Grizzly G0766 22x42 Lathe

[Jay Mullins]

Does anyone have knowledge about the Grizzly G0766 EVS 22/42? Would like to know if there are pros or cons for this lathe.
Thanks

Jay Mullins

 

[Dwight R Rutherford]

There is a large group of GO766 owners over on Sawmill Creek. Suggest you ask there.

 

[Kenny Regenthal]

Does anyone have knowledge about the Grizzly G0766 EVS 22/42? Would like to know if there are pros or cons for this lathe.
Thanks

Jay Mullins

I have one. It's a nice lathe. The control is easy, smooth. Has a short deceleration.. my only draw back is. Tool rest is a little rough. I have been sanding it.. with the tool rest all the way down and a gouge it rides a little.above center. Not crazy about. Also it is a small 1" post. So a oneway post won't fit.. I plan to buy a oneway banjo. Just be cause it will match my oneway..

 

[Jamie Straw]

I did a search here and at Sawmill Creek, don't seem to be many posts here, several at SMC. I'm interested in the responses to your post, as my lathe seems to have some deficiency in the rails that may or may not be related to the base it's bolted to. Also saw a note that the Grizzly prez is an SMC member. In my general web search, there wasn't much in the way of real reviews of the lathe -- is it fairly new?

 

[Dwight R Rutherford]

Check out the "Grizzly Green Monster" group on SMC. Hundreds of comments!

 

[Andy Chen]

I have one. It's a nice lathe. The control is easy, smooth. Has a short deceleration.. my only draw back is. Tool rest is a little rough. I have been sanding it.. with the tool rest all the way down and a gouge it rides a little.above center. Not crazy about. Also it is a small 1" post. So a oneway post won't fit.. I plan to buy a oneway banjo. Just be cause it will match my oneway..

This is going off on a tangent a little but why do you want to buy a banjo if the tool rest is not good? I would recommend a Robust tool rest as a replacement. They have a hardened steel rod on top that is hard to nick or gouge. They make a ton of various sizes and one of them is bound to fit your banjo.

 

[Kenny Regenthal]

This is going off on a tangent a little but why do you want to buy a banjo if the tool rest is not good? I would recommend a Robust tool rest as a replacement. They have a hardened steel rod on top that is hard to nick or gouge. They make a ton of various sizes and one of them is bound to fit your banjo.

That's ok. Main reason is I have a oneway 2036. It's the second oneway that I have owned. Personally I like their products. Plus it would work on my 2036 if I wanted to use 2 together. I don't know a lot about robust tools. But I will check them out. Thanks

 

[hockenbery]

It seems like the discussion is on banjos and tool rests.

I love the ONEWAY banjo. It is the easiest for me to use and the locks are superb.

I also love the robust tool rests which fit nicely in the ONEWAY banjo.

IMHO a ONEWAY banjo will improve any lathe I have turned on.

 

[Kenny Regenthal]

It seems like the discussion is on banjos and tool rests.

IMHO a ONEWAY banjo will improve any lathe I have turned on.

It seems that is what has happened. My biggest issue with my G0766 is the banjo and tool rest. But I'm kinda particular with my tools. Other than that it is a really nice lathe. And the website, catalog doesn't do it justice. If anyone lives close to me, they can come by had check mine out and see what they think..

 

[Bill Boehme]

I also was going to recommend the discussions over on Sawmill Creek. You might be interested to know that because so many of the owners complained about the banjo that they redesigned it and will provide an upgrade banjo kit to G0766 owners. You might need to contact them to request the retrofit kit which is being provided at no additional cost. Some of the owners thought that they could have done a bertter job, but considering the cost of the lathe, I think that it's pretty decent. Here is a link to the Robust site: http://www.turnrobust.com

I have a number of Robust products including the American Beauty lathe, several tool rests, and the live center. When you outgrow your Green Griz, you might want to consider the American Beauty.

 

[Jay Mullins]

Grizzly 22/42

Thanks for the response to my questions about the Grizzly.

I read one review of an owner of a G0766, who commented on the banjo. It seems that in the manufacture of the banjo, the tool rest port ( hole) was bored out at 25mm, and the post for the 1" tools is actually 25.4 mm in diameter. When the hole was bored out to 1" any tool rest with a 1" post could be used and still use the tool rest that came with his G0766. This seemed like a easy fix to that problem.

Grizzly might have corrected this issue for the American market since we are reluctant to adopt the metric system.

