I have this grinder and fully agree with Walter. My solution for protecting motor and VFD is a simple piece of cloth wrapped around both the VFD casing and the air intake of the motor. It works as a simple filter stopping metal particles but at the same time allows cooling air flow. I’ve been using it for one full year now and it works
@@davidswanson5669 unfortunately it’s not allowed but honestly there’s not much to see. It’s just an old cotton tshirt roughly cut and wrapped around the inverter leaving only the controls accessible kept in place with electric tape. Another piece of cotton is placed on the air intake of the motor kept in place with an elastic rubber band. Very simple but absolutely effective
A point I wasn't aware of until recently is that the actual controls pop out and can be connected via a standard network cable. (those are finger wells to help remove it either side). It makes enclosing the main box simpler.
Thanks for the assessment I also agree with your conclusion,, Well I’ll tell ya how I became an owner of one of those chinese grinders , if you care at all to keep readin,, I watched a few of those DIY RUclips videos on knife makin and I was hooked after the 2nd one !! Bought a 1x30 and made a forge out of a small stainless trash can, after I bought a 4 grinder I was makin knives !!! I’m retired so I got plenty of time ( plenty till I run out)🙂 so I had this notion to build a 2x72, so I watch more videos and start drawing my grinder up , not makin much progress cause I’m still making knives, so much so that after a year I still hadn’t built it but I wanted one so bad cause I knew I could do better makin knives if I had one !!! Then one day I saw it !!! At first I thought it was a misprint !! No way !!! a 2x72 for under a grand !!! With a VFD !!! A week later I had it set up!!! I couldn’t get it set up fast enough to make my first Tactical Tanto!! Hollow Ground!!! I was in the big time now !!! I will tell ya though what I did for the VFD protection,, HarborFreight has plastic ammo boxes that the VFD fits perfectly in , I wrapped the inside with a indoor AC filter I got for 5 bucks, I just cut out the dimensions of the inside ammo box numbers and I have plenty left when the first batch gets dirty, I’ve already blown our the dust a few times,, then I drilled a bunch of 1/16th dia. Holes in the face of the box and set a small electronics fan in front of it !! I got the fan for 12 bucks!! I’ve been makin knives for all my boys and all my grandkids !!! That grinder has never let me down once !!! I still can’t get over it !!! Thanks for listening y’all !!!
Hey Ken, I got one of dem grinders too and bein of similar age as you and as easily persuaded I guess, I was ready to make some throwing knives and teach a couple generations about the throwing arts (😜 of which he knows nothing btw…. editor). But then I decided I could give the Vevor more vroom by adding an additional steel tube and tooling arm. That’s the ticket! First there was a slight delay on that since i didn’t know how to weld, but by gum I ran to Harbor Freight and got a stick welder and unpacked it and all but had to hold up while I added a 220 outlet in the shop which I wasn’t familiar with doing so shifted to a real slow gear on that side projec🎉t to stay alive for knife making as you might imagine.That went well but I had to learn to weld since I picked stick welding for my basic larnin tool which was dumb maybe, 😂struggled with that for a time I’ll admit, but got the tube welded on sturdy enough (🙄 under the heavy coats of paint you would see lots of JB Weld filling in between the occasional welds. He says it’ll hold. ed). That was about a year ago since I got the infernal thing but I will get some knives made if I’m given time enough and don’t roast myself today tryin my new heat treating set up. (😳) It’s always somethin, isn’t it? I think of it like this: Whatever you want to do, unplanned detours will surface along the way to challenge your patience and commitment and drive the family to ask, “Are you sure you know what you’re doin gramps?” Double all estimates.
This happened to me while on a live feed with Adam Celedin some months back and I’m ashamed to admit I lost $40 to the rats (for shipping of the beautiful AceJet throwing knife I was told I had just won. Adam actually was giving a knife or two away that morning so I bit). Just a warning for ya.
I have one here in the UK. Limited selection available in our market, especially at that price (£700). A year of hobbiest use and its performed really well. I used my remaining 2x72 belts simply enough without needing to cut the end off and switched to 50x2000mm belts Forgot to add that I found it easier to swap the Allen bolts for M10 wingnut bolts on the table and platen
@twatmunro I got it from them last year. The only other place I saw it was Amazon, and it's still there but rebadged by other sellers and three times the price!
I Goto e a year ago (2024). Mine came in a damaged crate like it fell out of the back of a truck. The motor fan cover was dented so had to do body work on it. Still I kept it and got it set up and running. Mine didn’t have a VFD so ran at high speed . The problem was Iit had a single phase motor so a VFD would not help. My solution was to replace the motor and add a VFD so found an American three phase my with an American VFD already wired to it that I found on the Diktator website in Oregon. But that VFD was speed adjustable only . But a reverse switch for it was on Amazon for $12.00! I cut 1.5 inches off the tool arm and 1” off the rear of the tool arm housing to accommodate the new motor. Now I can use 2x82” or 2x72” belts. I then cut out a 4”x12” quarter inch plate an super glued to the provided small plate and built a new longer tool rest bracket to lower the tool rest tone able to use more of the platton. My platton liner was worn out by this time so replaced it with a glass liner. The frame is very solid, so with these modifications it’s now a pleasure to use.
