New Wet Stone Grinder ( From ALDI )

[old4570]

On the left = Old Machine
On the right = New Machine from ALDI



I turned it on and and nothing happened !
There is a screw on the side that needs to be removed .
This then allows the motor / drive shaft to swing forward and contact the drive wheel .
A) A tensioner goes in here to maintain tension ( drive shaft to drive wheel )

Why ? Did I buy the new machine .....

First off , the cost of new wheels ( Grinder / stropping ) would be around $200 ..
Second , I cant find a replacement grinder wheel to save my life .
Stropping wheels are available , for around $120 bananas .

So ?
It kind of made sense to just buy a new machine ....

New Machine ....

Is it better than the old machine ? That's a damned good question !
It certainly appears to be more cheaply made .
The stropping wheel is plastic rather than steel and is smaller ( less diameter ) than the first one I got .
Grinder wheel looks same .
The knife holder / tool is different .
There was quite a lot of side to side play ( slop ) on the main shaft that the wheels are attached to .
I found a fiber spacer ( plumbing ) that removed the play .
If you have to have one of these ? Then I would suggest maybe the earlier one as they are still available .
For now , this new one can stay in the box ...
Only available from ALDI VIA their online store ...