There are plenty of surface grinders for sale promos out there. However, before you pick up the phone or fire off an email, hold up. It’s a good idea to first separate the must-have machine features from those that are nice to have. Secondly, you should have a solid grasp of what makes some surface grinders top notch, and others not so much. Here are a few pointers:

Surface Grinder Construction

• Of all the different machining operations, surface grinding is among the most demanding in terms of accuracy. This is why a heavy machine with precision turcite ways and robust spindle construction is critical to grinding success.
• How many parts are you making? If you’re looking at occasional toolroom grinding or are doing hobby work, a manual hand feed grinder should be plenty. But for higher volumes, look for a machine with automatic cross feeds, incremental down feeds, and hydraulic table movement.

Surface Grinder Must-Haves

Here are some other machine features that make grinding life much easier. More importantly, they help to provide consistent part quality year after year:

• For instance, a centralized lubrication system brings way oil to critical machine components. And having one that’s automatic means there’s one less thing to worry about.
• In addition, an electronic cross feed provides greater precision than older mechanical systems.
• A servo-powered, rapid vertical elevation feature saves time and eliminates cranking.
• As their name suggests, easy to use operator controls reduce hassle. They also make each shift much more productive.
• Digital readouts were once considered nice to haves. No more. Having one greatly reduces the chance of scrapping an expensive workpiece.
• Hydraulic overhead dressing keeps wheels running parallel and true.
• Look for a magnetic fine separator and paper coolant filter. Both help to improve part surface finishes and extend grinding fluid life.
• Lastly, don’t forget about up-time. Ask for customer references and be sure to ask plenty of questions.

Kent USA has had a wide selection of surface grinders for sale since 1979. During that time, it’s sold more than 22,000 units worldwide. The company’s sales reps and service technicians have years of experience. Job one for them is to support customers and keep their equipment running in tip-top condition. Forget those “surface grinder for sale” promos and give us a call. We’ll get you grinding in no time.