I've had one for 2 years now. I made separate arms for the attachments and mounted the vfd in an old box I had available. I also wired it directly to 220v. The transformer I got with it wasn't large enough and would constantly trip out. My vfd is a little different than the one you got, but it has been going strong this entire time. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one at the price for someone on a budget. I've been very productive with mine.
Just got mine last night. Was delivered to the freight depot yesterday lunchtime, and I figured that it wouldn’t arrive at my place til mid next week (I live in rural Tasmania). Unboxed it last night, and set it up on the bench. I took 50mm (about 2” to you Seppos) off the tool-arm, and it fits all the attachments perfectly (300mm toothed wheel, small wheel -with both a 20mm and 30mm wheel, and the platen set) using 72” belts, as well as the several included 82” ones from Vevor. I got a nice, old plastic food container (similar to “supper-ware” 😀) to hold the control box. Much easier to mark out the cuts to expose the controls than a electrical box. Very happy, so far, but have not yet actually ‘done’ anything with it.
I’ve owned it for over a year. Shortened the tube to fit 2x72 belts. Replaced the graphite after a while with a glass platen. Converted to 220 (no transformer) Vfd popped after about 8 months(I made a box with a filter to keep it In). Bought a higher quality one when replacing. Otherwise love the machine. It’s a grinding machine. Also the keypad pops out of the vfd and a cable can be added to get the vfd further from the grime. Forgot I also fabricated a larger table.
I've been running one of these for about 6 months. I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was around $1000 delivered to my door. Of course it's not as good as the big name grinders but it's around 1/4 the price and it's 1000 times better than a 1x30 or 4x36 which is what I started with. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to up their game without paying $4000-$5000 for a 2x72.
@@joesikkspac7904 All I can say is that it works really well. It's cut my grinding time down by probably 60-70% . I haven't had any issues with it as of yet.
I have this grinder and have used it hard. I also removed the control pad and mounted all electronics under the workbench. Then put the control pad on the bench in an light switch/ electrical box. I was very skeptical at first but with a few mods this grinder will be great.
Started my knife making with a homemade 2x72 grinder. Built a second one to fix the flaws of the first one. And now use one made by Reeder Products that I really love. Everyone needs a starting point.
I went from a HF 1x30 to an IBM American made grinder not as nice as an Ameribrade, but certainly good enough. This one you reviewed sure came with a lot of accessories, and with care could probably get a guy going and earn enough to get a quality American made grinder. I think $1000 is in reach of someone wanting to get more serious, but doesn't want to go in the hole at the very beginning.
Just watched this Walter and thanks for doing this review, it came about due to a question asked in a knife making group in Australia and someone posted you video, an honest review and looks like a fairly sturdy machine but just question, Why did you mount the VFD on the bench in almost direct line of fire of all the sparks and metal debris and not on a post back near the motor, once turned on and speed set you really shouldn't need to touch it again to turn off, and again thanks for a frank and honest review, as I have never come across you before will certainly be watching more.
It was a choice between Vevor grinder or one with no drive motor and no wheels so far I’ve only cut maybe 1.5” off tool arm to accommodate 72” belts also I measured platten length and fitted a ceramic glass platten with stop . very pleased with product shipped from Cali.
i have been using a homemade one the last 10 years or so, that has skateboard wheels, a wooden drive wheel, an axle from a mini quad, and a sowing sewing machine motor, it works fine
Wow "cheap" grinders have gotten much more expensive. I bought a Reeder 2x72 frame back in 2017 for $500+ shipping (delivered it was like $570) Bought a sealed 3phase motor off amazon for $170 and a KB VFD for $357 (also off amazon) All in was under $1100. Looks like the price of entry for a US made grinder is more than double that these days. Great review. Would love to see a review of the Reeder some time, maybe they'll send you one... Just keep in mind their prices have gone up significantly since I bought mine. The same frame now costs ~$800... still a nice quality build IMHO though. Too bad mine mostly sits in the basement.. I need to get back to working on my skills.
Agreed - I have had a Reeder for years and absolutely love it. It is actually a really great value when you take the quality and engineering into account. I'm not sure why Reeder doesn't get more attention than it does, but I think the quality difference is something you have to kind of experience for yourself. I've gotten to use KMGs, Wilmonts etc and they are all really great machines, but I feel like the Reeder edges them out in design and value. It was an absolute game changer in my shop.