As a new member of the forum and this being my first message posted, I am very appreciative of the response, and everyone sharing their knowledge and experience.

Jay Mullins


"Life is good, retirement is better"

 

[Jay Mullins]

Grizzly G 0766

It seems that is what has happened. My biggest issue with my G0766 is the banjo and tool rest. But I'm kinda particular with my tools. Other than that it is a really nice lathe. And the website, catalog doesn't do it justice. If anyone lives close to me, they can come by had check mine out and see what they think..

Kenny, thanks for your reply. I looked you up to see where Lewisville was. I live in Asheboro, not far away from you. If the offer to come by and see your 766 still stands, I would welcome the opportunity. my e-mail is merguslin@live.com

Thanks

Jay Mullins

"Life is good, retirement is better"

 

[Bill Boehme]

Kenny, thanks for your reply. I looked you up to see where Lewisville was. I live in Asheboro, not far away from you. If the offer to come by and see your 766 still stands, I would welcome the opportunity. my e-mail is merguslin@live.com

Thanks

Jay Mullins

"Life is good, retirement is better"

And I was thinking Lewisville, Texas north of Dallas.

 

[Roger Chandler]

Grizzly upgraded the banjo.......

I have the G0766. I am generally an early adopter of things related to tools, as I have used them for many years and keep up with features that are considered state of the art.

I was the first to get a Oneway banjo for my lathe. Due to my threads and many supportive comments from other turners who got the G0766 22x42 lathe, Mr. Shiraz Balolia, the owner of Grizzly saw the posts and went about dialoging with us turners, and upgraded to a longer banjo, that will also lower the stock toolrest to 7/8" below the centerline, which is the same as on the PM 3520b.

I have used this lathe for 6 months or so, and can say that it performs on a par with the 3520b in my opinion. I have turned on numerous 3520b units and a few of the Jet 1642 evs units as well. Also one Robust American Beauty, which is in my opinion the Cadillac of lathes. My point being that I feel I have a knowledgeable frame of reference to compare performance and features of the lathes mentioned. I have turned on a number of other models as well as these, but these are the reference units in the class being talked about.

The G0766 I have is smooth, quiet, and has plenty of power, and enlarging the 25mm hole is so easy, with a 1" twist bit, and for the money, it is probably the best value on the market for a large lathe.

All that being said, I just found out today that the new 2016 Grizzly catalog has two new models......the 20" swing, 2 hp G0799 and the 3 hp, 24" swing G0800....both with available tailstock swingers, bed extensions, cage guard and other features ........of course 2 times the price of the G0766.

 

[Jay Mullins]

G0766

Hi Roger,
Thanks for the information regarding my inquiry . I've been lucky enough to get several opinions on this lathe and feel confortable enough with it to buy one. One of the forum members even offered to demo his lathe if anyone lived close by. Turnes out that he lives about an hours drive from me and I will go see him this weekend.

Did you drill out the banjo or have a machinist do the task for you? I'm not sure if the one inch bit would chuck up to a small drill press, but maybe I could get one with a reduced shank.

Thanks again.

Jay Mullins

 

[Roger Chandler]

Hi Roger,
Thanks for the information regarding my inquiry . I've been lucky enough to get several opinions on this lathe and feel confortable enough with it to buy one. One of the forum members even offered to demo his lathe if anyone lived close by. Turnes out that he lives about an hours drive from me and I will go see him this weekend.

Did you drill out the banjo or have a machinist do the task for you? I'm not sure if the one inch bit would chuck up to a small drill press, but maybe I could get one with a reduced shank.

Thanks again.

Jay Mullins

I used a 1" twist bit and a little oil to lubricate the cut. I used my drill press on this banjo, but have used my hand held power drill on another one on my former G0698 lathe. You can clamp it down on the ways of the lathe, when using hand drill, or clamp it to your drill press table [safety!]

 

[Bill Boehme]

I used a 1" twist bit and a little oil to lubricate the cut. I used my drill press on this banjo, but have used my hand held power drill on another one on my former G0698 lathe. You can clamp it down on the ways of the lathe, when using hand drill, or clamp it to your drill press table [safety!]

