Portable Grinder advice needed. What do the pros use?

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Hello all, new guy here. My son is in a technical high school, he chose welding as his profession, I started him welding when he was 8 yrs old and he loved it ever since. He is set to graduate this June, he got his welding certification last year as a Junior (first one in this state ever). He won the Ct State Skills welding contest, and will be going to compete in the nationals this summer. His 18th birthday is coming up and has asked for a new portable grinder, I have consumer type Dewalts 4 & 7 inch in my shop and he has a 4" Dewalt in his box at school. He goes through these quit often, they burn up or the triggers go after a year or so. I would like to get him a really good 4' and 7" grinder and I would like to know what you the pros use that may last him a long time. Any other 18th birthday present ideas for a young and eager welder would be appreciated, he has not decided exactly what type of welding he wants to get into for a career yet.Thanks very much for your advice in advance.
Reply:I find it crazy his grinders don't last long.I need a new 9" and have been eyeballing Kawasaki.I will probably end up with a Metabo or Milwaukee though.
Reply:A Makita 7 inch model GA 7911 works well. And don't bother with a 4" grinder, Go to the DeWalt 5" model with the rear "rattail" handle. Ive been using those for 5 years now and haven't had a problem. Milwuaukee makes a good 4.5" model with a rear handle that holds up well too. Most of my grinders get dragged around in the dirt every day, But I am no expert on which is the best.
Reply:there is nothing good new in 7 or 9".   gotta try to find wildcat or old milwakee.   new mini grinder you can get dewalt 28114 or 28402.   metabo just isn't worth the money, and there warranty/repair services inconveneient
Reply:I have heard people say they disliked Metabo. I asked about it at work what lead them to Metabo and the answer was they tried to save money with other brands but it just did not work out that way.I got a 4" Craftsman from the mid 80's still getting it. I don't kill grinders.
Reply:There's metabo ,and then there's the rest. Buying once is cheaper in the long run.
Reply:Looks like Metabo it is, lets just home our local welding supply house has them available.Thanks guys.
Reply:My first Metabo is 30 years old and is still going. This old baby requires two tools to replace wheel. A THIN open end wrench to hold the shaft and a two pin spanner type wrench to remove the locking nut. My newer ones are about 5 years old and are great. I have Dewalts too but no match for the METABOS.
Reply:Metabo.They are made in Germany and are very good. The I only people I have seen knock them are those that think they cost too much. I ordered one from Lehigh abrasives last week. They seemed to have the best price I could find.
Reply:The old Black and Decker 4 inchers with the paddle switch were always my favorite, but can't find them anymore, and where I'm at I gotta use 230 volts.  The next best in my opinion for a small grinder is the Metabo with the paddle switch.........WEPA-14-125.................I was going through literally pallets of Bosch and Dewalt grinders..........I pay a little more for the Metabos, but save tons in the long run.  I know comparing my situation and your sons is apples to oranges, but Metabo is good.6 Miller Big Blue 600 Air Paks2 Miller 400D6 Lincoln LN-25's4 Miller Xtreme 12VS2 Miller Dimension 812 4 Climax BW-3000Z bore welders Hypertherm 65 and 85Bug-O Track BugPair of Welpers
Reply:Makita, but make sure its from the trade quality range(they have a lower home handyman range... at about 1/3 of the price)
Reply:Any grinder used every day will wear out eventually.  Some replacement parts are available though it seems with some brands your better off junking it and getting a new one.I don't use one grinder and have one each for cut-off wheel, flap disc, wire wheel and plain old grinding wheel.  They're mostly different brands, Dewalt, three Bosch that I got on sale years ago and two Makita grinders.  One is the GA7911, which is mostly metal and made in Japan.  The other I forget the model but I've been trying to destroy it for years using it on masonry and tile.  I even have a couple super cheap yardsale grinders that are worse than Harbor Freight that I use as loaners and they've been holding up okay to cutting rebar and occasional use.  One thing I have noticed with many of the laborers in the Southwest who work with their grinders but also buy them themselves, they tend to use the Makita brand so often that they refer to all grinders by the name as though it were genericized like vaseline or kleenex. There's a Metabo grinder that has a narrow head that looks pretty tempting, when I was looking for a 7" grinder I considered theirs but chose the GA7911 over it because I like the fact it's not all plastic and the rubber bumper on the top is nice for when laying the grinder down the right way.  Maybe if someone made a tool-less grinder with some quick change feature, I may use one enough to wear it out.  If I were to start wearing them out, I'd look for a brand that offers good parts support with easy maintenance and good durability.  The mythical status of some of the older grinders is due to the fact that the ones that were lemons, abused, or average have already worn out and been chucked.  The ones around now had the good castings, weren't made on Mondays or Fridays or possibly lead an easy life like some of my grinders.Other than chalking it up to them being a consumable item.  You may contact some manufacturers reps and see if you could work something out.  Some manufacturers and their marketers do take seriously reliability and the end user and often seek out the people who can put their product through its paces under real world conditions.
