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Skil Bench Grinder Review
The Skil 6 inch bench grinder develops 3450 rpm drawing 2.2 amps on a 115 volt circuit. The Skil 6 bench grinder comes with tool rests, eye guards and LED light for each wheel. It can sit on a work bench with rubber feet or you can secure it to the work bench table, however you must use your own hardware to attached it to the table. The Skil 3380 bench grinder is a great grinder for light grinding and sharpening jobs. For heavy duty grinding, consumers may want to consider other grinders meant for such jobs. Check latest prices >>
Skil Bench Grinder Features
The following are the features and capabilities of the Skill bench grinder. Pros and cons of this grinder as reported by customers for the skil 3380 bench grinder follows this section.
- Amps - 2.2
- Motor Speed - 3450 RPM
- Wheels – medium and course wheels
- Tool Rest – yes, adjustable
- Light – Yes, LED work light
- Eye Shields
- Feet made of rubber for additional stability
- Weight – 20.8 pounds
- Warranty – 1 year (must register product), 30 day money back guarantee
- Base – cast iron with rubber feet
Over 130 consumers rated the Skil bench grinder with 82% of them rating it a four out of five or better. 18% rated the skill bench grinder 3 stars or lower. We have summarized some of the comments that are part of this skil 3380 bench grinder review for your consideration.
What buyers liked
Consumers reported they have used the grinder for almost every kind of grinding and sharpening they needed. Good value for the money spent on this particular grinder was another common comment.
The grinder comes with rubber feet which are great for protecting the surface the grinder is sitting on as well as providing extra gripping action. Instructions suggest that the grinder should be bolted down to a work bench or work table for maximum benefits. Some buyers have used it just sitting on a table and found it worked very well for light sharpening and grinding jobs.
There are two different wheels with each wheel having an LED light above it. One customer mentioned that it is a powerful machine and you need to treat it with respect. When grinding take care to avoid getting the tool you are grinding caught between the tool guide and the grinding wheel.
While this skil bench grinder is not top of the line, it appears to be a good choice for the weekend warrior. It is not suitable for commercial grinding operations. Set up is easy and repeated comments suggest this product is good value for the money. Light duty grinding and sharpening is handled well with this grinder.
What buyers didn't like
While many people felt that this skil bench grinder is a great product for the money, several felt that they should have spent more money to purchase a heavier duty grinder. It was great for sharpening knives and lawn mower blades. The skil bench grinder motor tended to slow down and overheat if heavy duty grinding is attempted.
There were also some shipping issues and damage to the LEDs and grinding wheels. Some customers reported that the eye guards were scratched and damaged. This was not common and probably was from poor packaging or shipping issues.
Most customers found that once the motor spun up to full speed it ran smoothly with little vibration. Several did not or could not get the wheels balanced and there was a great deal of vibration. We are unsure if this is an assembly issue or a problem with the unit itself.
Changing wheels was also a problem for some customers. They added a cloth buffer wheel which they needed to shim with washers in order to install it on the Skil 3380.
The hardware to attach the grinder to the work bench is not included. Customers need to purchase their own fasteners to secure the skil bench grinder to a work bench or work table.
Is The Skil Bench Grinder Right For You?
Most buyers found the skil bench grinder a great buy for the money. This grinder is great for small sharpening jobs of knives and various tools. 82% of reviewers rated this grinder a 4 out of 5 or better.
It comes with rubber feet to protect your table or work bench, however there is no hardware provided to secure the grinder to the table top. Generally, they found this to be a good grinder for the weekend warrior, however for more heavy duty use, buyers suggested that customers should spend more on a heavy duty grinder.
Buyers found that this unit was really not suitable for heavy duty grinding. The motor speed would slow dramatically and the motor could overheat. It is important to match the capabilities of the grinder with the planned use for grinding items.
Most received their grinder in great working order while a small percentage found their unit had experienced some sort of damage. Scratches on eye guards, bent tool rests, even a cracked grinding wheel were a few examples.
Whenever using this Skill bench grinder or others, always use protective eye wear to avoid accidents even with the eye guards on place.
