Today's angle grinder thread

[theoldwizard1]

about 30 years ago I bought a refurb Craftsman industrial 4.5" angle grinder. Its a beast. My son used it with a wire cup brush (actually 4 or 5 of them) to remove multiple layers of paint from a block wall. Smoothest CMU you ever saw when he was done. The HP wire cup brushes are so far out of balance and vibrated the grinder so bad, they broke the guard where it attached to the body.

 

[sparky 1971]

I have three 4" grinders. Milwaukee, Bosch, and Harbor Freight. My favorite is the HF. It's 25% lighter than the other two and has enough power to do everything I ask, which isn't much. Mostly using a flap disc to sharpen six lawnmower blades twice a year.

 

[ClappedOutBport]

If you rarely use grinders and still have them break you must have true **** or be using them wrong. The ones I use most are all 50-70+ years old. Mostly round body Aluminum B&D 7" grinders. One is the old hex body that could date well into the 40s. It's either the standard or the heavy duty seen on pg 12 here. http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/101/20564.pdf The others are all the HD models here on page 12: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/101/20563.pdf

It's hilarious to me that a "standard" duty grinder could be 70 years old and still outwork modern junk. If you want grinders that your grandkids can use, and get a free workout in the process, these old B&Ds are the answer. That's my two cents anyway. I use the lightweight modern ones generally only for finishing work.

 

[bargainhuntingking]

Clappedout, I see vintage machinery like that at thrift stores and garage sales occasionally. Your endorsement makes me want to take a second look now.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

There was a very good reason why millwrights gave up on the old heavy 7"ers for the Makita 5".

The 7" ones have their uses.I bought a new 7" Bosch for one job, just to get the depth of cut. On a bench you can use the larger wheel to flatten a piece of hot rolled, laying it dead flat, letting the weight do the work. These advantages don't out weigh the greater productivity of the Makita 5".

Of the old 7" ones, the B&D might be the best portable electric tool they ever made. But get one with a with a guard. Castration could be painful. What else is at the same height as the bench top ? I've had a few wheels fly apart on me over the years, but I refuse to use a grinder without a guard.

 

[lis2323]

It is my contention that if the user is able bodied and DOES NOT have carpel tunnel, back problems, shoulder injuries etc ( you get the pic) it CAN be faster and easier using a 7-9” grinder.

Overhead work, awkward areas of course a smaller tool is the answer.

I like having several small grinders for finish work and having different wheels and wires quickly accessible.



Everyone has their opinions and preferences. There is no right or wrong as to optimum grinder size.

My personal preference is to use the bigger grinder (whenever feasible) to give me more time to do something else.

BTW I’m 68 years old. On the wimpy side. 5 foot six 132 pounds but fortunately no carpal tunnel or other issues.


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[ClappedOutBport]

Clappedout, I see vintage machinery like that at thrift stores and garage sales occasionally. Your endorsement makes me want to take a second look now.

Just be aware you will likely need a new plug, cord, strain relief, grease, and possibly a switch and bearings. $20 is generally a fair price. Avoid ones that seem caked in concrete dust unless they run and sound good.

There was a very good reason why millwrights gave up on the old heavy 7"ers for the Makita 5".

The 7" ones have their uses.I bought a new 7" Bosch for one job, just to get the depth of cut. On a bench you can use the larger wheel to flatten a piece of hot rolled, laying it dead flat, letting the weight do the work. These advantages don't out weigh the greater productivity of the Makita 5".

Of the old 7" ones, the B&D might be the best portable electric tool they ever made. But get one with a with a guard. Castration could be painful. What else is at the same height as the bench top ? I've had a few wheels fly apart on me over the years, but I refuse to use a grinder without a guard.

Guards would be nice. Other than in the catalog, I have literally never even laid eyes on one. I'd love it just to keep the sparks out of my eyes.

The mass the of the grinder can be very beneficial in certain scenarios when working at the right height. I used to go a lot of cut-off work with a 4 1/2" blade. I found they wore out super quickly, and at 11k rpm, if you dared snag them everything went wrong in the blink of an eye. I've broken or chipped multiple blades. When I switched to a 7" on the big 4k RPM grinder, the problem disappeared completely. Not only is the blade life great, and the cutting speed even better, but the grinder weights so much that it can't **** itself in in a snag situation. I can still just one hand it I have to, but that's not much fun.

The new grinders certainly have their place for overhead and professional work where they will grind a long time, I get that. But for a home user that doesn't use one much and just wants something that can last forever, you can't go wrong. Other than the safety aspect of course.