Buying a new angle grinder

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I've been using power tools since I was old enough to walk, but one tool I've never had is an angle grinder.  Obviously, it's on the must-have list if you do much welding, so I'm looking for one.  Seems like most of them run 4 1/2" wheels. Will that suffice for the farm stick welding I typically do? The more expensive ones go up to 5, 6, 7 and 9 inch wheels.FWIW, I use 6011 and 7018AC, metal thickness up to around 3/8, and have a little 110V flux core wire welder I use once in a blue moon. I sometimes push my power tools to the max, so I'm personally partial to Milwaukee, which can handle it.  Porter-Cable is another favorite. I have a P-C Tiger sawzall that I swear could take down a battleship. My Milwaukee tools have never let me down, although once I did smoke a Milwaukee 3/8" hammer drill trying to drill a 5/8" hole through a boulder How does this one look? It's 11 amps, 11,000 RPM variable.  Seems like most angle grinders in this class or 6 to 8 amps.http://tinyurl.com/7nn5zosLast edited by Ruark; 11-07-2011 at 01:10 PM.
Reply:An angle grinder is a very simple tool.  And it's hard to go wrong with Milwaukee.  I'd say that's a good way to go.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:I found out last thursday that I'm also in the market for a new angle grinder. Had my black and decker for 10+ years and it finally started heading into the land of no return last thursday. I didn't pay more than $40 for the thing. I don't plan on spending more than that when I get my new one. there are several people one here that swear by their $10 hf angle grinders. Not sure I'm ready to do that. But I wouldn't pay $100 for a brand name one either. just my $0.02.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Personally, for daily grinding tasks I prefer a 6" grinder. I keep a 4 1/2" grinder with a tiger disc for blending and finishing.
Reply:A 4 1/2" grinder is a kind of do all tool for a welder.  Small enough for most small things and able to handle most big things within reason.  One thing to consider is the switch.  A paddle type will shut off when dropped but a locking slide switch will continue to run if dropped.  That can get interesting!  Something to think about."The man of great wealth owes a peculiar obligation to the State, because he derives special advantages from the mere existence of government."  Teddy RooseveltAmerican by birth, Union by choice!  Boilermakers # 60America is a Union.
Reply:Ill catch hell for this but my little blue colored harbor freight angle grinder costs a whopping $15. Came with an extra set of brushes. Its outlasted a black and decker pro series and a dewalt. Its the best $15 tool ive bought. Ive had to service the head a few times for grease but thats it.
Reply:Just my own observation, and certainly a very punishing environment, but the occassional HF which showed up at school would last about 3 days. 12 hours each day, more or less continuous use. I don't think they are "metal dust proof" either.XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Get the paddle switch version of the HF grinder. They typically run 29 bucks. Use the 20 percent off coupons you find every where to get an even better deal. These are 6 amp grinders and with good quality wheels, have done everything I asked of them. I bought 2, one in red, the other when they had the blue ones in stock. One has a flap disk, the other has a cut off wheel. These are pretty well dust proof because of the vent location putting out an air curtain of sorts.I am really only willing to buy HF stuff because I have a store nearby that I can return anything that turns out to be crap.PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:From what I've seen on the market, 6 amps is a little on the low side. Also, the HF grinders are single speed.
Reply:All the grinders at Home Depot are now made in China except for the big Makita.  Some of those are made in the USA (I'm sure that will change).  While HF is cheap, sometimes HD sells 2 for a low price (When HD ditched Bosch, they were selling 2 for $55)I picked up the last 4.5" Bosch grinder (also made in China) - floor model, for $12 (missing power switch).  An extra $12 ($4 part, $8 shipping) I had a new switch.  Had I known what a PITA it was to install the switch I might have passed on that.  Just glad I don't do that for a living, I'd be broke.To Milwaukee's credit, they have always been very good on spare parts.  They ship fast and would only charge me a couple bucks for little parts that fit in padded envelope.  Dewalt and Bosch have been, in my opinion, a bit pricier on both parts and shipping.I'd say if you did have a $100 budget, try some of the smaller Metabos (keep an eye on on-line sales), however, until you've used one of the others you would not appriciate it.  I got a Metabo polisher (think variable speed grinder with low rpm setup) for about the same price as what Makita, Dewalt etc. wanted but it has to be one of the smoothest starting angle grinders I've ever had the pleasure of using.Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9All the grinders at Home Depot are now made in China except for the big Makita
Reply:Originally Posted by RuarkFrom what I've seen on the market, 6 amps is a little on the low side. Also, the HF grinders are single speed.
Reply:4 1/2 in milwaukee is good had a porter cable for about 6 years before.  4 1/2 works well for rust removal etc serious grinding a bigger one is nice I have a 9 in milwaukee that is 20 years old that is a beast. But too many times it dont fit where you need it. Buy good wheels also or you will hate it.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:Dewalt D28110 is what I use.  I like the slide switch.  Lets me move my hand around to where I'm comfortable and have control.My name's not Jim....
