Angle grinder breaking .045 cutting wheels

[rderr]

I have been using my angle grinder (Craftsman 4") for years in my classic auto restoration hobby. For some reason recently the cutting wheels I use have been blowing apart prematurely. One actually hit me in the ribs and left some pretty impressive bruising. I can't seem to find anything wrong with the tool itself that would cause this to happen. To be honest it has me a little shook now because when they come apart it is scary. I am just wondering if anyone on here has had similar thing happen all of a sudden? Part of me thinks it might be the cutting wheels themselves. They are Dewalt .045.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Addrock]

For that reason I have switched to Dewalt cutoff wheels. I'm sure there are other good brands.

 

[Askme42]

I would switch wheels and try that first.

Is the nut that holds the wheel on maybe workin itself a little lose?

 

[lotsoftools]

Make sure the wheels are mounted flat. The last batch of Dewalt wheels I got the hole wasn't quite big enough to fit on the grinder right. It looked like the label was made slightly oversized, so the wheel wouldn't flatten all the way onto the spindle. I had to take a piece of sandpaper and run it around the inside of the hole to make it work right. I hope that makes sense.

 

[rderr]

Thanks guys. All good inputs and I will be checking when I get home. I think I bought some Dewalt wheels in the past that had a convex shap where they attached to the arbor. I am thinking that these are flat and when the nut is tightened the wheels flex some. I need to check to see if the nut is working it's way loose too.

Thanks again,
Rick

 

[zkling]

Make sure you aren't putting any side or tosornial loads on the cutting wheel. Those thin cutting wheels don't like anything but radial loads. Also make sure you are using the correct side of the quick change nut.

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Also make sure you are using the correct side of the quick change nut.

Very much this!

 

[PelicanPines]

For what it's worth... i had several break on me in a row... till i realized... the batch i was using was cracked from being miss-handled during storage... They looked ok but i pealed a few labels back and saw the crack on a few in a row in the pile. Something heavy fell into the bin of cut off wheels and it must have cracked a stack.

 

[steel 35]

Thanks guys. I am thinking that these are flat and when the nut is tightened the wheels flex some.

Thanks again,
Rick

They flex like crazy, maybe till they break. I use to throw every one I found away.