WEN vs DEWALT Bench Grinder

Bench grinders are similar to angle grinders, but most likely the common man won’t find a need to use or purchase a bench grinder throughout their metalworking or woodworking career. However, they are extremely useful tools for sharpening tool bits, drill bits, gouges, and chisels. Essentially, bench grinders can be used to extend the life of your valuable, and sometimes pricey, metal bits in the workshop.

WEN 4276

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In this article, we’re going to take a look at two popular dual-wheel bench grinders available on the market. The WEN 4276 Bench Grinder is celebrated as being an affordable but highly effective grinder, whereas the DEWALT DW758 Bench Grinder is more known for its compact design and top-notch performance in shaping metal pieces and tool bits. Both of these units have received praise from industry experts and customers alike, but which of the two would suit your workshop more let’s see how these two bench grinders compare.

DEWALT DW758

Motor

WEN 4276
First of all, the motor determines how much speed and how consistently the abrasive wheels will spin, which in turn should give you a feel of how well the bench grinder will sharpen your tools and prepare metal pieces for welding. The WEN 4276 features a 2.1 amp motor which is quiet when starting up and delivers up to 3,450 RPM.

DEWALT DW758
The DEWALT DW758 features a ¾-horsepower induction motor which puts it among some of the most powerful bench grinders available on the market. The large 4.2 amp motor delivers a maximum speed of 3,600 RPM. When switching the unit on, the powerful motor causes the wheels to spin and reach their max speed almost immediately, but it produces a considerable amount of noise when starting up.

Conclusion
Despite the small RPM difference, we much prefer the DEWALT bench grinder. You’ll need all the speed and power you can get, especially when sharpening metal bits and bringing them back to life.

WEN 4276

Wheel Size and Distance between Wheels

WEN 4276
Both of these models use a dual-wheel build which helps in sharpening or removing rust or other unwanted materials from long metal pieces. The WEN uses two 6 x ¾-inch wheels with a ½-inch arbor hole. The distance between the two abrasive wheels doesn’t matter in this unit since the 6-inch wheels don’t protrude far enough past the engine to accommodate using both wheels simultaneously to grind long pieces of metal.

DEWALT DW758
On the other hand, the distance between the two wheels of the DEWALT is 12-1/2 inches long, and the 8 x 1-inch wheels with ½-inch arbor hole size extend far past the motor so sharpening mower blades or other long tools is possible by using both spinning wheels.

Conclusion
Once again, the DEWALT trumps the budget-friendly WEN. The DW758’s larger wheel size makes it great for sharpening tools effectively and efficiently. You can even feed long tools into both wheels simultaneously since the wheels stick out past the unit’s motor.

DEWALT DW758

Weight

WEN 4276
The weight of a bench grinder is important since, in combination with the base or feet of the unit, it’ll help with managing vibrations. The WEN is the more lightweight of the two, weighing in at only 16 pounds including the two abrasive wheels that come with the kit. It’s extremely lightweight, meaning that taking it from place to place won’t be an issue, and it hardly takes up any space on your workbench.

DEWALT DW758
The DEWALT weighs about 39.5 pounds and doesn’t come with rubber feet as the WEN does. However, the added weight keeps the unit stable when sharpening metal or wooden pieces. It’s not all that difficult to carry around and load onto your truck, and it’s also a relatively compact unit that won’t take up too much space on your table.

Conclusion
It’s up to the user to determine whether 16 pounds with rubber feet beat the 39.5-pound DEWALT. In our opinion, we prefer the added weight of the DEWALT which helps keep the unit from rocking excessively when sharpening tools. It’s also completely portable so the WEN doesn’t win any points in that sector.

WEN 4276

Work Light

WEN 4276
Having a built-in work light on your bench grinder isn’t that much needed, especially since common sense dictates that we shouldn’t operate power tools in complete darkness. However, if you need a work light that faces directly at the surface you’re grinding or sharpening, then the WEN’s fitted light could be what you’re looking for. However, it only works when the unit is on and running, and the vibrations can cause the light to move slightly.

DEWALT DW758
The DEWALT doesn’t come with a built-in light for illuminating the object you’re sharpening. Once again, it doesn’t matter since you’re going to be working in well-lit areas anyways, but if you need to use this bench grinder in a dark room, then you’ll have to bring an external source of light.

Conclusion
The WEN wins by default. The built-in light, though rather flimsy, shines a bright light on the pieces you’re sharpening. As for the DEWALT, you’ll have to bring your flashlight to maintain visibility in the dark.

DEWALT DW758

Included Wheels

WEN 4276
This model includes two wheels so you can get right to work: one 36-grit coarse wheel and one 60-grit fine wheel. The coarse-grit wheel serves to take out larger pieces of rust or unwanted material from your metal pieces, whereas the fine-grit wheel works to polish or to get rid of a very fine layer of your drill bits and metal tools.

DEWALT DW758
This kit doesn’t include any attachments, lights, or wheels. You’ll have to purchase the 8 x 1-inch wheels separately. This is done mainly since you can attach two similar grit wheels to sharpen long pieces of metal. Once again, you’ll have to shell out a few bucks to purchase wheelsets.

Conclusion
Once again, the WEN wins in terms of the included wheels. However, in our experience, WEN attachments, including these coarse- and fine-grit wheels, have somewhat of a short life, meaning you’ll need to purchase replacements quite frequently to maintain productivity.

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

WEN 4276 vs DEWALT DW758: Bottom Line

Between the WEN and the DEWALT, we prefer the DEWALT much more. Despite the missing light and wheels, DEWALT makes a fine selection of course- and fine-grit wheels, as well as external light sources, which you can purchase, albeit separately, to get your bench grinder up and running.

Power-wise, there’s only a slight difference between the two bench grinders, but the large distance between wheels of the DEWALT DW758 make this the better choice. The 6-inch wheels of the WEN 4276 Bench Grinder limit how much grinding you can do on a single long piece of metal (e.g. chisel).

Last update on 2023-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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