I envision two potential problems:

• With the hand drill, there is the risk of the bit grabbing especially if it is new and sharp. The result would be a nasty bur and a bit of bellmouthing at the top of the hole ... not to mention the possibility of wrist injury. If you use a hand drill it might be better to start at the bottom where it wouldn't matter if the hole didn't start off looking pretty. I don't have much experience using reamers and no experience with using them in hand drills, but that might be considered.
• with a drill press and the banjo clamped down, it would be nearly impossible to insure that you have perfect alignment between the existing hole and the drill press axis. You could chuck up a 25 mm drill and adjust the table to get the alignment close and then switch to a one inch reamer. I would hope that the existing 25 mm hole is dead-on parallel to the bed (within woodturning measurement terms) and wouldn't want a toolrest to have any noticeable tilt, although I don't know how much it would take to be noticeable.

I wonder what possessed Grizzly to use 25 mm for imports to the US market anyway.

 

[Roger Chandler]

I envision two potential problems:

• With the hand drill, there is the risk of the bit grabbing especially if it is new and sharp. The result would be a nasty bur and a bit of bellmouthing at the top of the hole ... not to mention the possibility of wrist injury. If you use a hand drill it might be better to start at the bottom where it wouldn't matter if the hole didn't start off looking pretty. I don't have much experience using reamers and no experience with using them in hand drills, but that might be considered.
• with a drill press and the banjo clamped down, it would be nearly impossible to insure that you have perfect alignment between the existing hole and the drill press axis. You could chuck up a 25 mm drill and adjust the table to get the alignment close and then switch to a one inch reamer. I would hope that the existing 25 mm hole is dead-on parallel to the bed (within woodturning measurement terms) and wouldn't want a toolrest to have any noticeable tilt, although I don't know how much it would take to be noticeable.

I wonder what possessed Grizzly to use 25 mm for imports to the US market anyway.

Bill, for the drill press, what I did was to make sure my quill was going straight down at a 90 degree angle, checking the accuracy of the table angle to quill with a machinists square, and making sure before I ever turned the drill press on, that the bit was centered in the existing banjo hole........checked, double checked, triple checked. Lubricated the bit, the top of the banjo hole and made sure the drill press was on fairly low speed.....maybe 325 rpm...one does not want to go too slow, or grabbing by the bit might occur.

On either the drill press or the hand drill, with a securely clamped piece and the drill spinning slowly before it ever touches the banjo casting, one can manage the torque........of course more easily accomplished with the drill press, but one has to know their limitations and physical strength. I did the banjo on my G0698 by hand and before I proceeded, I made sure the lubricant was on both the bit and the banjo, as well as having checked the angle to be at 90 degrees........it can be done safely.
It produced a very nice hole, which was very smooth.

 

[Richard Coers]

If you read enough comments on that machine, you will see that often they had to fix some issues out of the crate. Loose speed sensors, early potentiometer failure, grit in the head stock, early bearing noise, damage during shipment, and bad crating. Some owners blame the rough ride on the ocean transport, but I can't imagine a rough ride on something the size of a city block. It's my opinion that Grizzly expects the customer to be the quality control department. I can't see that the factory does a lot of quality control for that price point. If the cost was higher, they could spend more time on final checks. They don't, so it's up to the customer. You get to check tightness of all fasteners and set screws. You get to touch up the paint. You get to replace any early failure parts. You get to help redesign the banjo since they saved money by using a banjo off a smaller machine. You get to drill out the banjo. They will send you an endless supply of parts, while you put in the labor to fix a brand new machine. If that appeals to you, place an order.

 

[Jay Mullins]

Grizzly0766l

I used a 1" twist bit and a little oil to lubricate the cut. I used my drill press on this banjo, but have used my hand held power drill on another one on my former G0698 lathe. You can clamp it down on the ways of the lathe, when using hand drill, or clamp it to your drill press table [safety!]

Hi Roger, Thanks for the comments.

Did you encounter any problems with your drill press?

Jay Mullins

Life is good, Retirement is better

 

[Jay Mullins]

G0766

Roger,

I didn't see your second post when I responded to your previous post. Sorry.

Jay Mullins

Life is good, Retirement is better

 

[Bill Boehme]

I used a 1" twist bit and a little oil to lubricate the cut. I used my drill press on this banjo, but have used my hand held power drill on another one on my former G0698 lathe. You can clamp it down on the ways of the lathe, when using hand drill, or clamp it to your drill press table [safety!]

Roger, fluid used in metal working lathes, drilling, and milling machines is not for lubrication ... it is for cooling the cutter and for flushing the swarf away so that the cutter isn't clogged. Some lubricants can be useful in this respect, but it would be best to do a search to see what fluids are acceptable for the material being machined.

