Recommend me a 4.5" angle grinder

[Dustin Crawford]

Hey guys, my angle grinder finally died after many years and I need a new one. My last grinder was a 7 amp and I'm definitely looking to upgrade. I use cutting wheels a lot, probably more than anything. I commonly cut 1/4" steel. I'm looking to increase my cutting speed as much as I can.

I see some that are even 13 amp now but the RPM is only 9500 so I'm not really sure if you're gaining with a cutting wheel?

I use my grinder a lot so I'm definitely looking for a good one. What would you recommend me?

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[Alchymist]

$38.00 out the door w/ discount.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Metabo-HPT...liding-Switch-Corded-Angle-Grinder/1001107544

 

[crewchief888]

$38.00 out the door w/ discount.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Metabo-HPT...liding-Switch-Corded-Angle-Grinder/1001107544

That's one of several I have. Its been abused for 10 years, and hasn't quit yet.

 

[Alaniho]

$38.00 out the door w/ discount.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Metabo-HPT...liding-Switch-Corded-Angle-Grinder/1001107544

another shout for these, our guys use these in an industrial usage and find them the best at this price level (they are still using the Hitachi branded). These are much better than the regular Metabo budget grinder (W750 i think) that they also tried.

 

[sberry]

Get a couple at that price, they will last 2x as long.

 

[strutaeng]

another shout for these, our guys use these in an industrial usage and find them the best at this price level (they are still using the Hitachi branded). These are much better than the regular Metabo budget grinder (W750 i think) that they also tried.

Another vote for the hitachi. I got one at Lowes 10 years ago. I sold it to my BIL and both of us used it pretty hard. I think it may have been $30 then.

Years later I bought a fancy Metabo. It is nice, but was around $120. It's pretty smooth and has some circuitry to prevent kickback. It may have engaged once or twice. I have also bought a monster Makita 7" and a Dewalt 4.5/5/6 grinder.

The Dewalt is the one I use now since it is powerful and light and I can use different sized wheels with the included guards, but for a value grinder the Hitachi (now branded Metabo) is a great deal.

 

[Farmall450]

Really any DeWalt/Metabo/Hitachi/Bosch/Porter Cable/Fein/Makita will serve you well. They're a simple tool: pick one that fits you.

 

[Dustin Crawford]

Another vote for the hitachi. I got one at Lowes 10 years ago. I sold it to my BIL and both of us used it pretty hard. I think it may have been $30 then.



Years later I bought a fancy Metabo. It is nice, but was around $120. It's pretty smooth and has some circuitry to prevent kickback. It may have engaged once or twice. I have also bought a monster Makita 7" and a Dewalt 4.5/5/6 grinder.



The Dewalt is the one I use now since it is powerful and light and I can use different sized wheels with the included guards, but for a value grinder the Hitachi (now branded Metabo) is a great deal.

Hey thanks guys! What I didn't mention is I have a DeWalt 13a 4.5-5" Grinder new in the box that I bought yesterday impulsively after mine broke. Then I figured I'd post up here to get a recommendation before I opened it. This DeWalt was about a 120.

would you say your DeWalt cuts noticeably faster then the little metabo?

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[strutaeng]

Hey thanks guys! What I didn't mention is I have a DeWalt 13a 4.5-5" Grinder new in the box that I bought yesterday impulsively after mine broke. Then I figured I'd post up here to get a recommendation before I opened it. This DeWalt was about a 120.

would you say your DeWalt cuts noticeably faster then the little metabo?

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Yes! The DeWalt I have is insane. Almost too powerful for the slim body. This is the one I have: https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-...Trigger-Grip-Angle-Grinder-DWE43113/301397065

I forgot to mention I also have a Ryobi cordless. It's handy for working off a ladder cutting a nail, for example. Even with a 4 Ah battery it struggles to do any real work. Anyway, I contemplated a lot on the Dewalt, but boy was I surprised. The Ryobi spins in "slow motion" compared to the DeWalt. Unfair comparison, but you get the idea.

Trust me, once you start using 6" cutting wheels, you may never want to go back to 4 1/2".

 

[ItsNemo]

Yes! The DeWalt I have is insane. Almost too powerful for the slim body. This is the one I have: https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-...Trigger-Grip-Angle-Grinder-DWE43113/301397065

I forgot to mention I also have a Ryobi cordless. It's handy for working off a ladder cutting a nail, for example. Even with a 4 Ah battery it struggles to do any real work. Anyway, I contemplated a lot on the Dewalt, but boy was I surprised. The Ryobi spins in "slow motion" compared to the DeWalt. Unfair comparison, but you get the idea.

Trust me, once you start using 6" cutting wheels, you may never want to go back to 4 1/2".

