Need angle grinder rec

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I got a new Milwaukee angle grinder, my first. It's a 4 1/2" model, 11 amps.  $99 at Home Depot. I used the cutting wheel and a flap disk for a few minutes, then it started smoking and seizing. It got so hot I actually couldn't hold it, with smoke pouring out of the vent holes. After I let it cool overnight, it worked again for 4 or 5 minutes, until it heated up and smoked and quit again. This really surprised me; I'm an old Milwaukee fan and have a bunch of their tools. They've always been extremely rugged and reliable, but this thing didn't last 5 minutes. Do you think I got a lemon, or should I go to another brand? I don't really need one bigger or more expensive, just one I can count on to work. I'd like to stay with 4 1/2" because I have a bunch of 4 1/2" disks.-RuarkLincoln 3200HDHobart Stickmate LX235TWECO Fabricator 211i
Reply:I am a huge Milwaukee fan, but am not a big fan of their grinders.  My favorites are the Makitas, with Dewalt a close second.  I would take that Milwaukee back and then get a Makita.Lincoln Powermig 255Hypertherm Powermax 45Thermal Arc 161SOxweld 24R OA TorchStill Looking for an Old Round Top Idealarc 250
Reply:Originally Posted by RuarkI got a new Milwaukee angle grinder, my first. It's a 4 1/2" model, 11 amps.  $99 at Home Depot. I used the cutting wheel and a flap disk for a few minutes, then it started smoking and seizing. It got so hot I actually couldn't hold it, with smoke pouring out of the vent holes. After I let it cool overnight, it worked again for 4 or 5 minutes, until it heated up and smoked and quit again. This really surprised me; I'm an old Milwaukee fan and have a bunch of their tools. They've always been extremely rugged and reliable, but this thing didn't last 5 minutes. Do you think I got a lemon, or should I go to another brand? I don't really need one bigger or more expensive, just one I can count on to work. I'd like to stay with 4 1/2" because I have a bunch of 4 1/2" disks.
Reply:I have a Dewalt, that I bought about a year ago, and its awesome.I also have a Black & Decker that I have had for about 10 years (bought at Wal-mart $35),And it has worked flawlessly. 10,000 RPM Love em' both.Miller Synchrowave 180 SDLincoln PowerMig 255Hypertherm Powermax 45Torchmate 2x2Victor O/A
Reply:I use a lot dewalts at work and they take a beating. Definitely a defect with yours.At home I use metabos and a few bosches. Very smooth and strong operation from them both. Some of the metabos we've had for years and just keep going with a brush change here and there.Last edited by BlueArc; 03-24-2012 at 05:53 PM.IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:Take it back to Home Depot and trade it out.  I have Makita and Harbor Freight 4.5" grinders and they have worked well, although the Makita occasionally trips its internal breaker.Miller Syncrowave 350Millermatic 252/ 30A spoolgunMiller Bobcat 225g w/ 3545 spoolgunLincoln PowerArc4000Lincoln 175 Mig  Lincoln 135 Mig Everlast 250EX TigCentury ac/dc 230 amp stickVictor O/AHypertherm 1000 plasma
Reply:my dewalt 402 has taken a real beating so much so I bought a second as a backupMM 180
Reply:You got a lemon. I have a Milwaukee and it works great. I also have Bosch, Metabo, Makita and HF. Just get another Milwaukee, they're good tools. The ones I listed are all good except the HF. It won't stand up to "hard" useage."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:The Harbor Freight Grinder that goes on sale for $10 ($9.95) is, in my opinion, well worth the money.  I own three; one with a Cutoff Disk, another with a regular flat Grinding Wheel, and the third has a flap disk.  At $10 a pop, they are disposable.  I also own an industrial Dewalt, it has a wire brush.  I would not feel confident putting the heavy load of a wire brush on a light duty grinder.I am a hobby welder; if one of my grinders burns up, my income will not change.I offer three choices: Good, Fast, & Cheap. You may pick two.Hobart AC/DC StikMate LXHarbor Freight AD HoodHarbor Freight Industrial Chop SawDeVilbis 20 Gallon, 5 HP Compressor
Reply:I have the same milwaukee grinder and I have used it for 3 months now and had no issues out of it. I have had my metabos for 2 years and they still work great. Dewalts seem to last me about a year. The harbor frieght grinder my company bought me first cost them about 2 days of wages. When the main bearing went out and caugth my shirt  and tore the skin off a  10" by 6"  area on my stomach. I will never buy harbor freight power tools again. The harbor freight grinder was about 2 hours old and all the sudden kicked back worse then a chainsaw. Poor excuse for tools they should honestly ban them after that they bougth me a nice makita and I finished grinder the other 10,000 pieces of 5 by 5by 5 angle pieces. You pay for what you get I would take the milwaukee back and exchange it . That was a manufacturing defect makita has been good to me with fixing there tools. 5 year guarentee is hard to beat.Vantage 300 kubota ,miller 304 xmt ,lincoln ln 25 pro , ranger 305 G, plenty of other tools of the trade to make the sparks fly.
