While turning on a bench grinder may be as easy as plugging it in and turning on the switch, keeping it able to do that takes some maintenance. Here are three simple tips to keep your bench grinder running smoothly:

Safety
Before a repair project on anything, making sure that the machine can’t function is paramount. Working on your grinder isn’t any exception so be sure to disconnect the power. Relevant to this matter is also looking at the grinder. Check all the safety features, such as the guards, to make sure that they are not malfunctioning. These are the most important features on a grinder and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Keep it clean
Grinders rely on spinning wheels and moving parts. For that reason, dirt and debris from things that you have polished or grinded down can still be left over. While wearing eye protection, take an air hose and thoroughly blow off the grinder in any spot that you can get to on the exterior of the machine.

Inspect
Being proactive is always the best advice. If something doesn’t seem like it always does when you turn on your grinder, turn it off and inspect for any abnormalities. Check you see that the wheels aren’t damaged and if you have vibrations, it could be a bad bearing.