Angle Grinder Gone poof

[ChrisJ]

I was all set for a day up the shed, started to use my angle grinder it made horrible noise and stopped with a little bit of smoke, got the brushes out one side just a spring fell out and the other side was worn right down, hope it is the brushes and not the motor, bang goes my day

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

Your drawing looks like an upside down uteris yeh l looks like the brushes have woren out, was the grinder loaded up at the time ?

 

[ChrisJ]

I was just sanding with a flap wheel when sparks started to come out jim, I managed to set a new set of brushes off fleabay, the drawing on my pad was a rough idea I had for the top on my rocket chimnea

 

[MattF]

If one of them was down to the spring, check the commutator for gouging.

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

yeh fairly ,loaded up when running what kind of grinder is it ?

 

[ChrisJ]

says performance power tool on the side 600W, its not an expensive one, but the only one I had, looked down the brushes hole at the armature doo daa seems ok

 

[overload]

I had the same from Halfrauds. Rubbish grinder. Only lasted days before it puked.

Get a Makita, waaaayyy more reliable.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Performance Power is a Been and Queued own brand.

 

[ChrisJ]

ahh, well it was given to me so I guess if its gone to angle grinder heaven, I'll look for a new one, any makes apart from makita?

 

[PTvor]

ahh, well it was given to me so I guess if its gone to angle grinder heaven, I'll look for a new one, any makes apart from makita?

Blue Bosch, Metabo, Hitachi. Then within the better brands there are often three or four models of the same size rated for light industrial use to heavy indiustrial use and mortar raking. Lots of threads on angle grinders on here.

It's worth opening them up every now and then to check the brushes and if they are looking low, change them. Better than having them wear right down til they cause problems and risk damaging the commutator. Some have brushes which stop before they get that bad.

What I've seen with brush problems is that you can have one or two of the commutator strips sticking up. Not easy to see just by looking. You have to take the tool apart and look carefully. If that happens, it will chew through the brushes very fast and replacing them will see the new lot chewed through very fast with lots of sparks. It tends to happen with the cheap to medium priced stuff.

If this is a £20 grinder, I'd think twice before spending money on new brushes.

 

[ajlelectronics]

The cheap stuff is often supplied with spare brushes. I have a crappy "Nu-Tool" brand and have just done the same.

 

[ChrisJ]

I took it apart and one of the spline things on the commutator is sticking up badly so it looks like I will get a new one, I found a bosch one on fleabay new £41 am I allowed to post the link to ask members advice if its a descent one please?.

 

[PTvor]

BOSCH GWS 660?

There are a few on ebay for around the same price.

It looks like a new model and at the low end of the range. 680W

The lower powered lower priced quality models are that for a reason and they won't put up with the stick and abuse that the top end ones will. However, they will be a step above the cheapies and much better balanced and nicer to use.

 

[ross27]

I bought a Makita 9554NBKWX 240V off eBay a couple months back for £50 brand new.

It came with the following:

1 x Side Handle
1 x Hex Wrench
1 x Anniversary black plastic case
1 x D-27034 FLAP DISC 115mm A40
1 x D-27040 FLAP DISC 115mm A60
1 x D-27056 FLAP DISC 115mm A80

No complaints from me! Can easily be found on there with a simple search.

 

[ChrisJ]

its this one PT Bosch 060137506H GWS6602 GWS 660 4½" Angle Grinder 240V and priced at £41.04 its the top end of my budget at the moment, so I think I'll get one?

 

[PTvor]

If you keep your eyes open on here you see alerts on special offers on new stuff and reconditioned quality grinders. A year or so back there was a post on someone selling new Makita grinders for £30 each to get some volume for a better deal on shipping.

But, to take advantage of that sort of thing you either happen to need a grinder when the offer's on, or want several grinders, one with a cutting disc, one with a grinding disc and so on.

You've got £40 and you want a grinder now.

It looks like a good price for a decent tool.

 

[ChrisJ]

I took the plunge and bought the bosch one off fleabay, I will fit the brushes to the old one and use it as you say with a cutting disc on, and the other with a grinding disc and run the old one till it packs up, thanks for all the advice guys

 

[PTvor]

I will fit the brushes to the old one and use it as you say with a cutting disc on, and the other with a grinding disc and run the old one till it packs up

If the commutator has a strip sticking up, which you can feel or see and which catches the brushes, it's hardly worth the trouble. I doubt it'll last more than a minute or two running time with the new brushes.

 

[Exuptoy]

I bought a new clarke 900w job from Machine Mart as it had a recommended buy from practical classics, and since I am restoring a classic I thought it would be ok. I Killed the first one within 2-3 days and got a replacement and killed that within hours!!! Took it back again and kicked up a fuss and was told if you are using it for a big job just spend the extra £30 and get a Makita or Bosch one. Its what I did and i am still ragging the guts out of it 6 months later.

 

[ChrisJ]

I bought a new clarke 900w job from Machine Mart as it had a recommended buy from practical classics, and since I am restoring a classic I thought it would be ok. I Killed the first one within 2-3 days and got a replacement and killed that within hours!!! Took it back again and kicked up a fuss and was told if you are using it for a big job just spend the extra £30 and get a Makita or Bosch one. Its what I did and i am still ragging the guts out of it 6 months later.

Ragging the guts out of it I nearly spit me brew everywhere then lol