Mitsui. More on reddit.com

Spindle bearings. Replacing spindle bearings can be very expensive. Many old grinders have been taken from service due to the cost of replacements. It's a hard thing to be sure about without being able to take a cut. Not too many manual surface grinders have ball ways, those are high end grinders. You're lucky if you can find one for sale that doesn't need spindle bearings. Magnetic chucks make a grinder worth while, make sure you get a good chuck with the grinder. Remember that the table is not attached mechanically. The table on my K.O Lee 6x18 just lifts off. There are rollers sitting inside oil pockets that keep the ways lubed. More on reddit.com

Grinding is a process where the spindle quality is super important. Those are not quality spindles. A heavy cut on a small surface grinder is a couple of thou, and more generally less than a thou. Spindle runout will cause the cut to vary by 100% or more unless the spindle is dead nuts on. You can probably build a grinder shaped machine with one of those spindles, but given the investment of time you would be doing a disservice not to use a quality spindle. IIRC someone over on Practical Machininst recently respindled a Jones and Shipman 540 grinder - worth a look over there in the abrasive machining and machine rebuilding forums More on reddit.com

If you have the room get it. It’s one of those tools that once you have it you will find more uses for it. Could also sharpen tools with it. Certain tools like these hit a bottom price and stay there so chances are you could probably sell it in the future for what you bought it for. *** but check spindle runout! More on reddit.com