This...move up a size. Even 5" discs, let alone 6-7" discs make a big difference in material removal. The larger diameter allows more disc in contact with the material at any given time.

 

[Dustin Crawford]

Awesome that's the same one l got! I'll keep it and make some Sparks!

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[Farmall450]

Yes! The DeWalt I have is insane. Almost too powerful for the slim body. This is the one I have: https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-...Trigger-Grip-Angle-Grinder-DWE43113/301397065

I forgot to mention I also have a Ryobi cordless. It's handy for working off a ladder cutting a nail, for example. Even with a 4 Ah battery it struggles to do any real work. Anyway, I contemplated a lot on the Dewalt, but boy was I surprised. The Ryobi spins in "slow motion" compared to the DeWalt. Unfair comparison, but you get the idea.

Trust me, once you start using 6" cutting wheels, you may never want to go back to 4 1/2".

Damn that is a good looking American grinder. Can't say I've seen that before. I was almost wondering if it's brushless

 

[SeisMec]

What was the (no-load) speed of your dead grinder?

If increased cutting speed is your goal, I'd look for speed ahead of amps, but would be utterly unwilling to settle for less amps.

After you've selected and bought your main use grinder; assuming you occasionally use a (straight or twisted) wire wheel for rust removal, I'd suggest you spend another $10 on one of these Harbor Fright POS. It's great not to have to switch wheels every single time.

If you are doing long, straight cuts in 1/4", nothing will increase your speed as much as a metal cutting circular saw. My 10 amp 7-1/4" MasterHand (was $120 @ Tractor Supply - discontinued) cuts mild 1/4" steel as fast as a cheap circular saw cuts 1/2" plywood or OSB.

 

[toddmorr]

This...move up a size. Even 5" discs, let alone 6-7" discs make a big difference in material removal. The larger diameter allows more disc in contact with the material at any given time.

hmmm, no upside at all to the 4.5 size? I've always had 4.5 inch grinders and been satisfied but you guys are making me think otherwise.

 

[Dustin Crawford]

What was the (no-load) speed of your dead grinder?



If increased cutting speed is your goal, I'd look for speed ahead of amps, but would be utterly unwilling to settle for less amps.



After you've selected and bought your main use grinder; assuming you occasionally use a (straight or twisted) wire wheel for rust removal, I'd suggest you spend another $10 on one of these Harbor Fright POS. It's great not to have to switch wheels every single time.



If you are doing long, straight cuts in 1/4", nothing will increase your speed as much as a metal cutting circular saw. My 10 amp 7-1/4" MasterHand (was $120 @ Tractor Supply - discontinued) cuts mild 1/4" steel as fast as a cheap circular saw cuts 1/2" plywood or OSB.

This is exactly why l asked. The speed is only 9500 which is on the low end. I don't know what the old one was but def faster. However a larger wheel might change that.

I have no exp with the metal circular saws. I didn't think they could cut the thick stuff.

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[strutaeng]

Damn that is a good looking American grinder. Can't say I've seen that before. I was almost wondering if it's brushless

No, not brushless. I did, however, notice they now have a line of brushless on their website. I haven't seen these at the local outfits:

https://www.dewalt.com/products/pow...variable-speed-slide-switch-inox/dwe43240inox

Regarding RPM: I didn't really pay attention to the RPM on that one, but trust me, it will eat metal like crazy.

On a related note, this is the Makita I own. It's a heavy beast. I use it for cutting concrete mostly. Just yesterday I was using it to cut GP Durock. It's really heavy, so I use it mostly for grinding metal and the weight works to my advantage. The speed is even lower at 6,000 RPM.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-...-Side-handle-and-Wheel-Guard-GA7021/100092868

Generally, the larger the wheel, the lower the RPM.

 

[dutchgray]

Those Metabo HPT, well I have 2 of those but Hitachi branded, they are very good for the price, not super powerful but nice and compact, they seem to last a good while, I also liked the Makita ones but they changed the design to a slimmer model with ribs and a taper to the case, which I don't like as its always trying to escape from my hands, you can still find the old ones but they are getting rarer.

 

[Slednut]

I have a variable speed Makita that is really nice. It runs so smooth it's actually quiet.

 

[ItsNemo]

hmmm, no upside at all to the 4.5 size? I've always had 4.5 inch grinders and been satisfied but you guys are making me think otherwise.

Only for being a bit lighter and easier to handle and maybe easier to find replacement wheels for cheap...otherwise, the bigger wheels move material faster. I have a big honkin 7" that easily chews through material at twice the rate of my 4.5" grinders.

The recommendations to move towards non-abrasive cutting are good though.

