. I didn't realize it had happened until the next time I went to use it. It just made an awful buzz and popped a circuit breaker. As soon as I get enough nerve to show my face in the store again, I'll get another and mod it with separate switches.Appreciation Gains You Recognition-
Reply:Maybe they designed the switch that way on purpose to sell more grinders. I am going to change mine to a two switch operation. I did get an aluminum oxide wheel and found out the the left side arbor nut is right handed. It should be left handed like a typical grinder would be. The USA wheel is slightly larger in diameter and was rubbing on the guard. I had to take it off to grind a little more clearance. The new wheel was half the cost of the whole grinder.
Reply:Wyoming...So, whats a 40 acre parcel in your state cost...?
Reply:John Pen, Haven't kept up on prices since purchasing around six years back. At that time it was $1500 an acre. There were many factors that drove the price up to this level. The subdivision is located off the first exit on I-90 west of South Dakota's high taxes.  Spring on the land. Twenty miles to the nearest emergency room, which is quite close in comparison to many other locations. Limited number of neighbors.Gave up keeping track of land prices fairly soon after purchasing. About four years ago the prices for the same land without a spring had gone up to $2250. Not sure if it has gone up, down or sideways since then. Primary reason for the purchase was the large amount of acreage...we purchased 55.9 acres. The wife and I figured that by the time we became too old to live out there it would be even more difficult to find acreages for sale in this size range. There might be plenty of 5-10 acre plots, but larger lots should probably bring a premium.As far as state property prices...if it is close in enough to work a mine job the price will be higher than this. If it doesn't lie within the Black Hills, Big Horns or one of the other ranges, but is located on some of Wyoming bleaker areas than the $1500 would be far too high a price to pay.