Your favorite 4 to 5 inch angle grinder? Milwaukee?

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So what angle grinder do you like?  I'm looking to give back the extended loaner SnapOn grinder from my dad, and I'm looking for a small grinder/cutoff tool to use for small repairs and hobby welding.I don't want a cheap grinder.  I'm young and I intend to buy a grinder that will last me another 10 to 20 years.I've been looking at Milwaukee.  I'm thinking they still make their tools here in the United States.  Can anybody comment?   Specifically I'm thinking about the magnesium 6148,  8.5 amp grinder, or possibly the 6153,  12 amp grinderYour thoughts are appreciated.  The only thought I would prefer to avoid is a Harbor Freight grinder.  Yes, I buy HF tools on ocasion, and yes, sometimes their stuff doesn't totally suck, but I can't see keeping a $10 grinder for the rest of my life.Are Milwaukee grinders worth the extra cash over a DeWalt or Bosch in your opinion?I'm waiting to budget my disposable income before I make up my mind for sure, but by the end of the month there will be a new grinder in my tool boxes.    Probably either Milwaukee or Bosch.The chances are good that regardless of what is posted here, I will go ahead and buy the milwaukee anyway.  I've never regretted choosing Milwaukee in the past (sawzall and hammer drills are absolutely bulletproof tools).
Reply:I personally run the 5" bosch grinders and have never been dissappointed.  They have held up better for me than any other I have used.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:No MODERN grinder will last for 10 years unless it's barely used but your best bet for a grinder would be a five inch Milwaukee.I have an old old old pair of 9's from the 50's or 60's from B&D that are made out of steel and are heavy as ----- and still run like new and I use them at least once or twice a day.
Reply:CDG - I mention this since you're leaning towards Milwaukee.I believe the most recent Airgas national promo flyer showed Milwaukee grinders for around 50 dollars.If I see the flyer laying around, I'll confirm the model and price.
Reply:Originally Posted by CDG   Specifically I'm thinking about the magnesium 6148,  8.5 amp grinder, or possibly the 6153,  12 amp grinder
Reply:About 25-20 yrs ago I switched to Metabo grinders, and haven't had any reason to change. I use them hard, and have never had a failure, other than cords, which is my fault, not the grinders. I have 2 Milwaukee grinders, both have broken the bevel gears in the head assembly more than once, they were repaired under warranty, then they were put away for emegency use. I have one Bosch, a very good grinder, just not the one I reach for most of the time, I also have  a Bosch 3/8" angle drill, that is a great drill.Jack
Reply:i have a twenty year old metabo, real good. recently got a deal at home depot--2 dewalt grinders, around 10 amps, for $99..seem to work good..i hate to stop and switch stuff so i keep a grinder for each task-wire wheel, grinding disc, flap disc, diamond wheel for tungstens, guess i have four grinders on my cart..milwaukee pissed me off years ago when the battery on my cordless drill died under warranty and the dealer gave me a hard time..no more milwaukee for me..
Reply:milwaukee's arent made in the USA anymore, home depot bought them and they are now made in mexico.I like the milwaukee i have, very powerful, been using it for like 4 years with no problems.  Personally the next grinder i buy will be a bosch, thats all we use at work and they take a major beating with no problem.
Reply:Actually, the same Hong Kong based billionaire that owns Ryobi bought Milwaukee, and they are made in a few different countries, including mexico and china.I like Milwaukee tools for certain things- I love my Sawzall, my Hawk Roto Hammer, and my big 9" grinder- but for 4" and 5" grinders, I am sold on Bosch.I have 6 or 8 of em, and they last a long time, in our three man shop where we use em for everything.rebuilt ones from Bosch online are very cheap. No, not as cheap as Harbor Freight, but you get what ou pay for.http://bosch.cpotools.com/grinders_a...ngle_grinders/
Reply:good to know, i was under the impression that home depot bought them,  My dad has milwaukee tools from the 80's and early 90's that still beat the crap out of the newer stuff.Black and decker USED to be a good brand once upon a time as well...
Reply:I've used and abused most all the brands mentioned above and the only small grinder that I still have is a Bosch. The rest are in a landfill somewhere.......
Reply:I have a number of the Bosch and like the paddle switch models. If it's out of my hand the motor is either stopped or slowing down which to me is a safety factor...
