4 1/2 inch Grinders with non latching switches

[armalites]

I have an old Black and Decker grinder that I've had for probably 20 years that has none latching trigger which is near the back of it's body.

I've also got a fairly recent Dewalt that is nice and powerful but has a latching switch at front where your thumb is. It is a nice tool but it always concerns me the consequences if it got away from me and didn't stop

I see in the USA the newer ones seem to have a trigger at the back.

Be interested to know what other grinders have a non latching trigger in a convenient place.

 

[madkayaker]

Dewalt do a grinder with proper trigger at the back and I think Bosch do as well (but not in uk) I have a variable speed one from Lidli that also has a proper trigger. Have never had any issue with locking triggers personal grinder is a Bosch and I have rotated the body round so the trigger is at top. Have also rotated my 9inch Bosch so the handle is inline for cutting vertical as it tends to get used that way mostly

 

[Welderpaul]

I quite often use a grinder one handed so a non latching switch at the back of the grinder is no good.
I use one virtually every day and have never had one get away from me yet.

 

[wyn]

When i worked in quarrying we had to change all the grinders from latching to non latching...they were Makita.

 

[armalites]

I may have a look at rotating the body so the switch is on the top.

I guess it just something I'm not used to, my old Black and Decker can be operated with one hand and has a safety trigger.

The other difference is the new one is much more powerful so I it just feels different.

 

[DuffyBB]

Iirc the clarke ones from MM are a trigger at the back type, and ive got a 9" hitachi one thats a trigger switch(maybe all 9" grinders do, ive never really noticed)...not sure if the smaller ones are the same.

 

[chunkolini]

All mine have latching switches, handy as I am often working one handed.
I did have one escape once.
I was cup brushing using the grinder and dropped it,the bloody thing was charging around in circles round my feet, snagging me in the cable, did I panic?
Yep. Tried catching it a few times then gave it a good kick and remembered to switch it off at the wall. By then I was p***ing myself laughing, but for a few seconds it scared me to death. I'm sure there was a scifi series in the 70's where household machines went on the rampage. it reminded me of that.

Seriously though, there is space for a small accident to get out control.
I wish I had an audience for that one.

 

[Hitch]

I know Makita and Hitachi do ones with paddle switches.

Okay, until you want to use it one handed for any more than a couple of minutes.
Locking switch for me every time.

 

[Keith 66]

A bloke i knew changed a disc on a 9" grinder, it was one of the old ones with a thumb operated rocker switch on top of the handle. He must have knocked the switch to on, as when he plugged it in to the socket it promptly started.
It jumped of the bench & the new disc went into his thigh going halfway through his femur. He was lucky not to bleed to death & had a long recovery & a fearsome scar.

 

[DuffyBB]

A bloke i knew changed a disc on a 9" grinder, it was one of the old ones with a thumb operated rocker switch on top of the handle. He must have knocked the switch to on, as when he plugged it in to the socket it promptly started.
It jumped of the bench & the new disc went into his thigh going halfway through his femur. He was lucky not to bleed to death & had a long recovery & a fearsome scar.

Sobering thought tbh...i always unplug when i change a disc, but never thought about checking switch position before plugging in again.

 

[SiPMerlin150]

Its one of those tools, very effective and very useful, but at the same time very deadly dangerous. We have a lad in work who won't use a grinder and has a phobia of them... Rather than embarass him and ask, I'll assume he's had a near miss of some sort.

I have some rituals with these tools, When I finish, I'll wait till the disk stops spinning before putting it down, then I unplug it. Changing disks, adjusting guards and visual inspections are all done with it unplugged, I try to keep cutting/grinding disks dry, and if I drop one on the floor, it goes right in the bin..

On top of that, ear, eye, full head and breathing protection is used, touch wood I've never had a problem. Dangerous but useful.

 

[sm-]

Metabo have a few with dead-man function. http://www.metabo.co.uk/Product-cat...nd-held-power-tools.33614+M5b5f70061c8.0.html is one. But i am no fan of the function i can see a use for it on bigger ones especially if you are working overhead.

 

[Shox Dr]

Makita paddle, far better than the side switch type

 

[Shox Dr]

I know Makita and Hitachi do ones with paddle switches.

Okay, until you want to use it one handed for any more than a couple of minutes.
Locking switch for me every time.

Makita paddle grinders have a lock on them simply pull the paddle to disengage

 

[Wallace]

I prefer a latching grinder switch but it pays not to become too complacent with them. I have an odd Chinese 9" grinder with an interlock which at first glance looks like a latching button for the trigger like any old B&D drill would have had. Pulling the trigger does nothing, it just clicks but pull the trigger then push the supposed latching button and it bursts into life until you let go of the trigger. You can't push the button then pull the trigger, it's caught me out before and I know about it so I'm careful not to let anyone use the poxy thing without showing them.

I did have one escape once.

The Chunkolini Horror Picture Show; Lets - do - the - cup - brush - dance!

Any of the stiff twisted knot brushes on an angle grinder are bloody dangerous but the cup brush is one that scares me most as they get out of shape so quickly. I had a cup brush on a 4" grinder that clipped a rusty edge then bounced into my left thigh tearing through my joggers climbing up the flesh past my chuds and across to the right thigh where luckily the remains of my joggers overwhelming the motor, all before I could release the trigger latch. I think my chuds saw it coming and went into arctic mode! I was scary lifting the remains of my joggers to see the carnage.

I dread to think of the mess you could make with one of these on a grinder....



I thought it was an April fools joke when I first saw them on sale in machine Mart. I kept thinking of the game Lemmings.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

how the hell are they allowed to sell them....^^ a chainsaw chain on a grinder that bites bad enough with a grinding disk? at least chainsaws have clutches... or should at least!

 

[madkayaker]

There fantastic pieces of kit and lovely and smooth to use.

 

[Big Pete]

I have a foot switch for those jobs where things might get a bit dicey, like runnning polishers or drills/grinders with the locks on. you can get all set up then start grinding, brushing etc by standing on the pedal. I built it after getting clouted around the head by a trigger locked drill that jumped out of the vice while I was using a flex shaft to port a cylinder head. The bur jammed between the valve guide and the port wall and the torque pulled the drill out of the vice.

It's isn't anything fancy its just a foot switch off a machine with a couple of short lengths of cable , it handles 13amps with no issues at all.

 

[Windy Miller]

I have a foot switch for those jobs where things might get a bit dicey, like runnning polishers or drills/grinders with the locks on. you can get all set up then start grinding, brushing etc by standing on the pedal. I built it after getting clouted around the head by a trigger locked drill that jumped out of the vice while I was using a flex shaft to port a cylinder head. The bur jammed between the valve guide and the port wall and the torque pulled the drill out of the vice.

It's isn't anything fancy its just a foot switch off a machine with a couple of short lengths of cable , it handles 13amps with no issues at all.

Hmmm now that's a very good idea. Might have to knock one of those up myself. You just never know it could save a life!

 

[normspanners]

My wifes ex was using a latching 5inch to cut aloft hatch up a step ladder, it caught on something and spun round cutting through the tendons in his hand, then shot over to the other hand that was holding on to the ladder, cut through tendons in his wrist , he then fell off the ladder and broke his ankle !!! ended up have several opps both hands and foot in plaster. when he popped round ( read hopped) we had a laugh when I had said but what happened to the ankle !! but a least he was still able to laugh ---could have been a LOT worse!