Need a new angle grinder

[MushCreek]

In another thread, I mentioned the demise of my DeWalt angle grinder. Last time I used it, it was fine. Yesterday, as soon as I pulled the trigger, it was slow, and sparking a lot from the brushes. A few seconds later, a LOT of smoke poured out of it, so I tossed it outside in the case of unwanted combustion. I might take it apart and attempt to diagnose what happened. It was several years old, but not a lot of hours on it.

Obviously, I'm in the market for a new one. I like smaller ones, in the 4-1/2" range so I can get into tight spots. I mostly use one to prep steel before welding, and cleaning up the welds afterwards. I'm tempted to pick up a Milwaukee M18 to go with my other tools and batteries, but I suspect that the run time is pretty short when you're on a bigger project.

I like quality tools, and don't mind paying for them, within reason. Angle grinders don't seem to last long, and I don't know if higher end ones last any longer. They operate in a pretty hostile atmosphere. I could go the other way and buy a six-pack of Harbor Freight ones, and just toss 'em as the burn up. Any thoughts from the collective GJ mind?

 

[eschoendorff]

I’m in the HF buy em and toss em category. The thing is the old orange ones generally outlive my expectations. My brother has a Milwaukee and it’s the cats ***. I just can’t justify that kind of money for a grinder right now. YMMV.

 

[ATC]

All mine are Dewalts. They are loud and vibrate.

A recent Youtube video I watched comparing grinders also confirmed this. Makitas are smooth, but lack power. Milwaukee is the best of both worlds.

When my Dewalts die, I am going Milwaukee.

 

[MushCreek]

My old Milwaukee was OK, but as it got older, it would quickly heat up, to the point that you had to use it wearing heavy gloves. Not sure why it did that. I gave it to a buddy who just uses it for quick projects.

What about Metabo? They have a 4-1/2" for around $100.

 

[shoot summ]

I have Dewalt, Black and Decker(older), Porter Cable, and Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee is the only one I've killed, the others have been through the wringer, grinding/cutting stone/block dry, metal, you name it.

To be fair to the Milwaukee I was trying out the new Diablo metal cutting blade(metal with a diamond edge) and was really putting it through it's paces when the Milwaukee smoked.

I honestly think it really comes down to what switch do you want, paddle, or slider. They will all do the job after that. BTW, HD was running a 2 pack of DeWalts recently for $99.

I haven't tried the HF unit yet, but may just to see what they do, the cheap $9.99 ones look like they are half the current rating of the name brands, so I suspect they might lack a little power.

I will add, I have been on a metal working kick for the past few weeks, a lot of fab, and grinding. I've been buying different abrasives recently from Benchmark Abrasives. I've found that for grinding and shaping steel I like thier coarse flap wheels a lot versus a traditional bond/resin disc. Takes way less effort to remove the amount of metal I am doing it seems. The discs last pretty well also, not nearly like a resin disc, but still good life relative to the material removed.

 

[Rabid Badger]

US-made Makita. Fein if you have money to burn and want the very best.

 

[sberry]

Should have stopped when you saw the spark, May have been too late then. The yellow need brushes checked. I got tired of it, figured if they were imports would find the cheapest best I could. I am really impressed with the B&D, last one I bought Wallmart for 30$, brutally tough, good power, disposable price, cord lasts long time.

 

[turbowoodworker]

I user the HF ones. I have several that were all picked up with a super coupon, between 7.99 and 9.99. I will have no problem tossing one when it blows, but I've had mine for years and they are all good. And at those prices, you buy a few and never have to change from grinder to flap to cup brush, etc.

 

[trackwelder]

I prefer the Metabo w9-115 with the slide switch. I would skip the HF or other cheap grinders. Nothing worse than having some ****** grinder beating the hell out of your body. I’d rather have that extra energy to do more work.

 

[American Locomotive]

I like Bosch and Makita grinders. They seem to run the smoothest with the least vibration. Metabos are great too, if you want to spend the money.

 

[dr_clyde]

I have 6 or so grinders, my favorites are by far Metabo.

I have two 6" metabo grinders which are my daily drivers. I buy Metabo grinders when I have the choice. I just had one rebuilt after about 10 years of pretty heavy use. It still worked fine when I sent it in, but I could hear the bearings were starting to go. You CAN put smaller wheels on bigger grinders. I like having options, and the 6" metabos have the features I like. Quick change wheel, paddle switch, TONS of power, slip clutch, soft start, and made in Germany.

