What angle grinder to get? That is durable

[Keith 66]

I used them boatbuilding mainly grinding fibreglass which is hard on them. Anything that can last 6 hours grinding glass is good.
First long lasting one i had was an AEG, long out of production i caned it for 20 years.
Best one is a Metabo that must be 35 years old, still going strong. The model number doesnt even appear on any spares website any more.
Worst was a Silverline that i killed in just 12 minutes!

 

[Porkypine]

Going by the advice of treating angle grinders as disposable - should I get the cheapest brushless LXT to add to my collection and not think much harder about it?

Tbh I'm currently using an ultra cheapo Silverline thing and haven't yet destroyed it in 2 or 3 years + so for c.20 quid plus loose change it's done well. Like I said, I've wrecked expensive ones in far less time. Maybe I was luckier than Keith66 , tho in fairness I wasn't doing fibreglass, just usual the steel malarkey

 

[Munkul]

Going by the advice of treating angle grinders as disposable - should I get the cheapest brushless LXT to add to my collection and not think much harder about it?

Yes. Assuming you mean the genuine Makita.
I just got my 3rd one from Howe tools last week. Not that I'm breaking them. It's just really handy to have a few of them with different discs on. I also like 5" as opposed to 4.5".
The other two of mine are variable speed, used to get used LOTS with flap discs cleaning up stainless steel at lower speed.
I tried a £20 cheapy copy a few years back, it had ok power but it was built horribly, it self destructed twice, the first time I rebuilt it and the 2nd time I threw it at a wall.

I'll still break out the corded grinder for heavy grinding, but it's not that common for my workload.

 

[pedrobedro]

Many years ago our local supermarket had no brand grinders for €10 with a two year guarantee, I could kill two in one day.

I bought two from Aldi years ago, £6.99 each and they both lasted about 6 years and died within a fortnight of each other. They had been well used so I couldn't complain. (but I still did)

 

[Smallfry]

Best one I ever had was a Black & Decker. Lasted twenty odd years of serious use. Since then I have had Bosch, Hitachi, and Milwaukee. None of those lasted more than a couple of years. Lately had an Einhell, which lasted longer, and an Energer, cheap thing from Screwfix, that has lasted three years now. It only fault up to now is the nasty, difficult to use "safety" switch.

Its a bit of a lottery really. Paying a lot does not seem to guarantee a long lasting product

 

[henry Kadzielski]

My two cents worth. I have Metabo and Metabo only. All grinders are 5" as you get more life out of 5" as opposed to anything smaller. I have a Fein 9" that doesn't get used that much. My battery 5" grinders also Metabo. The earlier ones with brushes, not so good due to the brush box carriers melting with heavy use also the 'boys' that know grinders stuffing them. The newer brushless ones are much better. I have switched to the newer corded variable speed 5" grinders for doing stainless at times. The variable speed ones had a couple of failures with the speed control which were replaced under warranty. I have also two snub nose grinders in 5" for those harder to reach places. Overall Metabo does it for me!

 

[tom 748]

makita all day long and easy to repair

 

[pint]

Milwaukee M18 grinders. Unbreakable- powerful machines. The bearings wear out at after a few years but replacements are readily available and you can fit them yourself.

took milwaukee three attempts to get mine right...

I'll buy another skil one with out a second thought

 

[Melvyn Best]

My old Hitachi 115mm is at least 40 years old as is the 100mm both have been in regular use until I bought a Milwaukee cordless, if that lasts as long it will see me out

 

[roofman]

lets throw this into the mix

Pardon our interruption...

 

[JOEPRO]

took milwaukee three attempts to get mine right...

I'll buy another skil one with out a second thought

Mine are all perfect

 

[roofman]

Mine are all perfect

View attachment 511969

i never suffer from envy but you have just changed that

 

[JOEPRO]

i never suffer from envy but you have just changed that

This type of grinder is a must have for car bodywork

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

I have the Hitachi - noisy as hell - don't like it but the damn thing won't die!
The one that gets used and abused the most is my Bosch Cordless. Switch is a nightmare but again it doesn't die

I did manage to destroy a Hitachi in the end, the good 1200W 4½" model they don't sell anymore.

It was at least 17 years old though.

Since I got the big IR compressor I would struggle to go back from using air angle-grinders for workshop use now, they're smaller and lighter than any the corded 4½ ones, but can deliver a power output higher than 5" or 6" models, and they cool themselves rather than overheating.

 

[fizzy]

I did manage to destroy a Hitachi in the end, the good 1200W 4½" model they don't sell anymore.

It was at least 17 years old though.

Since I got the big IR compressor I would struggle to go back from using air angle-grinders for workshop use now, they're smaller and lighter than any the corded 4½ ones, but can deliver a power output higher than 5" or 6" models, and they cool themselves rather than overheating.

I have a nice small air grinder. Hardly use it tbh because my compressors arent wired up permanently. I agree air drills and air grinder NEVER overheat - battery ones get warm very quick. But in the depths of winter stone cold tools are no fun

 

[roofman]

This type of grinder is a must have for car bodywork

View attachment 511971View attachment 511972View attachment 511973View attachment 511974

yea my old snap on which is the same as a Metabo had a flat nose, as you say very handy in tight places

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

I have a nice small air grinder. Hardly use it tbh because my compressors arent wired up permanently. I agree air drills and air grinder NEVER overheat - battery ones get warm very quick. But in the depths of winter stone cold tools are no fun

Oh yeah, air tools need infrastructure which is a whole other can of worms.

It's the low weight and massive power for their size that I appreciate... Just makes things a lot less physically stressful.

The 8" vertical air grinder is almost the opposite, at nearly twice the power of a 9" angle grinder for a similar weight, it's a little bit of a terrifying tool.

This type of grinder is a must have for car bodywork

I can see the appeal.

I borrowed one of these for a bit:

Which made me really want one of my own... But not quite £265+vat want, not yet anyway, I am sure there's a project that will "justify" it in due course.

 

[Martin Hocking]

I think if this thread carries on long enough it will have covered just about every angle grinder ever made.

Just out of interest what are people doing with there grinders that makes high wattage desirable?

We have a 720w and a 900w ones at work and apart from one kicking harder when you turn it on (and gobbling more clothes and skin before it stalls in a mishap) I couldn’t tell them apart in use.

 

[Keithmac]

Bought 3 cordless grinders from Aldi with some 40v batteries viewing them as a consumable for 1 car restoration.

They will not die!, all sound noisey from day one but have never got any worse, I have a mind to pack them all with some decent Motul synthetic grease in the gearbox.

Same with an old Parkside Lithium multi tool, been eyeing up an M12 to replace it but it just will not die. Amazing really as it's not been treated very well..

 

[Keithmac]

I watch "Dean Doherty" on YouTube, interesting to see what he rates and dislikes as a power tool repair centre.