Best angle grinder to buy?

[UdderlyOffroad]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who keeps 3 cheap 4.5" grinders about, with the roughest one being used for wire brushes!

Seriously though, am tempted to buy a slightly higher quality one for use cutting...I note Screwfix are doing the base-model 'blue' Bosch for £35...

[De Ranged]

I go through grinders on a regular basis lol around two to three a yr, they die from hard use, bad luck... I use em hard and on a daily basis to give you an idea I buy consumables in 100 unit boxs

This is what I've found

I will never buy another dewalt.... even tho it is one of the most robust and best lasting, it also has a nice small gear head to help fit in difficult spots..... the reasons why i'd never buy another is the gear head gets way too hot... to the piont you cant hold it even if your just cutting... next the fan blows hot air out the kill switch this makes it impossible to hold your thumb on it, this is a major safety issue!!

Bocsh Blue (this isn't the chrappy DIY stuff) this is some of the best stuff I've killed... it just lasts, this is the brand I tend to leave the grinding disks on as you can really force it and it just takes the punishment, even there cheap base model blue one will handle a bit of forcing with the grinding disk but nothing compaired to the top line model now the down side they are the darest especially the top model one and for a hard use top line one there are better options

Malwaki (sp?) only used there base line model but it impressed me easily a match for the bocsh base line but the same price as the bocsh lol

Maketa, its not bad but its not good either its a middle of the road good bang for you buck but there are better options

Hitachi this is a match for the bosch blue but better price and what I recomend... keep an eye out they tend to do sales specials on these resumbly often

Metabo, there grinders are the only thing i'll buy from them they are better than Maketa but also darer... there only fault is they don't last as well as the other brands... oddly just about every metabo tool I've killed has been a flogged stator yet according to the reps I'm the only one to have this problem hmmmm... but the reps have been good on warrenty, but this is a brand I will never buy again

other brands I've found if its cheap there is a reason lol the only stand out I've found is a brand of chinese tools brought in buy one of the tool shops don't think you'll be able to get them over there and that is Arge... they are budget yet they come with a 2yr trade warrenty and I've never had trouble with the rep over a warrenty catch is they only do a 850watt

So for me

Hitachi

Mawaki (sp?)

Arge

And if I luck out and get em on sale Bosch Blue

[BogMonster]

Be a cold day in hell before I have any tools labelled Argie in my garage!

[heath robinson]

Do you mean Milwaukee, De Ranged? Red, mostly.

[saxere74]

Hi... I'm looking for angle grinder recommendations for shaping and fine tuning firebrick (using a diamond blade). I was looking at Harbor Freight items and was wondering if others have experience with them and how well they hold up.
Or if there are other brands to be recommended, I'd like to hear other's experiences / recommendations.
Thanks.
 

[simonr]

Further to my post above from 2014 - I bought a new Makita grinder, but it didn't last very long.  Replaced it with a Hitachi - and it's still going strong.

I'm done with buying cheap tools - the kind of thing you get from Harbour Freight.  They seem good value - but always seem to bust when you've got a deadline to meet! (I think they know! 😉).  I would rather have something I can rely on.  The peace of mind is worth more than the $$ saving.

Si

[Stellaghost]

24 minutes ago, simonr said:

 

I'm done with buying cheap tools 😉

Agreed.

I don't buy cheap tools for metal working ( I do for wood working as I rarely do it ) my tools get abused on a daily basis, for cordless I use Milwaukee, waaay better than Makita and Bosch professional that have failed in the last

Corded, I have Makita 5" and 9" that I've had and abused for coming on 30 years, 4.5" Makita I lost recently however only lasted 6 years but still got my moneys worth, I would also buy Hitachi I've only had one of their grinders but it was very good 15 years of use

As for the fire brick question but the slimmest you can find, brushless with sealed bearings as your going to be be generating a lot of dust that will be pulled through the machine, if your fine tuning I would assume you need something light and manageable, you could look at die grinders if the fine tuning is particularly intricate regards Stephen

[simonr]

I'd forgotten about the dust!  Maybe an air grinder might be worth considering?

They are really small & light - and much quieter than an electric.

The only down-side is they seem to take odd size discs.  The one I had used something like 3" - but ran at such a high speed, it hacked through steel just as fast as a 4.5" electric.

[monkie]

6 hours ago, Stellaghost said:

Corded, I have Makita 5" and 9" that I've had and abused for coming on 30 years, 4.5" Makita I lost recently however only lasted 6 years

I don't think Makita are what they once were. I always used to get Makita when possible, but don't bother any more. 

I'll give Hitachi a go. 

[simonr]

42 minutes ago, monkie said:

I don't think Makita are what they once were. I always used to get Makita when possible, but don't bother any more. 

I'll give Hitachi a go. 