Reply:I have never had a problem with DeWalts...
Reply:I've got one similar to that Milwaukee.... (12 or 13 amp model) I looked it up a few weeks ago and they no longer make it from what I can tell. I've used it a lot and never had a problem with it other than when cutting with a disc, better be holding on if it binds up! From what I can tell the guard is different on mine and the handle can be put on sticking straight up instead of just on the sides.  I also have a 9" Milwaukee that is a couple years newer and gets used less since it's so freaking heavy, good for big stuff when you need to take a lot of metal off fast.HH 187Miller Bluestar1EAHP AlphaTig 200X
Reply:I've used a lot of Milwaukee 4 1/2's on job sites and never had a problem with any of them.I tried the Northern Tool grinder in my shop. Lasted a few months before giving out. It did get used hard but won't buy another.I have a Dewalt now. For now it is working good but the gearbox/motor section seems to run awful hot under normal use. We'll have to see how long it lasts. I bought it when the NT tool went out and it was needed right away and that's what the store had. I would have bought a Milwaukee if they had one.I've used Hilti grinders and the ones I did seemed indestructible. I've read that their quality has slipped in their new stuff but can't say for sure. And they are less common.Unless I'm on a job site and don't have any choice, I'll never use a slide switch grinder. Some paddle switch grinders have a locking switch which would accomplish the same thing. I don't use the locking switch either though.AlA man is judged by what's between his legs...always ride a good horseMiller DialArc HFLincoln Classic 300DThermal Arc 181iPowermax 45Scotchman Ironworker(2) BridgeportsOkomota Surface GrinderAutoCAD 2010
Reply:welding, for me, is a hobby; not the way I make my living.  I do not lose money if a grinder breaks.  My welding equipment is an expensive toy set.  I am 72 and retired from work as a way of earning a living.Having said that, I own four  4.5" grinders; one a Dewalt with a paddle switch, the other three are $10 Harbor Freight disposables.  One of the cheepies failed and I took it back to the store where they exchanged it.  I have a flap disc on one, a cut off disc on another, a grinding disc on the third; the Dewalt has a cup brush mounted on it.As my stockbroker keeps telling me "Past preformance is not a guarantee of future results"You can buy a lot of $10 grinders for the price of a "good" one.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 3 bosch, 1 is like 7 inch, dont like it too heavy too slow not comfortable like my friends Milwakie. My other 2 bosch 4 1/2 are nice do everything i want them to do with no problem. I have several HF orange ones I run wire wheels and flap discs on. You get what you pay for, just burned up one Ive had for years the other day. Most of my  carpentry tools are from back in the day. Delta, rockwell, porta cable. I have 2 DeWalt xrp drils, one just went up in smoke. I think they are cheap, with a big tag. My sawzalls and porta bands are Milwakiees and never had a problem with them. I know my circular saw and sawzall are at least 30 yrs old.Learning one rod at a time
Reply:I have 2 Bosch, 2 Dewalt, all with slide switch, I dont like the paddle at all. I like to lock the switch and hold the grinder with one hand sometime (dont tell the osha guys) The Bosch may not be the most powerful, but is holding up great. Alot of times Im outside working on something and setting the grinder down in the dirt sand etc.....The Dewalts I got fairly cheap when a friend worked for a tool distributer, I bought a bunch of Dewalt stuff for good prices. Anyhow, the one Dewalt crapped out early and they replaced it, been going ever since. That was about 5 years ago. I had a Porter Cable, that didnt last a year. Good luck, let us know what you get and how you like it
Reply:I've always used the cheapo HF grinders and I swear by them. The $35 Skil grinder that Wal-Mart sells is pretty ballsy for $35, too.
Reply:FWIW, the HF grinder with paddle switch does have a push tab on the back to lock it in the ON position. I rarely need that option. The paddle is big and easy to operate with heavy welding gloves on. That's why I like the paddle, more than as a safety feature.Lincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:By Ruark;If American workers didn't want, or weren't led by their unions to want, $50 an hour plus benefits to turn out crap, things would be different.
Reply:Chances are if you are doing any amount of work, you don't need a very expensive grinder, their are alot of  4.5 inch grinders coming on sale now before christmas for $20.00.If you are in a shop you may want to consider air tools but few have the speed and torque of electric, I have a 1hp air that is close to $380 dollars, you don't need that for farm welding but it is nice to have a grinder for stainless wire wheel,flap disc, cutoff disc, and your general purpose disc like Vince suggests but one with zipf disc can do.I have a 9inch skill pipeliner and it is very heavy and cumbersome, you can get the same kind of cutting with a 7inch makita.It is also nice to have an air powered angle grinder with rolloc disc for prep work, you may also want to consider...so lots of options.
Reply:I know a lot of people on here are of the mindset that you can buy a helluva lot of cheapo grinders for the price of one brand-name.  I'm not going to trash-talk that way of thinking as it certainly has its merits, but if you're like me and you want the one that just lasts without question and price is a second consideration, I'd recommend Metabo.  They're made in Germany (let's face it, they didn't lose the war because they made bad gear), and will run about $130 for the 4.5" without variable speed... so they run about $30 more than the equivalent Milwaukee.  They're both damned fine units, but I really love my Metabo.  As funds permit, I will be getting more of them to permit more rapid fabrication in the shop without having to swap back and forth between abrasives/cutters/brushes.W123Benz, you should know that Metabo is now making some of its entry-level angle grinders in China.I'm cheap -- maybe to a fault.  But I've been on both sides of the fence on this.  I have five Harbor Freight welders that I used for years without any failures.  I recently replaced them with Metabos -- which I bought second hand.  The Metabos definitely feel better in use, and will probably last longer.  But a grinder is a pretty simple tool, as I mentioned above.  The HF ones take away material pretty well and so do the Metabos.  I prefer the German ones, but could probably get by the rest of my life with the HF ones.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:I have 4 HF grinders.... 3 for 16 bucks each, and one on sale for around 19.  I have had them for years (hobby welder).  I have never had to replace the brushes in any of them and they have never had any problems.  Probably the best thing I bought at HF.  If they clunk out then I will just pick up some more. I definitely got my money out of them.The Lord has declared, "This is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"  Moses 1:39Link: My name is John, and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.-- ColdCreekWorks.com --
Reply:Originally Posted by Jack OlsenW123Benz, you should know that Metabo is now making some of its entry-level angle grinders in China.
Reply:Much like a camera relies on good glass mounted to it, the less powerful grinders will perform at their best with high quality wheels and cutters. Put some coin into your abrasives and the tool won't need to work as hard.If my HF grinder is bogging down, I know it's time to switch to a more aggressive grit. Lincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:Originally Posted by jontheturboguyIll catch hell for this but my little blue colored harbor freight angle grinder costs a whopping $15. Came with an extra set of brushes. Its outlasted a black and decker pro series and a dewalt. Its the best $15 tool ive bought. Ive had to service the head a few times for grease but thats it.
Reply:I know this thread is old but, I'll bring it back at least for a minute. I've always bought Metabo but, they DO NOT make them the way the use to. I use to buy 4 1/2" but, started using 6". I always make sure I get the high amp model because I use them pretty hard. The last 3 that I have bought have not been anywhere close to what they use to make. I'm going to try a Milwaukee 13 amp 6" this time.I'll let you know how it works out in a few months. One other thing that really annoys me is the length of time it takes to get any electrical tool repaired. I send them through either Fastenal or AirGas and it takes 4 to 6 weeks. Are there really that many tools being repaired or is there just a lack of technicians to do the job?
Reply:Personally, I like Bosch  power tools best. I also need to purchase a new angle grinder. I am very tough on power tools & have burned out 2 of the cheap 4" angle grinders in less that a year. I have had very good luck with reconditioned tools, which have the same warranty as the new tools. Here's a link to the grinder similar to the one you spoke of, with about a 40.00 discount from a new one. http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/factory-...d-metalworking
Reply:Originally Posted by 6BoysI know this thread is old but, I'll bring it back at least for a minute. I've always bought Metabo but, they DO NOT make them the way the use to. I use to buy 4 1/2" but, started using 6". I always make sure I get the high amp model because I use them pretty hard. The last 3 that I have bought have not been anywhere close to what they use to make. I'm going to try a Milwaukee 13 amp 6" this time.I'll let you know how it works out in a few months. One other thing that really annoys me is the length of time it takes to get any electrical tool repaired. I send them through either Fastenal or AirGas and it takes 4 to 6 weeks. Are there really that many tools being repaired or is there just a lack of technicians to do the job?
Reply:I was elbows deep in a project some time back, and having to change back and forth from a grinding disk to a wire wheel so started thinking about buying another grinder. I've seen refurbished / reconditioned DeWalt, Porter Cable, etc. online... anyone tried a refurbished machine?
Reply:I can't speak for any of the other brands, but Bosch reconditioned tools are excellent. I have been buying them for over 15 years, & never had an issue with any of them.
Reply:I am hard on grinders and have used several different brands.  I currently have 2 Dewalts and they have gobs of power and have not let me down yet.  However, the motor is not nearly as smooth as the Makitas I have used.  If these Dewalts quit working, I will replace them with Makitas.Lincoln Powermig 255Hypertherm Powermax 45Thermal Arc 161SOxweld 24R OA TorchStill Looking for an Old Round Top Idealarc 250
Reply:My first and only grinder is a 7.5 amp craftsman 4.5" that I picked up in the scratch-and-dent section pretty cheap. I've used it quite a bit and never once had a problem with it. Knowing that the cheap grinders work fine for my needs, my next grinder purchase would likely be a few HF grinders just so that I can dedicate a grinder for different uses.
Reply:I recently bought a 4.5" metabo and really like it older Milwaukee's were great will the new ones made in china we will have to see. I mmoved my Milwaukee to the service trailer so I could keep the metabo in the shopMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer