Customer Reviews

JET 577102 JBG-8A 8-Inch Bench Grinder

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm very pleased with how smooth this grinder runs. The wheels didn't even need truing which is unusual in a new grinder. The motor is plenty beefy to handle even heavy handed grinding. My only gripe is the insubstantial tool rests. The stock rests would be fine for general garage use, but I use this grinder for chisels and plane irons in my wood shop so I require greater rigidity, more precise angle control, and larger work surfaces. With aftermarket rests this grinder is near perfect.

This grinder is a great compromise between a high end Baldor and the low end grinders with poor bearings, undersized motor, and out of true wheels and arbors.

I just received mine from Amazon. After reading all I could find on 8" bench grinders. I thought I would pay a bit more than the cheaper units and ovoid the usual "made in China hassles" WRONG! Having been a machinist / mechanical engineering, since the late 60's. I new better than to turn it on, before checking it out. One wheel has side wobble of 1/6" and the other an 1/8"! The wheels themselves are not flat. One being worse than the other. The greatest problem is the clamping washers either side of the wheels. They are stamped steel. Not machined and run out "a mile". They have no right being used either side of a grinding wheel. Also the rests faces are angled about 5 to 10° out from the motor shaft centerline. By holding the washers and rotating the wheels, I have the wobble in one cancel out the other, somewhat. Run out of 1/32". I dressed the wheels and ran it. But it will have to go on a stand, if I want to keep hand tools lying on my workbench. So now what? Call the factory and have them send some more junk parts. Return it and try another "made in China" Cough up for a real one at 3 times the price. Or just fix the dam thing myself?

It is the smoothest grinder I have run right out of the box no truing of the wheels or anything I like that the rests are heavy and not the cheep stamped metal you get on a lot of grinders. For the money I think this is a great grinder unless you don't mind spending $400-500 on a Baldor grinder. The motor is strong and doesn't bog down if you are pressing hard when grinding like some cheaper grinders I have used. For my money the jet was a good fit.

I am giving this grinder a 2 star because a 1 star evidently means "I hate it" and that is not the case. Let's just say that for the money it a big dissapointment. Took it out of the box and set it on a table and toggeled the switch to start is rotating and at about 1/4 speed the left inner wheel guard was vibrating. Yep it was loose! So take off the outer wheel guard and the grinding wheel and tighten the screws, opps stripped one out with just a philips head screw driver. Closer examination led to the discovery that the screws were only catching two threads of the "cover". Well the good news is that a 1/4 20 thread cap screw 3/4 long will solve the problem. But why couldn't Jet get it right. This grinder costs way too much for that kind of thing to happen, according to the spec/parts sheet the cap screws are the 1/2 length called for, which can only mean if yours stays together, Hey your lucky!. I felt that if the grinder was a good solid, strong hard worker I could accept that it has no water tray, no light, no wrenches, no truing stone. But when you have to fix it "out of the box" these issues seem to matter now. The Left wheel ran out 1/8 of an inch but I just shimmed it with a piece of sand paper, getting rid of the wobble and was able to dress it up round and it ran very smooth.
I bought this grinder because I wanted to take off the guards and run wire wheels or buffers..which I have not done yet.But it still ticked me off that I had to do a "fix" on it just to bring it up to standard. I feel that those applications need the extra power that this machine is supposed to deliver. In my opinion this grinder is overpowered for running 1 inch 60 and 36 grit wheels. If you have regular home shop type grinding needs Save yourself a whole lot of money by buying the 8 inch Ryobi (has lights and diamond truing stone)and worked well and smooth right out of the box for $60. If you need industrial grinding strength dig deep and buy a real grinder spelled "Baldor"

Works great! Only complaint would be that the stones it comes with are a little finer than I would want and finding coarser replacements is tough. Seems to get a little on the warm side when run for a while though. Very happy with my purchase.

After much research and thought put into this purchase I am so glad that I took the time to do just that because the grinder is axactly the kind I was looking for . It is so powerful and runs so smoothly and is an added asset to my work space in the garage.Ken

Update: I received the second unit shipment in good condition, within a few days (hats off to smooth everything from Amazon). This time, the holes were drilled and tapped. The wheels were only ever-slightly out-of-round... for my piddly round-the-house stuff that's fine. I put on my new DeWalt wire wheel brush, but my install was very much out-of-round, so I simply need a moment to adjust it. Im very happy, particularly with the power (8A).

I bumped up my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars.

>>>Previous Comment>>>: Ok, so I read all the reviews and I ordered the Jet 8".
Amazon handled the order well, and for my return, as described below. I expected wobble-wheels, and lo I got that on both - 1/8". The cast iron housings and tool rests are rough, but industrial. Now for the unexpected... the bolt holes in the right wheel guard were not drilled and tapped! I re-read the reviews... that was a new one apparently, so I thought I'd add. Also, the motor was slightly askew from the cast iron base. Now for the positives. I love the power 8A grounded, the "heavy duty", and the shields. This thing really whips at super-fast rpm once up and running (but vibrates from wobble). Takes roughly (50sec) to slow to a stop.
I sent the entire unit back (courtesy simple process from Amazon), and I expect to receive a new one early next week, no hassles. I checked out Baldor, but I dont need perfection quite that badly as-yet. Maybe soon, but not just yet. Im still banking on a slightly better second new unit. Stand by.

This grinder replaced an old heavy duty grinder that we have had for many years. I was afraid that I would not be able to get the same quality product.

The Jet worked great right out of the box. It is much smoother than our old one and seems to have more power even though the rating is the same. We are using this grinder in a small engine shop to sharpen mower blades etc. We have been using it for about a month.

I have used one of these for the professionally making medieval armour.
it has ground stainless and titanium day after day with not issue for the last 15 years... until I ran an unbalanced 10 inch composite wheel and put a wobble in one arm. it still works great but since one side if now off true it vibrates when I have a wheel on it. I am still using it and used ti today but since I need both sides I am due for another one.
I cannot give my Jet grinder enough thanks for its years of great service.
sirmrks KSCA

The only thing that I noticed which really does not matter to me but may bother someone else, is that the grinder is actually white in color. It is not gray like one of the pictures in the ad indicates and also the picture on the box itself.