Horse Power for a 2 X 72 Grinder?

B

Barehunter

Joined
Feb 6, 2009
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I am in the process of making a DIY 2 X 72 belt grinder. I noticed all the high dollar commercial jobs use at least a 1.5 hp motor. How disadvantageous is it to use a 3/4 horse? Of course I could change it out when I stumble across a good deal on a bigger one.

I have the $50 Knife Shop book and Wayne Goddard built one with a 1/3 hp motor. Also any ideas of where to find a good deal on a 1.5 hp class motor would be appreciated.
 
Better than nothing but really underpowered.
 
i haven't made a grinder, and i only have a 1x30 but here are the answers I've gotten and hopefully other guys will chime in here.

go with as big as you can! from what guys say they have bogged down a 1.5 horse power. i don't know what they were doing at the time.

they all seem to say over whelming to go with a minimum of 1.5 but 2hp is better.

I'm kind of dubious as to some of the stuff in the $50 knife shop.

oh and if you do a search you can find lots of threads on here about this topic :)

good luck

Jake
 
I have a 2x72 and love it. you will stall out a 3/4 hp motor. I have a 1.5hp on my grinder right now and with a 50 grit belt when i'm really laying into the belt i can stall the motor. now with a fresh belt its harder to do but i have done it with a lot of force. The grinder I'm building right now is getting a 2HP motor with a VFD to control the speed. I use my 1.5hp all the time and when i have newbie's in the shop grinding there like man thats powerfull and i step up and show them that you can really lean into it if your carfull that you dont slip and grind your hand. but i can slow it down. but where you noctic it the most is not as much on a contact wheel but on the flat platen as your pinching the belt agents a non moving surface. If you have the motor you can try it out but if you have to buy it you might just save up for at least a 1hp and i mean at least. now if the motor is cheap then get it and put it on a disk grinder or some other contractipion.
 
If you are patient and deligent, you can get a really good motor for cheap off of eBay. I bought two different Baldor 2-hp DC motors; one for under $100 and one for about $120. By the time I finished buying two Baldor variable speed DC drives, each motor setup cost me less than $200 each.

I've already swapped out my 2-hp constant speed Leeson motor on my grinder, and am in heaven now.

Mike L.
 
I have ground not hundreds but thousands of blades on 3/4 and 1 hp motor. Buy good motors and you wont have problems. I have several machine some with bigger motors non over 1.5 hp. The main thing is to buy good belts and when they get dull throw them away. Dull belts will get you hurt.
 
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i have a 1 horse tefc motor from surpluscenter on my kmg clone, and in the year and a half of using it, have never come close to stalling it. with a 3 step pulley on it, i can change speeds in about 15 seconds. don't think i need any more..

Picture110-1.jpg
 
Check out Grizzly's outlet center HERE. Decent prices on solid motors. I have a 2hp from Grizzly that's running strong with no problems.

--nathan
 
I can't understand laying into a blade so hard that you stall a motor. If you let the belt do the work you don't need that much pressure.
I'll bet you guys break a lot of drill bits!
 
oldold442 said:
i have a 1 horse tefc motor from surpluscenter on my kmg clone, and in the year and a half of using it, have never come close to stalling it. with a 3 step pulley on it, i can change speeds in about 15 seconds. don't think i need any more..

Picture110-1.jpg
Click to expand...


Sturdy looking grinder! Looks great. Mine is well on the way! Have a 3/4 HP motor on it for now that I had on hand. Turned the drive wheel today. Have tracking adjustment done. Just need the tracking wheel and contact wheel, platen etc.
 
I had a 1.5p on my first KMG but went to a 2hp on my KMG now and it is much nicer. I would definately not go less than 1.5hp.
 
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