I picked up a new 8" "slow speed" (1725 RPM) grinder from Woodcraft on sale for $74.95 off their web site. It comes equipped with 1" x 8" 120 grit and
60 grit white aluminum oxide grinding wheels. It has a 3/4 HP induction motor. I already had a Makita blade grinder as well as myriad files and Arkansas stones but I lacked a regular style grinder... this one peaked my interest due to the 8" wheels and the lower RPMs so I ordered it.Assembly of the two piece cast tool rests went very smoothly as did assembly of the eye shields. The motor is quiet. There was trivial vibration when I first turned the grinder on but after grinding an old Stanley chisel, that had huge chunks out of the edge, the vibration went away. It appears that the wheels needed to be dressed a bit as they were mildly out of balance. I was very pleased to find that I could grind the chisel edge back to true with no overheating. It definitely fills a gap I had in my sharpening tool assortment. The Makita blade grinder or the Arkansas stones would have taken forever and using a file on that hard old chisel probably would have ruined the file.
Overall I'd give this grinder a buy recommendation if you are in the market for a serviceable 8" "slow speed" grinder. It is built far better than any of the Craftsman or low end Delta grinders I've seen or used and I suspect it will last me forever as I'm not using it commercially.
I don't know how long the sale lasts but the URL is below if you want to check it out.
John