Grizzly Tools, Yes/No?

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johnm

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I need to get a jointer, and Grizzly has some tremendous prices, plus there is a store within driving distance, so there would be no shipping, my question is, does anyone have any experience with them, are they good tools, or would i be better spending the money on a Jet/Powermatic type brand.

John
 
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don't know..what are your preferences? Excellent quality fit & finish? Or are you a cheapie Harbor Freight kind of person? I have a griz bandsaw & it's Ok for what I paid...generally the more you pay the better the tool...are you a hobbiest? Or a pro?
 
My company had a problem with a tool(pneumatic stapler) we bought 10-15 of them. Some where able to make it a week or 2 some lasted less then half an hour. They said they would not cover the warranty after fixing them (about 20) they were not even a month old. They said they they are good for atleast 100,000 staples. How many can you really use in less 30min. I was the person dealling with customer service. We used them with in spec's and well below. No refund and would not cover the stated warranty. I will never own a grizzly tool.

We bought 2 to try out and the first 2 worked for over a year. Then we bought 3. had a problem with them and thought it was possibly just an issue with thoses. we had no choice (in the middle of a job and needed some) and had to order more. Everytime that we got a new one it lasted less and less time. They never told me what the issue was, how to fix or avoid it. We spent thousands and were planning on getting more tools. YMMV JMO
 
I also have had BAD results with Grizzly tools. I have learned my lesson the HARD WAY and I will be buying Jet or Powermatic or a quality brand from now on!! Hope this helps.
 
I have their band saw and love it. No problems at all. My dad has a Jet and has had nothing but problems from it. I use my Grizzly a lot more then his Jet and for more rough stuff as well. YMMV.

I tend to buy what I can afford rather then the best quality (which is why I have 3 broken down vehicles in the driveway, lol.)
 
Ok, so I'm going to go against the grain here. And I feel justified in doing so since I actually own and use a Grizzley jointer (G0490) and my neighbor has the G0586 (with the carbide insert head). Both of these jointers do the job and the fit and finish was good on both machines (I helped setup both so I know). The one thing you'll want to do is make sure you pick up a link belt to replace the belt that comes with the machine (quieter operation). Either of these two machines are great machines and will do what you ask a jointer to do.

There are some area's where Grizzley machinery falls short for sure, I wouldn't buy a Grizzley lathe over Delta/Jet/Powermatic. But for tablesaws/bandsaws and jointers they make great equipment.
 
Once upon a time I would only buy Craftsman tools and thought everything else was imported junk but that was a long time ago and I finally realized most tools are imported so I quit looking at brands so much and started evaluating tools on their own merit.

I think advertising still works well in America because so many are still hung up on brands such as Jet or Delta or Ryobi but since I've had a Grizzly dust collector for probably 10 years now and one of their metal lathes for over a year, both without incident, I wouldn't hesitate recommending someone give them a shot. If for no other reason, their customer support and tech support are second to none!

Not to start a debate since I'm probably talking out my ear, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Jet or Delta jointers being made right down the street from Grizzly jointers or even in the same factory right before they took different paths to different paint and decal departments!

Go Grizzly! :biggrin:
 
TowMater said:
Either of these two machines are great machines and will do what you ask a jointer to do.
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No, they won't, but then, neither will any other brand. Maybe I should stop asking a jointer to set itself up, prep all the lumber and make some coffee while I play on the lathe, or maybe all those silly companies need to set their standards a bit higher.

IMO, Grizzly and HF are hit-and-miss on some things, but they're hard to beat on things that:
a) are hard to screw up (dead centers, sledgehammers, etc)
b) tend to get lost and/or abused to death before they wear out
c) still come out ahead of the cost curve (if they're 1/10 the price of a good one, but the good one only lasts 3x as long, buy the cheap ones three at a a time and you're still way ahead)
 
I have a G0555 bandsaw and love it. Great service from ordering through delivery and talking me through setup. Will definitely shop Grizzley when looking for my next "big" piece of machinery.
 