@@CaptainTwitchyunfortunately that'll never happened considering the China uses mostly what would be considered slave labor it's the the buy American products for the quality inn the reassurance that you are helping another American pay their bills aspect that keeps me spending a little more money
this machine seems to be made with whatever they have on hand, some pics i see its made with plates screwed together, other steel tube, and the electronics are different, the vfd i got is kinda nice, the actual control panel detatches in a lile square from the main housing and can be extended with a ethernet cable, so you can put the vfd and converter way away from the machine in a dust free location, and run the controller to the machine
i know this was a while ago ... but could you please link to the sealed box you got for the VFD .. as i cant find one with correct measurements ... thanks in advance
I've been looking at these for awhile now, I neded a motor and VFD for my home built base and honestly was having trouble justifying the cost. Looks like I'll order just a motor for it. Then order one of these units and set them up with different attachments/belts. Thank you for the review
Thanks for this review. I recently bought one of these. Not quite the same, the one i have is a little more user friendly, however it does have a similar size work table and speed controller. I haven't yet had the opportunity to put it theough its paces, but i did actually get an electrician to rewire it as the wiring it came with was shoddy to say the least. Not the wiring is nice and solid and looks professional. Im still in the process (multiple processes) of putting together my work shop, so hopefully one day soon i can really test it out. That said, i am super happy that a man with your years of knowledge and experience put it through some tests. Gives me a little piece of mind. They arent overly expensive, especially compared to the American made model, but id be had pressed i think to fabricate on myself for the same cost.
Hi, my VFD is mounted under the bench and I have run a ribbon cable to the control panel from the VFD and placed it on the front of the bench. I was lucky as I know a retired engineer who builds grinders for extra retirement money and builds them to order ! In the UK there is not a lot of choice for the knifemaker and importing is very expensive, may have to relocate to USA !!!!!!!!!
If the VFD was to start getting hot, cutting a hole in each side of the enclosure and then putting some filter material in one and a filtered fan made for a PC enclosure in the other would solve the issue for sure and could probably be done for under $40 if you looked around a bit.
Here is more info on shortening the shock I found from another site: Jordan Mr Reviewed on Feb 04, 2023 If you order Item 782J79, Mfr. Model GSWB410645 from Grainger you can convert this to 72" with no permanent modifications. It is a smaller gas piston with the same pressure. Drill out the ends of the new piston with a 5/16th" bit to fit the original hex screws, swap the pistons and now you have a grinder that works for 72" with no permanent modifications and you can still tilt the flat platen/use the top/bottom areas of the belt for rounding etc.
I personally use a 1x30 that I bought for about $50 a long time ago. It is a lot worse than pretty much any 2x72 for knife making, but it gets the job done and with the exception of deep hollow grinds I haven't really found much it can't do.
@@twatmunro he said "deep hollow grinds". Probably shouldn't have added the deep in the sentence but not sure. So I read your reread and assumed he could do hollow grind but not the deep ones. Hahaha
For european people, you can get a similar setup but from european based company, Batko, they make 2 versions, I just gotten the cheaper one which is for a 50x1650 or the bigger one for up to50 x 2000 belts. Reasonbly priced and seems solidly built.
When you said $1,000 I was like, “Nah-I’ll just save another few hundred and get another Ameribrade…” But then you listed the attachments and if it works, it really is a pretty good deal. I’ll still stick with my Ameribrade though…
Interesting. How much more would you need to spend to get what you would consider to be a step up from this machine? It seems to me that tools equipped like this one usually are 2 1/2 times the money.
I've had Ameribrade's grinder on my wish list for a while before deciding to order one of these. It's a bit over twice the price for the base package, and adding comparable attachments brings it to about three times the price. With that you're pretty much guaranteed quality and longevity so I'm taking a gamble ordering the Vevor. Some older reviews are pretty bad but it seems like they hopefully increased quality control
I wish I would have purchased this over my Ameribrade 2×48. I love the Ameribrade 2×72 it's probably the best grinder out there but they sure missed it with the 2×48
Thanks for the review Walter. I bought this grinder earlier this year and I'm relieved to hear you're opinion that it isn't absolute trash. I enclosed my vfd in an ammo box and I also added an earth grounding wire. I've only really used the flat platen so far and the graphite pad is showing some dents. I think I'll replace it with a ceramic glass platen on the near future. With the small radius attachment, the angle of the belt seems to limit the ability to plunge into tight corners. I see some other grinders have a contact wheel above the belt that essentially makes it run horizontally before curving around the radius. Any idea whether something similar could be modified for this grinder?
I bought a 4x36 belt grinder from Canadian tire. It seems to work alright, but it is GROSSLY underpowered, it works but takes a long time to surface grind, and doesn't have the power to remove material quickly. It took me all afternoon to shape my blade profile yesterday 😅
Well living in Europe I have no issue with metric, 220V, 2x82 / 50x2000 mm belts. Will I buy it? No. I built my own grinder. Actually I built 2. I used my first one for about 9 years despite all my design errors. My new built, I brutally honest, is my copy of Brian Fellhoelters Ubergrinder. Is it perfect? No but having built it myself I know it in and out and know how to fix issues. The cost? About 460€ so way cheaper than anything else.