I agree.  My old Makita lasted 20 years.  It's replacement barely managed 20 days!

[Ed Poore]

Second @Stellaghost's recommendation for Milwaukee - I've had my Fuel version for years now and although it's not used daily when it does get used it gets used heavily. It may also have taken the odd flying leap from 10 feet up onto an 8" concrete slab. Still going strong.

About a year after I got it I got some polycarbide discs for a 4.5" grinder and was taking some 88" panels back to bare metal for respraying. I decided I might as well, since it was a fixed location use my corded 4.5" grinder. Blew the gearbox up, ended up resorting to the Milwaukee and that was non-stop for 4h with two 5ah batteries on a constant charge/discharge cycle on a 35°C day. The grinder carried on, eventually the batteries said they were over-temperature so was having to give them 15 minutes after use to cool down before they would recharge.

Grinder is still going to this say. For corded stuff I've been mightily impressed with some Hitatchi (green) ones that I picked up at Toolstation in an emergency, they had a deal on with a 4.5", 9" and a load of discs for £100. They're both going strong and the 9" has done a lot of concrete and slate cutting recently and I have remembered to blow it out occasionally. Also has a soft-start feature on it which is nice when you've got a big disc on it.

[Happyoldgit]

The batteries for the last Makita I got gave up the ghost in no time as did the replacements I bought. My corded Makita's I have must be thirty years old and have had some serious use in their time, they have held up well although the power leads have been a bit troublesome in the past.

[oneandtwo]

There are two different Makita 240v 4.5” grinders - one is the slimmer home / light use version (ga4530), the other is the more expensive professional version, used to be the 9554 but now 9557. The professional version is excellent and if you do burn one out, they can be rebuilt with new genuine armatures for under £20.

[Nonimouse]

I have five cheap grinders. All fitted with different attachments. The most expensive was less than 15 quid and the cheapes less than 7 quid.  The newest is 2001, the oldest 1998. All work hard - somethimes to a full time level. They've all lasted through my fulltime fabricator/mechanic stage (2004-2006). One spent a winter in a wheel barrow full of water - I changed the brushes, dried it out and it's still fine. Two have had new leads/plugs. 

I don't buy expensive name branded stuff. I don't have that sort of money to spare. My favourite battery powered stuff is Einhall.

I do have an air grinder - I love it; but i'ts noisy, like a dentisit drill

[monkie]

If I need a power tool that I don't have for a specific project, I will buy a cheap one with the view as long as it let's me finish the project then I'll be happy. I have Wickes own brand a multi tool saw about 5 years ago and it did the job well and is still going strong. Although for tools I use regularly, it is nice to use a quality tool if you can afford them. I love my Stihl chainsaw, it's actually a pleasure to use compared to the cheap chainsaw I initially had. 

[Stellaghost]

3 minutes ago, monkie said:

If I need a power tool that I don't have do a specific project, I will buy a cheap one with the view as long as it let's me finish the project then I'll be happy. I have Wickes own brand a multi tool saw about 5 years ago and it did the job well and is still going strong. Although for tools I use regularly, it is nice to use a quality tool if you can afford them. I love my Stihl chainsaw, it's actually a pleasure to use compared to the cheap chainsaw I initially had. 

+1 for Stihl also regards Stephen 

[Ed Poore]

55 minutes ago, monkie said:

I love my Stihl chainsaw, it's actually a pleasure to use compared to the cheap chainsaw I initially had. 

Most satisfactory tool I got was my battery Husky chainsaw. Likes a sharp chain but so nice not having to faff with fuel etc.

Coupled with undoubtedly the scariest tool I own is the 562XP I got for bigger stuff. I can honestly say that although I have a healthy respect for all power tools that is the first one that genuinely scared me. Just touch a log with a new chain and it pulls you in and a few seconds later its finished cutting through 18" of hardwood. I've come to learn that you don't even need to let the saws weight carry it down and actually need to hold it back sometimes. Do like using it though now but it is still the one that scares me the most when you consider even going through 2ft diameter logs I'm usually only using half throttle and the cut time is measured in seconds.

[CwazyWabbit]

13 hours ago, Ed Poore said:

Most satisfactory tool I got was my battery Husky chainsaw. Likes a sharp chain but so nice not having to faff with fuel etc.

Coupled with undoubtedly the scariest tool I own is the 562XP I got for bigger stuff. I can honestly say that although I have a healthy respect for all power tools that is the first one that genuinely scared me. Just touch a log with a new chain and it pulls you in and a few seconds later its finished cutting through 18" of hardwood. I've come to learn that you don't even need to let the saws weight carry it down and actually need to hold it back sometimes. Do like using it though now but it is still the one that scares me the most when you consider even going through 2ft diameter logs I'm usually only using half throttle and the cut time is measured in seconds.