I'm new here, but thought I'd add something to the discussion. I recently bought a Grizzly G0462 lathe. When I assembled it, I aligned the head and tail, only to disover they were off by about 1/8". Now, the headstock does swivel, so that was easily fixed. But in the preset position, where the head snaps into place for turning over the bed, it was off. The biggest problem is the tool rest. It is very light weight and vibrates badly. It is also 12" long, which is of course not good for turning pens. I contacted Grizzly to see if they had an overall upgraded tool rest, or if I could buy an additional, shorter rest. Got a very brief reply stating that was all that was availble, and any attempts to modify it would void the warranty. They just didn't seem very helpful.
I guess the lesson is, buy cheap tools and live with the consequences! I probably won't buy much from them again, myself.
 
Grizzly is my power tool of choice. I typically read the reviews in various woodworking mags before I buy. Most of the reviews rate the Grizzly very high. Recently bought a G0555X Bandsaw and it is fantastic. But I do my turning on a old Shopsmith or home-made treadle lathe, so go figure.
 
I have a grizzly 1220 vari speed lathe, the switch has been replaced once and is rigged now, on the on position, by way of surge protector, I use the switch on the surge protector to turn on and off.. Both the adjustable handles one on the toolrest and the other on the tailstock are stripped ( I made some similar to the nova) I called about the switch that needed to replaced ,for the second time ,and my warranty had just ran out by two days. So that is two switches within warranty plus two days. I think dust was the culprit, I asked if they had a better switch and was told no. I told them right then and there that I could not recommend that lathe to anybody and I won't .Also the head and tail don't line up. I first did't think it was that bad ,until I started making pendants, when I bring up a piece of wood to hold my piece on the lathe ,while I turn it round, it makes a god awful noise and was told at SWAT by an experienced woodturner that the noise was caused by, not being lined up. I also have the 14" ultimate bandsaw and it was fine ,until I added the 6" extension block, now it cuts inward and I am going to have to take apart and sand surface or move pin? ,I just need a day or two to rework the fit, and the instructions said nothing about this. They just said unbolt and add and rebolt sounds simple don't it.
I also have a chuck I really like it. and I have two 60 degree live centers one MT1 and the other MT2 they have been great also. By the way both the lathe and the bandsaw are made in an ISO factory.
I will continue to buy from grizzly, BUT ,will be very (diligent) in my decisions.
 
Funny, the only problem that I've had with a grizzly (my g0462 lathe) is the tailstock handwheel wearing prematurely because ts cast from a softer metal. I replaced the set screw with delrin and the wear is now all but eliminated. They even offered to replace the handwheel AFTER my warranty expired. So my experience with Grizzly customer service is a big thumbs up.

On the tool rest, I had Johnnycnc make me an adapter to us a 6 inch toolrest I had bought for my Turncrafter lather earlier, but I haven't even used it in about a year, using the standard cast iron 12 inch rest (which mine is VERY hefty) with my long handle tools means I don't have to have the rest right up against the material. All I'll say is it works for me.

I've always heard rave reviews of thew jointers and planers, and I plane on getting one fairly shortly too.
 
My experience is YES.

I purchased a 2HP canister dust collector a couple weeks ago and if you are not careful, that thing will suck you in the suction hose. It performs like nothing else I have seen!!

The inlet was slightly damaged during shipment. I sent a picture and a new part shipped within a day or two of reporting it. Customer Service is good from what I hear and my one experience.

Time will tell on longevity but I have high hopes.
 
