Bench grinders are essential in workshops and garages, serving various purposes like sharpening blades and polishing metal. Selecting the appropriate one, considering factors like power and wheel size, is key for both pros and DIYers to enhance efficiency and accuracy in their tasks. Understanding these aspects is crucial for optimal selection.
Important Considerations
- Power: Bench grinders vary in power, typically from 1/3 to 1 horsepower. Higher power enables efficient handling of tough grinding tasks. Aim for a grinder with 3/4 to 1 horsepower for versatile performance.
- Wheel Size and Material: Bench grinders feature wheel diameters ranging from 6 to 10 inches. Larger wheels offer more grinding surface for quicker material removal. Also, consider the wheel material; aluminum oxide suits general grinding, while silicon carbide is better for tool sharpening.
- Construction and Durability: Choose a bench grinder made of durable materials like cast iron or heavy-duty steel for longevity. A sturdy build ensures stability and reduces vibrations, enhancing safety and efficiency during use.
For a detailed exploration of these factors and a complete “Buying Guide”, refer to the full article.
Best Bench Grinders Table
| Bench Grinder | Motor Power | Wheel Size | Warranty | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wen Bench Grinder | 2.1 amp | 6 inch | 2 year | Check On Amazon |
| Dewalt Bench Grinder | 4.2 amp | 8 inch | 3 year | Check On Amazon |
| Rikon Bench Grinder | 3 amp | 8 inch | 5 year | Check On Amazon |
| Bucktool Bench Grinder | 3.1 amp | 8 inch | 1 year | Check On Amazon |
| Jet Bench Grinder | 4.1 amp | 8 inch | 2 year | Check On Amazon |
| Delta Bench Grinder | 5 amp | 8 inch | 5 year | Check On Amazon |
| Woodskil Bench Grinder | 2.8 amp | 6 inch | 2 year | Check On Amazon |
| Genesis Bench Grinder | 2.1 amp | 8 inch | 2 year | Check On Amazon |
8 Best Bench Grinders Reviews
1.Wen Bench Grinder 
WEN is known for making affordable and budget power tools of all kinds, including a bench grinder for users who are on a budget.
The WEN 4276 bench grinder is present in the 1st position in this article as it is the cheapest option present here. Although, unlike other budget bench grinder options out there, this offers various handy things to the user. As a result, you get a high value for money with this bench grinder as it is decently powerful for a lot of users with its 6-inch grinding wheel size. It also means that the overall form factor of this bench grinder is quite small and compact.
As for its electric motor, it uses a 2.1 amp electric motor that is to be expected for the given price. This motor offers a decent motor speed rating of 3450 RPM that should be more than enough for the given grinding wheel size. Even though this is a budget bench grinder, you still get a 2-year long warranty with it that is always great to have. That being said, its build quality could have been certainly better.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 2.1 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 6 inch
- Motor speed rating of 3450 rounder per minute
- 2-year long warranty
- Small and compact form factor
- 40-watt power consumption rating
Pros
- Affordable price tag with various features for a high value for money
- Offers decent performance for a small and compact bench grinder
- Easy to use controls for adjusting grinding wheel speed
Cons
- Average build quality
- Motor could have been slightly more powerful
2. Dewalt Bench Grinder
Dewalt is one of the oldest brands of power tools out there that is known for making powerful and heavy-duty power tools of all sorts.
Dewalt’s DW758 bench grinder is present in the 2nd position in this article as it is one of the most powerful options present in this article. This is due to the reason that it offers a highly powerful 4.2 amp electric motor for powering its grinding wheel. As a result, you get a high 3600 RPM motor speed with this grinder wheel. And it offers this along with a large 8-inch grinding wheel size.
