2023 test9 productsPower Tools
Which Bench Grinders Brand Wins?
We compared 9 bench grinders options head to head. JET came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
JET
Price shown in test: 528
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Runner-up
Shop Fox
Price shown in test: 250
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Time to full operating RPM | No-load RPM | Noise level | Wheel stop time | Weight | Torque stall test (downward force) | Electric motor lie detector test (15 min sustained load) | Wheel wear test (groove depth from screw) | Eye shield impact test | Average finish score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1JET528 | 2.0 seconds, fastest of all brands, no drill needed to help it start | 3591 | 72.8 decibels | around 90 seconds | almost 63 pounds, heaviest of all brands | 60 pounds, described as totally destroying the competition | 95 degrees F at 10 minutes, 106 degrees F at 15 minutes (tied coolest with Shop Fox), watt meter maxed out around 1800 watts | 0.018 inches | the ice shield broke in the steel ball impact test, same as Performance Tool | first place in every quantitative test; still ranked first overall once the subjective build quality assessment is included |
| 2Shop Fox250 | 8.1 seconds | variable speed range around 2160 to just over 3580 | 77.3 decibels | 1 minute 34 seconds | 40.61 pounds | 11 pounds, tied with Hercules, Delta, and Rikon | 92 degrees F at 10 minutes, 106 degrees F at 15 minutes (coolest yet, tied with JET), stalled at 1325 watts, second highest wattage after JET | 0.042 inches, same as Delta | not tested | 1.7 average finish leaving out subjective build quality; 1.8 average finish once subjective build quality is included |
| 3Rikon260 | 5.11 seconds, aided by a lightweight included wire wheel | variable speed range roughly 2100 to just over 3500 | 76.1 decibels, noisier due to the wire wheel | 44 seconds | 38.27 pounds | 11 pounds, tied with Hercules, Delta, and Shop Fox | 105 degrees F at 10 minutes, 116 degrees F at 15 minutes, stalled at 1250 watts | 0.024 inches, less wear than Delta and Shop Fox | not tested | 2.3 average finish both with and without the subjective build quality assessment |
| 4Delta229 | very close to 7 seconds | variable speed range 2100 to just over 3400 | 72.5 decibels | 48 seconds, fastest at that point in the video | 40.27 pounds | 11 pounds, tied with Hercules, Shop Fox, and Rikon | close to 100 degrees F at 10 minutes, 117 degrees F at 15 minutes, stalled around 1250 watts, about the same as Hercules | 0.042 inches; the light-duty tool rest came loose during this test, noted as a design flaw | not tested | 2.8 average finish once the subjective build quality assessment is included, tied with Hercules |
| 5Hercules140 | about 10.8 seconds (stated as 3 seconds longer than Bauer's 7.8 seconds) | variable speed range around 2100 to just over 3500 | 74.3 decibels | 1 minute 22 seconds | 40.5 pounds | 11 pounds, tied with Delta, Shop Fox, and Rikon | 103 degrees F at 10 minutes, 125 degrees F at 15 minutes, stalled at 1250 watts | 0.0045 inches, the least wear of any brand tested | not tested | 2.8 average finish once the subjective build quality assessment is included, tied with Delta |
| 6Bauer100 | 7.8 seconds (also stated later as 7.87 seconds in the closing recap) | 3577 | 74.9 decibels | 1 minute 48 seconds | almost 35 pounds | 10 pounds, same as WEN | 120 degrees F at 10 minutes, 130 degrees F at 15 minutes (same as WEN), stalled at 1150 watts, about 50 watts more than WEN | 0.061 inches | not tested | not tested |
| 7SKIL150 | around 10 seconds | 3570 | 73.9 decibels | 80 seconds | 26.25 pounds | 5 pounds, one pound more than Performance Tool | expected test range 340 to 360 watts based on its half-horsepower rating, 110 degrees F at 15 minutes, made it to around 700 watts before stalling | 0.005 inches, no motor stalling during the test unlike Performance Tool | not tested | not tested |
| 8WEN88 | 8.4 seconds | 3583 | 65.6 decibels, quietest of all brands | 2 minutes 20 seconds | 29.45 pounds | 10 pounds, same as Bauer (barely holding on at 9 pounds before that) | running a little over 570 watts sustained (close to its 4.8 amp / 3/4 hp rating), 112 degrees F at 10 minutes, 130 degrees F at 15 minutes, held on until 1100 watts on a separate max-torque burst test | 0.005 inches, not very friable, in good condition after the test | not tested | not tested |
| 9Performance Tool90 | 19.8 seconds, slowest of all brands | 3559 | 83.7 decibels, loudest of all brands | 2 minutes 23 seconds | 23.75 pounds, lightest of all brands | 4 pounds (began struggling at 3 pounds), 6 pounds less than WEN despite matching WEN's 3/4 horsepower rating | explicitly failed to pass this test; narrator states it does not make enough torque for its rated 3/4 horsepower | 0.09 inches, motor stalled multiple times during the test under light pressure, described as too friable | the ice shield broke in the steel ball impact test, same as JET | not tested |
How it was tested
- time to reach full operating RPM
- no-load RPM measurement
- noise level in decibels
- time for the wheel to come to a complete stop
- weight
- working torque stall test (slow downward force applied until the motor stalls)
- electric motor lie detector test (15-minute sustained load under a car-battery/inverter rig, watts and motor temperature measured, max wattage until stall)
- grinding wheel wear test (four-inch screw pressed into the spinning wheel, groove depth measured)
- eye shield impact test with a steel ball
- subjective build quality assessment of tool rest and eye shield mounting
“leaving out the subjective categories the jet is by far the best performing bench grinder finishing in first place in every test but it is very large and expensive”