Gryphon Twister Stained Glass Grinder

On my second one, I wore out the first one, it lasted 8 years. I know some folks had pump problems, i did not mine worked fine. They have now changed style of thepump.

I'm going to agree with the other negative posters here---I made a huge mistake by purchasing this grinder. There were problems with the water pump right out of the box---it would work for a little bit, then quit entirely. And even when following the instructions PRECISELY I wasn't able to get it working for more than a few minutes at a time.After a call to customer service I was sent a new pump to install---which didn't work any better than the first. In fact, it worked even less. I didn't even receive a reply to my last e-mail to customer service, so in disgust I junked the whole thing, though I really should have followed through and gotten a refund.For those serious hobbyists---or even professionals---looking for a grinder I would recommend the Glastar G8 (the "All-Star"), which is top of the line from that manufacturer. This has been a staple in my work area for over twenty years. It's best to shop around, because prices on this grinder can vary greatly depending on where you purchase it, but you should be able to find it for between two hundred and two hundred twenty-five USD.

I really like that the grinder tilts for better viewing while you grind. I've had one for about three years and it still works really well except that the pump really sucks (maybe that's the wrong choice of words). The pump is supposed to turn by magnetic drive but it doesn't work. The manufacturer I'm sure is aware of this problem and they should offer a free fix. I threw the pump away and installed a small, flow adjustable electric pump, the kind you'd find in one of those small counter top fountains and it works great. I shouldn't have had to do that on my own. If I hadn't been able to come up with a fix for the pump the grinder would be gathering dust in my garage. I don't recommend that you buy one of these grinders unless your willing to redesign the water pumping system.

I have owned this for about 3 years, it gets a lot of use.The original bits are still fine, probably over 100 hours on each one.It has 2 annoyances:1) the water sometimes stops flowing for no discernible reason, right in the middle of grinding. Not often, but the water supply is behind the bit so you don't get an immediate visual, you find out when the sound changes from running against a dry bit. You do have to learn to listen to it.Restarting the water flow with the enclosed bottle has never failed me.2) the adapter that goes on the shaft broke. The connection between the plastic and the set screw is not the strongest.Replacement is $8 plus $8 shipping for a 10 cent plastic part, kind of annoying. The part weighs an ounce at most, you would think they could cut some slack on the shipping, first class small parcel is only something like $1.78, they shouldn't be making a profit on shipping. If they're not, they should re think their shipping methods with customer service in mind.On the whole though, I really have been happy with this machine, sorry you guys had these problems.

I would have to agree with everyone with the water problems. I had that problem three years ago when it was new. I called the company and they had me send it back to them. After receiving it back, I have 0 problems with it. I was thinking about buying another one so I did not have to change bits as often.

We just bought this for my wife's stained glass hobby. The set up instructions are sketchy. There is no pictures or drawing to show what goes where in the assembly. But weset it up according to the instructions. After using it for about an hour, the water flow stopped. No amount of blowing or sucking as they recommend in their instruction worked. So now we have to keep the sponge wet by pouring water. They are supposed to have a 5 year warranty. I have to call the distributor (Anything in Stained Glass out of NJ) and see if I can return it. They said a lot about the special method of manufacturing their grinder bit. But we found it to wear out quite easily. Especially at the think section where the grinding is done leaving the rest of the area with lots of useless diamond that can not be used. You can turn the bit over but then again the area that actually grinds wears off very quickly.

I have been using this grinder for about 4 years and also initially had trouble with the pump. I tool it apart (of course) and looking at it, it is some weird impeller that works by magnetic induction? Anyway I ordered a "replacement" pump (I think it was $28.00) and it was actuated by an electric motor. It had to be wired into the system and the directions were sketchy. But... so far it works great. It is a good thing I have a concrete floor as the grinder splashes water everywhere. I made a shield out of plexiglass and that helps. All in all it is a good grinder, a real workhorse!