Since Dewalt is known to be quite reputable, you also get a 3-year long warranty with this bench grinder. Its build quality ensures that you can keep using it for a long time without facing any issues. Unfortunately, this bench grinder is on the larger side and quite heavy as well. It is large because of the 12 ½ inch distance between its two grinding wheels for ergonomics and ease of use.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 4.2 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 8 inch
- Motor speed rating of 3600 rounds per minute
- 3-year long warranty
- Great build quality for longevity
- 12 ½ inch distance between two grinding wheels
Pros
- One of the best performing bench grinder models
- Offers easy to use controls for easily adjusting grinding wheel speeds
- Powerful and efficient 4.2 amp electric motor for a proper balance
Cons
- Quite large and bulky bench grinder
3. Rikon Power Tools, Bench Grinder
You can find a wide range of power tool options from Rikon that are highly durable and reliable, just like its bench grinder model.
The Rikon bench grinder is the most durable and reliable option present in this article that is much better than all other options out there. This is possible due to the fact that it offers a 5-year long warranty to the user for peace of mind. You also get an excellent build quality with it that is great for longevity. You get all of this without paying an extra premium price.
Talking about its performance, you get a large 8-inch grinding wheel in this bench grinder. This grinding wheel can easily perform at decent speeds with the help of its 3 amp electric motor. Unfortunately, this electric motor has a high power consumption that can be an issue for a lot of users out there. It’s motor speed rating is also quite low at just 1750 RPM.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 3 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 8 inch
- Motor speed rating of 1750 rounds per minute
- 5-year long warranty
- Excellent build quality for peace of mind
Pros
- Most durable and reliable bench grinder present here
- Good performing 3 amp electric motor
- Small and compact design with 2 grinding wheels for high flexibility
Cons
- Low motor speed rating of 1750 RPM
- High power consumption electric motor
4. Bucktool Bench Grinder 
When compared with other bench grinders and their brands mentioned in this article, Bucktool is a much smaller brand that makes powerful models.
Bucktool’s bench grinder is one of the more premium bench grinder models out there. It uses a 60 grit and a 120 grit oxide wheel that reduces heat build-up. Both of these grinding wheels have a large size of 8 inches that is more than enough for most users out there. You also get a 3.1 amp electric motor in this bench grinder that is quite similar to the Rikon bench grinder mentioned earlier in this article.
A great thing about this bench grinder is that it has various adjustment options that ensure that you move and change things as per your needs. Unfortunately, this one is nowhere as reliable as the Rikon bench grinder. Not only is the build quality on the average side, but you only get a 1-year warranty with it. This also makes this bench grinder quite expensive when compared with similar options out there.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 3.1 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 8 inch
- Motor speed rating of 3450 rounds per minute
- 1-year long warranty
- Multiple adjustments for flexibility and precision usage
- Small and compact form factor for ease of use
Pros
- Silent and efficient ½ HP electric motor
- Great performing 8-inch grinding wheels
- Highly stable with case aluminum base and support structure
Cons
- Only a 1-year long warranty
- Build quality could have been much better
- Highly expensive price tag for the given features
5. Jet Bench Grinder
Jet is another brand of power tools that is quite small and new in comparison to others that also make similar bench grinder options.
This Jet 578008 bench grinder can be a great pick for a lot of users out there who are looking for a highly powerful model. It offers a highly powerful 4.1 amp electric motor to the user that should be more than enough for most users out there. Just per its name, this electric motor powers a large 8-inch grinding wheel for optimum performance.
Just like most other options out there, you get a 1-year long warranty with this 1 HP electric motor. While the build quality offered by this bench grinder is quite decent, it is slightly large and bulky, and that is something that you should keep in your mind. It uses heavy-duty cast iron construction for peace of mind.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 4.1 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 8 inch
- 1 HP electric motor
- 2-year long warranty
- Cast iron base for extra stability
- Efficient and silent electric motor for silent operation
- Comes with CUS and CSA safety certifications
Pros
- Offers great performance from 4.1 amp electric motor
- Large grinding wheel for heavy-duty applications
- Easy to use bench grinder with simple control scheme and options
Cons
- A bit on the larger and heavier side
- Slightly higher price tag
6. Delta Bench Grinder
If you are familiar with powerful and heavy-duty power tools, then you must have heard about Delta Power Tools, as it also makes a highly powerful bench grinder.
