Will be used as a home/hobby tool, wanting to stay $300ish or below. Gonna be for sharpening mower blades, machetes, dressing up light aluminum pieces, etc. Do I need a 6" or 8"? Brands to buy or stay away from? Thanks for any suggestions.

I have an 8" Jet that's been with me for many years. I'd say 8" over 6" all day long.

This is one of those generic tools that you don't have to go high end on. I have been using a generic Chicom one for the past 35 years or so and I think I paid around $35 or so back then. I have a wire brush on one side and grinding stone on the other. Mine is six inches but I can see an eight inch being a better performer. I'd look over the ones at Harbor Freight.

No need for high end for home use but I like to buy used commercial quality stuff like that. Just my preference. Garage sales, auctions or ebay are good sources.

While you're at it, buy two so you can have two different coarseness wheels on one, the other should have a wire wheel and the other end a Scotchbrite deburring/polishing wheel.
Once you use one you'll find lots of uses for it.

Harbor Freight, mine is over 10 years old and still going strong. Probably paid $40 for it, and they sell a stand if you don't have a bench or want to be able to move it around for projects.

They have basic to an upgraded most commercial model, one model with a belt sander

https://www.harborfreight.com/.../bench-grinders.html

Same here - Harbor Fright

And swap one side out for buffing wheel.

I bought a Harbor Freight one at a yard sale, 10 years and still good

I have two from Harbor Freight that I purchased 35+ years ago and they are still going strong. 8" models.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
This is one of those generic tools that you don't have to go high end on. I have been using a generic Chicom one for the past 35 years or so and I think I paid around $35 or so back then. I have a wire brush on one side and grinding stone on the other. Mine is six inches but I can see an eight inch being a better performer. I'd look over the ones at Harbor Freight.

This.

I use mine 99% for the wire wheel for cleaning small parts. Too many other faster, more convenient ways to remove material.

I find a 4 inch angle grinder much more versatile. So much so in fact, that I have 4 of 'em 1 each set up with a grinding disk, slitting disk, flap disk and wire cup.

Much appreciated gents. Harbor Freight it is, the 8" Hercules looks like a good one.

I bought the $49 Harbor Freight one. It was a total piece of junk. Cheap guards that fall off with vibration, too weak of a motor that wasn't powerful enough.

I immediately took it back for the next one up, the 4.8 amp one that cost like $89. Its plenty for my uses, works great, is powerful enough for lawn mower blades. They sell the 8 inch wire wheel right there in store. The $199 Hercules one looks like a beast.