Reply:I don't care what you buy,if you bear down on the grinder too hard it WILL burn them up.I own Milwaukee and DeWaults and an old Makita at home,also have a VERY old Black and Decker and a few Metabo's..in my expereince on jobs and at home the Milwaukee's and Metabo's always smoked the DeWault's arse in durability and performance...it's about impossible for them to get any more abused than a shop full of ironworkers,pipefitters and boilermakers who don't have a dime in them...lolI have a drawer full of old Milwaukees that the companies were throwin in the trash because the cords were tore up from abuse,i put new cords on em and they keep on tickin.......I bought one of those HF grinders,,it worked "OK"..just seemed to bulky and funky to me and didn';t have the power/torque i am used to with the better ones...i gave it to a local kid learning fab/weldingLincoln Ranger 8 225Lincoln 180 ProMigMiller Maxstar 200DXInternational Ironworkers Local 70930+ years and counting
Reply:I always bought 5" Makita grinders for the shop, but the last few don't seem to last more then a year,(we are hard on them). So we tried Dewalts, have 6 now ,and have had them for over 2 years  and not a problem, although they aren't as nicely balanced to hold . I'd march that Milwaukee back and get a new one !Brian
Reply:If i where in your shoes, I would call Milwaukee's customer service and see what they say they should fix it for no charge. and it should say 5 yr warranty on the box. Also i have a old Dewalt that is all beat up and the plastic is all melted but still works great i just put new grease in the gear housing. And i have 2 Bosch's that i use alot. Then i have a old black n decker wild cat 9 inch grinder that is a little rough the cord is all beat up put i did get it out of a heavy fab shop, hope that helpsMillermatic 211 with mvp plugs miller titanium series welding helmetstihl chain saws 8 ft welding table
Reply:I've got the same Milwaukee, a Dewalt, a Makita, and a Skill. Send it back, tell them you want a new one. I use the Mil for grinding, the Dewalt for cutting, the Makita rough sanding and the Skill finish sanding. The Milwaukee is one tough 4.5" grinder.Lincoln Weld Pak100Lincoln Weld Pak 140 HDLincoln Weld Pak 175Lincoln Precision Tig 185Miller Millermatic 210 mig.
Reply:Arrrrgggghhhhhh....... home depot wont take returns on power tools after 45 days. The nearest Milawukee service center is 100 miles from my place.  SIGH........-RuarkLincoln 3200HDHobart Stickmate LX235TWECO Fabricator 211i
Reply:Just go to their website, they have a link for warranty service, shipping labels and all.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:It's got a 5 year warranty - call 'em or go to the website.  The one you got is defective unless you were sitting on it while grinding.   Btw, how did you use it for just a few minutes and it start smoking and have it for 45 days?  I have been told on electronics that the extended warranties aren't necessary, because defective stuff will go within the first few hours of use.  I think that's true of power tools, at least good ones like Milwke.  You got a lemon that made it past the qa/qc guys.
Reply:I just used it for a few minutes.  The first time, I used a cutting wheel to cut through a pipe fitting.  It went through it with no issues.  Took 2 or 3 minutes.  Then I ground it down smooth with a flap disk. Took a few more minutes. Again, no problems.Second time I used it:  plugged it in pressed the trigger, it ran about 1 second, then froze solid.  Released the trigger, pressed again, and again, 1 second and it froze solid, with smoke coming out of the vent holes. Huh? I hadn't even USED it yet. Finally it ran without freezing. I did a little grinding with the flap disk and it got hot as a skillet and smoke poured out of the vent holes. Stopped.3rd time:  Used the cutting wheel again. Pipe fitting walls were about 1/2" thick, but it cut right through it without much pressure. I didn't push hard on it at all.  After a couple of minutes, it got red-hot and smoked and quit.  That was it. Unplugged and put back on the shelf.-RuarkLincoln 3200HDHobart Stickmate LX235TWECO Fabricator 211i
Reply:Should have took it back the first time it froze up and started smoking. Now you have to pack it up and send it back to Milwaukee