 

[Alchymist]

hmmm, no upside at all to the 4.5 size? I've always had 4.5 inch grinders and been satisfied but you guys are making me think otherwise.

Upside is lighter weight. I have a 9" that I use for heavy work, but it is HEAVY. You won't grind with it for very long before you need a break. Smaller the grinder, easier it is to use for longer periods of time. 4.5" you can use for quite a time before it gets heavy. 7" is in the middle. I have all three sizes, and it's the 4.5 most of the time, plus it's a lot easier to get into tight spots than with the larger ones.

 

[SeisMec]

The speed is only 9500 which is on the low end. I don't know what the old one was but def faster. However a larger wheel might change that.

I have no exp with the metal circular saws. I didn't think they could cut the thick stuff.

The larger the grinding wheel, the faster the speed at the cutting edge.

RPM | Size | In./min. | % increaase from 4.5 inch @ 9,500 rpm
9,500 | 4.5 | ****134,235 | 0‬%
10,000 | 4.5 | ****141,300 | ‬5%
11,000 | 4.5 | ****155,430‬ | 16%
12,000 | 4.5 | ****169,560‬ | 26%

10,000 | 5.0 | 157,000‬ | 17%
12,000 | 5.0 | ****188,400‬ | 40%

****10,000 | 7.0 | ****219,800‬‬ | 64%
12,000 | 7.0 | ****263,760‬ | 96%

Here is a bracket cut a few months back from 1/2" plate.
https://imgur.com/a/XxM7Kmv

Didn't time it, but I'd guess it took about 20 to 30 minutes to cut 14 of them including marking up.
Drilling took much longer. And my saw is about as low end as you can get in a metal cutting circle saw.

Took a brief look around for the manual, but can't put my fingers on it right now. I forget just what the max thickness rating is; but something in the vicinity of 1" - I think a little more. At max thickness the manual said you could only make about a 1 foot cut; then you either turned the saw off for 50 minutes or ran it a no load for about 10 minutes. The 7-1/4 saw blade is only spinning at about 3,600 rpms under no load, but it's cutting large chips of metal not turning metal into powder.

Edit: No clue why the Imgur pic isn't showing up. I made it a link instead.

 

[Stephenw]

Metabo 5" with variable speed...

https://amzn.to/3cMbAtl

Variable speed is a "must have" in my opinion.

 

[gearhead1]

I have DeWalt, B&D, Porter Cable, and several cheapies from HF. They all work, pick one you like the feel within your budget. The Porter Cable at Lowe’s is pretty inexpensive. If you really want power, get a higher end DeWalt or Milwaukee.

A friend of mine has an automotive machine shop business but also does some minor welding too. He’s had a noisy HF one for $15 years using it in the business and still working. I wouldn’t be scared of a HF one, but comes down to price as HF is getting expensive.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

been eyeing on this

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-1...and-Tool-Free-Wheel-Guard-GWS10-45E/310184014

 

[tarbellb]

That Brushless Dewalt looks real nice, I love my corded Brushless Hitachi 5in.

Increasing the wheel size is a big advantage as that beautiful chart showed....

Grab a higher RPM + 5in and you will be stoked. Oh and good abrasives do wonders- Weiler, Pferd, any German or USA made really.

 

[Brandon_oma#692]

I have always had the cheap $10 harbor freight and Menards grinders. I recently bought one of the 8 amp because I wanted something a little more powerful and I thought I would like the handle. https://www.harborfreight.com/corded-4-12-in-8-amp-heavy-duty-trigger-grip-angle-grinder-with-tool-free-guard-64742.html
.
I got it back when they were 35 or 36 but now they are 40. I really like it. The rubber cord remained flexible in my unheated garage this winter. I bought a perfomax that was similar in design and price to compare and returned it before using because the cord was frozen solid. I have not found anything else similar to compare it too near that price.

 

[PhysicsDude]

Metabo 5" with variable speed...

https://amzn.to/3cMbAtl

Variable speed is a "must have" in my opinion.

I have a variable speed grinder that I bought to do some granite and concrete work.

For metal work type stuff, I've never used the variable speed function.

Do you use the variable speed outside of masonry polishing?

 

[seber]

Over the years I've burned up at least a dozen various brands. Never tried Dewalt but the two oldest ones I have that just keep going like the bunny are Metabos. One of them is a soft start that is always the first one I grab. For cutting disks I use a slide switch but for everything else a trigger is the way to go.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Really any DeWalt/Metabo/Hitachi/Bosch/Porter Cable/Fein/Makita will serve you well. They're a simple tool: pick one that fits you.

I'd agree. They're a simple tool, buy one and buy another one. I don't think there is a thing wrong with having 2 or more grinders.