The Delta Power Tools 23-197 bench grinder is the most powerful option present in this article. This is possible due to its large-sized grinding wheel. It uses an equally powerful electric motor for power that is rated at 5 amps. Due to this, you can go up to 3400 RPM motor speed while using the 30 grit and 60 grit grinding wheels offered by this bench grinder that is more than enough even for industrial and heavy-duty usage.
Another great thing about this bench grinder is that it is highly durable and reliable. It offers an excellent build quality that means that this bench grinder can easily last for a long time. You also get a 5-year long warranty with it that is the best when compared with various other bench grinder models out there. Its inbuilt water tray allows you to use fluid coolant along with it to get proper performance without any overheating issues.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 5 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 8 inch
- Motor speed rating of 3400 rounds per minute
- 5-year long warranty
- Excellent build quality for longevity
- Inbuilt water tray for ease of use
Pros
- Best performing bench grinder present in this article
- Highly durable and reliable option with a 5-year long warranty
- Inbuilt shield and water tray for ease of use while using coolant
Cons
- A bit on the expensive side
- Grit could have been better
7. Woodskil Bench Grinder
Woodskil 2.8Amp 1/2HP 6-Inch High-Speed Bench Grinder that has completely changes grinding and sharpening tasks. Its powerful motor spins at 3450RPM, makes work lightning fast and efficient. Plus, the two aluminum oxide wheels offer different grits for all grinding needs.
Stability is key, and this bench grinder delivers. The steel base keeps it rock solid, so there is no wobbling or shaking while working. It has reliable and sturdy tool.
Safety is a top priority, and this grinder does not disappoint. It comes with transparent eye shields and spark arrestors, protecting from debris and sparks. I feel confident and secure using it.
As someone who enjoys working in your home workshop, this bench grinder has become a must-have. It has improved the precision and speed of projects in all ways. Once you try it, you will not want to go back.
Best Features
- Powerful 2.8-Amp motor
- 3450RPM high speed
- 36-grit and 60-grit aluminum oxide wheels
- Pre-drilled rigid steel base
- Transparent eye shields and spark arrestors
- 2-year warranty
Pros
- Fast and efficient grinding
- Wide range of grits for coarse and fine grinding
- Wobble-free grinding experience
- Protection from flying debris
- Long-lasting durability
Cons
- Not cordless
- No dust collection system
- Can be noisy
8. Genesis Bench Grinder
At the end of this article, we have Genesis, which is another power tools brand that should be considered before buying a bench grinder.
Genesis’ GBG800L offers a decent performance when compared with other similar options out there. Just per its name, it offers a large-sized 8-inch grinding wheel to the user. This wheel is powered by a 2.1 amp electric motor. While it could have been certainly better, you cannot expect more at this given price tag.
As you would expect from any other budget offering, it comes with a 2-year long warranty. Thankfully, its build quality is quite great for the given price tag and offers decent strength. Its ½ HP electric motor is quite silent and reliable.
Best Features
- Motor power rating of 2.1 amps
- Grinding wheel size of 8 inch
- ½ HP electric motor
- 2-year long warranty
- Small and compact design
- Decent build quality for peace of mind
Pros
- Large-sized bench grinder for a budget price
- Decent build quality for the price
- Good performance from the 8-inch wheel and ½ HP motor
Cons
- A bit on the expensive side
- Grit could have been better
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Bench Grinder
When choosing a bench grinder for your workshop or garage, it’s important to consider a few key factors. A bench grinder is essential for tasks like sharpening blades and shaping metal, so making the right choice matters. Let’s explore the key factors that should guide your decision.
1. Power and Motor Size
When choosing a bench grinder, one key factor to consider is the power and motor size. Bench grinders usually come with different horsepower ratings, where higher horsepower means more grinding power. It’s important to think about the tasks you’ll be doing with the grinder. If you’ll be handling heavier-duty jobs, a higher horsepower motor might be necessary for the best performance.
2. Wheel Size and Material
The size and material of the wheels are super important for how well your grinder works. Bench grinders usually have wheels that are 6 to 10 inches across. Bigger wheels give you more space to grind and work best for bigger pieces. Also, think about what the wheels are made of, like aluminum oxide or silicon carbide. This affects how long they last and what jobs they’re good for.