Decent enough review, and I’m glad I watched it. But I think I’ll take a pass on this. I’m putting together the money to buy a Housemade 2x72 revolution series grinder. It costs a little more but still under $2k. You get the components, plus you have to source your own motor and vfd, but, you have total control over the manufacturing process. You get the opportunity to build the machine as good or bad as you want. LOL
Outside the U.S. - both 82 inch belts and metric measurements are a preference... So I'm left with the cheap and dirt susceptible boxing of the electric parts, which, I think, will be fun to fix myself. Never went into any of this before, and of course I'm not a "professional" metal worker of any kind - so I'd consider improving the machine just another fun and welcome fun project. One thing missing here is the actual prices, though. How much is this one, and how much are the "American brands" mentioned? what's the difference? is it half the price? third the price? could you at least throw in a link to purchasing this product and 3-4 American-made alternatives to compare against? This is a big heavy box - and the shipment expenses could EASILY be higher than the product price anyway (where I live). So the review is missing important info for me. Thanks a lot!
Currently it's 998usd and free shipping. At least on the vevor site currently. Other Americans brands I've seen are 2700 to 9000 USD from what I've gathered. Side note. Roy Adams Christ Centered Ironworks noted in his review as shipped it can take up to a 2 x 90 belt. Error 50mm x 2250mm ish 😊 Another person I know of.... Purchased section of steel and made an extra complete arm to mount the flat platten to and it stays dedicated to that. Another longer section was used to make a dedicated home for the small wheels attachments and it uses a much longer belt. Reasoning was for a greater section of slack belt and better angles of grinding on the small wheels. Just some thoughts based on the experiments if others. Blessings abundant Sir hope this helps some. Crawford out 🙏🏻🔥⚒️🧙🏻♂️
Unfortunately we all don’t have money I am on a disability pension and when I get my pension and pay all the bills and food , fuel, it leaves me with about $100 to last me a fortnight, I have just started trying to forge all homemade, still have not got all the gear, but sometime some of us either have to try and make or buy cheap if we can afford, I can’t and at 58yo. I thought I would of had a house ect unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances I lost everything my car is only worth $1500.00 FFS, Life is Hard.
How is a grand cheap or considered budget? Most folks starting out aren't left with much after purchasing all the other tools associated with metal work.
Klingspor ( Hickory, NC) can make custom length belts. Probably not all the offerings that knife making suppliers have though. I know you were joking but OSHA does not approve anything. Only compliance.. And those are "hex wrenches." They should be called by their proper name.
I tried to order this grinder. They took my money then i got a mail from customer support that they dont ship to where i live. They returned my money after a while but it was 60euro short because of the exchange rate. Ive read alot of reviews and it seems like a proper scam site. Would recomend to stay away.
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I have this grinder and fully agree with Walter. My solution for protecting motor and VFD is a simple piece of cloth wrapped around both the VFD casing and the air intake of the motor. It works as a simple filter stopping metal particles but at the same time allows cooling air flow. I’ve been using it for one full year now and it works
Thanks
I wish RUclips allowed commenters to post pics so I could see your setup.
@@davidswanson5669 unfortunately it’s not allowed but honestly there’s not much to see. It’s just an old cotton tshirt roughly cut and wrapped around the inverter leaving only the controls accessible kept in place with electric tape. Another piece of cotton is placed on the air intake of the motor kept in place with an elastic rubber band. Very simple but absolutely effective
@@a016001 thanks, this longer description is just as good as an image.
A point I wasn't aware of until recently is that the actual controls pop out and can be connected via a standard network cable. (those are finger wells to help remove it either side). It makes enclosing the main box simpler.
Thanks for the assessment I also agree with your conclusion,, Well I’ll tell ya how I became an owner of one of those chinese grinders , if you care at all to keep readin,, I watched a few of those DIY RUclips videos on knife makin and I was hooked after the 2nd one !! Bought a 1x30 and made a forge out of a small stainless trash can, after I bought a 4 grinder I was makin knives !!! I’m retired so I got plenty of time ( plenty till I run out)🙂 so I had this notion to build a 2x72, so I watch more videos and start drawing my grinder up , not makin much progress cause I’m still making knives, so much so that after a year I still hadn’t built it but I wanted one so bad cause I knew I could do better makin knives if I had one !!! Then one day I saw it !!! At first I thought it was a misprint !! No way !!! a 2x72 for under a grand !!! With a VFD !!! A week later I had it set up!!! I couldn’t get it set up fast enough to make my first Tactical Tanto!! Hollow Ground!!! I was in the big time now !!! I will tell ya though what I did for the VFD protection,, HarborFreight has plastic ammo boxes that the VFD fits perfectly in , I wrapped the inside with a indoor AC filter I got for 5 bucks, I just cut out the dimensions of the inside ammo box numbers and I have plenty left when the first batch gets dirty, I’ve already blown our the dust a few times,, then I drilled a bunch of 1/16th dia. Holes in the face of the box and set a small electronics fan in front of it !! I got the fan for 12 bucks!! I’ve been makin knives for all my boys and all my grandkids !!! That grinder has never let me down once !!! I still can’t get over it !!! Thanks for listening y’all !!!
