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I'm VERY glad I purchased the Wilton. The sound of the Wilton is great. Some people had washers installed backwards, so turn them around. Yes, the light is a little dim, so what.
Be extremely careful if you ever need to remove the plastic light shield to change the light bulb as the plastic housing is flimsy and can break easily (this may have happened to the other reviewers). The instructions aren't very good about explaining this, but if you study the light housing in A LOT of detail, you will see the marks.Get the 17202, not the 17205. Don't let the few negative comments in other reviews sway you away from this bench grinder. The Wilton costs a little more (roughly $155 compared to $123) BUT, it's more than worth it - here's why:The Wilton is extremely easy to change the grinding wheels on, the DeWALT is very cumbersome to change the wheels on.The Wilton has permanently lubricated bearings, the DeWALT needs to have the bearings periodically lubricated by a service center (an ongoing expense to keep the DeWALT running properly).The Wilton has a much more powerful motor, (7.7 amps for the Wilton compared to 4 amps for the DeWALT).The Wilton includes a wheel dressing tool, the DeWALT doesn't. It sounds extremely powerful, yet quiet and smooth running (you need to hear it to fully appreciate this).
I'm extremely happy with this purchase. This grinder gets up to speed quickly and takes a LONG time to come to a complete stop (I think this is a mark of quality).I narrowed my choices down to this model and the 8" DeWALT. Purchasing a dressing tool will cost about $20.00.Wilton and JET are part of the same company. From the picture of the 17205, it doesn't appear to have the thumb screws on the adjustable tool rest, and it doesn't appear that the tool rest is made from an aluminum billet like the 17202 (looks like stamped metal instead).Also, looking at the grinder from the side shows the 8" grinding wheel (when it is new) clearing the motor housing by about 1 inch.
The Wilton 17202 is a fantastic, high quality machine. It was also well packed in the factory styrofoam inside the factory box. If there is any damage upon arrival, it is most likely due to severe mis-handling by the shipper. You need to line up two marks on the light housing to remove the shield without breaking it. Not sure if the Wilton is a re-badged JET with some changes - I'm speculating here, but I wouldn't be surprised.The Wilton has thumb screws that make it easy to adjust the tool rest distance, tool rest angle (on the 17202), and eye guards. Just wanted to include this information in case anyone is concerned about clearance.I'm writing this review because I wish I read something like this from other reviewers so I wouldn't have been apprehensive about this purchase. Yes, there may me a slight vibration that you can adjust for, so what (I can barely detect a vibration in mine).
Don't worry, about the few negative reviews - you won't be disappointed in this bench grinder. JET makes even higher quality bench grinders (for a lot more money), and they most likely share technology. I don't believe the DeWALT has thumb screws.After factoring in all of these items, the Wilton comes out on top. The 17205, while it is less expensive, doesn't have the oil/water tray, the dressing tool, and the angle adjustable tool rests (this angle adjustment feature alone makes the 17202 worth the price difference). It's GREAT.
GREAT Bench Grinder, VERY Quite and smooth operation,nice added features are the- adj.light,adj.tool rest,dressing wheel, and the weight(approx.45 lbs). allows you to grind whatever you are doing and not have to have the base bolted to a bench. I use it mostly for sharpening lawn mower blades and it works fantastic.
After reading many reviews I purchased this product. It came in in a timely fashion but had to make minor adjustments to one of the guards from the factory or shipping. There was a slight vibration on one of the wheels but not enough to worry about. Overall I am satisfied with this product.
I think for the money this a great deal, I removed one grinder wheel, and installed a wire brush. Plenty of power, and sturdy enough for what any homeowner should need to do. My only complaint is that the light is a bit on the weak side, but not enough to cause any issues.
Includes wheel dresser and allen wrench both which have a secure home on top of the motor. I spent a better part of an evening reading everything I could before selecting this grinder. Guards are off with 5 readily accessed allen screws for wheel change out. I am very pleased, grinder is well built exceeding my expectations, tool guides are machined aluminum and plenty sturdy with friendly sized knobs for adjustment. Unit comes with a spare set of shields with the same user friendly knobs. Unit has more than enough power for any home garage or work shop.For the money - I would not consider either the small light or the small quench tanks anything but gravy. Both are more than anything else you will find out there for $125 including prime shipping (over 55 lbs).Only question you should have is do you really need the 8" or should you save even more for the Wilton 6"
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