Mac said:
I have a grizzly 1220 vari speed lathe, the switch has been replaced once and is rigged now, on the on position, by way of surge protector, I use the switch on the surge protector to turn on and off.. Both the adjustable handles one on the toolrest and the other on the tailstock are stripped ( I made some similar to the nova) I called about the switch that needed to replaced ,for the second time ,and my warranty had just ran out by two days. So that is two switches within warranty plus two days.
Yeah the power switch on mine was GARBAGE too. I also had poor handles as well
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It seems that there is always a controversy about Grizzy. Based on everything I've seen and heard, it looks to me like they simply pay a little less for quality control than do Jet and Delta (and whoever else uses that manufacturer). The result is that sometimes you get a good machine and sometimes you don't. Since you live close you can probably manage to get exactly what you want. But for people who have to put effort into getting a tools from them the question isn't whether you can afford a good one but if you can afford one that ain't quite so good...
 
I have a Grizzly table saw, drill press, jointer, and planer and love them all. I had one issue when I set up the planer because a part was broken. Grizzly sent a replacement overnight and I haven't had any problems since.

Stu
 
I have the G0462 Lathe. I've owned it for about 4-5 years now. The switch failed within the warranty period, but Grizzly replaced it for free. The spring loaded adjustable handles stripped out about 18 months later, and I used JBWeld to make them simple adjustable handles (I have never liked the spring loaded handles on anything that I've ever used, Grizzly could have used something else instead...but i digress). The head and tail stock issue noted here is an inconvenience for me, but is easily solved by tightening the nut that holds the tail stock locking mechanism on or re-adjusting the headstock. Finally, the electronic tachometer that came with the lathe failed during warranty, but I didn't bother trying to replace it as I never used it anyway - i simply took it off the lathe and use the top of the headstock as an arm rest when I'm turning small items.

My annoyances with this lathe: I do not like where the speed control lever is situated - it interferes with me when I turn small things at fast speeds. I'm not a big fan of the articulated banjo. I could use a smaller, 6-8", tool rest when turning pens and knobs, but this isn't a life ending catastrophy.

With all that said - I would purchase this lathe again in a heartbeat, if only because it saved me A LOT of money when compared to similar features in other lathes, and I've turned a lot of things on it in the time that I've owned it. I went into this purchase with the understanding that this would not be my last lathe, and that I would purchase a new "cadallac" lathe in 5-10 years. I'm at the 5 year mark and I don't expect to purhchase a lathe for at least 2 more years.

I also own 2 of their cheap scroll chucks - 1 for my G0462 and another for my mini lathe. I've had absolutly no problem with these chucks other than remembering which way tightens them versus which way loosens them (Operator Error?).

The company that I work for uses Grizzly dust collection systems in the R&D department. I cannot speak to the reliability of that equipment because I haven't used it, however I can't imagine that the company would purchase several of these units if they continuously failed.
 
johnm said:
I need to get a jointer, and Grizzly has some tremendous prices, plus there is a store within driving distance, so there would be no shipping, my question is, does anyone have any experience with them, are they good tools, or would i be better spending the money on a Jet/Powermatic type brand.

John
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I have been using a Grizzly G0452 6" Jointer for a couple of years and I have never had a problem with it. I think it's a great tool at a great price. Are there better? Yes. At the same price? No.
:wink::wink::wink:
 
jtpalmer said:
I'm new here, but thought I'd add something to the discussion. I recently bought a Grizzly G0462 lathe. When I assembled it, I aligned the head and tail, only to disover they were off by about 1/8". Now, the headstock does swivel, so that was easily fixed. But in the preset position, where the head snaps into place for turning over the bed, it was off. The biggest problem is the tool rest. It is very light weight and vibrates badly. It is also 12" long, which is of course not good for turning pens. I contacted Grizzly to see if they had an overall upgraded tool rest, or if I could buy an additional, shorter rest. Got a very brief reply stating that was all that was availble, and any attempts to modify it would void the warranty. They just didn't seem very helpful.
I guess the lesson is, buy cheap tools and live with the consequences! I probably won't buy much from them again, myself.
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Rick is a great guy to deal with and his rests are top quality. http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=52175
 
jtpalmer said:
I'm new here, but thought I'd add something to the discussion. I recently bought a Grizzly G0462 lathe. When I assembled it, I aligned the head and tail, only to disover they were off by about 1/8". Now, the headstock does swivel, so that was easily fixed. But in the preset position, where the head snaps into place for turning over the bed, it was off. The biggest problem is the tool rest. It is very light weight and vibrates badly. It is also 12" long, which is of course not good for turning pens. I contacted Grizzly to see if they had an overall upgraded tool rest, or if I could buy an additional, shorter rest. Got a very brief reply stating that was all that was availble, and any attempts to modify it would void the warranty. They just didn't seem very helpful.
I guess the lesson is, buy cheap tools and live with the consequences! I probably won't buy much from them again, myself.
Click to expand...