I also have a 7" metabo that is a BEAST. I use that mostly for grinding concrete and HEAVY stock removal if I need to.

My dad gave me an old Hitachi-Koki that just won't die. That thing has to be 20 years old if its 5. He gave it to me in 08 after he used it for at least 10 years. It's a 4-1/2" grinder, and I use it occasionally.

I have a cheap DeWalt. It was like, $60. I keep a worn out flap wheel on it for deburring one handed. The little paddle switch is great for that.

I just picked up a 6" cordless Metabo yesterday. So far I'm lovin it.

In welding school we had Makita grinders, they held up to a LOT of student abuse. I would have no problems buying a Makita grinder.

The old USA made Milwaukee stuff was really nice, I can't say the same for the new Chinese stuff. I got one from Grainger where I worked last, it was so terrible I sent it back. Hot pile of garbage.

Never used a Fein, but I would expect their quality to be first rate.

 

[readhead]

Having owned a steel fab shop we went through grinders on a regular basis. I tried them all and the best service by far was Hilti. Because of cost we eventually settled on Makita and Milwaukee. At home I have several HF grinders and they get the job done. I’ve smoked one but didn’t feel to bad and picked up another one. By the way most of our failures were broken cases from being dropped or tripping over the cords. I’m not sure if we ever burned one up.

 

[pepi]

I have my brand preference that serves me very well. The only thing I would suggest to the OP. Get one with variable speed, really makes the tool much more efficient. Extends the life of the consumables, and gives more control of the tool to the operator.

 

[Ign]

In another thread, I mentioned the demise of my DeWalt angle grinder. Last time I used it, it was fine. Yesterday, as soon as I pulled the trigger, it was slow, and sparking a lot from the brushes. A few seconds later, a LOT of smoke poured out of it, so I tossed it outside in the case of unwanted combustion. I might take it apart and attempt to diagnose what happened. It was several years old, but not a lot of hours on it.

Obviously, I'm in the market for a new one. I like smaller ones, in the 4-1/2" range so I can get into tight spots. I mostly use one to prep steel before welding, and cleaning up the welds afterwards. I'm tempted to pick up a Milwaukee M18 to go with my other tools and batteries, but I suspect that the run time is pretty short when you're on a bigger project.

I like quality tools, and don't mind paying for them, within reason. Angle grinders don't seem to last long, and I don't know if higher end ones last any longer. They operate in a pretty hostile atmosphere. I could go the other way and buy a six-pack of Harbor Freight ones, and just toss 'em as the burn up. Any thoughts from the collective GJ mind?

I dunno, I use my tools HARD but I'm otherwise EASY on things, I mean I'm not the type who typically loses things to drops, falls, careless driving over them etc. Similarly I use my trucks like trucks but I don't get all the dents, interior upholstery tears etc that others get.

Anyway I've had most of my grinders for years and no reason to think any are gonna die soon.

My bench hanger even places them in the spray of whichever is being used and I keep thinking **** in the vents will kill them, but no.

Scott McGillivray (sp?) says if you treat a rental property like a rental it won't last long. Similarly if you treat your grinder as disposable it will be.

That said, I can't use bottom dollar grinders because they vibrate too much.

Consider the cost of just one or two co-pays later in life vs saving $30 or $40 today.

Fein is THE SMOOTHEST I've yet to use but any mid-level grinder is "ok."

 

[readhead]

I once told my employees that I would pay them $60 an hour but they had to bring their own tools, welding machines and consumables. No takers. Why take care of our own stuff when we can wreck the boss's stuff.

 

[dr_clyde]

I once told my employees that I would pay them $60 an hour but they had to bring their own tools, welding machines and consumables. No takers. Why take care of our own stuff when we can wreck the boss's stuff.

If I had a guaranteed 40+ hours a week I'd be all over that deal like white on rice.

That's damn near shop rate in a lot of areas, and if my only overhead was tools, machines and welding consumables that's a good deal. No rent, electric, heat, business insurance or any of that headache.

 

[MushCreek]

I looked over the grinders at Lowes. They had a Bosch for $99 that was pretty nice, and 10A. Most of the rest of the field were 5-7A. The one I liked best was a 13A DeWalt with a nice trigger. Very easy to actuate and use. $119, but of course, they were out of stock. I hated the paddle on my old DeWalt. In fact, I dislike most of the paddles/triggers/slides out there. The Bosch was a runner-up, but a bit awkward. Some of the others had a small slide that was VERY hard to actuate. Probably worse with gloves on.