Hey Ken, I got one of dem grinders too and bein of similar age as you and as easily persuaded I guess, I was ready to make some throwing knives and teach a couple generations about the throwing arts (😜 of which he knows nothing btw…. editor). But then I decided I could give the Vevor more vroom by adding an additional steel tube and tooling arm. That’s the ticket! First there was a slight delay on that since i didn’t know how to weld, but by gum I ran to Harbor Freight and got a stick welder and unpacked it and all but had to hold up while I added a 220 outlet in the shop which I wasn’t familiar with doing so shifted to a real slow gear on that side projec🎉t to stay alive for knife making as you might imagine.That went well but I had to learn to weld since I picked stick welding for my basic larnin tool which was dumb maybe, 😂struggled with that for a time I’ll admit, but got the tube welded on sturdy enough (🙄 under the heavy coats of paint you would see lots of JB Weld filling in between the occasional welds. He says it’ll hold. ed). That was about a year ago since I got the infernal thing but I will get some knives made if I’m given time enough and don’t roast myself today tryin my new heat treating set up. (😳) It’s always somethin, isn’t it? I think of it like this:
Whatever you want to do, unplanned detours will surface along the way to challenge your patience and commitment and drive the family to ask, “Are you sure you know what you’re doin gramps?”
Double all estimates.
Videos like these are tremendously helpful for the fledgling knife makers. Thank you, sir!
Some jerk is spamming my videos with "hello, you're a winner" comments. It's not me. Please ignore.
Hello! You’r a winner. Click here...😂 thanks for the review.
This happened to me while on a live feed with Adam Celedin some months back and I’m ashamed to admit I lost $40 to the rats (for shipping of the beautiful AceJet throwing knife I was told I had just won. Adam actually was giving a knife or two away that morning so I bit). Just a warning for ya.
I have one here in the UK. Limited selection available in our market, especially at that price (£700). A year of hobbiest use and its performed really well.
I used my remaining 2x72 belts simply enough without needing to cut the end off and switched to 50x2000mm belts
Forgot to add that I found it easier to swap the Allen bolts for M10 wingnut bolts on the table and platen
I've looked on their UK website repeatedly and never seen them on there. Where did you get yours?
@twatmunro I got it from them last year. The only other place I saw it was Amazon, and it's still there but rebadged by other sellers and three times the price!
Any additional steps required on the electricity front? Just plug and play or did it need a transformer?
@@rrelph86 Just plug and go
I Goto e a year ago (2024). Mine came in a damaged crate like it fell out of the back of a truck. The motor fan cover was dented so had to do body work on it. Still I kept it and got it set up and running. Mine didn’t have a VFD so ran at high speed . The problem was Iit had a single phase motor so a VFD would not help. My solution was to replace the motor and add a VFD so found an American three phase my with an American VFD already wired to it that I found on the Diktator website in Oregon. But that VFD was speed adjustable only . But a reverse switch for it was on Amazon for $12.00! I cut 1.5 inches off the tool arm and 1” off the rear of the tool arm housing to accommodate the new motor. Now I can use 2x82” or 2x72” belts. I then cut out a 4”x12” quarter inch plate an super glued to the provided small plate and built a new longer tool rest bracket to lower the tool rest tone able to use more of the platton. My platton liner was worn out by this time so replaced it with a glass liner. The frame is very solid, so with these modifications it’s now a pleasure to use.
I've had one for 2 years now. I made separate arms for the attachments and mounted the vfd in an old box I had available. I also wired it directly to 220v. The transformer I got with it wasn't large enough and would constantly trip out.
My vfd is a little different than the one you got, but it has been going strong this entire time.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one at the price for someone on a budget. I've been very productive with mine.
Just got mine last night. Was delivered to the freight depot yesterday lunchtime, and I figured that it wouldn’t arrive at my place til mid next week (I live in rural Tasmania).
Unboxed it last night, and set it up on the bench.
I took 50mm (about 2” to you Seppos) off the tool-arm, and it fits all the attachments perfectly (300mm toothed wheel, small wheel -with both a 20mm and 30mm wheel, and the platen set) using 72” belts, as well as the several included 82” ones from Vevor.
I got a nice, old plastic food container (similar to “supper-ware” 😀) to hold the control box. Much easier to mark out the cuts to expose the controls than a electrical box.
Very happy, so far, but have not yet actually ‘done’ anything with it.
I bought one 6 months ago. For the price and the attachments it's great. Do the mods and enjoy. I have no major complaints.
I’ve owned it for over a year. Shortened the tube to fit 2x72 belts. Replaced the graphite after a while with a glass platen. Converted to 220 (no transformer) Vfd popped after about 8 months(I made a box with a filter to keep it In). Bought a higher quality one when replacing. Otherwise love the machine. It’s a grinding machine. Also the keypad pops out of the vfd and a cable can be added to get the vfd further from the grime. Forgot I also fabricated a larger table.
D*** I didn't even know they had glass platens, fancy!
You could cut an in and out vent, filter them, and install an intake and exhaust fan in that transformer box. Itd cost like 10$
I've been running one of these for about 6 months. I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was around $1000 delivered to my door. Of course it's not as good as the big name grinders but it's around 1/4 the price and it's 1000 times better than a 1x30 or 4x36 which is what I started with. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to up their game without paying $4000-$5000 for a 2x72.
