Anyone ever had a long lasting angle grinder?

[graffian]

Around 20 years use from an old aluminium 7" black&decker grinder. It was thrown out when I bought a new one.
25 years from a plastic B&D pro 9", but don't use it anything like as often now.
About 20 years everyday use from a little bosch.
9" flex grinder for about 25 years.

I have had **** grinders,B&D pro 4-1/2" grinder and I was getting though at least one a month sometimes less
than a week!

 

[Turbo]

I bought a metabo 4.5" grinder a few months back, can't comment on long term reliability yet but so far I'm really impressed. It's the smoothest running grinder I've ever used and build quality is top notch. I'm pretty sure it says made in Germany on it.

Agree 100% there.
I bought a W8 115 metabo second hand & liked it so much that I bought a 5" variable speed metabo for using with a wire wheel or fleece pads. You can use one for hours without your hand going numb.
The 5" has a mechanical clutch to protect the motor plus a thermal cutout if you run the grinder too hot. The windings are ceramic coated to protect them.

 

[daedalusminos]

20 odd years from a 115mm Agojama (£8.49 Dutch import I think... probably of Chinese origin). The spindle lock has broken and it's on the 3rd set of brushes but still going strong.

 

[northwest]

they kinda have a bounce grab to the wire wheel whilst in use

Gaz, is that a red Makita grinder? I have only ever bought the blue ones but recently a red one and I am wondering on the colour difference?

 

[Sean]

Yeah, a B&Q special, pale grey/white body "Performance" or something a sort of P logo. Noisy but went for years cutting steel grinding rust, cutting tile facing concrete etc

Just stopped one day, couldnt get it to go again

Shortest was an Erbouer from Screwfix big bulky low on power shook its self in to the skip( with a little help from my right boot)

Only got Makita now 3 on cords 1 ( which is second one as one got nicked) cordless.

 

[Bluemotion]

I changed from about Bosch number five to erbauer which felt rough and popped on day one with manufacturer fault so back to Bosch number six!!
I tend to go for slim bodied ones as I ‘one hand’ use them in tight places and Bosch is the thinnest and most comfortable with the off switch on the left side by my thumb should anything happen.
I’m stripping a 1940’s jersey bus on a wire twist wheel and when your stretching a bit further away than you should the grinder needs to be light, safe and manageable.

 

[MCKDAVID]

quality of the grinder aside, a lot of the life expectancy boils down to how it's used. Let the disc do the work, doesn't need forcing that much to cut or grind. I've seen the bears in the shipyards hanging off them, loading them to point of almost stopping them every time. There's no point, aye you need to load the disc (grinding or cutting) up so that it exposes new material instead of glazing over, but over loading them doesn't make any real gain in my view certainly not in real terms. All you're really doing is over heating the electrical windings and gearbox by significantly increasing how hard they have to work to turn the disc..

agree with the wire wheel, I have a couple of grinders with wire wheel attachments, one 600W and a 900W. The wire wheel definitely works them harder slightest load on the little one and you can hear the note change on the motor, definitely need more power than a disc. I don't load them up so much anymore.

 

[Bluemotion]

I think the internal windings aren’t insulated as well as they used to be and the lacquer the armature is coated in burns through the insulation with heat quicker than they used to causing a short.

On the other hand I’ve looked for brushless to try but it looks like only on battery. I did buy a cheap ‘einhell’ a couple of months back but a 3ah battery lasts 15 mins on the twist wheel and a wait to recharge so not quite quick enough for me.

 

[chris pruteanu]

I have a couple o grinders: an old makita 4.5" and blue bosch both about 10-15 years old. Recently i bought a milwaukee corded one and it does gets worked out every day for a couple o hours... I had burned a few in my time even good branded ones however i personally think that anything made 10 years ago is better than modern tat it gets sold in supermarkets ! My personal opinion, if it comes with spare set of brushes- throw it in the bin- they are plain rubbish ! Also 110v tools tend to last a lot, lot longer on me, bit o a faff to carry a power transformer everywhere but i can live with the inconvenience !

 

[earthman]

My very first Nu-Tool one must be over 30 years old and still works,....it does spend most of it's time in it's box though. Lol

 

[highseas]

makita...why? i have only even killed one and that was by dropping a 4m rsg on it so not really its fault, and i get a free one with every 100 disks i buy! so i have a few then register them online and get a 3 year warrenty. whats not to like? 100x1mm klinspor slitting disks and a 4.5 grinder for £100..or 100 2mm 9 inch ones and a 9 inch makita for £200

 

[anto]

I have a green bosch that I bought in b and q about 10/12 years ago. Used mainly for sanding wood. But also for cutting tracks in walls as well as the normal metal cutting/ grinding duties. Its still going. Granted, it may sit unused for a month as I am only a hobby user and I also have an hitachi grinder that shares the duties now which is much nicer to use.

 

[MCKDAVID]

makita...why? i have only even killed one and that was by dropping a 4m rsg on it so not really its fault, and i get a free one with every 100 disks i buy! so i have a few then register them online and get a 3 year warrenty. whats not to like? 100x1mm klinspor slitting disks and a 4.5 grinder for £100..or 100 2mm 9 inch ones and a 9 inch makita for £200

got a link to that? needing slitting discs anyway; might as well try these

 

[highseas]

got a link to that? needing slitting discs anyway; might as well try these

thomas graghams and sons. ime not sure if they post or not?

 

[frank horton]

I just use Hitachi now........
me thinks if u keep burning them out like that u need a bigger model or just suffer loss......
have around 6 Hitachi mini 4" grinders, now 6-7 years old and still here.......same for the 9" but must have at least 10.........

 

[Matthew Tinker]

I sill have, but finally can't use any more, my Skill 14kg 270mm first angle grinder, it's 40 years old! It's been ten years since it started making a lot of sparks at the commutator that new brushes won't fix! it's had five sets of brushes and three bearing changes, and, although it was very expensive, it's paid for it's self many times over!
Regards, Matthew.

 

[gaz1]

Gaz, is that a red Makita grinder? I have only ever bought the blue ones but recently a red one and I am wondering on the colour difference?

no its a black and decker 40.00 grinder

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-DECKER-CD115A5-Small-Grinder/dp/B004OBZZXI

 

[MCKDAVID]

I sill have, but finally can't use any more, my Skill 14kg 270mm first angle grinder, it's 40 years old! It's been ten years since it started making a lot of sparks at the commutator that new brushes won't fix! it's had five sets of brushes and three bearing changes, and, although it was very expensive, it's paid for it's self many times over!
Regards, Matthew.

have you tried dressing the commutator up with fine emery paper? maybe just ridges or rough edges between the plates, or too much carbon build up causing the sparking. You could try dressing it up, good clean between the plates and a good rinse with contact cleaner. might be enough worth a try costs nothing....

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

The black and decker finger file is excellent too....mine has been going for years....I do change the rubber wheels quite often but it outlived the evolution one which was total pants!

 

[eddie49]

making a lot of sparks at the commutator that new brushes won't fix!

Excessive sparking at the brushes, and especially a ring of sparks right around the commutator as it spins is a sure sign of shorted armature windings. C'est foutu, I'm afraid.