JET 8-Inch Industrial Bench Grinder, Variable Speed, 1 HP, 115/230V 1Ph (IBG-8VS)

This was a little more than I had anticipated spending on a grinder, but I’m so glad I did. This is truly a work of art as far as a machine goes, but its functionality is the best I could have ever expected. It flows smoothly through various speeds. It’s virtually silent. The wheels were true out of the box and there were no noticeable vibrations or strange noises. Assembly was effortless and only took me a few minutes. I also purchased a wire wheel, buffing wheel and some finer grit stones, although the ones included have been doing the job just fine. I also added the led light to the machine and it’s definitely worth doing to brighten up your work area. I needed to be able to move it around so I purchased a Bora wheeled base to mount the Jet stand (not included). Because the stand is a 3-legged stand I just ran two 2x4’s left to right on the front and back rails of the Bora, bolted those down and then bolted the Jet stand to the 2x4’s. It turned out great. I couldn’t be happier with this setup. Oh, by the way…I didn’t have any issues with breakers because I took care of that in advance. I wired a 12g, 120v, 20amp, non-gfi dedicated outlet for this machine based on what many of the reviews said and no electrical issues. Unless something happens during shipping which is always a drag, I don’t think anyone would regret this purchase.

Prior to retiring our shop had some Baldor grinders and I would love to have one at my home shop, but alas, I can not justify the price. One other factor is that the Baldor was rated at .75 HP while this Jet is rated at 1.0 HP. Another huge factor in choosing the Jet was that it is variable speed. A 6" grinder is fine at 3600 rpm but an 8" (or larger) at that speed can be a bit much. I am planning on installing MultiTool 2x48 belt sanding attachment with an 8" contact wheel on the right side and I like the idea of being able to slow it down from 3600 rpm when working with thinner material or knives where the faster speed could heat the metal too much. After the MultiTool attachment shows up and I work with it I will edit this review. Others have posted that this grinder does not like GFI and I found that they are quite correct. I understand that it is because of the variable speed feature on this grinder. A tool with a simple rheostat won't pop the GFI but this is much more sophisticated than a rheostat in that it allows it to maintain its power even at lower RPM's. I have a 20 amp non-GFI outlet in the garage and I plugged it into that using a 12/3 extension cord. This grinder at about 60 pounds is a real beast and should last forever. I have some other Jet tools that also came out of Taiwan and I think that the Taiwanese do a far better job than China when it comes to metallurgy and QC. I can't recommend this highly enough. It is my first variable speed grinder and I am glad I spent the extra dollars to get the feature.

Very nice quality, Heavy duty. Variable speed is Sweeeeet! Very controllable operation. Taiwan quality, Not Chinese junk.

Very nice grinder. VERY HEAVY! Works great and I really like the variable speed.

Nice Tool!

Bought the IBG-8VS because it has a VFD (see last paragraph below about why VFD is important). This machine is definitely worth it. Heavy beast, seems like a well-built machine, but expect to buy a few aftermarket products to make this a really great machine. My grinder bounced across the table straight out of the box, and try as I might I could NOT get the wobble or eccentricity adjusted out of the factory wheels with the parts that came with the machine. Aftermarket arbors fixed the problem. Factory work rests are small and only adjust in-out, not in angle to the stone. Found some aftermarket rests that made me happy. The shafts are fine length for grinding, but too short for buffing headlights or brushing inside motorcycle fenders. Shaft extension gave me more room to maneuver the workpiece when buffing and brushing. At the slowest 900rpm, the surface speed of an 8-inch wheel is too fast for softer materials like plastic. Had to knock down to 6-inch for working plastic, but can stay at 8-inch wheels for metals. For those not in the know, Variable Frequency Drive allows operator to reduce RPM without sacrificing torque. The variable-speed machines widely available through home centers are 99% likely to have a rheostat which will reduce speed AT THE EXPENSE OF TORQUE, which makes the motor more susceptible to loading-bogging-smoking-failing. Also remember that buffing and brushing require more torque than most grinding operations, especially when working softer materials.

This thing.... is awesome. Incredible actually but that's relative to what I'm comparing it to which is apples & oranges. In itself, it's a quality machine but for my hobbyist needs it's overkill. I prefer too much over not enough and this one is just that. Backstory. I purchased a Multitool 2x36 sander in 2016 (another absolutely awesome tool) with a very nice, American made, Baldor .3HP grinder based on the sellers recommendation. That combo works but not to my satisfaction. I actually avoided using it at times and opted for the instant on grinder beside it due to the fact the Baldor took longer to spool up than my grind often lasted. Fast forward to this month and I decided to get a 1HP machine for the MT. Reluctantly, I purchased this $480 variable speed Jet thinking I don't really need vs but let's give it a try. This is one of those tools where your only complaint is that you didn't purchase it sooner. It's smooth. It's quiet. It's a beast. It's variable speed. And it's absolutely perfect for the multitool making that my goto now. So, whatever your needs, including spinning the MT, it will likely exceed your expectations. I'm thrilled with it and I encourage the purchase. And the warranty is great too. No affiliation to Jet or anyone else.

I hemmed and hawed for a long time as to whether purchase this grinder. I wanted the variable frequency drive (VFD), but just did not know if I wanted to pay the extra money. The current price is about $50.00 less than when I purchased it. This is an AWESOME grinder. I never had any of the wheel balance problems that some of the other people did. I mounted it on a Jet pedestal and I use it pretty often. The pedestal is mounted on a home made rolling tool mount, but it does not move at all, unless I want it to. I wired mine 220, but that does not matter, it just what is available in that area of the my workshop. The grinder probably does not really need to be bolted down, but I put vibration pads under it, and bolted it down anyways. The wheels are probably not the best, but they work just fine for me. Overall, I do think I may purchase another one, just to put wire wheels on. Bottom line is, try it, you will like it.

Yes, oh yes, the price is totally obnoxious however they are the best if you have money to burn.