3.Speed Settings
The rotation speed of grinding wheels is important for getting the results you want. Bench grinders come with variable speed settings, so you can change the rotation speed for different materials and tasks. Faster speeds work well for sharpening tools and precise grinding, while slower speeds are better for heavy grinding jobs.
4. Durability and Construction
Choosing a durable bench grinder is important for its lasting performance. Look for ones made of strong materials like cast iron or heavy-duty steel, as they provide better stability and durability. Also, check the quality of essential parts like the motor, bearings, and housing to ensure it works reliably for a long time.
5. Adjustable Tool Rests
It’s crucial to choose bench grinders with adjustable tool rests. These rests help stabilize your workpieces, ensuring accurate results. Look for models with easily adjustable rests to accommodate different grinding angles and workpiece sizes. This feature not only improves precision but also enhances safety by reducing the risk of slips or accidents while grinding.
6. Eye Shields and Spark Deflectors
Eye shields and spark deflectors are essential for your safety when grinding. Look for bench grinders with sturdy, adjustable eye shields. These shields should offer clear vision while protecting your eyes from flying debris. Spark deflectors are also crucial. They prevent sparks from causing accidents or igniting flammable materials in your workspace.
7. Tool Jigs and Attachments
Choose a model that offers tool jigs and attachments to broaden what you can do with it. Tool jigs help you sharpen tools accurately every time, while attachments let you handle different tasks like honing, polishing, or shaping metal. Having these extras makes your bench grinder more useful, saving you time and effort on various projects.
8. Noise Level and Vibration
It’s crucial to assess both the noise level and vibration of a grinder. Opt for models that are sturdy in construction and equipped with mechanisms to minimize vibration. Choosing a grinder that operates quietly and with minimal vibration enhances comfort during use, reduces hand fatigue, and promotes more precise grinding.
9. Safety Features
Prioritize safety when utilizing bench grinders. Opt for units equipped with safety attributes such as adjustable tool rests, eye shields, and spark deflectors. These features maintain stability, shield against debris, and reduce the risk of accidents, ensuring a safer working environment.
How to Use a Bench Grinder?
One can easily gain expertise or skill on its usage with a bit of practice. All you need is steady hands and precision to make it use correctly. Or else, you may sharpen the tools in the wrong way or make oddly or uneven shaped workpieces. Ensure to wear proper work gear like safety goggles or gloves before starting a bench grinder.
It is essential to know the type of wheel you need to use for your task. Usually, wheels vary in coarseness levels, which makes them suitable for various applications. After determining the required wheel, you need to turn on the bench grinder and wait till it starts rotating at its maximum speed.
Then pick an item or object you are looking to grind by getting in contact with the spinning wheel. Ensure to maintain at an acute angle to the wheel – 25° or 30°. Initially, avoid pushing or bringing the object too close to the wheel. Now move the object slowly towards the wheel, so that you won’t end up overdoing it.
While grinding the metal, the grinder tends to get hot in the process, and this heat might damage the tool or object, which is quite essential for proper usage of the bench grinder. So, you have to keep a pot or bowl of water handy to stop the grinding often and dip the tool into water.
If dealing with small objects, make sure to use pliers to hold them to prevent fingers from getting close to the spinning wheel. Also, it is a bit difficult to handle small objects while wearing work gloves. So, prefer to use pliers for a better grip over those small objects/items.
While sharpening the tool’s blunt edge, the sparks will fly downwards. Alternatively, the sparks will fly upwards when the tool gets sharp enough.
Mounting Tips of a Bench Grinder
If there is a space available on the workbench, most people like to mount a new bench grinder to keep them stable when smoothing or sharpening the parts and tools. Generally, bench grinders are heavier, which means bolting them to worktable within the holes given in their base is ideal.
Here are some tips that let you know how to mount a bench grinder properly.
- Locate the bench grinder where you want to place it on the workbench.
- Mark all the four base holes of the grinder on the workbench by using a pencil.
- Then use a drill machine to drill through those pencil marks.
