Best Angle Grinders (2024 Edition)

[ThePostman]

This is a how do I waste my money thread, lay on the hate. Indie auto shop environment. I have a Milwaukee corded 4.5" , it works flawlessly, I keep a cut off wheel on it, and once sway bar links are loose and have clearance to just cut them off if they seize, plus god knows how many similar applications on a vehicle.. The other two grinders have a disc, and a wire cup brush, from HF, they're cheapest flavor. If you don't weld, one grinder will get you by in life, if you weld, nobody likes changing out stuff, just have dedicated grinders, and for $10 a grinder depending on coupon, maybe you pay 20 max, even then, you can't beat having a dedicated wire cup, and other attachments/grinders. Some of you on here, just way overthink it

 

[pizza]

I'm disappointed as all hell and back.

huh, i hope you don't actually care.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have Milwaukee, Astro and two Dynabrade. The Dynabrade are the best. If you search for a price, make sure you are sitting down.

 

[Wamsutta]

huh, i hope you don't actually care.

I care but not as much as I make it sound.

 

[pizza]

i think it could be a sweet tool for what it is. i don't regret it (certainly without even having used it yet), but i agree that a slight forward horizontal tilt to the handle would be good.

but yes, bring on the purchase belittlement, lol. i can take it.

 

[rlitman]

...
i had never heard of these discs that are suitable for steel. i've only used the masonry ones which were not really good for that. maybe there's some new binding process.
...
speaking of cutting discs, i have read remarks about the annoyance of some type of disc shrinking over time and cutting slower due to reduced radius. i've never heard of such a cutoff disc. what's up with those?

I just used this disc yesterday to cut through a bunch of 3/8" 304 stainless rods and it made quick work of 50 or so cuts, with no discernible difference in performance from the first cut to the last. That was on my IR pneumatic grinder that's putting 3HP on the wheel at 12000 RPM, so yeah, these diamonds stand up to real abuse. Yes, it's all about the binding process.
The same wheel felt like it was going to die when I tried cutting 11mm HSS drill rods for a previous project. It was SO sluggish going through less than a quarter of the way, so I switched to a regular slicer in a different grinder and that plowed through like it was pasta, but I guess that little attempt didn't harm it all that much.

My favorite part was that I let the sparks shower on my bare arm with some cuts (just the way things fit in the vise), and unlike with a conventional grinding wheel, they weren't even singing hairs. I wouldn't suggest that with a conventional abrasive wheel, and the needles and razors that come off my carbide burrs are downright evil.

Conventional cutoff discs get smaller in radius as they wear away, and as they shrink in radius the surface speed decreases, which decreases cutting effectiveness. It's just the way they work. Think about how a wheel that starts at 5" cuts when it's now only got 3" left.

 

[pizza]

Conventional cutoff discs get smaller in radius as they wear away, and as they shrink in radius the surface speed decreases, which decreases cutting effectiveness. It's just the way they work. Think about how a wheel that starts at 5" cuts when it's now only got 3" left.

i get that, but i'm saying i've never heard of a cutoff disc that shrinks appreciably in radius. i guess i've never used a conventional cutoff.

i'm used to the ones where once you use up the thin layer around the circumference, it's done. what are these called? i figured that was the conventional kind, but what is it actually? a fiber cutoff?

 

[carmantl]

Ironworker here. We cut steel decking and angles all day every day. The Lenox wheels have impressed us and made us all converts. Having a 6 inch cutting wheel stay at the same diameter is a godsend when making cuts in normal 1 and a half inch decking. They also last a long time. The one caveat is that they are LOUD AS HELL! When we are decking a roof we go around to all the other trades and tell them what's about to happen and give everyone earplugs. They actually save us money on consumables compared to fiber abrasive discs.

