Anyone using a Tradesman grinder?

[David Shombert]

I've been eyeing the Tradesman Grinder/CBN wheel setups that's always advertised in the back of our Journal. Ka-ching!! They're expensive! I currently have a 7-inch Baldor/Wolverine setup and it has a couple of drawbacks that I'm growing tired of dealing with. Has anyone here bought a Tradesman setup? If so, how do you like it? Was it worth it?

 

[guy laizure]

I was able to buy a used one with 80 and 180 grit wheels for $475 .It is great setup.No vibration and variable speed.

 

[David Shombert]

I wouldn't be able to pass up a deal like that! If anyone seeing this has one to sell, or knows of a source, please pass it along.

 

[Bill Blasic]

David I'd be interested in hearing what drawbacks you are having trouble with.

 

[David Shombert]

Thanks for the offer, Bill, but it’s hard to explain without pencil & paper and being able to see it. My Baldor is a 7” grinder, and maybe this isn’t a problem on the 6” or 8” models; don’t know about that, but my basic problem is that the grinder’s housing - the part around the wheels, cast iron, of course - is a good bit larger than it needs to be and it interferes with the positioning of the Wolverine system platform. I managed to set it up to my satisfaction when I bought the grinder, nearly thirty years ago, but now I’m contemplating a change to the whole setup that is going to be difficult to implement because of the size of the wheel housing. From what I can tell from pictures, the Tradesman is a lot more compact and easily accommodates what appear to be Veritas tool rests. The guards around the wheels are barely bigger than the wheels themselves; they needn’t be large and bulky because the CBN wheels don’t pose the danger that stone wheels do. The Baldor is a very well-made machine and it’ll probably last longer than I will, but I don’t think they ever imagined that people would want to adapt aftermarket tool rests to it.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Can the Tradesman accomodate the Wolverine & Varigrind jigs?

 

[David Shombert]

Can the Tradesman accomodate the Wolverine & Varigrind jigs?

Yep. I think they mention it on their site, and Packard’s site also mentions it.

 

[Bill Blasic]

David I've seen and used one and they are nice but $1500 is just a lot of loot. Myself I'd buy either the Jet 8" 1 HP (1st choice) or the Rikon 8" 1 HP (2nd choice). Both work very well with the Oneway (or any other for that manner). But if you can afford it the Tradesman is a good one.

 

[robo hippy]

Well, about the Baldor, they are intended for "industrial" use, and like you said, they will probably outlast both of us. I am 75. The housing under the grinder is intended for dust collection. While I do have and use the Wolverine set up, the only way to use it on a Baldor is to either cut off the bottom of that wheel housing, or like me, do all of my sharpening on a platform. I have looked at the Tradesman set up, and for sure, it is a sweet set up. They were originally intended for diamond wheels and sharpening the CNC bits which are carbide. Even a slow speed Baldor is too fast for diamond, and will overheat the diamond and cause them to break down way too fast. You could cut off the wheel housing enough to slip a Wolverine set up under the cut off, save the pieces so some one else can "fix" it after your birth certificate expires.... I have heard of some taking the Baldor grinders and angling the base, tipping it enough to get the Wolverine under the housing. Not sure how that actually works. Oh, if I had the chance to pick one up for $475, I wouldn't hesitate. You might ask them if they have any "factory reconditioned" ones for sale....

robo hippy

 

[Steve Tiedman]

@David Shombert, I've got 20-some years on my 7" Baldor and I know the sentiment. Early on, I backed off the tip of the nose just enough to swing the Varigrind past it. Oh, I massaged the Varigrind, too. No issue since. Baldor makes such good grinders, I wish they weren't priced out of the home/hobby market.

Jacking up the rear of the base a few degrees like robo mentioned, I hadn't thought of that. Should be cognizant of the rubber feet if tipping it.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

I would order the bare tool without the wheels, it is about $400 less expensive.

 

[David Shombert]

I would order the bare tool without the wheels, it is about $400 less expensive.

And buy the wheels somewhere else? Where can I get the wheels for $400 less than what Tradesman sells them for?

 

[Bill Blasic]

David you could easily find cheaper CBN wheels but I suspect that those wheels on that grinder are a quality CBN wheel.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

And buy the wheels somewhere else? Where can I get the wheels for $400 less than what Tradesman sells them for?

I assumed you had CBN wheels already. So yes, it would be more expensive to order the wheels separately if you did not already have them.

 

[robo hippy]

One guy in our club bought an 8 inch Baldor grinder at an estate sale for $100. He ended up selling it because he had another grinder he had spent money on to repair it. I had told him to keep the Baldor and sell the other one, but he didn't listen to me. Heck, I would have bought the Baldor, and probably for more than he sold it for....

robo hippy

 

[Steve Tiedman]

One guy in our club bought an 8 inch Baldor grinder at an estate sale for $100. He ended up selling it because he had another grinder he had spent money on to repair it. I had told him to keep the Baldor and sell the other one, but he didn't listen to me. Heck, I would have bought the Baldor, and probably for more than he sold it for....

robo hippy

 

[David Shombert]

I assumed you had CBN wheels already. So yes, it would be more expensive to order the wheels separately if you did not already have them.

Actually, I do have two CBN wheels, but they’re 7 inch. I guess they’d fit on the Tradesman, but it seems weird. Besides, one of them is 220# which I now think was a mistake - I’d rather have 180#.