Harbor freight bench grinders and wheels...

[e9999]

so I've been using the 6" harbor freight bench grinder that somebody gave me a while back. Works fine, nice long downspinning actually, but quite a bit of vibration.
I look at it more carefully and I see that one of the side shafts must be bent as the wheel and flanges wobble visibly at low speed. Dang...
So I put the wheel on my Craftsman grinder and fire that one up. It's on the usual wheel hub stand and it starts walking across the garage. First time... Dang...
I look at it more carefully and the side shaft must be bent too as the wheel wobble as well.... Dang...
Wait a sec, I check the HF one and the bare shaft looks fine now... Uh...?





















Yup, you got it, the dang HF wheel has the arbor hole molded/cast way off axis....

 

[Tools R Us]

You don't true your wheels?

 

[e9999]

the hole is not perpendicular to the wheel main plane so the wheel wobbles side to side. How do you propose to true that? Shave off both sides?

 

[PAToyota]

Next thing is when the wheel explodes from being out of balance… Seen it happen…

 

[zebrabeefj40]

I'll buy a HF grinder but never one of their wheels for just that reason - poor construction with the risk of exploding. Good wheels explode too but not near as often.

Nick