An 1/8" is a LOT... WOW!

As to the comment about the warranty being voided, that doesn't sound right. I can't imagine anyone in customer service or tech support telling you such a thing. Maybe the janotir was watching the switchboard when the operator went for a potty break. :)
 
I am an admitted tool snob. I believe in buying the best you can afford and that there is a huge difference in quality in most of the better name brands. I do make my living with tools and will not use cheap stuff.

That said, last Thanksgiving, Grizzly had one heck of a Black Friday sale and then Microsoft Live had a really good cash back on anything bought with buy it now on E-bay. I then also had a coupon code for using Paypal. The deal allowed me to stack all of this together and I really wanted an 8" jointer so I took the plunge. I got a Grizzly GO586 for around $450 delivered. It was too good of a deal to pass up and I figured that if it was not up to snuff quality wise, I could always sell it on Craigs list for what I paid.

I have been pleased with the jointer considering what I paid for it. It is certainly not the quality of my custom cabinet maker's Delta 8" jointer but then again, I did not pay $1800 for it either. For my advanced hobbyist needs, it does the job very well.

The fit and finish is pretty good and it works nicely. You can certainly tell the difference in that it uses a cheap chinese motor and the controls and castings are not nearly the quality of the Delta I mentioned. It does joint a board very nicely, though and was a big improvement over my little 6" I had before.

I would certainly buy it again at the price I paid. Not sure I would pay the $800+ regular price for it, though.
 
Most of my major tools are Grizzly. I drive to pick up new purchases.
I have always defended Grizzly because of top quality and unexcelled service.
Most of the complaints I hear about Grizzly stem from the fact they are Chinese made. Taiwan actually. This complaint is not often voiced about Jet and many others that come off the same assembly lines.
Check out the major corporations that use Grizzly tools exclusively in their factories.
Personally, I recommend.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
Most of the complaints I hear about Grizzly stem from the fact they are Chinese made. Taiwan actually. This complaint is not often voiced about Jet and many others that come off the same assembly lines.
Check out the major corporations that use Grizzly tools exclusively in their factories.
Personally, I recommend.
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I'm honestly NOT trying to be a jerk here but, IF THEY COME off the same assembly line, then why is there such a HUGE difference in build quality? Even Curtis said in the post above you that He could certainly tell the difference in the Cheap motor, controls and castings in his grizzly and it was not nearly the quality as the name brand tools. Will it joint a board, yes, but to say they are coming from the same factory I find hard to believe. I DO NOT have a problem with people liking their Grizzly tools. They seem to get the job done for some of us but to put them in the same class as Jet, thats a little much.
 
Pen_Turner said:
I'm honestly NOT trying to be a jerk here but, IF THEY COME off the same assembly line, then why is there such a HUGE difference in build quality? Even Curtis said in the post above you that He could certainly tell the difference in the Cheap motor, controls and castings in his grizzly and it was not nearly the quality as the name brand tools. Will it joint a board, yes, but to say they are coming from the same factory I find hard to believe. I DO NOT have a problem with people liking their Grizzly tools. They seem to get the job done for some of us but to put them in the same class as Jet, thats a little much.
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The same way Chevys and Cadillacs come off the same lines. The difference is the acceptable tolerances for each brand.

