Replies

1. 
   stevieray | Oct 24, 2022 03:10am | #1

   From my experience, nobody matches Tormek for accuracy and repeatability. For instance, I believe non-Tormek water-cooled grinders don't have a fine adjustment on the guide bar, which was a deal breaker for me. I've been very happy with my T8 and highly recommend it.

2. 
   rob_ss | Oct 24, 2022 03:17am | #2

   The grinder is probably less important than the wheels - the ones that come with a grinder generally are intended for throwing away.
   I have bought CBN wheels from Woodturners Wonders and they also sell grinders, though I bought mine locally as I live where 240V is what you get. I can attest to the quality of the wheels and the service.
   I also bought their Kodiak sharpening system which is very similar to the Tormek setup and find this excellent.

   All that having been said, I mostly sharpen my gouges on a Tormek, and by the time you have bought a slow speed grinder and two CBN wheels and a sharpening jig, you are very much looking at Tormek level cost. The CBN wheels are way faster, and results with the Kodiak are good, but for a true razor edge you still need to strop, and with this in mind, it really does not take any longer to sharpen on the Tormek.

   Add it all up before you commit and you may find that personal preference aside, the Tormek is back on your list.

3. 
   john_c2 | Oct 24, 2022 04:17am | #3

   Well, the very best grinders are Baldor. But the Rikon is great, and the one I use. With the CBN wheels. It's fast, and does a great job.

   I had a wet grinder and sold it. There was just too much I didn't like. The CBN wheels do a great job, are fast, and I get right back to work.

4. 
   jim_hall | Oct 24, 2022 11:13am | #4

   I went through this about a couple years ago. The Rikon was popular choice. I ended up buying a variable speed jet grinder (IBG-8VS). It has plenty of power, a magnetic brake, allowed the cbn wheel to fit inside the wheel cover (this one really not necessary) and variable speed versatility. I like it. I bought a 180 grit cbn wheel from D-way and the Wolverine sharpening jig setup. I leave a normal stone wheel on the other side. I have a hard time recommending it though because the price has gone up $250 in just a year and a half. The only thing I would say about the Rikon you're focused on is that you may want to consider going to the 3/4 hp model. The videos I saw with the 1/2 hp model showed the grinder struggling a bit getting the wheel spinning at start up and I wondered if this would shorten the life of the grinder. Cbn wheels are very heavy. I think the 3/4 hp model is only about $50 more. I have a Tormek too. I bought it about 18 years ago, but for me it became frustratingly slow at sharpening lathe tools. I wanted to spend more time turning than sharpening and with the cbn wheel you can touch up the tool and quickly be back to what you're doing. I also have a small 6 in. double sided fine/very fine diamond stone that I use at times to quickly touch up the edge in between grindings or before I start turning. Happy hunting and good luck with your new grinder.

5. 
   64woodcrafts | Oct 24, 2022 04:31pm | #5

   Thank you all for your inputs. This weekend I'll be doing the math and weighing the costs vs. the pros and cons of a tormek and low-speed grinder.
   All the best,
   Glenn

6. 
   [email protected] | Oct 24, 2022 06:21pm | #6

   A Tormek is a proprietary tool system. A slow speed grinder is just a basic motor with arbors. They really can't be directly compared.