Recommend me a angle grinder

[morssdn]

I have 2 of the 115mm Metabo grinders - I am impressed by how smooth the bearings are compared to the blue plastic Bosch I used before, and the obvious uplift in build quality; it has plenty of power for a small grinder, the quick tool-less nut for the disc is excellent too, another reason I got it. The picture of the Makita in a hand above is interesting, as the Metabo looks a fair bit thicker and is quite chunky in my XL glove sized hands, would be nice for it to be a bit thinner. I'm not mad keen on the switch on the Metabo, it's a push-forward-and-up a bit affair with the thumb; the ergonomics don't quite work imho. The switch on my first one seems to have failed as it won't go consistently now, needs a strip down to fix it I think. However I was that sold on the tool I went straight out and bought another and it was only £68 for German quality.

 

[PhillipM]

I think your not comparing the latest matabo. I use makita at another guys shop

Bought it about 6-7 months ago so maybe not. There's no way they've got 4x the battery life out of it though, there's not that much overhead on them when you check the power output vs battery capacity.

 

[Burdekin]

I have been thinking of getting a battery grinder but, I can see the benefit for wee jobs out and about but not for me in the workshop so glad I haven't bought one. I think the grinders have a way to go with battery life, being more compact and the price with a couple of batteries needs to be more reasonable before I would bother with them.

 

[Kent]

I have been thinking of getting a battery grinder but, I can see the benefit for wee jobs out and about but not for me in the workshop so glad I haven't bought one. I think the grinders have a way to go with battery life, being more compact and the price with a couple of batteries needs to be more reasonable before I would bother with them.

The HD battery is the key. It's more a case of you get one because you have to. For me between taking out bottles to remove old railings etc and a battery grinder? No brainer! I sometimes use one out on the yard.
My mind was made up to go all battery when one fit the client left me a lead out an upstairs window. Guess what as soon as I started the first cut "click" tripped at the fuse box! Pack up go home day lost! If thier neighbours you really don't want to be running a genny

 

[Burdekin]

The HD battery is the key. It's more a case of you get one because you have to. For me between taking out bottles to remove old railings etc and a battery grinder? No brainer! I sometimes use one out on the yard.
My mind was made up to go all battery when one fit the client left me a lead out an upstairs window. Guess what as soon as I started the first cut "click" tripped at the fuse box! Pack up go home day lost! If thier neighbours you really don't want to be running a genny

I was just talking about my own requirement, waste of money for me at this stage. I get it for guys out and about they would be handy and less hassle.

 

[Kent]

It’s not really because it depends on what your doing with it. Mine spends its life with a flap disc on it tidying stuff up (spatter, burrs, excess weld height.) and 25mins is realistic. If your pushing it to the point your nearly stalling the motor with a cutting wheel then your sure to juice em out quickly. They are good tools when you need them. Cables ain’t always possible or practical depending on what your doing or where you are.
Corner notching 3mm wall box is heavy going on them. Mine is thirsty but I get good life out of a 5 ah pack if I use it for what it was designed for.

It was sheet to go inside a rack not box. However I agree about cutting v polish. I would not even touch an 80x80x5 shs post with one of those matabo because I would put a brand new battery on the matabo before starting one.right boogaloo they are.
I often forget about guys using grinders to polish a little surface to TIG or going over a stainless joint, it's obviously quite chalk n cheese

 

[Kent]

I was just talking about my own requirement, waste of money for me at this stage. I get it for guys out and about they would be handy and less hassle.

I agree

 

[Richard.]

It was sheet to go inside a rack not box. However I agree about cutting v polish. I would not even touch an 80x80x5 shs post with one of those matabo because I would put a brand new battery on the matabo before starting one.right boogaloo they are.
I often forget about guys using grinders to polish a little surface to TIG or going over a stainless joint, it's obviously quite chalk n cheese

I’ve cut extrusions on site with it when you need a one off or a bit of adjustment making but if it’s a job that requires a fair bit it’s far less hassle to run a lead.

