Harbor Freight Bench Grinder (2024)

[OP]Contributor

To make a long story short, I needed a bench grinder and used wasn't really an option. Looking at new ones, I decided on an 8" Jet, but the local big box store wouldn't sell me one. So, I got frustrated, and went to Harbor Freight just to get the whole ordeal over with. That's when I noticed that the Hercules bench grinder at Harbor Freight looks suspiciously like the Jet I originally wanted. It looks like the same 1hp motor, same cast iron wheel guards, same cast iron tool rests, same weight and everything. I could only see a few minor differences, like the switch and the bolts that connect the tool rests. And of course, the color and branding. Oh yeah, and the price. So I bought one.

And I'm really impressed! It hits full speed in about 3 seconds, is virtually vibration free, and rock solid. Nothing flexes, rattles, or wobbles. Only the switch says "cheap", which is easy enough to replace. I would dare say it's even better than the old Baldors and Baldor clones that I've used! However, I will freely admit it's not totally fair to compare a machine that's seen heavy use for 40+ years and likey running with it's original bearings with one new, out of the box. The fact that a Baldor, Dayton, or other US made clone can be abused for 40+ years straight and still work is about a strong of a testament to build quality as one could make. But I do think it's fair to say that this Hercules bench grinder is much better built than new offerings from respected brands like Shop Fox, Rikon, Dewalt, Delta, etc. And I don't think it's even close.

Bottom line, I've owned a lot of Harbor Freight tools over the years, but this is the first time I've thought one of their tools was significantly BETTER than most of the other big name tool brands.

Moderator

This doesn't surprise me, honestly, as HFT has kicked things up in recent years relative to their higher level products. I think that it became obvious that if they wanted to continue to expand and keep people coming back in, they not only had to provide attractive pricing but also offer options that had decent quality. A number of years ago I bought a similar "not name brand" grinder with similar results to your experience. Motor is great, runs smoothly and quietly. There were a few dubious fasteners, but that was no big deal. I was putting on nice wheels balanced with the OneWay system so as long as that motor and shaft ran true..."win, win".

Contributor

Originally Posted by Jimmy Harris

But I do think it's fair to say that this Hercules bench grinder is much better built than new offerings from respected brands like Shop Fox, Rikon, Dewalt, Delta, etc. And I don't think it's even close.

Im glad that you found something you liked, at a good price. And I appreciate the review - that helps all of us! I have an HF lathe that is very close to the JET equivalent, so I know there are indeed some hidden gems out there.

Im curious - how did you determine that the Herc is better than the brands you mention? Have you actually spun-up those grinders and used them like you did the Herc? I ask because I find that kind of info helpful in a review that compares products.

Thanks again,
Fred

Contributor

I have a Lowes $19.99 bench grinder ( 6", 3450 RPM) from the eighties. Yes they sold for $19.99 back then. Other than replacing the wheels, which cost me more than the grinder, it has had absolutely nothing done to it. Couple years back, I bought a HF coil roofing nailer. Rebuilt shed roof across back of shop. HF gun never missed a beat. Wish I could say the same for my Hitachi framing nailer.

[OP]Contributor

Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly

Im glad that you found something you liked, at a good price. And I appreciate the review - that helps all of us! I have an HF lathe that is very close to the JET equivalent, so I know there are indeed some hidden gems out there.

Im curious - how did you determine that the Herc is better than the brands you mention? Have you actually spun-up those grinders and used them like you did the Herc? I ask because I find that kind of info helpful in a review that compares products.