 

[quadrcr87]

Obviously power and vibration need to be considered but I think ease of changing wheels and adjusting guards is important too. I used my Dewalt 10 amp for several years with no complaints. I loved the easy of guard adjustment but sometimes wished I had a slider switch instead of the paddle switch. I picked up a Bosch as an addition rather than a replacement. I like it overall but the guard adjustment is a pain in the ****. Tool-less guard adjustment is much nicer for me.

Whichever you choose, it is great having 2 grinders. Being able to set up each one with different disks is a huge time saver.

 

[koenbro]

Metabo with deadman switch. Smoothest grinder you’ll ever use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ign]

Virtually all the big names have tool-less guard adjustment now.

Do NOT get hung up on power, most are ridiculous these days. What the hell are you gonna do with a 13A 4.5" grinder??? Seriously? We do realize 14" abrasive chop saws are 15A, right?

There's a million 8A Metabos still alive out there....

And my German-made Fein (there are China COO's too) is a touch smoother than any of my Metabos.

 

[Higgins]

The grinders of today are not as good as the grinders of yester yr. I know as I've owned them all.
Being retired, I watch the $$$ i'm spending on tools and you can't beet the HF hand tools as they provide an extra set of brushes with the grinder. You would believe how mant times I saw a young stud trying to use a grinder that was starting to spark. Hummmm, wonder what is causing that ??? Had they stopped, all they had to do was spend 5 min and change out the brushes and be on their way.

I will continue to keep my "professional" tools around till they die and can no longer be fixed. But at 72 yrs. a replacement tool doesn't need to last another 20 yrs. as I will be peacefully retired on our mountain top.

 

[Northerndave]

we burned out my dewalts. We currently keep a flap disc on a variable speed metabo (love that thing) and a cut off on a cordless Milwaukee.

 

[Robinson1]

I do alot of custom tile work. My work grinders get a constant healthy diet of concrete and tile dust.

Never had a milwaukee last longer than a year.

Makita are a little underpowered.

I've got a Dewalt that's about 6 years old and refuses to die.

Best bang for the money is the $39.99 Hitachi from Lowes.

Cordless grinders have their place but it's not doing tile work and I doubt its grinding welds either. Handy tool to keep a cut off wheel on for demo and quick cuts.

I've got a pair from Harbor Freight in my shop that occassionally get used for metal work. They work but nothing to brag about.

 

[jlipsky14]

I have the M18 Milwaukee, Makita with paddle switch and metabo with the slide switch.

No complaints on the Milwaukee, battery life is decent and have never thought it was using up a battery too quickly. 5 year tool warranty as well with the M18 stuff.

Makita is the one that gets used the most. Used for everything from restoring fiberglass boats, grinding welds and running a wire wheel on it to clean off truck frames. You can get a 2 pack for $100 I believe so you can keep one with a cut off wheel and the other with an abrasive disc.
I will add that my makita is at least 5 or 6 years old, I do not know if they have changed anything with the newer models.

Metabo is also a nice grinder and feel they do make the best grinders. However I do not like the slide switch at all. There have been many times where a wire wheel has gotten caught or would bind up and I am glad my hand came off of the paddle switch on my makita instead of staying on.

 

[WagonHo!]

Metabo with deadman switch. Smoothest grinder you’ll ever use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do you have a model #?
Thanks

 

[strength_and_power]

I like the Metabo with switch for my flap wheel work, light enough to use one handed and plenty of power. My Makita is smaller but lacks power so it is relegated to a wire wheel. My Milwaukee paddle and 7” wire wheel has a lot of power but it’s a touch heavy but the weights helps balance the torque of the 7” wheel. My next grinder will either be a Walter or Fein, held both at Fabtech and they had a good feel.
I used to buy the cheapest flap discs and cut off wheels I could find but started trying different brands after listening to a few podcasts and there is definitely a difference in performance and that correlated to grinder performance as well. I’ve never used a HF grinder, not opposed to trying one but not in a hurry to try one either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[koenbro]

Do you have a model #?

Thanks

Metabo WP9-115 Quick 8.5 Amp 10,500 rpm Angle Grinder with Non-locking Paddle Switch, 4 1/2" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WJOWTKE/?tag=atomicindus08-20


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ign]

I do alot of custom tile work. My work grinders get a constant healthy diet of concrete and tile dust.

Never had a milwaukee last longer than a year.

Makita are a little underpowered.

I've got a Dewalt that's about 6 years old and refuses to die.