Even a thousand bucks seems excessive. I'm guessing that there isn't much in the way of mass-production going on with building these.
@@joesikkspac7904 All I can say is that it works really well. It's cut my grinding time down by probably 60-70% . I haven't had any issues with it as of yet.
I have this grinder and have used it hard. I also removed the control pad and mounted all electronics under the workbench. Then put the control pad on the bench in an light switch/ electrical box. I was very skeptical at first but with a few mods this grinder will be great.
you could rig up filters and computer cooling fans to get airflow through the electronics box. Wouldn't be too difficult
Ty for looking out for the little guy
Started my knife making with a homemade 2x72 grinder. Built a second one to fix the flaws of the first one. And now use one made by Reeder Products that I really love. Everyone needs a starting point.
I went from a HF 1x30 to an IBM American made grinder not as nice as an Ameribrade, but certainly good enough. This one you reviewed sure came with a lot of accessories, and with care could probably get a guy going and earn enough to get a quality American made grinder. I think $1000 is in reach of someone wanting to get more serious, but doesn't want to go in the hole at the very beginning.
Just watched this Walter and thanks for doing this review, it came about due to a question asked in a knife making group in Australia and someone posted you video, an honest review and looks like a fairly sturdy machine but just question, Why did you mount the VFD on the bench in almost direct line of fire of all the sparks and metal debris and not on a post back near the motor, once turned on and speed set you really shouldn't need to touch it again to turn off, and again thanks for a frank and honest review, as I have never come across you before will certainly be watching more.
Thanks, man, appreciate you starting to watch!
how on EARTH do these cost more than like 500 bucks..blows my mind.
I am thinking motor and the wheels with bearings, otherwise it doesn't make sense
It was a choice between Vevor grinder or one with no drive motor and no wheels so far I’ve only cut maybe 1.5” off tool arm to accommodate 72” belts also I measured platten length and fitted a ceramic glass platten with stop . very pleased with product shipped from Cali.
Can repair parts. Ex bushings, bearings etc. Be found when it takes a dump?
i have been using a homemade one the last 10 years or so, that has skateboard wheels, a wooden drive wheel, an axle from a mini quad, and a sowing sewing machine motor, it works fine
Fantastic - love that you made it!
This is much nicer than the 2×72 I got a few years ago.
Nice review, Walter! Any chance you can post links to the electrical enclosure boxes?
Wow "cheap" grinders have gotten much more expensive. I bought a Reeder 2x72 frame back in 2017 for $500+ shipping (delivered it was like $570) Bought a sealed 3phase motor off amazon for $170 and a KB VFD for $357 (also off amazon) All in was under $1100. Looks like the price of entry for a US made grinder is more than double that these days. Great review. Would love to see a review of the Reeder some time, maybe they'll send you one... Just keep in mind their prices have gone up significantly since I bought mine. The same frame now costs ~$800... still a nice quality build IMHO though. Too bad mine mostly sits in the basement.. I need to get back to working on my skills.
Yeah it would be awesome if the US manufacturers would/could compete with the Chinese machines.
Agreed - I have had a Reeder for years and absolutely love it. It is actually a really great value when you take the quality and engineering into account. I'm not sure why Reeder doesn't get more attention than it does, but I think the quality difference is something you have to kind of experience for yourself. I've gotten to use KMGs, Wilmonts etc and they are all really great machines, but I feel like the Reeder edges them out in design and value. It was an absolute game changer in my shop.
@@CaptainTwitchyunfortunately that'll never happened considering the China uses mostly what would be considered slave labor it's the the buy American products for the quality inn the reassurance that you are helping another American pay their bills aspect that keeps me spending a little more money
this machine seems to be made with whatever they have on hand, some pics i see its made with plates screwed together, other steel tube, and the electronics are different, the vfd i got is kinda nice, the actual control panel detatches in a lile square from the main housing and can be extended with a ethernet cable, so you can put the vfd and converter way away from the machine in a dust free location, and run the controller to the machine
I’ve seen people change the shock out on the top tensioner wheel to a shorter shock to fit a 72” belt
i know this was a while ago ... but could you please link to the sealed box you got for the VFD .. as i cant find one with correct measurements ... thanks in advance
Ditch the transformer and wire it directly to 220v and set the VFD for 60hz and not 50
Great video one thing these VFD drives might have a Potentiometer and other low voltage outputs to have the VFD far away from dust
I live in Mississippi how long did it take to receive your machine after ordering. Thanks for all the good info
You should give it away!! I could use it. As I’m just starting out.
I've been looking at these for awhile now, I neded a motor and VFD for my home built base and honestly was having trouble justifying the cost. Looks like I'll order just a motor for it. Then order one of these units and set them up with different attachments/belts. Thank you for the review
Thanks for this review. I recently bought one of these. Not quite the same, the one i have is a little more user friendly, however it does have a similar size work table and speed controller.