Reply:My next one will be variable speed one ,  http://www.amazon.com/Metabo-WE14-12.../dp/B0027IQGPGMetabo WE14-125 Variable Speed 4 -1/2-Inch/5-Inch Angle Grinderby Metabo   15 customer reviews  List Price:$380.00Price:$169.00 & FREE Shipping. DetailsYou Save:$211.00 (56%)
Reply:Find him a Black & Decker Wildcat. Guaranteed to wear you out before you wear it out.
Reply:[QUOTE=pedaldude;5682131]Maybe if someone made a tool-less grinder with some quick change feature, I may use one enough to wear it out.  If I were to start wearing them out, I'd look for a brand that offers good parts support with easy maintenance and good durability.  QUOTE]Metabo has tool less grinders...............6 Miller Big Blue 600 Air Paks2 Miller 400D6 Lincoln LN-25's4 Miller Xtreme 12VS2 Miller Dimension 812 4 Climax BW-3000Z bore welders Hypertherm 65 and 85Bug-O Track BugPair of Welpers
Reply:I have maybe 8 DeWalt 4.5" grinders, each with a different chore. A couple with cutoff wheels, a couple with sanding pads, a grinding whee, a scotchbrite blending pad, a descaling head, a wire wheel, and so on. When one goes out I give it to my machinist and he replaces brushes, or he may find a bad switch. We get those parts from a tool rebuilder. When they are completely dead, I buy a lot from Enco cheap.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:.....Last edited by Bosco99; 04-02-2015 at 02:02 PM.
Reply:I really like the DeWalt 10 amp 4.5 inch grinders.   Having more then one is the key to being productive;  sucks having to change wheels to cut and grind.   Four grinders would be a minimum if your serious.
Reply:I am a NCCER certified millwright and all I carry is a 6" metabo.  Power for grinding and convenient for cutting with .045 blades
Reply:We have a few 9" metabos at work I can literally lean on it with all my weight and it just keeps running
Reply:Portable Grinder Update:Based on the advice I got here I stopped at our local welding supplier to inquire about the Metabo WE 14-125 on my way to work this morning, they said they could order that model but didn't stock it. They did stock the WP 8-115. This model has the paddle trigger and the new quick change option, which looks great on Metabo's website. No tools to change a disk, really cool. They told me this is the model most local pros use, that's why they keep them in stock. This model is a 4 1/4" grinder, not a 5" like the WE 14-125, other wise it is nearly the same. The guys at Maine Oxy give all the welding students at my kids tech high school a decent discount and they gave it to me for a really great price. (less then I can find it anywhere on the internet) I want to thank you guys, everyone that responded. It really was a huge help to find my kid a tool he should have for a very long time. Hmmmm...maybe I should get him a welder too for his birthday or graduation so he stops using mine. Torches...it never ends with this kid.Thanks Again.
Reply:I believe you will be real satisfied with the grinder you picked up. On my 4.5" metabo a 5" cutting wheel fits inside the guard, giving a little more cutting depth.