Thanks again,
Fred

For full disclosure, this is the first bench grinder that I've actually owned. Since I don't do a ton of metal work, in the past I've always just borrowed grinders as needed. Or, more accurately, borrowed time on bench grinders, as I typically just needed a few minutes to do one quick thing about once every six months or so. So it's a purchase that I've put off buying for way too long, because I have always been able to find an alternative, be it from a relative, friend, neighbor, coworker, or borrow the one at work. And I've worked factory jobs my whole life where we don't use bench grinders in the day to day of things, but do usually have an old one in the back somewhere to help with repairs on the machinery we do regularly use. Typically, these were bought back when the company started, and might get powered up for ten minutes a year. So over the course of my life, I have probably used a couple dozen bench grinders, but never in a full time or serious setting, like a professional metalworker might. And, I must admit that the owners of these grinders didn't use them much either, or did much to maintain them. For instance, I'd say 75% of the time, the wheels were glazed and the owner didn't own or know about wheel dressers, saying "you can use it, but it needs new wheels". And they were almost always covered in thick layers of dust and rust. So I'm probably not the best person to properly judge bench grinders, since I have no real professional experience. But I'm also not a complete novice, as I've been using them on and off, a couple of times a year, for more than 30 years now.

Anyway, my point to all of this is to say, if your in the market for a new bench grinder, it would do you good to check it out in person before making a final decision. I'm not trying to make that decision for you or tell anyone what their opinion should be. Rather, I'm just saying that the quality of this particular product really shocked me compared to what I've always thought and experienced from Harbor Freight's tools. And I'm about 99% positive the Hercules, Jet, and Baileigh 8", single, high speed bench grinders are all made in the same factory out of mostly the same parts, with just a couple of minor, cosmetic differences. Only the Hercules comes in at a significantly lower price.

Contributor

Thanks for the review, as Jim said HF has increased the quality of many of their products recently. I have seen a lot of there advertising onTV in the last few months.

Contributor

Good info. Thanks!

Contributor

Originally Posted by Jimmy Harris

For full disclosure, this is the first bench grinder that I've actually owned. Since I don't do a ton of metal work, in the past I've always just borrowed grinders as needed. Or, more accurately, borrowed time on bench grinders, as I typically just needed a few minutes to do one quick thing about once every six months or so. So it's a purchase that I've put off buying for way too long, because I have always been able to find an alternative, be it from a relative, friend, neighbor, coworker, or borrow the one at work. And I've worked factory jobs my whole life where we don't use bench grinders in the day to day of things, but do usually have an old one in the back somewhere to help with repairs on the machinery we do regularly use. Typically, these were bought back when the company started, and might get powered up for ten minutes a year. So over the course of my life, I have probably used a couple dozen bench grinders, but never in a full time or serious setting, like a professional metalworker might. And, I must admit that the owners of these grinders didn't use them much either, or did much to maintain them. For instance, I'd say 75% of the time, the wheels were glazed and the owner didn't own or know about wheel dressers, saying "you can use it, but it needs new wheels". And they were almost always covered in thick layers of dust and rust. So I'm probably not the best person to properly judge bench grinders, since I have no real professional experience. But I'm also not a complete novice, as I've been using them on and off, a couple of times a year, for more than 30 years now.

Anyway, my point to all of this is to say, if your in the market for a new bench grinder, it would do you good to check it out in person before making a final decision. I'm not trying to make that decision for you or tell anyone what their opinion should be. Rather, I'm just saying that the quality of this particular product really shocked me compared to what I've always thought and experienced from Harbor Freight's tools. And I'm about 99% positive the Hercules, Jet, and Baileigh 8", single, high speed bench grinders are all made in the same factory out of mostly the same parts, with just a couple of minor, cosmetic differences. Only the Hercules comes in at a significantly lower price.

How did you determine, with 99% accuracy, that they all come from the same factory? Which factory is it? A review needs facts. Maybe just say you like it a lot, which you did. Leave all the other brands and speculation out of it.

[OP]Contributor

Originally Posted by Richard Coers

How did you determine, with 99% accuracy, that they all come from the same factory? Which factory is it? A review needs facts. Maybe just say you like it a lot, which you did. Leave all the other brands and speculation out of it.

Alright. Let's not get upset over this. I said "I'm about 99% positive" not "with 99% accuracy". And why should I leave all other brands and speculation out of it? I don't understand what's going on here.

As for which factory, it's most likely Weihai Allwin in Shandong, China. Harbor Freight is a partner listed brand on their website and JPW Industries, the owner of Jet tools, is Weihai Allwin's top importer into the U.S., according to Import Genius. That information, combined with the nearly identical dimensions, shape, materials, and specifications of the motor as well as numerous similarities in various other parts is pretty strong evidence of being from the same factory. It's not conclusive proof. But I think there's enough to go on to rise above the level of mere speculation. I feel the odds are greater that they came out of the same factory than that they didn't.

But you're free to believe whatever you want.

Contributor

I simply found it hard to believe that all of a sudden Harbor Freight is selling a bench grinder that surpasses many of the top grinders of the past, including Baldor. And that Harbor Freight can sell a significantly better grinder than Jet, but yet they are made in the same factory. That doesn't make sense. That Chinese factory has a superior product line that only Harbor Freight is selling? And some how Harbor Freight can sell that superior product for less? I'm glad you are really happy with the grinder.

Member

I believe H.F. is upscaling some products. Example, I like to watch an auto mechanic's Youtube vid's and he recently got a H.F. auto fault code reader to review and use. His comments were all positive. In fact he was able to reprogram a module with the H.F. Icon tool that he said would fail with his Autel normal device. I know show proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6IfNSIlo5o

[OP]Contributor

Originally Posted by Richard Coers

I simply found it hard to believe that all of a sudden Harbor Freight is selling a bench grinder that surpasses many of the top grinders of the past, including Baldor. And that Harbor Freight can sell a significantly better grinder than Jet, but yet they are made in the same factory. That doesn't make sense. That Chinese factory has a superior product line that only Harbor Freight is selling? And some how Harbor Freight can sell that superior product for less? I'm glad you are really happy with the grinder.

I never said that the Hercules is superior to a Baldor. Only that my new Hercules runs smoother than some of the beat up old Baldors I've used. I was just using that as a frame of reference to suggest that if I were able to find an old Baldor, I would probably need to put some work into it to get it up and running as smooth as the new Hercules. Which is something that can't be said of all new grinders. I've seen some new ones and shook so bad you'd have to bolt them down to keep them from running away from you. The Hercules, however, is remarkably smooth.

Also, again, I never said it was significantly better than the Jet. I don't believe that. I believe them to both be made by the same factory, from the mostly the same parts. So I would expect them to be fairly similar in performance. But it's entirely possible that there are some internal components that were upgraded on the Jet, like maybe the wheel shaft bearings, that would lend it to being a better machine. Someone would need to buy both and do a complete tear down comparison between the two to verify just exactly how alike or different they are, and that's not something I'm interested in wasting time and money on.

So how could Harbor Freight sell a similar machine for so much less? Well, that's their business model. Harbor Freight is basically just an importer and warehouse company. So they don't have to split profits with a retailer, they have tons of warehouse space so they can place massive orders to get a huge, bulk discount, and they don't have to spend money designing and prototyping new tools. They just hunt down a factory already making a tool they want, place a massive order, and then ship and sell them direct.

But yes, I am happy with it. And I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I'm just a guy who spotted what looks like is a good deal and wanted to pass it along to share my good fortune with others.

Contributor

Jimmy - thank you for a useful user impression.
It resonates with me that you have used quite a few others of various brands and working condition over a long-ish period of time.
For me that validates much of what you wrote, and i'm a big enough boy to cipher through the rest.
Also appreciate the sleuthing for the likely factory - that was interesting.

smt

Contributor

Originally Posted by Jimmy Harris

Also, again, I never said it was significantly better than the Jet. .

Yeah, you didn't say Jet. But you did say this, But I do think it's fair to say that this Hercules bench grinder is much better built than new offerings from respected brands like Shop Fox, Rikon, Dewalt, Delta, etc. And I don't think it's even close. I just assumed that Jet was in etc...

Member

ALL Chinese tools come from the same AREA. And Lots of 'name' brands come out of the same factory. Same as lots of other items they export. It surprises me NOT that the HF grinder is roughly equivalent to the Jet, or a Grizzly, or any other brand that was made in China. Now internals might be cheaper, or better, but I'd bet there ain't a bit of difference other than the paint. I DO NOT buy HF battery tools as I've been burned when they dropped a line a couple of years ago and you can't buy batteries any more. I'll stick with Ridgid and their warranty for those.