We evaluated bench grinders based on power, versatility, reliability, construction quality, and overall performance. Our favorite bench grinder is the DEWALT DW756, which has 6-inch wheels, a compact size, and a lot of power. Here are our favorite bench grinders in several categories to suit a wide range of needs. The reasonable price and superior construction make this tool our best overall pick. The DEWALT DW756 6-Inch Bench Grinder is a great option for amateur handymen as well as tradesmen who need a machine that can do some heavy lifting. Available in the classic DEWALT yellow, this grinder will look great on just about anyone’s tool bench. Use it to smooth down metal edges, grind away rust or grime, sharpen tools, or even smooth or buff wood. The DEWALT DW756 grinder is easy to use and easy to mount. This 15-inch long machine sports a 5/8-horsepower motor, which is quite a bit in this small body. It can run up to 3,450 rpm for high speed needs. The motor housing and base are made of industrial cast iron while the tool rests are aluminum. There’s 12.5 inches between the wheels for a less cluttered feel and the wheels have exhaust ports in the rear of their guards to prevent overheating. This grinder comes with eye shields, spark deflectors, and 36- and 60-grit grinding wheels. The whole thing weighs just over 28 pounds and includes a three-year warranty. The WEN 4276 comes with both a 60-grit and 36-grit grinding wheel for general purpose and faster grinding, but can be outfitted with a variety of wheels. It also sports a flexible worklight for convenient and precision work at any time. The machine is easy to mount with a wide and sturdy base, and WEN sells an optional cast iron stand for non-bench usage. This 44-pound electric bench grinder functions at 3,600 rpm for real speed. It is set up with 115-volt, 11-amp, 60-hertz service but comes with a guide for rewiring for 5.5-amp 230-volt use. This machine is powerful enough for professional needs and durable enough for a professional setting, with full wheel dressings, a single dust chute, large sealed bearings, and adjustable safety shields. It also has a toggle switch safety key for added protection. This 8-inch grinder comes with one fine and one coarse grinding wheel. The tool has a powerful 2.1-amp motor with 3,450 rpm. The tool rests are adjustable, so you can position whatever you’re working on just how you need it. Rubber feet keep the bench grinder steady and in place, so you don’t need to worry about vibrations “walking” the tool off your bench. Two wheels are included: one coarse and one medium, so you can tackle a wide variety of materials. There’s a built-in work light positioned over each wheel, which makes it easy to clearly see your progress as you work, whether you’re sharpening a blade, polishing metal, or honing a knife. The tool has plenty of power, with a whisper-quiet 3-amp motor. Top speed is 1,750 rpm, which gives you much more control than is typically found with faster bench grinders. Eye guards are mounted over each of the 8-inch wheels, but as with any power tool—and especially a tool that creates a lot of fine, flying dust and particles, such as a bench grinder—additional eye protection is mandatory. This WEN bench grinder includes two 8 x 1-inch wheels: one fine 120-grit for detail work and one medium 60-grit for general buffing, sanding, and polishing. The Delta Power Tools 23-197 8-Inch Variable Speed Bench Grinder gives you the control you need and the features you want. The 5-amp motor lets you choose variable speeds from 2,000 to 3,400 rpm. The two tool rests are independently adjustable, and the left tool rest has a drill bit rest so you can get the perfect angle every time. There’s even a removable water tray, so you can easily keep whatever metal object you are working on from overheating due to friction. Plus, this bench grinder has an adjustable work light to help you focus on your task. You get two 8-inch grinding wheels: one 36-grit and one 60-grit, so you can choose the appropriate wheel for your needs. This mini bench grinder has a 31-inch flexible shaft that accepts a variety of attachments—including most Dremel attachments—for use in grinding, polishing, deburring, cleaning, and sanding metal, including nuts and bolts, small automotive parts, jewelry, knives, small gardening tools, and other detailed metalwork. Although small, this bench grinder has a reasonable amount of power, and variable speed control up to a whopping 10,000 rpm. It includes a 3-inch grinder stone and a 1/8-inch shaft-mount grinder stone. It’s a great addition to any crafter’s or metalworker’s workshop. For the average DIYer, a 6-inch bench grinder is the right choice. These tools typically spin the grinding wheels at a set speed of anywhere from 3,400 to 3,600 revolutions per minute, and are excellent for sharpening knives and tools, grinding away paint, grime, or rust, sanding metal and wood, and other light-to-moderate repairs around the house or garage. Eight-inch bench grinders are standard in automotive, woodworking, or metalworking shops, but some DIYers like them for home use, as well, particularly if they do a lot of work with metal. The wheels typically spin more slowly on these larger grinders—around 1,500 to 2,000 is a common range. Some have both a high and a low speed setting so you can choose the one that best suits your needs—slower for more control, faster when you don’t need as much finesse.
Wheel Type
Most bench grinders come with two installed wheels, and usually, those wheels will have different grits and be different types. Commonly, one wheel will have a grit size between 80 and 120 for handling light grinding tasks, and the other will be either a medium grit of 30 to 60 or a coarse grit of 20 to 24 for more aggressive work. The most common wheel materials are:
Silicon carbide: This common material is suitable for most grinding and sharpening tasks, but tends to heat up very quickly.Aluminum oxide: Another common material that’s especially suited to sharpening and grinding hard metals. Aluminum oxide doesn’t heat up as quickly as silicon carbide.Ceramic aluminum oxide: Excellent for a wide range of metals, ceramic aluminum oxide is long lasting, self-sharpening and not prone to overheating.Wire: These wheels are covered in steel or brass wire filaments. They’re used mostly for automotive repairs and bodywork, but if you do a lot of work with metal, this might be a useful choice.Buffing: These heavy cloth wheels are perfect for polishing, buffing, or shining up a wide variety of metals.
Power
You’ll find that some manufacturers state the power of their bench grinders in amps, while others use horsepower. As a general rule, 6-inch grinders have motors with around 2.1 amps of power—that’s around ¼-horsepower. Most 8-inch grinders have around 5 amps of power, which is roughly ¾ horsepower. The most powerful bench grinders boast 1-horsepower motors, but these are generally used in industrial or professional settings, not for typical DIY projects.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article is edited and updated by Michelle Ullman, the tool expert for The Spruce. She has extensive experience not only in writing about all things related to the home, but also in carrying out various DIY projects, including landscaping, painting, flooring, wallpapering, furniture makeovers, and simple repairs. For this roundup, she considered dozens of bench grinders, evaluating each for basic features, extras, and customer feedback.