Have a look at many of the tools on the market and you'll see that castings are identical. One major example I can point at are Ryobi and Craftsman. For years Craftsman has been slapping their name on many tools that are Ryobi designs with only minor differences in the plastic pieces. The final specs need to meet Craftsman's spec, but the tools come off the same lines.

The manufacture doesn't want to throw out product that doesn't meet spec, so they simple find someone to sell the lower spec tools. AKA Harbor Freight. So any one factory may supply a dozen vendors based on the spec of the final tool.
 
Russianwolf said:
The same way Chevys and Cadillacs come off the same lines. The difference is the acceptable tolerances for each brand.

Have a look at many of the tools on the market and you'll see that castings are identical. One major example I can point at are Ryobi and Craftsman. For years Craftsman has been slapping their name on many tools that are Ryobi designs with only minor differences in the plastic pieces. The final specs need to meet Craftsman's spec, but the tools come off the same lines.

The manufacture doesn't want to throw out product that doesn't meet spec, so they simple find someone to sell the lower spec tools. AKA Harbor Freight. So any one factory may supply a dozen vendors based on the spec of the final tool.
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I can understand that and it makes sense, but Jet tools don't go down the same assembly line as grizzly's. Thats all I am really trying to say.
 
Pen_Turner said:
I can understand that and it makes sense, but Jet tools don't go down the same assembly line as grizzly's. Thats all I am really trying to say.
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Can you prove it?

The larger Jet lathe is identical to the Grizzly and Harbor Freight version except for a cheaper motor and the above mentioned tolerance issues done to save money.

How do you know besides just making a judgement that they don't come off the same assembly line?

Please show me some factual evidence and not conjecture to support your conclusion, or just admit that it's your way of justifying spending hundreds of dollars more for something that's only an incremental improvement.

At least Curtis admits he's a tool snob, and I respect that. But to blindly make assumtions based on a brand name is assinine.

I don't have a side in this fight either way as I've owned tools from both sides of the isle, but I won't blindly believe something or repost mindless drivel without direct experience or factual evidence to back it up.

We all know that it won't be identical, as it well shouldn't be at a 30-50% cost savings.

To use Frank's analogy, you should know your not getting a caddilac when you purchased a pinto. Will it work? Yup. Will it be perfect in every way? Not a chance.
 
Certain parts likely do come off the same lines, then go in different directions based on the specs they meet.

Example. I can see in my head all the castings coming out off line A. Someone at the end grades the casting and sends the best to line B, the slightly rough one to line C and the worst of the functional ones to line D, rejects going back to the smelter. Line B then uses better grade motors,etc. to make the JET, Line D uses okay motors and part to make Grizzly, and line D slaps what they can find on to make Harbor Freights.

Now I haven't seen the lines for these tools, but I did summer work in a factory here in the states and this process what what I commonly saw happening. There may have been even more "grading stations" depending on the complexity of what was being made.
 
Pen_Turner said:
I can understand that and it makes sense, but Jet tools don't go down the same assembly line as grizzly's. Thats all I am really trying to say.
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John, Actually this is exactly what they are saying. They are also correct. Yes both tools where built on the same line. one got a better and higher cost motor, better quality handles, probably better quality and more expensive nuts and bolts even. drive belts are better quality and this does give better performance. It also received machining to higher tolerances and such. Can all of this justify two to three times the price? Yes very likely. A motor that cost twice as much, nuts and bolts that can easily cost three times as much. the time it takes to finish machining to fine tolerances all add to the cost of equipment fast. hand wheels knobs and whatever that are higher quality are expensive as well.
If you are able to identify the differences though you can take a lower cost machine and finish it to the same specs as the higher cost machines. and still save a ton of money. I now have two pieces of equipment in my shop that I am doing this with. and both started off working well within my needs, I continue to get them to preform even better. But it does require knowing just what you are looking at and what it needs to look like when you are done.
 
jleiwig said:
Can you prove it?

The larger Jet lathe is identical to the Grizzly and Harbor Freight version except for a cheaper motor and the above mentioned tolerance issues done to save money.