 

[KnurledNut]

This is a how do I waste my money thread, lay on the hate. Indie auto shop environment. I have a Milwaukee corded 4.5" , it works flawlessly, I keep a cut off wheel on it, and once sway bar links are loose and have clearance to just cut them off if they seize, plus god knows how many similar applications on a vehicle.. The other two grinders have a disc, and a wire cup brush, from HF, they're cheapest flavor. If you don't weld, one grinder will get you by in life, if you weld, nobody likes changing out stuff, just have dedicated grinders, and for $10 a grinder depending on coupon, maybe you pay 20 max, even then, you can't beat having a dedicated wire cup, and other attachments/grinders. Some of you on here, just way overthink it

There is a big difference between quickly zipping off a sway bar link and using a grinder for hours on end in fabrication, production, construction.
I used one of those HF rattle traps for less than 15 minutes and my hand was numb from the vibration. Not to mention how hot it got. No thanks. I’ll proudly accept my badge of overthinker honor. Life is too short for cheap grinders. I’ve bought used Metabos for less than a new HF.

 

[pizza]

metabo WEV 17-125 Quick Inox (600517420)
vs
fein CG 15-125 BL (72226760120)



i got a metabo inox (amazon warehouse deal) that i intend to return since i got the fein instead. even though it's clearly been lightly used and has a busted up cardboard box, it feels weird to use it more since i'm returning it. all i did was spin it up.

i'll give you guys my impressions of the superficial stuff since i'm not really willing to abuse the amazon return that hard, lol.

packaging -- fein's cardboard box is much more substantial. metabo's is falling apart.

wrench -- fein's is bigger and nicer, but these are toolless systems, so who cares.

switch -- the metabo switch feel is superior. the fein also feels good, but depending on how/where you apply pressure to it, it can catch instead of turning on. the metabo will turn on pretty much no matter how you push on it.

switch position -- metabo's (side) makes more sense, but i have no problem with fein's (top).



speed dial and position -- they're about the same in terms of quality/feel, but fein's position (side instead of right under the power cord) is better.

power cord -- metabo's is a little thicker, but both feel super high quality. i like fein's strain relief more.

bells and whistles -- the fein's e-brake is great. also, if you look at the top pic, fein has a green light clearly visible when it's plugged in. i think that's a nice little safety touch.

wheel guard -- they're about the same, but maybe fein's feels slightly nicer. both have similar range of locking adjustment, and both are very smooth.



handle -- metabo's feels a little more substantial (bigger), and visually, it looks like it has more glass fiber in it. also, metabo's two-component shock absorber thing noticeably flexes if you push on it while it's mounted. fein also has a two-component thing and claims to be anti-vibration, but it is much stiffer. can't feel any flex really. no clue which one's better in practice.



(toolless) wheel nut -- both are good. fein's has a little wing that flips up to use as a handle for screwing and unscrewing, but i slightly prefer metabo. it feels slightly easier and requires a little less strength. metabo's m-quick is interesting. it's knurled on the sides for screwing it on, and it feels very positive when you have it on all the way. it has a captive friction plate thing built into the bottom that moves relative to the rest of the nut. the threaded arbor is keyed, and the friction plate has wings that you can barely see in the above pic that go into those two grooves. this keeps the friction plate fixed relative to the arbor when you twist the nut. you're supposed to remove it by putting it to low rpm and engaging the wheel change brake while it's spinning, lol. it also seems possible to unscrew it more gracefully by engaging the brake with the tool off and turning the wheel a bit by hand – the nut loosens up. i think i learned about this method from some forum post.



as for the bottom wheel nut, the fein has an oring built into it that presses against the wheel. never seen that.

the threaded spindle or arbor or whatever it's called on the metabo has an oring that retains the bottom wheel nut. once you have it on, it's a bit difficult to remove. there's no reason to ever remove it, so i guess that's a nice touch. at the same time, i've not had problems with that thing falling off.

 

[Wamsutta]

Did you say the Metabo was used already?

I believe Amazon has a button to press if you want the factory box inside an Amazon box.

This is the grinder I was going to recommend.