Nowt quite like a big saw to make you feel like you've been working though. I made a milling frame for my 42 inch bar and used it cutting some oak that fell in the storms earlier this year. 3ft wide by about 3m long.

 

[Nonimouse]

15 hours ago, monkie said:

If I need a power tool that I don't have for a specific project, I will buy a cheap one with the view as long as it let's me finish the project then I'll be happy. I have Wickes own brand a multi tool saw about 5 years ago and it did the job well and is still going strong. Although for tools I use regularly, it is nice to use a quality tool if you can afford them. I love my Stihl chainsaw, it's actually a pleasure to use compared to the cheap chainsaw I initially had. 

When I was still on the big trees, Stihl or Sachs Dolmar were all I would touch. When I went into veg management and got a bit older, I needed a smaller saw (15" is more than enough)and I bought an einhall at toolstation, in the returns section. £50 with three years warranty. I thought that 50 quid for a year would be a good investment and that would be fine. That was in 2014. It's the best saw I've ever used. It's been ridiculously reliable, far more so than my Stihl 210, parts are cheap. It will cut far out of it's bar limit - so much so that I sold my Stihl 361, and now do big logs with my ancient Stihl 08.

[Stellaghost]

4 hours ago, CwazyWabbit said:

Nowt quite like a big saw to make you feel like you've been working though. I made a milling frame for my 42 inch bar and used it cutting some oak that fell in the storms earlier this year. 3ft wide by about 3m long.

 

Furniture or mantlepiece making ???

Regards Stephen

[CwazyWabbit]

Not sure about the 2 inch thick slabs yet, we'll see how they turn out once they've dried for a couple of years. The 6 inch thick slab will probably end up as gate posts though. There's a second trunk to slab up when I have time, might get a kitchen table out of some of it though  

I did make a couple of fireplace lintels out of a 6 inch slab about 10 years ago, they came out lovely once they stopped shrinking.

[smallfry]

Getting back to angle grinders, there is, of course, something else to consider ...........

I have a Dewalt 9 inch model D28411. It was 'kin expensive when new, about 15 years ago, and up to today, it has been brilliant. It has done literally thousands of cuts in bricks and concrete blocks, slabs, roof tiles etc, channelled walls and floors, cut up several old vehicles, steel beams and rebar, all with no problems at all, Been left out in the rain several times, but has been really reliable.

However, today, while cutting yet more concrete blocks, I put it down on a stack of blocks (two high) with the blade off, but still spinning. Unfortunately, behind me, the rubber cable had looped around a piece of timber on the floor. When I stepped back, I trod on the other end of the timber, which pulled the grinder off of the blocks and onto the concrete floor. It fell onto the edge of the blade, which as I said, was still spinning. Result ..... gouged concrete, buckled two day old £32 diamond disc, and to cap it off, has also slightly bent the grinder spindle.

Anyway, the good thing about buying proper branded stuff , is that you can get spare parts for them, whereas the cheap stuff, you can't. I CAN get a new shaft, but it comes complete with the housing, bearing, and both gears, costing £101 plus postage. So, sadly it is effectively a write off.

Went to the catalogue stores for a new one, but on checking it at the counter, mainly to make sure it has a rubber, and not PVC covered cable, I noticed on the label "Made in PRC". The old one was made in Germany, so I didnt buy it, and came away empty handed to do some research. In the meantime, I will use my old "Black Spur" (I have never heard of them either) brand grinder, which again has been beaten within an inch of its life, but still survives, despite costing about £35 new.  

Lets face it, none of this stuff is as good as it used to be, no matter what brand you buy. In the smaller 115mm size, I have killed Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, and various cheap ones. Longest lasting and best by far was a Black and Decker, but this was back when they were a proper machine tool company, followed by the Hitachi, (now Hokikoki or something) and cheap Einhell that I still have, despite it being dropped from a roof.

An incident like today can happen any time, to anyone, and will likely ruin an expensive machine as well as a cheap one, which is something to consider, and also, is a "good brand" really going to last more than twice as long as a cheapie ? 

[Stellaghost]

3 hours ago, smallfry said:

Getting back to angle grinders, there is, of course, something else to consider ...........

I have a Dewalt 9 inch model D28411. It was 'kin expensive when new, about 15 years ago, and up to today, it has been brilliant. It has done literally thousands of cuts in bricks and concrete blocks, slabs, roof tiles etc, channelled walls and floors, cut up several old vehicles, steel beams and rebar, all with no problems at all, Been left out in the rain several times, but has been really reliable.

