Craftsman Professional Variable Speed 8" Bench Grinder (21162)

bearing failure within 1-1/2 years

After owning this thing, with regular use for approximately 18 months, I notice that the shaft slides back & forth through the motor.  On disassembly, I find the left hand bearing is no longer solid on the shaft.  Haven't gotten to a bearing puller to find if it is the bearing or the shaft.

The slack is a little more than 1/16th inch, but it sure causes additional vibration. 

I notice that this thing has a 0ne-year warranty, except when it is used for business or proffessional purposes.  So why is it called a "Professional" grinding station?

good deal

my boyfriend loves this and said that it is a good priced item.

Excellent Tool

First off, I didn't pay full price - I waited for it to go on sale, used some bonus points and membership discounts and wound up paying $89. It arrived on the scheduled day. I opened the box and removed the contents, checking them against the instruction manual, and all the parts were there. I assembled it per the instructions and, because of the reviews saying it had a tendency to dance, clamped it to my bench. I plugged it in and turned it on and noticed a very slight vibration. I used the enclosed dressing wheel on the stone for a couple of seconds and, what little vibration there was, stopped immediately. I removed the clamps and used it, free standing, immediately. I don't have any problem recommending the tool and only wish I'd bought it sooned. Maybe I'm just lucky but I've never had a problem with any of the many Craftsman tools I've bought over the last 50+ years I've used them.

nice

Good

nice

handy

Must have!!

Great bench grinder for any size garage. Good for small and large jobs!

bad vibration because of wire brush

out of the box the grinder had a bad vibration,i took off wire wheel and grinder runs smooth,called sears and they sent a new wire wheel,still has a vibration but not as bad but still have to take wire wheel off when you sharpen drill bits because you can not hold bits steady even in the bit holder that came with the grinder.

Powerhouse

If you want a powerful bench grinder - this is it. No more stalling the motor trying to grind or polish something difficult, this grinder keeps on turning no matter what!

Better than gold!

I could have bought my wife jewelry for our anniversary, but instead I bought her this. She may never use it, but it's cheaper than gold and is more useful in the garage....just saying!

what a steal!!

this is a great product for the price!!

Additional grinding wheels.

Mine came with a the following grinding wheel:

8" x 1" x 5/8" 60 grit grinding wheel.

I cannot really determine the availability of other grit wheels.

Any suggestions?

Best of Both Worlds

I purchased this grinder for the variable speed capability.  Especially the fact that is has a low end of 1725 RPM.   Not only do you get a low speed grinder, you get all the speeds up to 3450 RPM.  The light is a nice added feature.  The tool rests serve there purpose, but if you are a wood worker, you will find yourself making jigs and larger tool rests for added convenience. The one thing that I was most concerned about was grinding wheel wobble.  It existed right out of the box.  I read a bunch of articles on how to cure it.  The one that worked the best was a simple fix.  Just rotate the wheel and flange, with the shaft held in the same place until the wobble is minimized.  It actually works.  Once the grinder is up to speed, it works great.  Not sure the wire wheel is that valuable.  Purchase a nice 80 grit wheel for some nice sharpening.