- Insert bolts via its base holes, and you drilled holes in the workbench to attach the bench grinder. Finally, secure the bolts in place with provided nuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans: One should know for what a bench grinder is used before they invest in it. Even though it is not an essential tool for DIYers, yet it is a more versatile tool that can be used in various applications (beyond your thinking).
Apart from grinding down metals, they can be used to sharpen tools, polish or buff metal, cut metal or wood, remove hardened grunge or dirt from tools, remove rust, smooth & shape the edges of metal or wood, and be used on craftworks like model building or jewelry making.
Ans: For a razor-sharp edge on the kitchen knives, the best to use a medium-fine 60-grit wheel.
Ans: Shaping, grinding and buffing metal is the main purpose to use this bench grinder, but you can use this power tool on wood as well. With the usage of the right wheel, you can easily use a bench grinder to cut, shape, sand, smooth, buff, or polish a wide range of wood varieties. Keep in mind that not to use a bench grinder for very softwoods. They are best to use on hard materials.
Ans: Usually, a bench grinder has two wheels to increase the tool’s versatility. Here the grinder with one grinding/sanding wheel having a light-medium grit is used for light sanding tasks, whereas the other grinding/sanding wheel having a medium-coarse grit is used for tougher grinding works.
However, there are various wheels available for these tools, of which some are specialized. You can switch to use one or both of these wheels for a coarser or finer grit, a buffing wheel for polishing, a wire wheel for cleaning or shaping metal, a cutting wheel for metal or wood cutting, specialized wheels for cutting or grinding stone and a specialized wheel for cutting gemstones.
Ans: Bench grinders are mainly used to sharpen and polish with their two wheels, in which they can be changed to do various tasks. For example, swap out a solid wheel with a metal brush/wire wheel to clear rust from tools. They are restricted to metal and has to remain fix to their surface.
Belt sanders come with two drums on which a sanding belt is stretched, and they are mostly used on softer materials like plastic. Its speed will damage the material while not used carefully. Thus, using this to sharpen the tool will cause them to overheat quickly and thereby damages the tool.
Ans: It is a must to bolt down the grinder on a worktable or bench. Or else they tend to strongly vibrate while the grinding wheel turns at a high speed. So, you have to secure the grinder with the provided bolts for its efficient working.
Ans: Angle grinders look like a lightweight sibling to these bench grinders. Yet, not powerful as bench grinders, these are portable and can hold one to make it more accurate. Due to its versatility, there are over 100 different uses of angle grinders. The single wheel is another key difference, as you need to switch wheels more frequently on angle grinders, which means it lets you cut and shape metal or remove paint from large surfaces with ease.
Ans: A bench grinder with a 6-inch diameter is designed for DIYers for multi-functional usage (like to sharpen, grind, polish and repair various gears). While an 8-inch diameter grinder is meant to use for professionals who perform complicated grinding tasks/applications.
Though the 8-inch bench grinder wheel runs slower, it needs fewer wheel changes than a 6-inch grinder, which means 8-inch require less maintenance, yet expensive than 6-inch models.
Conclusion
Whether you want to sharpen a knife or sand down a given surface, a bench grinder is a highly powerful tool to do so. These offer highly powerful electric motors for powering their large grinding wheels without any issues.
You can learn more about the best bench grinders listed above in this article since we have even mentioned their major features and options. You can also find a detailed buying guide in there that will take you through the various important aspects and factors of such bench grinders. If you are still confused, then you can pick up a bench grinder from our recommendations:
- The Delta bench grinder is the most powerful option present in this article. It comes with a highly powerful 5 amp electric motor that is more than enough for powering its 8-inch grinding wheel. You even get a 5-year long warranty with it.
- But if you just want a highly reliable and durable bench grinder without paying a lot of money, then you can go with the Rikon bench grinder. Apart from offering a 5-year long warranty, you also get an excellent build quality with it that should easily last for a long time.
- You can also consider the WEN 4276 bench grinder if you are on a budget as it is the cheapest option mentioned in this article. Even though it is an affordable option, you get a 2-year long warranty with its 6-inch grinding wheel that is powered by a 2.1 amp motor.
Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments section. You can also post any questions down there if you have any!
