engineer2
Well-known member
I've noticed most of the rental tools at our Home Depot are Makita. There must be a reason.
which angle grinder for welding?
- Thread starter BTL-A4
- Start date
Not disagreeing but I will add this. If you're cutting brick, block or other masonry objects, buy a cheap grinder and consider it disposable. Keep it for that one purpose and let it become it's sole job.
Masonry dust is hard on stuff, I have 2 grinders from HF a 4.5"& 7" for this specific purpose.
I'm not running that dust through my nice DeWalt grinders.
KwikFab
Well-known member
Gotcha. I saw "for welding" so I thought masonry, brick, and all that wasn't a consideration.
I'm a welder/fabricator but have no experience at all cutting the items you mentioned. Only metal for me.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
That DeWalt grinder is the single worst grinder I've ever owned. DO NOT BUY ONE. IF YOU OWN ONE THROW IT IN THE TRASH.FWIW, You can get that Dewalt DWE402 for ~25% less than that new in the box (w/ the handle and the wrench). Out of the ones you have listed, it's the one I'd recommend, but only because it's the only one I own and have used before so I can't give an informed opinion about any of the others. I luv mine, and fwiw, I paid nearly the same ($83.99) for mine in 2020.
First, the ergonomics of that paddle switch is horrible. They placed it forward on the barrel so you have no leverage on the grinder. If you are using it to do anything but very light work, it will fly out of your hands. Do not even think about putting a wire brush on one of those.
Of course, if you are doing anything but light work, the motor will burn up in short order. The bearings and motor in the Dewalt grinders are very light duty.
Can you tell I don't like that grinder? I had one for a couple days before I burned it up. It nearly killed me twice.
Buy the Metabo HPT somebody recommended above. Or just buy a Makita and be done with it.
I don't have a problem with either one of my DeWalts and one of them has a wire brush on it. If you want to cover the costs, I'll throw them away.
B_Bimmer
Well-known member
Anybody who says buy a harbor fright grinder is not credible. Most of the other advise is okay. German metabo are worth the money and also should always be bought used because they last so long and run so smooth they may as well be new.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
I have a large 9 inch DeWalt that works great, but too heavy and powerful for me.
I've had two of those small DeWalt's and both were at the bottom of my list and the one I point out above is absolutely dangerous to use.
Obviously the brand is capable of building good tools, and i haven't used all of their small grinders, but I've used a lot of different brand grinders and that's my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
finn
Well-known member
What grinder will do the job probably depends on your welding skill level.
Are you a welder, or a grinder who happens to try your hand at welding occasionally?
Are you a welder, or a grinder who happens to try your hand at welding occasionally?
Metabo might be the best but I'm still not going to cut masonry with one, that's where the cheap HF models come in and are perfect for.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Metabo grinders do run smooth and I used to think they were the best. I think especially the higher end Makita's are slightly more durable but similarly pricey. You cannot go wrong with those two brands.
Metabo HPT is the old Hitachi (HPT = Hitachi Power Tool) and they are pretty good for a lower priced grinder.
WWheeler
Well-known member
I'm really surprised to see anyone have that opinion about this grinder.
I have many grinders, everything from Harbor Freight to Makita, and this is BY FAR my favorite 4-1/2" corded. I've used it long and hard, including with a knotted cup brush. I get quite a lot of scrap steel from work that's rusted all to ****, and it's been my go to to bust all that rust off. I often run it full go for hours at a time. It's never missed a beat.
I could echo most of what you wrote if I was talking about my Makita, but mostly because it's paddle switch *****, I can't disengage it easily, which I don't care for one bit. It's not good for nothing but flap disc and cut-off wheel work.
jives
Well-known member
Don't like paddle or slide switches. Only "rat tail" trigger switches. I have the 25 year old version of this Porter Cable, though I could not tell you offhand what my amp level is.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Sorry, but I couldn't disagree more. An angle grinder is one of the more dangerous tools in the shop, and this has proven to me the most dangerous angle grinder I've owned out of about 50 of them. It has a large barrel and you have to "choke up" on it so much to pull the safety and then the switch, it wants to walk all over just with a sanding wheel. You are forced to hold it with a bad grip.
One of my DeWalts had a conventional switch and it was OK, just seemed to get really hot if you used it hard. One of them had that paddle switch and the entire time I used it with a wire wheel it wanted to jump right out of my hands and did twice and I have a very strong grip - maybe on perfectly flat stock you could get away with it. Plus the barrel gets so hot when you use it hard it's even harder to hold onto and push the switch. I quickly decided I would just use it with a flap wheel and it was still pretty bad. Oh and don't even think about using it without the blade guard - your trigger finger is right next to the spinning blade - making the jumping problem 10X as bad.
There is no way I would recommend that paddle switch grinder to anyone. I cannot believe they even sell them. They are only good for the lightest duty use and there are far better choices. I like DeWalt brand stuff, but I don't care what brand it is, if anybody makes one like that I cannot recommend it.