I haven't yet had the opportunity to put it theough its paces, but i did actually get an electrician to rewire it as the wiring it came with was shoddy to say the least. Not the wiring is nice and solid and looks professional.
Im still in the process (multiple processes) of putting together my work shop, so hopefully one day soon i can really test it out. That said, i am super happy that a man with your years of knowledge and experience put it through some tests. Gives me a little piece of mind.
They arent overly expensive, especially compared to the American made model, but id be had pressed i think to fabricate on myself for the same cost.
What size electric box did you get?
Walter Combat Abrasives will make any length of belt as long as there is more than 1 belt being made. Just ask your sponsor ... Cheers, Martin
Hi, my VFD is mounted under the bench and I have run a ribbon cable to the control panel from the VFD and placed it on the front of the bench. I was lucky as I know a retired engineer who builds grinders for extra retirement money and builds them to order ! In the UK there is not a lot of choice for the knifemaker and importing is very expensive, may have to relocate to USA !!!!!!!!!
Why not !! Everyone else is !! We need as many good citizens as we can get !!!
I use a ton of OSHA Blue!
If the VFD was to start getting hot, cutting a hole in each side of the enclosure and then putting some filter material in one and a filtered fan made for a PC enclosure in the other would solve the issue for sure and could probably be done for under $40 if you looked around a bit.
Here is more info on shortening the shock I found from another site:
Jordan
Mr
Reviewed on Feb 04, 2023
If you order Item 782J79, Mfr. Model GSWB410645 from Grainger you can convert this to 72" with no permanent modifications. It is a smaller gas piston with the same pressure. Drill out the ends of the new piston with a 5/16th" bit to fit the original hex screws, swap the pistons and now you have a grinder that works for 72" with no permanent modifications and you can still tilt the flat platen/use the top/bottom areas of the belt for rounding etc.
Why not just move the top shock mount on the upper arm forward a bit?
I personally use a 1x30 that I bought for about $50 a long time ago. It is a lot worse than pretty much any 2x72 for knife making, but it gets the job done and with the exception of deep hollow grinds I haven't really found much it can't do.
How are you doing hollow grinds on a 1x30?
@@turns-jt7te -- Reread what he wrote. He said hollow grinds is the only thing he CAN'T do.
@@twatmunro he said "deep hollow grinds". Probably shouldn't have added the deep in the sentence but not sure. So I read your reread and assumed he could do hollow grind but not the deep ones. Hahaha
For european people, you can get a similar setup but from european based company, Batko, they make 2 versions, I just gotten the cheaper one which is for a 50x1650 or the bigger one for up to50 x 2000 belts. Reasonbly priced and seems solidly built.
Thank You for the review!! I have been waiting for something like this
Do you have any plans to review the grizzly 2x42 which looks as though it is built on a miniaturized 2x72 platform
Thank you Walter for the information it's greatly appreciated
The front panel on the VFD should pop out and can be extended with a ribbon cable
Vevor is giving these things away to all the youtube metal guys. I'll guarantee a positive review if they'll kick one my way as well
Wow I haven't heard you in a long time. Love your videos.
He's posted 10 videos in the last 2 months.
When you said $1,000 I was like, “Nah-I’ll just save another few hundred and get another Ameribrade…”
But then you listed the attachments and if it works, it really is a pretty good deal.
I’ll still stick with my Ameribrade though…
Interesting. How much more would you need to spend to get what you would consider to be a step up from this machine? It seems to me that tools equipped like this one usually are 2 1/2 times the money.
I've had Ameribrade's grinder on my wish list for a while before deciding to order one of these. It's a bit over twice the price for the base package, and adding comparable attachments brings it to about three times the price. With that you're pretty much guaranteed quality and longevity so I'm taking a gamble ordering the Vevor. Some older reviews are pretty bad but it seems like they hopefully increased quality control
THANK YOU, WALTER!!! THIS IS VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION!!... I JUST SAW THAT "2 X 82" BELT AD... I THOUGHT IT WAS A "TYPO"!!!....
Thanks for the video, always enjoy watching them. Now if you install a smaller drive wheel won't that give you the ability to shorten the belt.
End
I wish I would have purchased this over my Ameribrade 2×48. I love the Ameribrade 2×72 it's probably the best grinder out there but they sure missed it with the 2×48
Thanks for the review Walter. I bought this grinder earlier this year and I'm relieved to hear you're opinion that it isn't absolute trash.
I enclosed my vfd in an ammo box and I also added an earth grounding wire.
I've only really used the flat platen so far and the graphite pad is showing some dents. I think I'll replace it with a ceramic glass platen on the near future.
With the small radius attachment, the angle of the belt seems to limit the ability to plunge into tight corners. I see some other grinders have a contact wheel above the belt that essentially makes it run horizontally before curving around the radius. Any idea whether something similar could be modified for this grinder?
Thanks for your video
Great review! I was looking at this machine, thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Here in Brasil 2x82 are the most comom professional, smaller are considerer "hobby" machines
Thank you
Would love a masjine like that. But here in South Africa every thing is just to expensive for me.😢
Excellent review - THANKS !