We can't use the good stuff any longer. May years ago, my favorite product was Rapid Tap ... not today's formulation, but the stuff that contained 1,1,1-trichloroethane. It was wonderful, but was ozone depleting so it had to go. I hear that whale blubber is really good, but they frown on using that as well.

 

[Jamie Straw]

If you read enough comments on that machine, you will see that often they had to fix some issues out of the crate. Loose speed sensors, early potentiometer failure, grit in the head stock, early bearing noise, damage during shipment, and bad crating. Some owners blame the rough ride on the ocean transport, but I can't imagine a rough ride on something the size of a city block. It's my opinion that Grizzly expects the customer to be the quality control department. I can't see that the factory does a lot of quality control for that price point. If the cost was higher, they could spend more time on final checks. They don't, so it's up to the customer. You get to check tightness of all fasteners and set screws. You get to touch up the paint. You get to replace any early failure parts. You get to help redesign the banjo since they saved money by using a banjo off a smaller machine. You get to drill out the banjo. They will send you an endless supply of parts, while you put in the labor to fix a brand new machine. If that appeals to you, place an order.

The size of that city block pales in comparison with the size of the ocean and it's waves. Given the $$, I'm sure most of us would opt for a nice $3,000 or $4,000+ lathe (or better even), but not all can afford such. Grizzly's quality control far surpasses that of the bottom-drawer tool vendors, and the owner (a real person, not corporate persona) is aware of and responsive to his customer base. I have no great craving for Grizzly machines, but certainly will opt for the mid or upper models of any given tool if it's all I can afford. I own a Delta Unisaw; Jet jointer, lathe and dust collector; Delta planer, Steel City mortiser and Grizzly bandsaw. The only bought-new tool I've had trouble with was the Steel City, and they sent me a motor right away when I called them about a bad capacitor. If I end up needing a new lathe, for sure a big Powermatic, Robust, Oneway, etc., etc., would be more likely to arrive in near-perfect condition, but if I can't afford it, it doesn't matter. Better off to roll the dice with Grizzly and do a little maintenance on my own -- learn something in the process no doubt -- and save $2K+

I totally agree that the whole banjo-design fiasco was quite the faux pas on the part of the company; kudos to them for re-designing and offering the new part to current owners for free (from the grapevine). Yet another example of how it pays to wait before buying a new model.

 

[Richard Coers]

The size of that city block pales in comparison with the size of the ocean and it's waves. Given the $$, I'm sure most of us would opt for a nice $3,000 or $4,000+ lathe (or better even), but not all can afford such. Grizzly's quality control far surpasses that of the bottom-drawer tool vendors, and the owner (a real person, not corporate persona) is aware of and responsive to his customer base. I have no great craving for Grizzly machines, but certainly will opt for the mid or upper models of any given tool if it's all I can afford. I own a Delta Unisaw; Jet jointer, lathe and dust collector; Delta planer, Steel City mortiser and Grizzly bandsaw. The only bought-new tool I've had trouble with was the Steel City, and they sent me a motor right away when I called them about a bad capacitor. If I end up needing a new lathe, for sure a big Powermatic, Robust, Oneway, etc., etc., would be more likely to arrive in near-perfect condition, but if I can't afford it, it doesn't matter. Better off to roll the dice with Grizzly and do a little maintenance on my own -- learn something in the process no doubt -- and save $2K+

I totally agree that the whole banjo-design fiasco was quite the faux pas on the part of the company; kudos to them for re-designing and offering the new part to current owners for free (from the grapevine). Yet another example of how it pays to wait before buying a new model.

I've been woodworking for 43 years, 27 of those professionally, owned too many machines to list. Could you clarify your statement that Grizzly's quality control far surpasses that of bottom drawer tool vendors? Have you purchased $1500 machines from others that were worse? I guess I don't know where else you can by machinery like that from a cheaper place.

 

[john lucas]

I found drilling 1" holes on a woodworking drill press to be a real chore. The bit wants to grab and pull itself in taking a bigger cut and stalling the machine. Took me forever. I now have a much beefier drill press for that purpose. I wouldn't even try it by hand. I remember years ago I was drilling a 3/4" hole in the bumper of a car. The bit grabbed and I thought I broke my wrist. Hurt for days. It wouldn't cost that much to have a good machinist do the job and you know it will be done right.
I have owned older Grizzly machines and found them adequate but not exceptional. I think the new owner has raised the bar. He's obviously into building accurate guns and therefore must know what a good machine is. I haven't purchased any new Grizzly machines myself so I can't speak on the quality of the new ones. I do know from reading about others purchases that they seem to surpass the quality of other off brand lathes. I have turned on one of the Midi lathes and it was a very well built machine.