When it comes to dirty work, nasty stuff, spend $10 on the HF grinder. I bought one to cut CMU and it's paid for itself already and still working. It worked so well, but wasn't quite big enough that I bought a 7" one to do the same job.

 

[bugnut]

I have a makita and hf both do the job. If your cutting 1/4 steel plate and doing a lot of flat work have you thought about a 7 1/4 " circular saw specifically for steel??

 

[dingleberry]

Metabo and Makita have always been good to me

 

[CR888]

I've got a little 4" Hitachi like the one mentioned in this thread, and although its a cheapie compared to what's on the market its done everything I've wanted too well. Bit I'm about too upgrade to 4.5"or 5"& I definitely want variable speed! It just makes the tool useful for so many more applications. 10k+ is great for cutting steel using grinding discs or cutoff wheels but being able to tame the speed means a lot to me. It just seems the price jump for this feature is HUGE!

 

[Farmall450]

I'd agree. They're a simple tool, buy one and buy another one. I don't think there is a thing wrong with having 2 or more grinders.


When it comes to dirty work, nasty stuff, spend $10 on the HF grinder. I bought one to cut CMU and it's paid for itself already and still working. It worked so well, but wasn't quite big enough that I bought a 7" one to do the same job.

Agreed, I've been running a twisted wire wheel on a $10 HF since high school -- it won't stop!

 

[FANTM58]

Not going to suggest a brand, just a feature, I like paddle type, if it gets out of your hands
It powers off, it’s still gonna get you ,,,,but not as much!!

 

[h~moto]

An angle grinder with a safety clutch is a requirement for me. You might want to consider a Walter.

 

[dnschmidt]

Farmall450, having at least 30 grinders so I couldn't agree more. I refuse to change bits on my routers which is why I have about 30 of them too and I refuse to change accessories on my grinders. All of my routers have a specific purpose and that's how I handle my grinders as well. I'll give you an example of what I do with my routers. The Hafele Confirmat Connector requires three different drill bit diameters plus a countersink to accommodate it. I have four plunge routers three of which have hinge boring bits set to the specific depth needed for the Confirmat. One of them has a countersink bit. When I make a jig all four of these routers have the same template guide (1/2") in their bases and to form the perfect hole for a Confirmat I just use each router sequentially after the next. The holes are perfectly plumb, the right depth and the right size. Yes, I'm really lazy but it vastly increases production. I can assemble a bulletproof cabinet in this way in less than ten minutes and their perfectly aligned every time.

 

[sreeb]

Cutting disks don't require a lot of power. I don't think it matters much which one you get.

I wouldn't be using a 4.5" cut off disk if I had a lot of 1/4" to cut though.

 

[Robinson1]

I've always had good luck with Dewalt. I've got one that's going on 10 years old and has been used for cutting tile since new. It's the only grinder over ever had on tile duty that outlasted the diamond wheel. I think Im on wheel number 3 and it shows no signs of stopping.

Got a Milwaukee that I use for metal grinding and a Hitachi that sort of just lives on my truck. Gets used for a bit of everything. Good grinder.

In my shop I've got a pair of harbor freight. One is a Chicago electric that's been on wire wheel duty since new. Works fine for the small amount of welding I do. Got a Drill Master that usually wears a cut off wheel. Again it's fine for the small amount of welding that I do. If they die tomorrow I'll replace them with whatever I can find cheap.

 

[Farmall450]

Farmall450, having at least 30 grinders so I couldn't agree more. I refuse to change bits on my routers which is why I have about 30 of them too and I refuse to change accessories on my grinders. All of my routers have a specific purpose and that's how I handle my grinders as well. I'll give you an example of what I do with my routers. The Hafele Confirmat Connector requires three different drill bit diameters plus a countersink to accommodate it. I have four plunge routers three of which have hinge boring bits set to the specific depth needed for the Confirmat. One of them has a countersink bit. When I make a jig all four of these routers have the same template guide (1/2") in their bases and to form the perfect hole for a Confirmat I just use each router sequentially after the next. The holes are perfectly plumb, the right depth and the right size. Yes, I'm really lazy but it vastly increases production. I can assemble a bulletproof cabinet in this way in less than ten minutes and their perfectly aligned every time.

Agreed, for how cheap you can pick them up it doesn't make sense to change wheels if you use them w/ any frequency.

 

[bigenos]

Just bought a Milwaukee from Homedepot for $64+tax. Kinda wished I'd known about that metabo/Hitachi. Regardless, I used mine with a cutoff wheel on some fairly thick steel (not 1/4" though) and it didn't bog at all. 7 amp, 11,000rpm.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...with-Sliding-Lock-On-Switch-6130-33/202101584