How do you know besides just making a judgement that they don't come off the same assembly line?

Please show me some factual evidence and not conjecture to support your conclusion, or just admit that it's your way of justifying spending hundreds of dollars more for something that's only an incremental improvement.

At least Curtis admits he's a tool snob, and I respect that. But to blindly make assumtions based on a brand name is assinine.

I don't have a side in this fight either way as I've owned tools from both sides of the isle, but I won't blindly believe something or repost mindless drivel without direct experience or factual evidence to back it up.

We all know that it won't be identical, as it well shouldn't be at a 30-50% cost savings.

To use Frank's analogy, you should know your not getting a caddilac when you purchased a pinto. Will it work? Yup. Will it be perfect in every way? Not a chance.
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CAN YOU PROVE IT? An assembly line, is an assembly line correct? Then how does it get assembled with ALL kinds of different parts including motor? Oh I don't know, maybe it goes down a different assembly line? This is where the grizzly lathes seem to fail, power switches and their metal handles!! Otherwise they seem to be an ok tool.
How do you know (besides making a judgement) that they DO come off the same assembly line?
I don't have any factual evidence and neither do you, but if the bed is the same or the legs are the same and EVERYTHING else is different, than they ARE NOT the same machine, and I can't believe they went down the same assembly line. Nobody said that grizzly's wont work. I've had 3 of them. I also own Jet tools.
If you want me to admit that I'm a tool snob, than yes sure I DO USE and PREFER the name brand tools. I guess that makes me a snob?
This was never meant (by me) to be a "fight" and it's not, in my eyes!! This is someones thread, not a boxing ring!! but when you come in here calling me "assinine" and to say that I'm posting "mindless drivel", thats stupid and RUDE sir. All because what, I don't believe that Jet tools are the same as Grizzly's?
I'm happy for Everybody that uses grizzly and has good luck with them. I DO NOT HAVE a problem with people using them. I DON'T think any less of you if you do use their tools!! With that being said I hope we can put this to rest. I guess we will have to see things differently on this.
 
Russianwolf said:
Certain parts likely do come off the same lines, then go in different directions based on the specs they meet.

Example. I can see in my head all the castings coming out off line A. Someone at the end grades the casting and sends the best to line B, the slightly rough one to line C and the worst of the functional ones to line D, rejects going back to the smelter. Line B then uses better grade motors,etc. to make the JET, Line D uses okay motors and part to make Grizzly, and line D slaps what they can find on to make Harbor Freights.

Now I haven't seen the lines for these tools, but I did summer work in a factory here in the states and this process what what I commonly saw happening. There may have been even more "grading stations" depending on the complexity of what was being made.
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Agreed, I can see that.
 
Daniel said:
John, Actually this is exactly what they are saying. They are also correct. Yes both tools where built on the same line. one got a better and higher cost motor, better quality handles, probably better quality and more expensive nuts and bolts even. drive belts are better quality and this does give better performance. It also received machining to higher tolerances and such. Can all of this justify two to three times the price? Yes very likely. A motor that cost twice as much, nuts and bolts that can easily cost three times as much. the time it takes to finish machining to fine tolerances all add to the cost of equipment fast. hand wheels knobs and whatever that are higher quality are expensive as well.
If you are able to identify the differences though you can take a lower cost machine and finish it to the same specs as the higher cost machines. and still save a ton of money. I now have two pieces of equipment in my shop that I am doing this with. and both started off working well within my needs, I continue to get them to preform even better. But it does require knowing just what you are looking at and what it needs to look like when you are done.
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I see. I can buy that. So the Jet and the Grizzly would share the same body or cast but be very different animals, correct? If they are built in the same building I can understand, but they will be different machines totally when finished. So they DO technicaly start out on the same assembly line. I see. That I can understand
 
Pen_Turner said:
I see. I can buy that. So the Jet and the Grizzly would share the same body or cast but be very different animals, correct? If they are built in the same building I can understand, but they will be different machines totally when finished. So they DO technicaly start out on the same assembly line. I see. That I can understand
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Sorry if I came across as rude...my appologies