That Porter Cable is actually a fantastic grinder and cheap too. That's the way a grinder should be for wire brush use - with a trigger on an extended thin tail, with lots of leverage. Those won't win a contest for smoothness, but I've got two of them that I have beat on as hard as any grinder and they still run fine. Both of the ones I have live with a knotted wire cup on them.
Last edited:
M.Brane
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Another down vote for paddle switches. Hate 'em. All of 'em.
As for the HF grinders that's almost all I use since they are dirt cheap. They're just gonna ingest metal dust, and die anyway. As long as you don't clamp 'em in a vise, and blow 'em out often they seem to last as long as any of the others.
If you think they lack power you should probably be less greedy, use better wheels (the important part) or use a bigger grinder. Right tool for the job.
As for the HF grinders that's almost all I use since they are dirt cheap. They're just gonna ingest metal dust, and die anyway. As long as you don't clamp 'em in a vise, and blow 'em out often they seem to last as long as any of the others.
If you think they lack power you should probably be less greedy, use better wheels (the important part) or use a bigger grinder. Right tool for the job.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I finally killed my 20+ year old Chicago Electric grinder from HF. I knocked it off the bench and it broke in two. Oops. It still worked if I used both hands to hold it together, but the duct tape to fix it would have cost more than a replacement so into the trash it went. That may have been the best $10 I ever spent on a tool. Would I buy another? Absolutely, but I still have five other 4-1/2" corded, a cordless, and a 7" that I've never used in the shop as well as a Milwaukee cordless in my service van.
and you didn't keep it for parts? I'm impressed !
dnschmidt
Well-known member
If we're talking about a classic the rat tailed Makita grinder is the way to go. They're ridiculously expensive now but been proven in industry for 40 years.
What did Jason from Fireball Tool use for all those flap wheel tests tests he did? Those must have seen 10 lifetimes of abuse. He did so much grinding he had to build a machine to do the grinding. He tested like 40 flap discs, each one in two variations of speed and two variations of pressure both normal and preheated, and each test he took the average of five disks. So what is that... 1,200 flap discs he burned through? Plus another 600 or so fiber resin discs? So 1,800 or so total? Pretty good test of a grinder.
I’d be buying dewalt/makita/metabo if I wanted a corded grinder, the bearings on the cheap ones sound really horrible after a couple of years.
My corded grinder is a dewalt, probably mid 00s, had a lot of use and still going strong.
Good point on using a cheap grinder for masonry, I had never considered that.
My corded grinder is a dewalt, probably mid 00s, had a lot of use and still going strong.
Good point on using a cheap grinder for masonry, I had never considered that.
seber
Well-known member
It sounds like you are using the grinder one handed. Angle grinders are designed to be used with two hands. Just like removing the guard, you are causing problems for yourself if that is how you use it.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
If you tried to use that DeWalt paddle grinder with one hand you would not hold onto it at all. The design of the safety lever on the paddle switch causes you to have to grab it at the very tip of the paddle - toward the blade. With one hand you would lose almost all leverage on the tool. It is a flawed design.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Amen.
The 9005B holds a reputation as one of the best metalworking grinders ever made.
whateg01
Well-known member
For every person who says only buy a red welder there another person who says only buy a blue one, or a yellow one, or an orange one. I have Milwaukee and DeWalt grinders. I like my DeWalts better but use them all. I have paddle and trigger types. Paddle gets used mostly with flap wheels and cutoff wheels on triggers. Haven't burned one up yet. I also still have old orange harbor freight grinders from nearly 20 years ago. I've killed a couple of those but several still going. They aren't very ballsy, though. I also have a 60v DeWalt that I like using.
whateg01
Well-known member
Y'all keep saying you don't have leverage holding it near the wheel. That's exactly where you have the most leverage. Or put another way, that's where the motor has the least leverage against your control of it. Not against the rotation of the wheel, but being able to lean into the work
GaryM909
Well-known member
They were the industry standard around here and probably still are. I still use five of them including one I bought in 1988. I did buy 6" guards for them and I modified a couple of them. We were allowed to cut back about 30% of the guard but that might not apply any more.Amen.
The 9005B holds a reputation as one of the best metalworking grinders ever made.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
I don't think you read my post. I don't care about the grinder brand. I care about the design. And the one I'm referring to is an absolutely terrible design. Sorry if you want to make it a red vs. yellow vs. blue argument.
Not "clean" as in soap and water clean. "Give them a once over" would have been better. I've been to auctions where tools were well cared for, others where they seem to have been treated as borrowed tools. These, I give them a spin and see how they sound. If one sounds a bit ratty I'll typically open it up, check the gearing, spindle, and add a bit of lube. Check the brushes. Fix the cords as needed, once in a while I'll get one with a nicked cord or failed stress relief. Sometimes it just need electrical tape, sometimes the wires have been nicked so the cord gets fully repaired or replaced. Just a quick quality check so to speak. Here are those same three, "all cleaned up" and still going strong:
That's not me, that's how the auction house sold them.Zip tie those damn cords. Hell yeah!