Glad it was helpful!
I bought a 4x36 belt grinder from Canadian tire. It seems to work alright, but it is GROSSLY underpowered, it works but takes a long time to surface grind, and doesn't have the power to remove material quickly. It took me all afternoon to shape my blade profile yesterday 😅
Basically they skimped on the electric motor to run the grinder
Well living in Europe I have no issue with metric, 220V, 2x82 / 50x2000 mm belts.
Will I buy it? No. I built my own grinder. Actually I built 2. I used my first one for about 9 years despite all my design errors. My new built, I brutally honest, is my copy of Brian Fellhoelters Ubergrinder. Is it perfect? No but having built it myself I know it in and out and know how to fix issues. The cost? About 460€ so way cheaper than anything else.
The belt is actually metric, look for 2000mm x 50mm.
If you put a smaller drive wheel on that, it would probably be easier to use a 72" belt.
Would just moving the the VFD and transformer to a more remote location from the machine solve dust issues.
Decent enough review, and I’m glad I watched it.
But I think I’ll take a pass on this.
I’m putting together the money to buy a Housemade 2x72 revolution series grinder. It costs a little more but still under $2k.
You get the components, plus you have to source your own motor and vfd, but, you have total control over the manufacturing process. You get the opportunity to build the machine as good or bad as you want. LOL
What's the buzz on Burr King?
I'd stick with Wan King.
After reading the comments, it looks like I'll never own a grinder.
Wire it for 220 and loose the transformer and it makes a world of difference!!!
3:00 Was the bolt direction specified in the directions? I've read some horror stories about Vevor support and lack of parts.
Just buy the Oregon,USA Made Pheer for a couple hundred more.
Walter: cheap grinders are a joke right?
Me: oh is he reviewing $200 grinders??
Walter: This grinder cost $1000
Me:😶
Great review. 👍👍
Thanks! 👍
Outside the U.S. - both 82 inch belts and metric measurements are a preference... So I'm left with the cheap and dirt susceptible boxing of the electric parts, which, I think, will be fun to fix myself. Never went into any of this before, and of course I'm not a "professional" metal worker of any kind - so I'd consider improving the machine just another fun and welcome fun project.
One thing missing here is the actual prices, though. How much is this one, and how much are the "American brands" mentioned? what's the difference? is it half the price? third the price? could you at least throw in a link to purchasing this product and 3-4 American-made alternatives to compare against?
This is a big heavy box - and the shipment expenses could EASILY be higher than the product price anyway (where I live).
So the review is missing important info for me.
Thanks a lot!
Currently it's 998usd and free shipping. At least on the vevor site currently.
Other Americans brands I've seen are 2700 to 9000 USD from what I've gathered.
Side note. Roy Adams Christ Centered Ironworks noted in his review as shipped it can take up to a 2 x 90 belt. Error 50mm x 2250mm ish 😊
Another person I know of.... Purchased section of steel and made an extra complete arm to mount the flat platten to and it stays dedicated to that. Another longer section was used to make a dedicated home for the small wheels attachments and it uses a much longer belt. Reasoning was for a greater section of slack belt and better angles of grinding on the small wheels.
Just some thoughts based on the experiments if others.
Blessings abundant Sir hope this helps some.
Crawford out 🙏🏻🔥⚒️🧙🏻♂️
Unfortunately we all don’t have money I am on a disability pension and when I get my pension and pay all the bills and food , fuel, it leaves me with about $100 to last me a fortnight, I have just started trying to forge all homemade, still have not got all the gear, but sometime some of us either have to try and make or buy cheap if we can afford, I can’t and at 58yo. I thought I would of had a house ect unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances I lost everything my car is only worth $1500.00 FFS, Life is Hard.
Watch the price of this grinder skyrocket
There's massive unemployment in China. You could argue that the price is going to plummet as factories put on a few more shifts.
No they are not. May take a little longer, but the results can be the same. You make good videos.
How is a grand cheap or considered budget? Most folks starting out aren't left with much after purchasing all the other tools associated with metal work.
1000 dollars isn't budget friendly there Walt lol
$1000 is a cheap grinder??? not where i live.
If 1000 dolar is a budget machine- how much is a normal one?😱
"Cheap" and $1000 is crazy to me for a grinder
If your going to describe an item as cheap, budget, economical... I highly recommend you disclose the actual COST as well.
Hey Walter, has your You Tube account been hacked. I got a notification from you that I won a prize. Wasn't aware there was a give away.
Buy once cry once...id save for another year and get a quality machine
Klingspor ( Hickory, NC) can make custom length belts. Probably not all the offerings that knife making suppliers have though. I know you were joking but OSHA does not approve anything. Only compliance.. And those are "hex wrenches." They should be called by their proper name.
For the price of 1000€ a joke for sure . . .
Oh God not metric!
I tried to order this grinder. They took my money then i got a mail from customer support that they dont ship to where i live. They returned my money after a while but it was 60euro short because of the exchange rate. Ive read alot of reviews and it seems like a proper scam site. Would recomend to stay away.