 

[Fred Belknap]

I have owned a couple Grizzly lathes and had to drill out the banjo on both. It has been a while but can't remember it being difficult. The cast iron cuts very easy and you are not cutting much. I used a used 1"twist bit. I think just about anyone could do this not that I think it is ok for Grizzly to advertise it as 1" when it isn't. After it is reamed out the original toolrest still fit perfectly.

 

[Roger Chandler]

Hi Roger, Thanks for the comments.

Did you encounter any problems with your drill press?

Jay Mullins

Life is good, Retirement is better

No problems Jay, but I did do very light tap cut initially, back off, tap the bit down lightly again, until I got the top of the hole drilled, then drill, back off to empty the shavings, .......following this pattern until the entire hole was drilled....took about 3 minutes. I would not recommend trying to cut the entire hole at once without backing the bit out, and lubricating at least twice.

 

[Roger Chandler]

If you read enough comments on that machine, you will see that often they had to fix some issues out of the crate. Loose speed sensors, early potentiometer failure, grit in the head stock, early bearing noise, damage during shipment, and bad crating. Some owners blame the rough ride on the ocean transport, but I can't imagine a rough ride on something the size of a city block. It's my opinion that Grizzly expects the customer to be the quality control department. I can't see that the factory does a lot of quality control for that price point. If the cost was higher, they could spend more time on final checks. They don't, so it's up to the customer. You get to check tightness of all fasteners and set screws. You get to touch up the paint. You get to replace any early failure parts. You get to help redesign the banjo since they saved money by using a banjo off a smaller machine. You get to drill out the banjo. They will send you an endless supply of parts, while you put in the labor to fix a brand new machine. If that appeals to you, place an order.

Just a bit of perspective on the comment Richard makes here, from my point of view. While it is true that there were a relatively few issues different units had, the number was quite small. I know of two lathes that went back to Grizzly, and one of the guys re-ordered another G0766, and is pretty happy now.

I went in to my G0766 purchase with my eyes wide open. Having already owned a G0698 18/47 lathe from Grizzly and had nothing but good experience with it, I knew this upgraded model with premium Delta Electronics "M" series inverter and 3 hp motor would work well for me. I knew that the banjo hole would need to be enlarged to accept 1" aftermarket tool rests......the lathe is manufactured to metric specs with the exception of the spindle......that does not a defect make, just that it is sold over in Europe and other places where metric is standard. Fix is so easy, that it is a non issue for me at least.

The spindle boss is another adjustment I knew I would likely have to make, for my chucks at least. Not all chuck inserts are the same. Some chucks fit all the way back to the spindle shoulder off the bat, some do not, and that is as much the chuck manufacturers inconsistencies as it is the lathe manufacturers in my opinion. Again for this, all it took was turning the lathe on, and putting a file against that boss for a couple of minutes and taking it down to where it needed to be for my chuck inserts. It depends on what chucks are being used if this is necessary or not.

They did have some loose crating issues, but I do believe they have addressed that. The banjo thing - the original banjo was the same one off the G0733 18/47 unit. I personally turned a 19.5" bowl with that original banjo, so it would do fairly big stuff, but one had to use the right technique and sequence on cuts. The new banjo is better and Grizzly stepped up and made new ones and sent them out no charge when the President found our posts over on SMC.

I respect Richard, and know that he is a good turner. We have had some friendly banter over the forums, about things related to Grizzly tools we just have some difference of opinion. I buy the higher end tools, knowing what are the features I want in a machine.......Richard has had a past problem with a bandsaw, if I remember correctly, and was soured on Grizzly by his experience. [Dick, is that a fair statement?]

I have no affiliation with Grizzly whatsoever, except being a customer, and as far as this lathe goes....it has not been any more problematic than many of the other makes. I have seen motors, bearings and spindles having to be replaced on Powermatic 3520b's, and Jets. I read about one motor having to be replaced on a Oneway 2436. Any make can have an issue. I think if one were to have all the statistics available to them, that the percentage of issues with the G0766 would not be any higher than with other makes. I also do think that Grizzly should tighten up on Quality Control at the factory overseas, as the loose crating and the resulting paint chips could have been avoided.

