Harbor Freight $10 angle grinder comparison
- Thread starter JustinL
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ken w.
Well-known member
I had one of these and when I went to change to a wire wheel the housing broke when I pushed the lock button. I was using the spanner wrench that was included.
Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
I use a bunch of the cheapo grinders for quick access to a cutoff wheel. I keep a good decent Sears grinder for heavier stuff like grinding or wire wheels, but the cheap stuff is good enough as disposable limited use. Sometimes the time it takes to change wheels is not worth the time and is easier to keep a limited use one dedicated for quick jobs.
I bought the 60625 based on this video and immediately disassembled it and put better grease in. It had a laughable amount of grease and it looked like they pulled it off their finger with the edge of the housing instead of getting it anywhere near the gears. Besides that it's been decent for the money. I plan on buying the new Hercules as my primary and keeping different wheels on both.
wildbill23c
Well-known member
I'm not sure how old my 4" grinder is but its the one they built back in the Orange tool days LOL. Grinder has been used and abused and still works great. I think I paid about $7 for it with a 20% off coupon back then. Its been a great grinder. I do have the 4-1/2" and the 7" grinders now as well, both seem work just fine.
I've had several iterations of the HF grinder, the orange one has lasted the longest, the dark blue was junk, broke the housing, and the light blue was better but not quite as good as the orange which I am still using.
also have a craftsman I picked up somewhere missing the handle and guard but it is quite nice. no idea who made them for Sears. I just welded a pipe ****** to a bolt for a handle and use that as my grinder and keep wire wheel on the orange HF job...
also have a craftsman I picked up somewhere missing the handle and guard but it is quite nice. no idea who made them for Sears. I just welded a pipe ****** to a bolt for a handle and use that as my grinder and keep wire wheel on the orange HF job...
SgtHawkUSMC
Well-known member
HF grinders and cutoff wheels have always worked great for me except for a couple months ago. The wheel exploded on me while cutting a bolt in a precarious position underneath my Expedition....
Yep, that's bone lol
20171112_143525 by Dave H, on Flickr
Yep, that's bone lol
20171112_143525 by Dave H, on Flickrxin
Well-known member
HF grinders and cutoff wheels have always worked great for me except for a couple months ago. The wheel exploded on me while cutting a bolt in a precarious position underneath my Expedition....
Yep, that's bone lol
I fail to see buying a $10 is worth it. Not only that getting a permanent injury and thousands of dollars in medical bills. You can really get hurt bad when those wheels let loose.
HF grinders and cutoff wheels have always worked great for me except for a couple months ago. The wheel exploded on me while cutting a bolt in a precarious position underneath my Expedition....
Yep, that's bone lol
Ouch. Was it the cutoff wheel itself that exploded? Were you using harbor freight cut off wheels?
Stooge
Well-known member
Ouch! im no tool snob, but Chinese cut off wheels are never worth the savings. I've had more cutoff wheels than I care to remember blow up while using them before I smartened up and luckily before I was ever seriously hurt. Stuff like that makes me wonder why the Benchmark Abrasives Chinese branded stuff seem to be getting a pass when US or Euro made ones like Metabo are literally only a few pennies more. 25 pack of 4.5" wheels; Chinese benchmarks- $22.50, US made Metabo - $24.25. No brainer, especially since they aren't blowing up, you get more use out of them! 
From the original intent of the thread, I like others, have 1 or 2 grinders that I can really lean on, but have a couple cheapies floating around for quicky little jobs. No problem with having a few dedicated HF ones with scotch bright pads or flap discs
From the original intent of the thread, I like others, have 1 or 2 grinders that I can really lean on, but have a couple cheapies floating around for quicky little jobs. No problem with having a few dedicated HF ones with scotch bright pads or flap discs
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xin
Well-known member
Ouch! im no tool snob, but Chinese cut off wheels are never worth the savings. I've had more cutoff wheels than I care to remember blow up while using them before I smartened up and luckily before I was ever seriously hurt. Stuff like that makes me wonder why the Benchmark Abrasives Chinese branded stuff seem to be getting a pass when US or Euro made ones like Metabo are literally only a few pennies more. 25 pack of 4.5" wheels; Chinese benchmarks- $22.50, US made Metabo - $24.25. No brainer, especially since they aren't blowing up, you get more use out of them!