 

[pizza]

yeah, the metabo is a warehouse deal (a return). it came wrapped in an amazon plastic bag holding the busted up, single-layer metabo box together, and that was placed inside of an amazon box.

the fein box is like double layer or more and has more **** going on. i don't think it would have fallen apart as easily even after a return.

not that it matters, ofc, but since i was noting all the superficial ****, i thought i'd mention it.

didn't know that you could request extra packaging from amazon. never seen that feature – where is it? nearly everything i've gotten from amazon has been double boxed anyways though.

 

[pizza]

This is the grinder I was going to recommend. (WEV 11-125)

ha, i figured you'd recommend one without variable speed.

between that and the WEV 15-125 Quick (600468420), i think the latter's nicer. it has the M-QUICK tool-less nut, more power (570W vs 900W output), and more speed under rated load (8.8krpm vs 11krpm).

it is more expensive and a pound heavier, though.

 

[pizza]

plus, it looks like the side handle is 90 degrees to the barrel. That's going to tear your wrist up. All modern grinders have the side handle at an angle to facilitate an ergonomic angle for the wrist.

oh yeah, i forgot to mention it, but the fein grinder's handle is at an angle. i think you were just misled by the product pics.

 

[Wamsutta]

ha, i figured you'd recommend one without variable speed.

between that and the WEV 15-125 Quick (600468420), i think the latter's nicer. it has the M-QUICK tool-less nut, more power (570W vs 900W output), and more speed under rated load (8.8krpm vs 11krpm).

it is more expensive and a pound heavier, though.

That WEV 15-125 has a body circumference of 8 1/8 inches. That's why I didn't recommend it.

The WEV 11-125 has a body diameter of 7.5594 inches. Basically 7 1/2 inches. That's more in tune with the circumference of my Bosch grinder.

And by the way, why do these power tool companies keep making their tools with more and more power?

My Bosch only has a 6AMP motor and it's plenty powerful enough.

 

[Wamsutta]

I think you should send both of those grinders back and start over.

 

[pizza]

i just trimmed up some steel brackets for a project, and wow, the diamond discs are amazing. noticeably less messy. i was in bright sunlight and didn't see sparks, just metal debris flying off.

not stinky, either. i started without a respirator and didn't even feel that i needed one.

 

[Wamsutta]

I never wear a respirator for grinding. I enjoy the smell of the burning resin and the disc wears away.

I'll use a respirator for fine dust such as body filler or chemicals such as paint fumes though.

By the way, the filters for fine dust and the filters for chemicals are two entirely different filters.

I might try one of those supplied are systems someday like 3M has. At least that way you're not suffocating yourself.

 

[pizza]

filters for fine dust and the filters for chemicals are two entirely different filters

i mean, maybe, maybe not. you have to look at a selection guide and pick a cart/filter suitable for your application. for a lot of things, there's multiple applicable carts.

like P100/P95/N100/N95 can be used for many chemicals in addition to being ideal for particulates.

 

[Wamsutta]

i mean, maybe, maybe not. you have to look at a selection guide and pick a cart/filter suitable for your application. for a lot of things, there's multiple applicable carts.

like P100/P95/N100/N95 can be used for many chemicals in addition to being ideal for particulates.

I use the North 7700 mask and the North N75001L cartridge filters for paint.

For dust I use the North 75FFP100 cartridge filters.

 

[rlitman]

I never wear a respirator for grinding. I enjoy the smell of the burning resin and the disc wears away.

Oh yeah. And at the end of the day you can do a little sandblasting while you blow your nose too.

 

[Joemctag]

What are you trying to solve for, besides the specs you listed? Are there grinders that have let you down?

Grinders live a hard life and I think I would find it difficult to drop 8x the price of a basic one unless I was using it a ton. No judgements just my take.

For me, a brake and a good switch would be key.

Agree. I’m a fabricator now and use grinders til they’re no good. Switch mechanism, gearbox, whatever, goes out. I probably use a grinder hundreds of times what the home-gamer does . I’ll pay $60 to $80 for a 4-1/2”. DeWalt, Bosch, Makita. Paddle switch or not. Whatever I think I like at Home Depot. Would never buy no-name HF stuff, though.