For the savings, this lathe is a super bargain for a large, full featured unit. My particular G0766 runs smooth, quiet, and has plenty of power, and the only thing I really had to do was tighten up the rpm sensor, as the nut holding it in place had vibrated off in the voyage across the ocean. For the very minor tweaks I have needed to do, and the savings I enjoyed, not to mention the fine performance I have experienced.......I will take those trade-offs anytime!

 

[john lucas]

Thanks for the input Roger. I wrote what I did very early in the morning and I had forgotten how easy cast iron is to drill or turn. I will agree with you on drilling it out. It turns into more of powder instead of a chip and doesn't grab drill bits like iron does.
I currentlly own a used Grizzly cabinet model table saw that was owned by a cabinet maker. Lots of miles on this thing. It needed new bearings after I cleaned it and but that was easy to do. It is a really nice saw with a good fence.

 

[Roger Chandler]

Thanks for the input Roger. I wrote what I did very early in the morning and I had forgotten how easy cast iron is to drill or turn. I will agree with you on drilling it out. It turns into more of powder instead of a chip and doesn't grab drill bits like iron does.
I currentlly own a used Grizzly cabinet model table saw that was owned by a cabinet maker. Lots of miles on this thing. It needed new bearings after I cleaned it and but that was easy to do. It is a really nice saw with a good fence.

No problem, John! I appreciate your perspective and know that you are a very knowledgeable turner and woodworker with many years experience......much like myself. I guess I now have about 30 years of woodworking behind me now, and a few years turning.

I always enjoy reading your posts and admire the skill you show in your work!

 

[Kenny Regenthal]

I totally agree that the whole banjo-design fiasco was quite the faux pas on the part of the company; kudos to them for re-designing and offering the new part to current owners for free (from the grapevine). Yet another example of how it pays to wait before buying a new model.[/QUOTE]


Where did you find out that they may offer another banjo. I would like to get one for my.g0766. That was my only gripe about my lathe.

Thanks

 

[Richard Coers]

"Eyes wide open" is a good comment Roger. When you price machines so a beginner can purchase them, their eyes may not have experienced a new machine that will need work right out of the crate. We need to share experiences because they may not have the skills of machine repair. I do take exception when you minimize the numbers of lathes that needed repair. Do you have statistics from Grizzly customer service? I'm fairly certain you only know what is reported on SMC and your Grizzly Group. Hardly statistically accurate. I apologize in advance if you are getting defect statistics from Grizzly.

 

[Roger Chandler]

"Eyes wide open" is a good comment Roger. When you price machines so a beginner can purchase them, their eyes may not have experienced a new machine that will need work right out of the crate. We need to share experiences because they may not have the skills of machine repair. I do take exception when you minimize the numbers of lathes that needed repair. Do you have statistics from Grizzly customer service? I'm fairly certain you only know what is reported on SMC and your Grizzly Group. Hardly statistically accurate. I apologize in advance if you are getting defect statistics from Grizzly.

No, the only evidence I have is anecdotal for those who post on the forums, and I am not trying to be definitive as to every statistic. I would posit however, that one can get a decent read from several years of online comments from the woodworking/turning community that uses the machines we do in our craft. I tend to follow those comments and take note of them mentally.

Your point about the inexperienced woodworker/turner has a lot of merit, Richard........and on that point, I agree that is important. I believe that is the reason many new turners/woodworkers do go to the forums, and seek to acquire information from those experienced in both equipment and techniques in our craft. It is part of their learning experience so that they can determine the true nature of their needs and purchase what they believe will serve their interests, based upon what more experienced mentors might suggest.

From your experience, you basically come to a "buyer beware" position on Grizzly tools. From my experience with my two Grizzly lathes, and my Grizzly bandsaw, it is a position of fine performance, great value, and good customer service. Thus, both our postings are just what they are......our experience.

You have many years of experience with woodworking......so do I, and some will choose to adopt your advice, and some may consider mine. Both positions are worthy of consideration, and I for one believe it is good to hear them both put up against one another, as the interested parties who may be looking for good information can consider both of our experiences and factor them into their purchase decisions accordingly.