Reply:I like a grinder to have a push button and NOT a trigger I need to contastly have my hand on. As for a brand...we beat the heck out of Matabos and they last us 2 plus years in the field being used every day many many times a day by welders who know how not to kill a grinder fast and by young apprentices who are trying to go as fast as possible and tend to wear out the few DeWalts we have kicking around...My advice is get a Matabo they run good and last a while.'Mike
Reply:Have no complaints with my Makita.  It's been around foreverI r 2 a perfessional
Reply:It looks like Milwaukee will be closing one of its major US production facilities at the end of this year. It looks like I will no longer be trying patronize Milwaukee tools either.  You can say what you want about whether their chinese things are good or bad quality, I will not pay a premium for anything built in China and never will, at least not willingly.  Some cheap things I do buy Chinese (I frequent the HF forum with my reviews of most of them), but I really try to avoid it.I believe I will mainly be considering Metabo and Bosch.  I've always been a fan of Bosch cordless tools - they the best in my primary line of work as a cabinet maker.  They also hands down have the greatest jigsaw out there.  I have not yet run across any Bosch tools that were made in China, although I've heard rumors that there may be a few lower end drills that are now...Lastly, what will last me easily 10 years probably lasts many of you only 2 or 3, but this is not my primary line of work, so my use is somewhat less intense than that of your typical professional welder/fabricator, although a bit more than your typical home hobbyist.  I like to buy professional tools just because I like having the best.  At the end of the day, most hobby grade tools just don't do the same job.
Reply:Originally Posted by kbnitHave no complaints with my Makita.  It's been around forever
Reply:I've had so much trouble with Milmaukees that I wouldn't keep one if you gave it to me. I've gone to all Makitas. I have nine and the oldest is a 4 1/2" and it's 11 yr. old. They are cheap and seem to last for ever.I've never tried a Bosch but from what I see here I probably will now.
Reply:Every Bosch grinder I have ever bought- probably close to 20 of em, over the last 30 years- has said "made in germany" right on it, including 2 I bought this spring.
Reply:I have used just about all the brands going. I will only buy Walters now. They have proven to be what works the best for me. Also the new design on the walters make it easyer to hold and use.Miller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepCDG - I mention this since you're leaning towards Milwaukee.I believe the most recent Airgas national promo flyer showed Milwaukee grinders for around 50 dollars.If I see the flyer laying around, I'll confirm the model and price.
Reply:Originally Posted by blackdoggyNo MODERN grinder will last for 10 years unless it's barely used but your best bet for a grinder would be a five inch Milwaukee.I have an old old old pair of 9's from the 50's or 60's from B&D that are made out of steel and are heavy as ----- and still run like new and I use them at least once or twice a day.
Reply:Good thread/question, and I thank you all for the information. I have 2 HF grinders, like someone above, one with a grinding wheel and the other with anything else. They work OK for me, but they do vibrate alot. I would like to buy a good grinder for the garage hobbyist. I had a Makita that I loaned to a friend and never got it back, live and learn. I did like it.
Reply:I've used a lot of Milwaukee tools over the years and they aren't what they used to be. I've had several let go on me as in smoke boiling out in fact. I do know how to use a grinder and submit the two ancient 9 inch Rockwells I only use when I have to anymore (they are beasts) as evidence. I quit Milwaukee after I moved to a town with a Milwaukee plant and found out what their wages were like (terrible considering what the tools cost). I do still like the teeny tiny 4 1/2 they make though. Very easy to handle. I use all brands of tools. Hammer drills are Bosch except one Hitachi and it's a little one but a very good one. I have several Dewalt grinders which I like (they fit my hand well for one handed operation). They are tough (daily use for years). Rigid chopsaw (again the hand was a major consideration and their handle and trigger setup give me less trouble then the others) though I went planning to buy a Dewalt but every store in town was sold out of them and I had no time to wait for one to come in. If any power tool I buy lives longer than the warranty period I am happy as they have already paid for themselves many times over. My advice is find what feels good to you and you think you can live with. If it's a major name brand it should hold up well barring the occasional lemon.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:we use metabos and dewalts at my work...they have served us well for years!  I personally own a milwawkee aswell as a metabo...if you use the grinders properly and don't bare down on them you will get years of life from them!Jonesy
Reply:Whatever type you get, just make sure you get the proper guard for it....and thats a 6yr old Bosch in those pics, still going strong..... Attached ImagesLike the cord on it. Not a grinder inless you have a roll of black tape on it. I go through 3 to 4 grinders a year. Have tried all brands. The brand that i use is a knock of of a makita. Mektec i think. Makita parts fit into them. Brushes and switches. They hold up just as long as the yellows and reds.
Reply:Personally I think keeping your tools clean can go a long way.  Of course if you supply your tools to a group of workers they're going to have the snot kicked out of them.  Most workers do anyway.
Reply:Originally Posted by CDGPersonally I think keeping your tools clean can go a long way.
Reply:I vote Bosch top gear got a vari speed 5" for polishing it is the business