Draper 05097 200mm 550W 230V Heavy Duty Bench Grinder with Worklight

Was trying to decide on whether I spend an extra £10 to buy this grinder/ linisher or be tight and stick with a cheaper, less powerful alternative - so glad I spent that tiny bit more for this! It is a beasty. I use it loads for various projects, with various materials and it works absolutely brilliantly - much better than my old bench grinder and separate belt sander. Some people have complained that it isn't very well made because of the sanding belt alignment being off - you have to turn a single screw to adjust it and it will work perfectly, so ignore these sorts of people. It has some great features too; the extraction point allows you to keep the workshop relatively dust free, and works quite well; the worklight is bright enough to see what you're doing without blinding yourself; the sediment tray makes cleaning easier and there is also a dressing tool that clips to the top of the machine out the way - very well thought out. Only things I would say are: - Get a finer grit abrasive wheel, the one fitted is quite rough. - Get some spare sanding belts as they never last particularly long. - Use the dust extraction point with a hoover or similar as this thing can make a lot of dust. - Mount on a solid and level surface or it can vibrate quite a bit from the power of it all. They aren't negative points with the product, the product is great, just some things to consider. Overall very happy, would definitely recommend!

I was very pleased to find a bench grinder with the added feature of a sanding belt but was a bit unsure as to its effectiveness because of its small size. Until I was made redundant this year I worked for 19 years as a polisher/linisher, using 5hp industrial machinery, so was a bit sceptical about such a small machine having sufficient power. But I wanted something to use at home for hobbies. I have replaced the grindstone with a polishing mop and now have a compact & surprisingly powerful, for its size, polishing/linishing machine. The sanding belt is a little tricky to track accurately, but the heavy industrial ones are just the same! I found it helpful not to set the tension too high & to leave a little run-out. The work light is useful, although it would have been helpful to be able to switch this on & off independently of the motor. As it is it only lights when the motor is running, but that's a minor thing. It seems pretty well made & finished and I'm really very impressed with it.

This is a really good grinder/sander combo for the price. I've been doing a lot of work with titanium and it chews through it no problem so would be perfect for steel (knifemaking, linishing etc.) The grinding wheel is a little lack luster compared to the belt so I think a buffing wheel or wire wheel would be more suited to it. The work light is pretty good, the grill makes the light a little patchy but it alluminates well. My only complaint is that the motor housing gets rather hot so I wouldn't run it for more than 15-20 minutes as there's no venting I can see. All in all very good product, defo worth the money.

Good value, and pretty well made for a budget item. I am a prop maker and do not do much metalwork, however I needed something to round of the corners on some pieces of 4mm aluminium plate. This it managed ok although if I pressed a little too hard it would slow the motor down. If I were a serious metalworker I would want a bigger and more powerful model, however for occasional or hobby use this is excellent value. The motor runs quiet and smooth, the bulb is fairly bright but the light throw is uneven, a different bulb may sort that. The machine may benefit from better quality grinding discs when it comes time to replace them. Please note that this type of grinder is not suitable for sharpening woodworking tools, the heat produced would ruin the metal tempering and make the tool unsharpenable forever, A slow wet stone such as those made by Tormek is needde for that.

Great bit of kit for the price. Plenty of power and it is strong and sturdy. However my only fault is I'd like to have had adjustable tool rests included.

Great bit of kit but when first turned on it shredded half the belt due to adjustment, after about 15mins of tweaking bet finally ran true, apart from needing new belt I can complain, nice and solid

I have to say i bought this unit as a used item from Amazon. Very good price all was excellent but it was not packed well and the light shade got crushed in transit. However Amazon sorted the problem out promptly to my satisfaction. I had previously ordered the Silverline set of 150mm wheels but they were just not up to it (see my review on these). These Draper wheels are the business. There is plenty of power for grinding and polishing. Not too noisy but importantly the motor does not get too hot after sustained use. The tool rests are much stronger and adjustable though a little crude. The guards are also much more substantial then the Silverline . I found the Silverline pigs tail fitted perfectly and makes polishing a pleasure with a suitable wheel. I did an 18lb cartridge case in no time at all. Another important aspect of these wheels is that the amount of space you have to approach the wheels which is much better than I have experienced with other sets. All in all very pleased. I knocked up a wooden base for the grinder from a few pieces of scrap wood which makes them more convenient to use and keeps the bench cleaner in polishing mode. It can be clamped to the bench for extra security if required.

Works very well. Sanding belt had to adjusted using the wheel adjuster provided on the until but that was very easy to do. Seems to be surprising good quality and I sped that' my sanding job. I bought some extra belts at the same time but have not need to use them yet. It is worth reading the instructions because there are several pieces to be bolted-on.