From the original intent of the thread, I like others, have 1 or 2 grinders that I can really lean on, but have a couple cheapies floating around for quicky little jobs. No problem with having a few dedicated HF ones with scotch bright pads or flap discs
Also, that goes for them bench grinding wheels as well. No way they are worth $2 (for a permanent life long injury and medical bills).
Anything spinning at them rpm's and comes apart or breaks makes me cringe. Plus, who knows what is in that chinese product.
jonesg
Well-known member
More funny than interesting, not wanting to risk damage to a $10 tool to get it apart for review.
Whateva.
I have the Chinese flap disks because I did the only pay shipping offer with Benchmark but I buy higher end cut off wheels to use with my $10 grinder. Most guys I know don't use the guard, glasses, or ear pro no matter what grinder they own and that same accident can happen with any brand when you throw caution to the wind. I use all that plus a face shield and leather mechanics gloves with rubber armor on the top.
SgtHawkUSMC
Well-known member
It was just the cutoff wheel. It was an HF 4" one. Honestly though, could have happened with a name brand too. Who knows if I cracked it accidentally or something. In 40+ years I've never had one do that before.
VA did a good job sewing me back up. Still a little sore and some meat is missing, but hey, chicks dig scars right?
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finn
Well-known member
I have the orange one.
It’s a pos, like almost everything else I bought at HF.
Noisy, weak, vibrates, AND THE PLASTIC HANDLE DISINTIGRATED while being stored in my toolbox in an unsheathed garage.
HF is on my do not shop list.
I have had similar failures on other plastics on HF products. They don’t spec or test at low temperatures, I guess.
It’s a pos, like almost everything else I bought at HF.
Noisy, weak, vibrates, AND THE PLASTIC HANDLE DISINTIGRATED while being stored in my toolbox in an unsheathed garage.
HF is on my do not shop list.
I have had similar failures on other plastics on HF products. They don’t spec or test at low temperatures, I guess.
xin
Well-known member
So the HF grinder has like Crisco shortening grease in it???
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xin
Well-known member
One thing it could be used for self-defense.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
My main problem with the HF grinders is how much they vibrate, and how mechanically loud they are. Especially under load. The gear and motor noise is often ear splitting and somehow louder than the abrasive disc.
Looking at how the pinion gear moves back and forth even on the "properly assembled one" is explanation of this enough. I've seen grinders that have shimmed pinion and crown gears. If higher-end manufacturers feel the need to shim their gears, how in the world is a pinion gear floating around freely supposed to be any good?
A "real" grinder is worth it alone in terms of operator fatigue, and that nicer ones come with real rubber cords instead of awful pvc cords.
Looking at how the pinion gear moves back and forth even on the "properly assembled one" is explanation of this enough. I've seen grinders that have shimmed pinion and crown gears. If higher-end manufacturers feel the need to shim their gears, how in the world is a pinion gear floating around freely supposed to be any good?
A "real" grinder is worth it alone in terms of operator fatigue, and that nicer ones come with real rubber cords instead of awful pvc cords.
I relegate decent Dewalt and Makita grinders to flap disk duty at the first evidence of vibration. A grinder that vibrates puts additional stress on the wheel spinning at 13,000 rpms. I don't need any additional injuries from poorly performing equipment throwing shards of cutting disc's at 100mph.
I'll gladly spend the extra $60 for a Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee grinder to avoid a $500 deductible payment for the ER visit, $25 for the antibiotic prescription, and $25 co-pay for the follow up doctors visit. Think of how many 13amp Makita grinders, wheels, flap disks and grinding stones you could buy for $550...
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I'll gladly spend the extra $60 for a Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee grinder to avoid a $500 deductible payment for the ER visit, $25 for the antibiotic prescription, and $25 co-pay for the follow up doctors visit. Think of how many 13amp Makita grinders, wheels, flap disks and grinding stones you could buy for $550...
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NeuseRvrRat
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
- Messages
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Their Hercules grinder is working well for me. Got two of them. Worth the $35 coupon price, imo.
xin
Well-known member
Sampson & Delilah version to come soon!