 

[Richard.]

Battery life the Milwaukee seems to be as good as the metabo.
Power wise the old metabo was a better tool. It was a brushed motor grinder mind so quite a big bigger and heavier than the brushless Milwaukee but it had more nuts about it.

 

[Kent]

I’ve cut extrusions on site with it when you need a one off or a bit of adjustment making but if it’s a job that requires a fair bit it’s far less hassle to run a lead.

Given the option I have two 110v on the truck and the box.

 

[Kent]

Battery life the Milwaukee seems to be as good as the metabo.
Power wise the old metabo was a better tool. It was a brushed motor grinder mind so quite a big bigger and heavier than the brushless Milwaukee but it had more nuts about it.

Tried it bit too much in the hand for those awkward jobs. I don't think the brush or brushless uses less juice.? I do like the start and stop on the brushless, you don't need to wait - it just stops so you don't get a runaway grinder

 

[Richard.]

brush or brushless uses less juice.

Brushless is suppose to be more efficient and certainly more power than a brushed if motor sizes are equal but brushed motors in tools are usually a lot bigger so the power can often be either way.

 

[zzr1200]

Can the same be said for the owner...

Yes, but thankfully the owner has seen the light and no longer tries to fit 72hrs work into a 8 hr day. Pacing yourself is the name of the game these days, proper tea breaks, lunch breaks and sensible working hours when I'm working.

Not working atm, off on the sick, after a disk/spine operation and relaxing .....just pottering about.....work/life/balance is correct atm.....

 

[MattF]

I've had my Bosch for around 10 years and it shows no sign of letting up. I did try a makita but found the switch to be too fiddly.

Never liked the Makita switch myself, either. It's a pain in the ****.

 

[Charliefarlie]

I use lots of angle grinders mostly for grinding out brick joints ready for re pointing.. I’ve used lots of them over many years !!

The very very best ??? Cheap as chips Parkside from Lidle.... Honest !,

125mm blade a 1200W motor and excellent build quality.. they come with a spare set of brushes as well. I’ve stripped a pair or two of them and made one good one from them. So trust me I know how good they are. Hitachi Makita Bosch last hours doing our destructible work. Park sides just go on and on.

Best bit ?? £20............

Trust me as a toolaholic that buys Milwaukee on a weekly basis saying the above is hard. But true.

When not on sale in Lidle you can get them of EBay but the bobbing rastards double the price. Search Parkside angle grinder.

Oh and a 3 year guarantee..

 

[PhillipM]

I tried one a friend of mine bought, it was terrible, big, bulky, and vibrated more than something from Ann Summers.

 

[daedalusminos]

People are quite rightly recommending high value grinders (£200+) for professional use and if your livelihood relied on it that's understandable.

But it's also worth considering good quality cheaper angle grinders - I personally have 3: 1 for cutting, 1 for grinding and one with polydisc/flap wheel. For under £150 I don't have to swap discs and have backup grinders when one goes wrong....plus each gets less use.

 

[Kent]

Bought it about 6-7 months ago so maybe not. There's no way they've got 4x the battery life out of it though, there's not that much overhead on them when you check the power output vs battery capacity.

Now I am a metal basher not an electronics guy but I am told its the HD batteries that allow a deeper discharge before recharge not the actual motor so much

 

[Richard.]

You get a bit of extra life out of those hd batteries and the fact metabo ones are a slightly bigger capacity (5.3ah iirc) but it’s not 4x the life. I doubt it’s even 40%. There are a lot of comparison vids about on the newest most expensive cordless gear and the metabo always comes trumps on battery life. But it’s by a cut or 2 or a few holes drilled. We ain’t talking mega differences here and unless you were swapping them every 10 mins that wouldn’t even go noticed I doubt.

 

[PhillipM]

Now I am a metal basher not an electronics guy but I am told its the HD batteries that allow a deeper discharge before recharge not the actual motor so much

Not that much difference, the reason they use lithium batteries to start with is because they maintain voltage until almost flat.