However, today, while cutting yet more concrete blocks, I put it down on a stack of blocks (two high) with the blade off, but still spinning. Unfortunately, behind me, the rubber cable had looped around a piece of timber on the floor. When I stepped back, I trod on the other end of the timber, which pulled the grinder off of the blocks and onto the concrete floor. It fell onto the edge of the blade, which as I said, was still spinning. Result ..... gouged concrete, buckled two day old £32 diamond disc, and to cap it off, has also slightly bent the grinder spindle.

Anyway, the good thing about buying proper branded stuff , is that you can get spare parts for them, whereas the cheap stuff, you can't. I CAN get a new shaft, but it comes complete with the housing, bearing, and both gears, costing £101 plus postage. So, sadly it is effectively a write off.

Went to the catalogue stores for a new one, but on checking it at the counter, mainly to make sure it has a rubber, and not PVC covered cable, I noticed on the label "Made in PRC". The old one was made in Germany, so I didnt buy it, and came away empty handed to do some research. In the meantime, I will use my old "Black Spur" (I have never heard of them either) brand grinder, which again has been beaten within an inch of its life, but still survives, despite costing about £35 new.  

Lets face it, none of this stuff is as good as it used to be, no matter what brand you buy. In the smaller 115mm size, I have killed Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, and various cheap ones. Longest lasting and best by far was a Black and Decker, but this was back when they were a proper machine tool company, followed by the Hitachi, (now Hokikoki or something) and cheap Einhell that I still have, despite it being dropped from a roof.

An incident like today can happen any time, to anyone, and will likely ruin an expensive machine as well as a cheap one, which is something to consider, and also, is a "good brand" really going to last more than twice as long as a cheapie ? 

If you can remove the spindle from the gears and bearings it could be set up in the lathe and straightened with the aid of a copper hammer and a DTI regards Stephen

[smallfry]

7 hours ago, Stellaghost said:

If you can remove the spindle from the gears and bearings it could be set up in the lathe and straightened with the aid of a copper hammer and a DTI regards Stephen

Good idea Stephen, although I think the assembly is pressed together, and I dont think there are big enough gaps between the components to get something in there to pull them apart. If I could, I would also change the bearing while I'm at it. Then there is the problem of finding the correct high speed/high temp grease.

I shall also have to invest in another copper hammer though, as I have managed to bury the old one in the garden somewhere.

[Mossberg]

16 hours ago, smallfry said:

Getting back to angle grinders, there is, of course, something else to consider ...........

I have a Dewalt 9 inch model D28411. It was 'kin expensive when new, about 15 years ago, and up to today, it has been brilliant. It has done literally thousands of cuts in bricks and concrete blocks, slabs, roof tiles etc, channelled walls and floors, cut up several old vehicles, steel beams and rebar, all with no problems at all, Been left out in the rain several times, but has been really reliable.

However, today, while cutting yet more concrete blocks, I put it down on a stack of blocks (two high) with the blade off, but still spinning. Unfortunately, behind me, the rubber cable had looped around a piece of timber on the floor. When I stepped back, I trod on the other end of the timber, which pulled the grinder off of the blocks and onto the concrete floor. It fell onto the edge of the blade, which as I said, was still spinning. Result ..... gouged concrete, buckled two day old £32 diamond disc, and to cap it off, has also slightly bent the grinder spindle.

Anyway, the good thing about buying proper branded stuff , is that you can get spare parts for them, whereas the cheap stuff, you can't. I CAN get a new shaft, but it comes complete with the housing, bearing, and both gears, costing £101 plus postage. So, sadly it is effectively a write off.

Went to the catalogue stores for a new one, but on checking it at the counter, mainly to make sure it has a rubber, and not PVC covered cable, I noticed on the label "Made in PRC". The old one was made in Germany, so I didnt buy it, and came away empty handed to do some research. In the meantime, I will use my old "Black Spur" (I have never heard of them either) brand grinder, which again has been beaten within an inch of its life, but still survives, despite costing about £35 new.  

Lets face it, none of this stuff is as good as it used to be, no matter what brand you buy. In the smaller 115mm size, I have killed Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, and various cheap ones. Longest lasting and best by far was a Black and Decker, but this was back when they were a proper machine tool company, followed by the Hitachi, (now Hokikoki or something) and cheap Einhell that I still have, despite it being dropped from a roof.

An incident like today can happen any time, to anyone, and will likely ruin an expensive machine as well as a cheap one, which is something to consider, and also, is a "good brand" really going to last more than twice as long as a cheapie ? 

The other problem with branded gear is they are desirable to those lacking scruples.  When you have a box full of expensive kit, loosing the box is an expensive experience. 

I try to buy gear based on recommendations but with a price that is reasonable for my requirements.  Sometimes a tool does not do as good a job, or it may not be as nice to use, but if you don't use it often then you can put up with it.

When I was in a small company before i bought anything I asked myself do I need it for health and safety,  will it make me money, will it make my life easier.