K13
Well-known member
I agree with Indy. I have owned two Dewalts and they have both been junk. Super loud and ran rough. Both new out of the box. I have a 15 year old Makita that is my most used, a Dynabrade and a cheaper Metabo and all three are way better than my one remaining Dewalt so it pretty much gathers dust.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Keep those cords under control come hell or high water is what they were thinking.
"Your job, should you chose to accept it, it to make these ratty looking angle grinders attractive for resale. Any ideas?"Keep those cords under control come hell or high water is what they were thinking.
"Yes, sir...how about...zip ties!"
And they sold!
thool
Well-known member
I have one very similar to the leftmost dewalt. Having different angle grinders with different attachments is really the best option I've found. The cup brush is an understated attachment IMHO.I buy used grinders when I see them and keep a different device on each one. It is well worth the saving of aggravation changing wheels and wire brushes. Grab and use is worth the small monetary cost. If a side handle is missing, I buy them two for $10 on Amazon. I just installed two new handles on grinders yesterday. There is also a battery powered grinder on a shelf in my power tool room, and air and electric die grinders in a drawer, right angle and straight. You never know what you may need to grind at any given time if you work with metals.
I've got a few of the 10-12$ 4.2 amps from HF. I can bog them w/a grinding disc so better suited for cutting. I've also got a 5A that's likely better but threw it on a pipe blelt grinder so haven't disc-ground much with it. Someone posted a 7A one recently from them at a fairly decent price 20$ I think on special. These are decent entry level units that will tell you what amperage you want once you buy something name brand. I've got a 7" hilti that's a monster but only gets used for deep cuts.
I like my grinders to have a center tap which makes cutting more precise but I know most are moving towards a narrower tapered head to get into tight spaces. Cordless are nice for certain quick jobs but turds for long jobs
If you can swing it, get yourself a 3" cutoff and 3" angle die grinder. Milwaukee used to have that cornered but now everyone's got a variaton
I like my grinders to have a center tap which makes cutting more precise but I know most are moving towards a narrower tapered head to get into tight spaces. Cordless are nice for certain quick jobs but turds for long jobs
If you can swing it, get yourself a 3" cutoff and 3" angle die grinder. Milwaukee used to have that cornered but now everyone's got a variaton
My Old Tools
Well-known member
I have an older Makita I picked up used from a friend and a newer Bosch. The Makita has a smaller barrel and an easier trigger.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
My Dewalts are all decades old, maybe they where better back then. Used them full time for a good 7 years.
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
I have 3 corded cheapie 4.5s I bought as needed. Oh, and a 7? 9? for shrinking disc use.
If Bosch 18V w/ regular disc retention goes on sale at Lowes, I will buy that. The X-lock gets a lot of sales.
If Bosch 18V w/ regular disc retention goes on sale at Lowes, I will buy that. The X-lock gets a lot of sales.
I have a $9.99 HF Chicago Electric grinder that I have absolutely abused for the last 10 years. It's not quiet, it's not comfortable, it's probably glowing on the inside, but it has been trusty. I have wanted that thing to die so I would have an excuse to get a newer one but I just can't kill it. I bought it as a throwaway to cut some trash steel I needed to tear down and just kept using it over the years.
I also have an M12 and M18 Milwaukee grinder for portability and I love those things but they stall out where the HF goes "I'm still hungry, FEED ME."
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the cheapest HF grinder as a throwaway, or in a pinch. If money wasn't an object, sure, I'd opt for a higher end one especially if I don't want nerve damage from vibration. But, for $9.99 plus tax I got the angriest tank of a shaky grinder that would bore a hole to Mongolia if I dropped it on the ground and had a long enough extension cord.
Lots of comments and good advice here, thanks! I went to Home Depot and Lowes to have a look at grinders so I could get a better feel for the various switches. I thought I liked the paddle switch style, but after trying them all out, I think I like the trigger switches best. I liked the feel of the trigger switch and ease of use. The grinders are longer, but that's not an issue, as I have a cordless one and a barrel switch one that are smaller. I have a Ryobi die grinder and 3" cut-off wheel (like the ones shown above in post #73).
Ryobi makes a grinder that I might try. It's $70 and has a rotating handle:
I don't need anything really fancy. I weld maybe once a month, and maybe grind for an hour or two at a time at the most.
I think I'm suffering from "analysis paralysis". I should just buy something and give it a whirl.
Ryobi makes a grinder that I might try. It's $70 and has a rotating handle:
I don't need anything really fancy. I weld maybe once a month, and maybe grind for an hour or two at a time at the most.
I think I'm suffering from "analysis paralysis". I should just buy something and give it a whirl.
Last edited: