WEN 8-Inch Water-Cooled Wet/Dry Sharpening System (BG4108)

Welcome, sharpening enthusiasts and budget-conscious woodworkers, to the review of the WEN BG4270T 10-Inch Two-Direction Water Cooled Wet/Dry Sharpening System - or as I like to call it, the "Tormek for the Rest of Us."Now, let's get one thing straight: if you're expecting me to say, "This is exactly like a Tormek but for pennies," I'm not going to do that. But what I will say is, this machine punches well above its weight class, especially when you consider the price tag.First off, this beast comes with a 10-inch 220 grit wet sharpening stone paired with an 8-inch leather stropping wheel. That's like getting the main course and dessert in one go! The slow speed of 115 RPM is just what the doctor ordered for precision sharpening without turning your beloved chisels into toast.The two-direction feature? Oh, it's like having a dance partner who can switch lead and follow. Flip a switch, and you can reverse the direction of the wheel to cater to the needs of both right and left-handed users or to tackle different sharpening tasks. It's like having two sharpeners in one, but without the extra cost or clutter.The water-cooled aspect of this system is a godsend for those of us who've seen too many tools go from sharp to scorched. It keeps things cool, ensuring your tools maintain their integrity and don't overheat. It’s like having a little spa treatment for your blades - all without the hefty price tag of a professional setup.Compatibility is another highlight. With a universal jig support, you're not locked into buying WEN-only accessories. This means you can expand your sharpening arsenal without breaking the bank or worrying about compatibility. Even Tormek jigs can get in on this action with a little adapter magic, which is like finding out your favorite shoes fit with all your outfits.Now, let's talk about the price versus performance. While the Tormek might be the golden standard, the WEN BG4270T offers a silver medal performance at a bronze medal price. You get a solid, reliable sharpening system that doesn't require selling your firstborn or taking a second mortgage.In conclusion, if you're looking to sharpen your tools without sharpening your expenses, the WEN BG4270T is your go-to. It's robust, versatile, and brings that high-quality sharpening experience into the realm of affordability. So, for those who want to keep their blades singing through wood without breaking the bank, this WEN system is not just a good choice - it's a sharp choice.

The media could not be loaded. I was skeptic at first if it is even gonna be good. I was wrong. Its very good! Does the job done similar to the most expensive one (tormek). It has made me money with my sharpening business... I will be buying more wen products from now on.. I just wish they carry more wen products here at amazon. so far, my sharpening business has been doing good, thanks to WEN. M.S. Sharpknives

The price was right for light use by retired gardener, handyman.It is easy to use, a water bin under the wheel pops into the slots easy, forward and reverse motion turned out to be very useful, speed is slower than I expected - and that is fine, it sharpens very well.I've sharpened garden tools, lawnmower blades, and other tools and this machine is reliable and easy to use.I'd recommend it. I purchased some attachments, turns out I have not needed them so far

Very nice, I didn’t know these existed. Mine kind of makes a weird rumbling noise (like another said) I hope it goes away, but still very happy. It’s a big wheel, bigger than I thought. Slow RPM. You can add water if you want. I have tried chiseled guides. Various stones ( including diamond stones) Ken Onion stuff, never had much luck, and process was slow. With this, I can sharpen anything, right now and it looks and works pro. I find the guide easy to use. I do a few drags with my diamond stone between the stone wheel and the strop, but probably not necessary. Feel lucky to have it.

This sharpener is easy to set up, use, and move. I sharpened my ax blades and chisels with it, and found it quick and effective.

In my ever widening search for the perfect sharpening scheme I decided to try this cheap Wen knock off of the expensive Tormek system. After a couple of sharpening practice sessions on some cheap bench chisels, I have made the following observations:1. The machine is not cheaply made as I feared it would be. It’s a solid, weighty piece of machinery. I have never used a Tormek system so I cannot compare the quality of the two, but the Wen product impresses out of the box.2. The idea of wet sharpening appealed to my impatient nature; I’ve been known to blue a tool or two over the years using other methods, including my Worksharp 2000. What I did not realize, though, is that this wet/slow stone method would require a lot of fiddling and adjusting to get a precise edge. After truing up the stone (using the $100 Tormek accessory I bought for this purpose) filling the tank again and again (as the stone drank up the water on the first use), adjusting the holding bar at the correct position to produce a 25 degree bevel, getting the chisel adjusted to sit 90 degrees to the stone in the little carriage (and having to readjust several times), then working the tool on the stone until it was hollow ground, I had wasted far more time than I had planned for this trial run. Granted, there is a learning curve for this type of system and were I to learn the process and master the shortcuts to getting it done punctually, I’m sure it would cut significantly off the time I spent. But still being basically lazy and impatient, it made me appreciate jamming the tool up the slot of my Worksharp (that sounded a little dirty!) and taking a few swipes on my 8000 grit water stone.3. Sharpening is messy no matter what you do, so the little slop that resulted from the Wen was no big deal. I hate to admit, though, that it never occurred to me that the water reservoir would need to be emptied after each use so that the stone doesn’t sit with one side in the water and the other drying out resulting in it becoming too lopsided weight-wise to run. Again, for the lazy and disorganized like me who want to sharpen a chisel then go back to work only to find myself wanting to sharpen, say, a plane iron half an hour later, this would become an issue. If you’re the type who sharpens all your tools promptly at 9 AM ever Tuesday and Friday morning, great. This works for you. My garage shop doesn’t have running water, either, which exacerbates this problem.4. After all my effort on my first chisel, the result came out slightly skewed. Why, I’m not sure. I think the holding bar may not have been perfectly parallel to the stone face. I later tried a plane iron and tried to account for this misalignment, but it came out slightly skewed as well. I’ve since noticed that the carriage thing that slides back and forth on the bar may not be quite true. It's made of stamped metal with one end (where one of the holes that slide over the bar is located) is bent 90 degrees... but it’s not. It looks more like it’s 80 degrees or so. If this proves to be the problem it would be a quick fix—but I don’t suspect many Tormek buyers find themselves doing this, but then again I paid a fraction of what the did.My final conclusions are this: This is a great buy for those who have the temperament for it. It is a great discount machine for those want to get it set up, trued, balanced, and tweaked. It's just too finicky for someone like me. I wish I had spent the extra $50 and gotten the Worksharp 3000. But, I’ll keep the Wen around as I’m just getting into turning and I think this method may work well with lathe gouges. Of course that requires another $120 investment in a grinding jig. Nobody tell my wife.