1, 2, 3+...how many angle grinders do you have?

[sjt78]

I just got an angle grinder a few weeks back and have not broken it in yet. I've spent some time here reading posts on some of the things I can expect to do with this tool and noticed that many people have more than one grinder. I guess it pays to have more than one if doing a lot of metal fab work and not needing to switch out discs. For an average weekend warrior, does it pay for me to pick up another on the cheap? I plan on grinding down stubborn rusted bolts on snowblowers/exhaust on cars, maybe pick up a wire wheel for it, etc. So is it just convenience or does it really help to have more than one...maybe different sizes (i.e, 5" etc.). The one I have now is 4.5". Thanks.

 

[highland512]

For a weekend warrior I would think one good grinder would be enough, but if you can get one on the cheap side of price scale two of anything never hearts!!!!

 

[bimmer1980]

it all depends on how often you will be switching blade, wire cups, etc. I made do for quite some time with my cordless dewalt grinder.... Homie Desperate just had a blow out sale on grinders, so I bought two corded ones for some real grinding power.....

 

[NiteMare_68]

you really only need one. i have 7 but i use them for different things. my 4.5" one has a wire cup one has a wire wheel and the other has a flap wheel
the 2 air powered have cutoff wheels in them

i have 3 ridgid 4.5" a mikita 7" that i use as a buffer and my 2 craftsman air powered

and a robai 18v

 

[sk farmer]

i have the good old b and d 4.5 and 7-9 inch grinders. two 4.5 dewalts and a cordless dewalt. the 4.5 are set up one each with a grinding wheel, brush and flap disc. the cordless always has an offset 1/8 cutoff wheel for dual purpose work. the big band d wildcat is for the heavy backbreaking super grinds only.

 

[GrantMLS]

I have 3 - one i keep a sanding type wheel on for cleaning up before welding, and the other 2 ussaly a cutting wheel and griding wheel.

 

[Ross]

I have two, a grinder is one tool that I am constantly shocked at how much I actually use. Though I do not think it is really necessary to have more than one it does come in handy.

 

[mikevango]

i got two, but wish i had three.

 

[sammerdog]

Just one at the house, but two at one of my jobs. Man, it's surprising how often having two at your fingertips comes in handy.

I've got the itch to grab a second one for the house.

 

[skeletonizer]

Just FYI Home Depot has Bosch 2 packs of 4.5 inch, 6amp angle grinders for $49.99 right now on clearance.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=732499#post732499

I bought a set and went halvsies with a pal. $25.00 for a Bosch isn't too bad even if it is made in China now. The regular price for the Harbor Freight 4.5 is more than that.

As of yesterday the HD nearest me still had 5 boxes. FYI they are up by the pro desk at that paricular store.

 

[neverenoughtools]

I have one here at home and one up at the place in the woods !

 

[mkdive]

I have a cheapo HF one....I use it quite a bit. I am going to pick another one up just so I don't have to change out discs back and forth. They are super cheap.

 

[dieseldodge01]

We have 3 Metabos and 1 Makita. The Metabos were thrown away because of bad motor brushes I think they are all 4.5 but not sure.

 

[alex71]

I have 15. 4 electric (which I seldom use) and the rest pneumatic. is that too many?

 

[mkdive]

I dont care what anyone says you can never have to many tools!

 

[Kjbakke2]

We have 3 Metabos and 1 Makita. The Metabos were thrown away because of bad motor brushes I think they are all 4.5 but not sure.

you threw away metabos
dude brushes are super easy to procure and replace
next time you want to throw one away put her in a box and dump it at my place
ill even pay shipping

 

[Monte]

7
1 Bosch, 1 Atlas Copco, 1 Fein, 1 Hitachi and 3 Suhner.

 

[speed bump]

Assuming you only weld for a hobby 6 grinders is close to right. 4 4.5"ers, 1 with a flap disc, 1 with a grinding wheel, and 1 with a cutoff wheel, 1 with a wire wheel, then you need 2 7-9" big boys, 1 with a grinding wheel and 1 with a wire cup.

 

[Rickster]

I have three. Two in action; one with a cut-off wheel and the other with a crud stripper wheel. The third one is new in the box as a back-up.

 

[american lockpicker]

I'm looking at getting 2 a Metabo and Bosch.

 

[BTG]

I have 5. All are cheapie orange HF grinders. I've bought them all on sale years ago and have expected them to **** out by now, but they just keep humming along. They all get alot of use, and it is nice to be able to switch quickly from one ot the other. One of these days, I'll buy a "real" one, but not until I run out of these!

1-4.5" with grinding wheel
1-4.5" cutoff wheel
1-4.5" flapdisk
1-7" (use grinding and wire cup)
1-4.5" new spare in the box

 

[WVU Tuba Dale]

1x 90 degree air grinder.
1x 6" Metabo electric grinder.

1x 3" air cutoff wheel.

It's enough to get the job done.

 

[Kev442]

Hmm, 2 4.5" up north, one with cutoff, other with grinding.
2 more 4.5" at home with the same setup, a 7", a spare 4.5 new in the box and 2 3" air cut offs = 8!

 

[Flathead Youngin']

6 or so dewalts
1 metabo
2 or 3 large ones
2 or so air ones....

chucked in the trash all those crappy chinese ones....

when you are at the flea market and a guy only wants $20.....i spend more on a meal at applebee's and then **** it out in the morning......i've had most of these for 4+ years......

the metabo came from a pawn shop for $25.....they must not have figured out what it was because they literally want double retail price for most things and then tell you that all their power tools are 20% off THAT particular day....no kidding, they really do

one dewalt is from a buddy that said it was shot....i put $30 in parts and shipping for something (don't remember now)....i know they are just a bit more new, now, but this was several years back when they were $79 and even though his was broke it looked new.....the rest are swap meet, etc....

 

[Aberdale]

I have five right now. Three in use, and two new ones as backups. I usually keep a grinding wheel on one, a cut off wheel on another, and a twisted cup brush on the third. It sure is a time saver not having to swap wheels all the time.

Dale

 

[chrislehr]

None - perhaps I need one. I do have some stripping and body work to do on the truck

 

[dieseldodge01]

you threw away metabos
dude brushes are super easy to procure and replace
next time you want to throw one away put her in a box and dump it at my place
ill even pay shipping

I guess I should rephrase it, we got them because they were thrown out. It was cheaper, I guess for the company to throw them out instead of fix them, perks of knowing a maintenance man

 

[caper]

I have 2 Bosch 4.5's,3 makita's-a 4.5,a 5,and a 7-9,an old craftsman 7-9,a B&D professional electric die grinder.Another 4.5 ingersol-rand pneumatic,a blue point pneumatic,about a dozen air die grinders,cut off wheels etc.I hate changing disks and burrs so it's easier to have more grinders that are set up for different things.

 

[crewchief888]

1 dewalt grinding wheel
3 HF
1 cutoff wheel
1 wire cup brush
1 abrasive disks
found em on sale a couple years ago for $9.99
1 snapon abrasive disks
1 blue point air
1 blue point mini angle die grinder
2 "off brand" mini angle die grinder

 

[A29]

One DeWalt with a wire wheel. A Makita with a flap wheel and a orange HF with a.045 cut-off wheel. Beats a hack saw all to pieces.

 

[supertooljunkie]

I have four. A large Craftsman, a smaller Craftsman I use as a polisher, A 4-1/2" Makita that came with a hammer drill. And because I am out of state and needed one for a job today, bought a 4-1/2" Hitachi at Lowes. I saw the 2 for $49.99 Bosch at Home Depot last week and talked myself out of buying them because I had three. When I went in today to get them they were gone.

 

[shovel]

I've got 3 or 4 HF orange ones that I use all the time. I have a $99 dewalt that I still use. IF I want to punish myself, I have an old 7" B&D "wildcat" grinder. That old grinder will get it, but it makes my arms hurt just thinking about it. By the way, I have burned up two of the yellow dewalt grinders, but have yet to burn up a HF orange one. To be honest, I have to admit to breaking two of the HF as one fell off a taligate and another off my welding table. The orange plastic is not as indestructable as I would like, but for $15 bucks what more can you expect. I may have to go look at the Bosch at the Depot though....

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I only have one...so far.

Jack Olsen turned me on to the logic of having more than one though. For less than $20 apiece, the Harbor Freight ones are a plenty good for the average weekend warrior like me. Just my $.02.

Though I admit I wouldn't shrink from a better name used one off CL.

 

[alex71]

no fair, you guys are adding die grinders into the mix....

At last count I had 21 straight and 5 angle die grinders....

need to take some more pics.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

....chucked in the trash all those crappy chinese ones....

Why would you throw away a perfectly functional tool? Coulda given them to someone like all the guys here (and like me) that is perfectly satisfied with the Chinese ones for our occasional weekend jobs.:

 

[sk farmer]

Why would you throw away a perfectly functional tool? Coulda given them to someone like all the guys here (and like me) that is perfectly satisfied with the Chinese ones for our occasional weekend jobs.:

trying to save you from getting hooked on the harbor freight candy i guess.

 

[VegasBruce]

1- 7" Craftsman about 30 years old
3 - 4 1/2" Milwaukees
1- 4 1/2" Harbor Fright
1- 4" Makita

 

[rsanter]

4
1 with a grinding wheel
1 with a sanding disc
1 with a wire wheel
1 18v dewalt cordless

bob

 

[Stick Figure]

i have a 4.5" Makita w/ the paddle switch a larger 7" Makita (buffer) and a cheapy Harbor freight 4.5". I bought the harbor one for home so i wouldn't have to drag the Makita back and forth ... then i used the Harbor one of few times and started dragging the Makita back and forth. They are both at work right now, and i still would rather switch from a cut off to a flap wheel than use the Harbor.

so moral of the story? make sure if you buy multiples that the second, third, forth, etc are ones you will actually want to use just as much as the original one.

 

[sjt78]

Wow, I should have known better than to ask you guys whether or not I should buy more tools.

I asked this question as I was on the fence as to to either keep or return a second grinder I picked up. The other night I was at Home Depot looking at the power tools (checking for any clearance items) and saw that a few of the grinders were on sale. They had the Bosch two pack for $50, a $39 Milwaukee and a $39 Ridgid. I prefer the grinders with the paddle switch so ruled out the Bosch and Milwaukee (a pretty cheap looking Milwaukee at that). The Ridgid is 10A, has a paddle switch, tool-less guard, very long cord and a bag...seemed decent enough for the $ so I put in the cart. Made in China like most now, but seemed decent for a spare. I asked this question because even though less than $40 for an angle grinder is pretty cheap, I wasn't sure if I really *needed* another. Well you all have convinced me to hold onto it. I'll do like most of you and put a different wheel on this one. I didn't want to spend another $100 on a grinder so I think this one should work well. Keep the posts coming...I'm learning a lot from your comments.