Farmall450
Well-known member
I've ran a wire twisted cup for 2 years on the el cheapo now - can't complain. Still holding up well. Might be noisy but I wear ear protection anyhow.
itstippy
Well-known member
For some reason I have an excess of angle grinders. I have a Makita 4", a Hitachi 4.5", a Milwaukee 4.5", and a Harbor Freight Drillmaster 4.5". All corded.
I use the cheapo Harbor Freight grinder for nasty jobs that kill power tools. I used a wire cup to grind rust off a dozen steel storage boxes - I had so much rust dust in the air it looked like smoke bomb in our back yard. That was a two day job. I cut Belgian blocks to size using a diamond cutting wheel. Yellow abrasive dust everywhere. In short, I've put that Harbor Freight piece of junk through Hell and it still runs. It vibrates and makes a terrible death-knell grinding noise from thje gear case, but it's been doing that since I got it. I've never once cleaned or greased it.
I highly recommend putting one in your box of tricks if you do any really nasty rust grinding or brick cutting. One tough unit!
I use the cheapo Harbor Freight grinder for nasty jobs that kill power tools. I used a wire cup to grind rust off a dozen steel storage boxes - I had so much rust dust in the air it looked like smoke bomb in our back yard. That was a two day job. I cut Belgian blocks to size using a diamond cutting wheel. Yellow abrasive dust everywhere. In short, I've put that Harbor Freight piece of junk through Hell and it still runs. It vibrates and makes a terrible death-knell grinding noise from thje gear case, but it's been doing that since I got it. I've never once cleaned or greased it.
I highly recommend putting one in your box of tricks if you do any really nasty rust grinding or brick cutting. One tough unit!
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Ouch! im no tool snob, but Chinese cut off wheels are never worth the savings. I've had more cutoff wheels than I care to remember blow up while using them before I smartened up and luckily before I was ever seriously hurt. Stuff like that makes me wonder why the Benchmark Abrasives Chinese branded stuff seem to be getting a pass when US or Euro made ones like Metabo are literally only a few pennies more. 25 pack of 4.5" wheels; Chinese benchmarks- $22.50, US made Metabo - $24.25. No brainer, especially since they aren't blowing up, you get more use out of them!
From the original intent of the thread, I like others, have 1 or 2 grinders that I can really lean on, but have a couple cheapies floating around for quicky little jobs. No problem with having a few dedicated HF ones with scotch bright pads or flap discs
I switched to Pferd cutoff wheels and sanding discs. What a difference over the HF/HD/Lowes stuff.
Still have a 20+ year old orange HF grinder. I've been trying to kill it for two decades, but have failed. When I first got it, the threaded part of the spindle was too long, it stuck out almost 1/4" beyond the nut with a fat 1/4" grinding disc! Interfered with anything I tried to grind. Nothing to lose, so I took it to the bench grinder and ground it down while it was running. It's been running great ever since. I wish my 4.5" Porter Cable worked as well, I'm on my third trigger/safety switch...
I've got quite a few 4.5" grinders...
(2) Bosch Slim- Like the ability to use one handed, but they are horribly imbalanced when you try to set them down.
(2) HF, One Orange, One Dark Red- Decent grinders for the money.
(I) Porter Cable- one of my tool buying disappointments
(1) Dewalt, great grinder but the cord doesn't hold up well.
(1) Ryobi 18V cordless. Great for cutoff, or a flapper disc on wood. ***** as an angle grinder on metal. Too heavy, not well balanced.
Over the years I've burned up (2) Craftsman, a Metabo and a No-name model from Homier Distributing in the 80's.
Bought one of the $50 Fein Angle Grinders on the closeout sale I read about here on the GJ, but gave it to a buddy for Christmas, never even took it out of the box.
My next grinder will probably be an 11 amp Milwaukee.
Coach James
Well-known member
".....unsheathed garage....." Is that what some folks call a carport?
I had 2 of the red HF grinders. Both vibrated so bad that after 20 minutes my hands were cramping up. One broke when I bumped it on a porch railing. The button that locked the spindle in place fell off. I could probably fix it, but I don't really care too. The other still works. I bought a Bosch and Makita and they are both so much easier on my hands.
In the picture, I'm cutting the legs off one side of a set of old parallel bars. I went through two wheels to get it done and my hands were screaming by the end from the vibration in the HF grinder.
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sberry
Banned
10$ doesn't get much, for 30 you can get a pretty decent grinder.