On 2010-10-28, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

'mexican milling machine, indeed- a good coarse belt can cut 2x mild
steel angle iron in no time.

Also, alum, brass, copper, and plastic. Try that on a stone wheel. I
was a R&D machinist for 8 yrs in shops with everything. The only
thing we used our wheel grinders for was touching up carbide lathe
bits on a green wheel or cutting a chip breaker groove in a lathe bit
so we wouldn't get long strands of SS coming off 20" flange plates.
In fact, if you haven't got a green wheel, a belt will do in a pinch.
Even hand sharpening a drill bit is easier on a belt sander. That
Baldor was damn near the most used machine in the shop. I won't go
into the lawsuit my buddy faced when he let a buddy use his commercial
grade pedestal grinder and the wheel shattered and took out half the guy's
face.

The OP and my detractor are certainly free to buy anything they like.
I know what I'd buy, right after a drill press, and it sure wouldn't
be a bench grinder.

nb