Reply:I like these $70 some dollar Metabo grinders....Mine has lotsa power, and is holding up real well.http://www.amazon.com/Metabo-WP-820-...rinder+4+1%2F2Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:Metabo's have a slip clutch so it's hard to overload them. Fein is another really good grinder. The first shop I ever worked in had all Metabo 7/9" with the deadman switch. The guy in the tool room said they lasted at least twice as long but there's a good reason they went to a safer type of switch. One of the guys set one down on his chipping hammer inside a tank and it cut into his stomach pretty good. Another worker took him to the hospital.
Reply:Originally Posted by ExpatWelderMetabo has tool less grinders...............Originally Posted by BD1My next one will be variable speed one ,  http://www.amazon.com/Metabo-WE14-12.../dp/B0027IQGPGMetabo WE14-125 Variable Speed 4 -1/2-Inch/5-Inch Angle Grinderby Metabo   15 customer reviews  List Price:$380.00Price:$169.00 & FREE Shipping. DetailsYou Save:$211.00 (56%)
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9Why?  In the past I have bought variable speed equipment only to find that I use one speed only.  About the only thing I slow down is the cutting speed (band saw, jig saw, drill press - larger bits) for steel.Polishers benefit from slower speeds.
Reply:ya makita aint bad! dewalt is good too! i would buy either or. you want something with enough power and durability but still light duty!
Reply:At age 15 my neighbor needed to borrow back his Milwaukee 7" I conned my father into a 9" Milwaukee. I greased the gear box periodically, but must not have done it often enough. The pinion gear on the armature shaft wore out after 25 years of heavy duty use. I replaced it with as similar as I could get. That was 18 years ago. If I ever need another It'll be a Milwaukee.I've bought a Craftsman 4-1/2" Never used it much, I don't like it. I bought a good DeWalt 4-1/2" loved it for all the stuff I don't need to hog a lot of steel. I got into aluminum, wanted a dedicated aluminum grinder, bought a twin to the DeWalt, or so I thought, at Home Depot. I hate it! I ordered by model # another like the first, It is a great tool! The better one has a soft start. It doesn't jump out of my hand starting. It runs quieter, and cooler, has more torque, less vibration. Cheap tools are cheap. That's the only thing I can say good about them.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:I like the 5" industry grade Makita angle grinders, with the long "grip" switch on the bottom of the motor casing.Mine has a "soft start" which seems to help it last so long.
Reply:Well whatever brand you get, pull the cap and grease the gears.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:I started using dewalt 20 volt cordless 4 1/2" grinders for smaller field work and really like them, I have 4, 4amp hrs batteries and two quick chargers running while I'm working. I get about a solid 30 minutes out of each battery and they take about 20 minutes to charge. I take two to the job and put the other two on the chargers. I never have down time due to dead batteries and don't have to deal with cords, im using them more and more, I have full days without using a corded small grinder.Mrfix
Reply:He needs a grinder with an "M". Dewalt is just a Black & Decker you paid too much for. The rest are good for a door stop. Never had anything other than a MILWAUKEE or METABO that lasts.  Actually I still use an OLD  Milwaukee 9" daily that is been used and ABUSED for years before I had it. The thing is older than me. I can't imagine how many thousand hours are on it. Never had a yellow one last a full year. My Metabo tool less 4-1/2" is my favorite small grinder.Capt. RyanRyanMiller Multimatic 200 tig/spool gun/wireless remoteMillermatic 350P, Bernard/XR Python gunsMiller Dynasty 350, Coolmate 3.5 & wireless remoteCK WF1 TIG wire feederMiller Spectrum 375 XtremeOptrel e684Miller Digital EliteMiller Weld-Mask
Reply:Tell you what you do regardless of what grinder you but get a grease gun with needle for sealed bearings and Crack the casting at the grinder head and pump a whole lot of grease inside every grinder I have had the bearings went then gears followed. Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk
Reply:6" Angle Grinder WE14-150 Quick | Metabo 600160420I really like this one. 6" wheels, soft start, lock switch, tool less wheel changes.  the only thing I have had to do is change the cord and brushes.  It has an auto shut down when the brushes get worn down.I second finding a good Black & Decker wild cat.  They don't build them like those any more.Dan D.Manipulator Of Metal