Best bang for the money is the $39.99 Hitachi from Lowes.

Cordless grinders have their place but it's not doing tile work and I doubt its grinding welds either. Handy tool to keep a cut off wheel on for demo and quick cuts.

I've got a pair from Harbor Freight in my shop that occassionally get used for metal work. They work but nothing to brag about.

So the new 7/9" M18 Milwaukee will grind welds very well (and Metabo has offered one for years that's probably just as good or better) but it's 1) stupid expensive and 2) fairly heavy

I own one 'cause I like tools but not terribly practical for most.

 

[Ign]

Stupid sweet Fein, my reco if you wanna spend over $100
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ICNQ0V0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Smoother than my Metabos. Don't be fooled by the 6.7A rating, it spins a 5" wheel grinding welds for hours just, er, Fein (ugh... )

 

[Rabid Badger]

Stupid sweet Fein, my reco if you wanna spend over $100
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ICNQ0V0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Smoother than my Metabos. Don't be fooled by the 6.7A rating, it spins a 5" wheel grinding welds for hours just, er, Fein (ugh... )

I'd go with this one for an extra $25.

It has more power, automatic load compensation, kickback protection, soft start and if the power switch gets knocked into the on position while it's unplugged it won't turn on when it's plugged in until the switch is cycled. It also has a nicer handle with a urethane rubber bushing for more vibration protection.

 

[jimreed2160]

I cut lots of steel for plane blades and cutters. For years I used a cheap B&D until the bearings got louder than a Stone's concert. A few months ago I picked up the smaller corder Milwaukee for about $50 at HD. The switch is a little awkward but the grinder is a nice size and I like it.

 

[lbhsbz]

I’m in the HF buy em and toss em category. The thing is the old orange ones generally outlive my expectations. My brother has a Milwaukee and it’s the cats ***. I just can’t justify that kind of money for a grinder right now. YMMV.

The orange ones are awesome...they sound like they're gonna blow up the first time you use it, but they never get worse. I have 4 or 5 of 'em....the switch became unreliable on one of them so I retired it, but the rest are going strong.

 

[h~moto]

An angle grinder without a safety clutch is a no-go for me. I use German made Metabos. My latest new purchase angle grinder was a Walter. It is made in Germany and has a safety clutch.

 

[sberry]

Having owned a steel fab shop we went through grinders on a regular basis. I tried them all and the best service by far was Hilti. Because of cost we eventually settled on Makita and Milwaukee. At home I have several HF grinders and they get the job done. I’ve smoked one but didn’t feel to bad and picked up another one. By the way most of our failures were broken cases from being dropped or tripping over the cords. I’m not sure if we ever burned one up.

I like your take on this. I have burned them up. DW402 which is the old industrial BD2750 is my good "feel" unit but burned them up. At least 4 I can recall. I have a Mil but not a lot of hrs on it as I rolled a pipe over it, I fix it and use it as backup but never liked the feel. Someone gave me a couple newer ones but i need to fix the cords yet.
My go to is now the homeowner BD7750. I wore a couple out but they 30$. Less than 1 other.

 

[Wamsutta]

My next one will be a 6 inch; it's the best compromise between portability and having a nice flat ground surface.

 

[pepi]

Dead mans switch ....... sounds so manly ....biggest mistake ever. Constrains a users option in regards to a position, a grinder could be used in.

BTW same goes for a paddle switch.

Total PITA ..

 

[BD1]

I have a bunch of METABO'S . My first one is from 1979 and still going.
I suggest a Metabo and definitely consider a variable speed one. Using a wire wheel at a slower speed will extend life and keep most of the wires on it instead of picking them out of your clothes.

 

[Tinner]

Metabo WP9-115 Quick 8.5 Amp 10,500 rpm Angle Grinder with Non-locking Paddle Switch, 4 1/2" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WJOWTKE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

That's what I have and what we use at work. Outstanding tool and that is a very good price.

 

[MushCreek]

I have a bunch of METABO'S . My first one is from 1979 and still going.
I suggest a Metabo and definitely consider a variable speed one. Using a wire wheel at a slower speed will extend life and keep most of the wires on it instead of picking them out of your clothes.

Real men don't wear clothes when operating a wire wheel.

 

[exmaxima1]

Check the auction site for deals. I bought a Metabo and Bosch, both German-made and variable speed, and they were $100 and $45 (the seller didn't know what he had) respectively. If I had to pick one, it would be the Metabo but mainly because I like the tool-free feature to change wheels.