Customer Reviews

DELTA GR250 Shopmaster 6-Inch Bench Grinder with Lamp

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've had a GR250 for slightly longer than the warranty period. In this time, I've only used it for a few hours, probably less than FIVE! The only use I had for a grinder was establishing a quick hollow grind on edge tools. The stock tool rests stink, so I had it set up on an MDF base with a Veritas rest.

Recently, I took up turning, so I've needed to use a grinder more. As soon as I started using the GR250 for serious work, I found excessive runout in the _shafts_, which no stone truing or balancing can correct. Also, my variable speed quit, and the grinder will no longer run at anything other than full speed.

Need a good grinder? Spend the cash for a Baldor or equivalent, 'cause this isn't a precision machine.

I have several Delta machines, including a DJ-20 and X5 Bandsaw, and have noticed that the quality of lower priced Delta products has really hit the wall over the last few years. Other than paint, marketing and advertising, I see no difference in quality between this unit and some of the $29-39 Chiwanese imports.

Last point - the design of the base on this unit prevents a OneWay Wolverine jig from being mounted underneath the wheels.

I JUST RECEIVED MY NEW GRINDER AND AFTER AN HOUR OF ASSEMBLY AND A VISIT TO THE HARDWARE STORE I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY USE IT . BOTH THREADED HOLES FOR THE SPARK SHIELDS WERE NOT THREADED CORRECTLY AND HAD TO RETAPPED TO ACCEPT THE BOLTS THAT WERE ALSO POORLY THREADED WHICH I ENDED UP REPLACING . I KNOW DELTA IS TRYING TO BE COST EFFICIENT IN SELLING TOOLS THAT REQUIRE SOME ASSEMBLY BUT I THINK IT WOULD TAKE LONGER TO WRAP EACH PART IN ITS INDIVIDUAL BAG THEN ACTUALLY SCREWING IT ON TO THE MACHINE .
UPON USING THE GRINDER , I FOUND THE MACHINE TO BE WELL BALANCED AND QUIET . THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT THAT I HAVE IS THE TOOLREST FOR THE SLOW WHITE WHEEL HAS A HUGE SKEWED RECCESS IN IT TO ALLOW FOR DRILL BIT SHARPENING . THIS UNEVEN AREA PREVENTS YOU FROM HOLDING A CHISEL FLAT ON THE REST AND THE WHEEL AND HAS A TENDENCY FOR THE TOOL TO FALL IN THE SLOT . TOO MUCH ENGINEERING AND NOT ANY PRACTICAL THINKING .OVERALL , A GOOD TOOL , GOOD WHEELS, AND THE VARIABLE SPEED MAKES IT WORTH BUYING

Before buying this tool I found myself in a common predicament - I needed a grinder with some decent features and I didn't have a lot to spend on it. That being said, I chose this model for the following high points:

1. It has variable speed - mine has worked flawlessly thus far, but I use it at the lowest speed 80% of the time anyway.

2. The worklight is a huge plus - no more straining to see because you are in too much of a hurry to set up a proper light.

3. The combination of white and grey wheels - the "white" wheel does a great job of fine tuning the work done by the "grey" wheel.

Now for the downsides:

1. There is a fair amount of runout in the motor shaft. This doesn't affect what I use this thing for, but I can see where it would be a big issue for some.

2. The tool rests are terrible. If you mount them as instructed there is no way to get them square to the wheels. I had to shim the edges of the mounting brackets with thick washers to come anywhere close to square...

All of that said, I feel that this is not a terrible tool for what it is. I had no problems with assembly (10 minutes) and I find the power of the motor to be very adequate. If Delta were charging $20 less for this thing I would readily give it another star...

I was hesitant to buy this item after reading one of the other reviews regarding how difficult the setup was due to bolts and fasteners being tapped poorly or wrong. I have to say the setup took me 5 minutes. There were 6 small bolts, and 4 threaded knobs. Everything went together just fine, and the whole thing took about 5 minutes. I purchased this model over others because of the variable speed option and the sharpening wheel. I had a tough time justifying the added expense for the variable speed, but feel it will be worth it in the long run. A $30 premium for that feature seems a bit steep. I plan to use it to sharpen my mower blades, chisels, and general shop cleaning, polishing, and sharpening. It should be fine for the moderate use I plan. I would have gone for the DeWalt if I felt I would be using it for heavy duty or commercial type use. Nice overall, but the price premium is what takes away the 5th star.

I just bought a new lathe and needed a grinder to sharpen the wood turning tools. I picked this grinder for cost and features. I liked the variable speed. The light on the grinder is a big plus. The grinder came undamaged and the joy to use until about the third time I turned it on. The variable speed control stopped working. The grinder was stuck at its top speed. I returned it and got my money back. I have a few Delta tools in my shop and haven't had too many issues with them.

This problem is overcome by placeing a washer between the 2 surfaces

I ordered this from amazon and it arrived promptly and i am satisfied up to this point. I didn't realize the many uses it has and have found that a decent grinder is a must have in any shop. I know a lot people find the "shopmaster" to be of less quality but some of my power tools such as a compressor i picked up at lowes has performed well for my pneumatic tools and the line is still a good product to own. I am new at woodworking and can't say i have owned many different brands of tools. I do have some delta industrial tools as well and both the shopmaster and inustrial line have performed well. I also own the gr050 wet/dry grinder and it has been useful as well. Depending on your purpose this grinder is a fine edition but if you need a more industrial grinder look to their delta industrial line or other brands. All in all i am satisfied with its performance. Price and speed of delivery were excellent.
thanks