I can say this without a doubt.......I have given honest and true references to my personal experiences with the Grizzly tools I own.....if I ever get a situation where they let me down, then I will be just as honest to state that as well. I have no reason to promote Grizzly tools or anyone else's for that matter, but I have also had really good performance out of my large Jet bandsaw, and my Delta tablesaw, and my Porter Cable routers...etc, so I am not just speaking about Grizzly, as it may seem to some, but that is where the most dialog has occurred and questions have been asked of me, by folks from all over the country, both on forums, by email, and even phone calls. To that end, I just try to answer questions of those who make inquiries to me about my experience with Grizzly tools.

I am not trying to promote them whatsoever.....just enjoy the interaction we all have on the turning forums. I enjoy our interaction as well, Dick, and appreciate them. My postings are not meant antagonistically, but to be informative for those who might have an interest. Nothing but good will intended on my part.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I found drilling 1" holes on a woodworking drill press to be a real chore. The bit wants to grab and pull itself in taking a bigger cut and stalling the machine. Took me forever. I now have a much beefier drill press for that purpose. I wouldn't even try it by hand. I remember years ago I was drilling a 3/4" hole in the bumper of a car. The bit grabbed and I thought I broke my wrist. Hurt for days. It wouldn't cost that much to have a good machinist do the job and you know it will be done right...

Hand and wrist injuries are the slowest healing of any part of the body and often never completely heal without some residual problems.

I agree with your statement about drill bits grabbing when drilling steel or aluminum and perhaps even malleable cast iron whether you are using a hand drill or a drill press, but gray cast iron is easier to drill with less tendency to grab although I would still be careful and use light pressure.

Reaming or counterboring a large diameter existing hole with a typical split point two flute drill is asking for trouble in most circumstances because as you say one flute is going to grab before the other does resulting in a very strong asymmetrical force on the piece being drilled. Even if it doesn't want to grab, it will probably want to chatter and wallow out the hole.

 

[Jamie Straw]

I totally agree that the whole banjo-design fiasco was quite the faux pas on the part of the company; kudos to them for re-designing and offering the new part to current owners for free (from the grapevine). Yet another example of how it pays to wait before buying a new model.

Where did you find out that they may offer another banjo. I would like to get one for my.g0766. That was my only gripe about my lathe.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

It's been mentioned in several forum posts, I probably saw them at Sawmill Creek. If you do a search at DuckDuckGo or Google, there should be some relevant hits. Also, in Post #28 of this thread, Roger states "The new banjo is better and Grizzly stepped up and made new ones and sent them out no charge when the President found our posts over on SMC."

 

[Jamie Straw]

[Snip]To that end, I just try to answer questions of those who make inquiries to me about my experience with Grizzly tools.

I am not trying to promote them whatsoever.....just enjoy the interaction we all have on the turning forums. I enjoy our interaction as well, Dick, and appreciate them. My postings are not meant antagonistically, but to be informative for those who might have an interest. Nothing but good will intended on my part.

Your post was very informative, Roger. Your view seems based on experience and knowledge, with no ax to grind or cause to lobby for.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Although I don't have that lathe, I have been following the discussions about the G0766 across the Creek. I think that you should contact Grizzly if you want an upgrade kit for the tool rest banjo. It's not a complete replacement, you get a new casting, but then you need to remove the innards from your current banjo and install them in the new one. From what I have read, it's not a big deal. A few folks still weren't happy because the new banjo didn't turn their lathe into a Robust or a Oneway.

 

[Steve Drinkut]

The new banjo and washer was sent out to everyone who bought the 766, you should have gotten it by now. I think I got the new 18 inch banjo at the end of Oct. and the new slide washer Dec. 24.

 

[Roger Chandler]

Your post was very informative, Roger. Your view seems based on experience and knowledge, with no ax to grind or cause to lobby for.

Jamie, if you purchased a G0766 and have not received the upgraded banjo yet, then call customer service and let them know a.s.a.p. You should have received it by now. Bill is correct, that you will get the casting, and locking lever, but the snap ring, end cap, slide bushing etc, you use from the original rest that came with the unit.

 

[Jamie Straw]

Jamie, if you purchased a G0766 and have not received the upgraded banjo yet, then call customer service and let them know a.s.a.p. You should have received it by now. Bill is correct, that you will get the casting, and locking lever, but the snap ring, end cap, slide bushing etc, you use from the original rest that came with the unit.

Oh, I wish! I've been determined to make the Jet 1236 work for me for at least a year, but if something goes haywire and there's no winning lottery ticket in my pocket, I'd probably opt for the G0766.