I'm just constantly amazed at the ongoing thing with people bashing stuff they don't have a clue about and I took it out on you in particular today.
 
jleiwig said:
Sorry if I came across as rude...my appologies

I'm just constantly amazed at the ongoing thing with people bashing stuff they don't have a clue about and I took it out on you in particular today.
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I'm sorry as well. Iunderstand that I WAS NOT perfectly clear in the biginning as to what I believed about these 2 machines. I'm glad we could all clear this up. Again, sorry Justin
 
Guys, you should see the size of these plants, the casting plant may be in one city and take up a bunch of acreage, they kick out bed and headstock and tailstock castings by the thousands, then a QC they separate the better ones and send them to Jet or whomever they are taken to another plant where the castings are machined and then on to cleanup and assembly, This is where the difference comes some of the assembly and clean up is done to Jet standards fitted with quality components painted white assembled and shipped, Steel City is a small step down, they don't do quite as good of a job deburring the castings, but the rest of the machining is decent, THEN it gets down to the lower quality motors, less time spent on cleanup, cheaper electrical components and we have Grizzly and HF. I saw some pictures taken by one of the US Partners of Steel City, These factory shops are unreal in size, Most of them are outfitted with American CNC Mills and Lathes, it's basically how much does the brand want to pay for a finished product. These factories are the size of some small US cities.
 
Russianwolf said:
Example. I can see in my head all the castings coming out off line A. Someone at the end grades the casting and sends the best to line B, the slightly rough one to line C and the worst of the functional ones to line D, rejects going back to the smelter. Line B then uses better grade motors,etc. to make the JET, Line D uses okay motors and part to make Grizzly, and line D slaps what they can find on to make Harbor Freights.
Click to expand...

More likely, it's a matter of:
There are x orders for product A, with a +/-.001" tolerance, y orders for product B with a +/-.005" tolerance, and a standing order for all the product C we can make, and Cs just have to look sorta right. Once they've grabbed x meeting As standards, and y meeting Bs, everything else goes to C. Some of those Cs may be as good as A, just as some Bs may. Depending on the consistency of the process, most Cs will probably meet Bs standard, but some will be junk. That's why, every now and then, you find a no-name tool that really is just as good as the big name.
 
I've wanted to respond to many of these post, but have been able to hold back.

OP, have you made a decision about the JOINTER you asked about?

If you were close I'd welcome you into my shop to test drive mine, that offer stands to anyone in the KC Metro area, if I have a tool in my shop your pondering buying you are welcome to contact me and setup a time to come try it out.
 
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jtpalmer said:
I'm new here, but thought I'd add something to the discussion. I recently bought a Grizzly G0462 lathe. When I assembled it, I aligned the head and tail, only to disover they were off by about 1/8". Now, the headstock does swivel, so that was easily fixed. But in the preset position, where the head snaps into place for turning over the bed, it was off. The biggest problem is the tool rest. It is very light weight and vibrates badly. It is also 12" long, which is of course not good for turning pens. I contacted Grizzly to see if they had an overall upgraded tool rest, or if I could buy an additional, shorter rest. Got a very brief reply stating that was all that was availble, and any attempts to modify it would void the warranty. They just didn't seem very helpful.
I guess the lesson is, buy cheap tools and live with the consequences! I probably won't buy much from them again, myself.
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The instruction manual discusses the headstock movement. It is simply a fact of life with a swiveling headstock. Realigning only takes seconds. My tool rest is typical of those I see on other brands, very stout. Most lathes do not come with small rests to suit penturners. I bought a second rest and cut down to size with a grinder and cutting wheel. Other times I have the local weld shop custom make rests I need. This is your problem, not Grizzly generated. Would a long reply have made you happier? Yes, cutting up equipment will void warranties with any product. They answered your questions accurately. What more would you expect?
 
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