4.5 grinder recommendation?

[bigtiller]

harbor freight consumables are junk. i found a dewalt sale at a local murdochs, and got a great deal on dewalt wheels and stuff, so i have a good stock of them now.

kept being tempted by the metabo, so ordered that one. thanks for the recs though. i may pick up a VS one as well, sounds interesting. have not used one before.

For a second or third grinder, look at a cordless model. they are very handy when using a thin cut-off wheel.

 

[3Lfarms]

I use the higher amp Dewalt for wire brushes and 36 grit flap wheels when I am doing a lot of grinding.
I have three of the $30 HF grinders for cutting and general light grinding.
A good cup brush will let the magic smoke out of one of the HF grinders in short order though. Been there, done that.

 

[California]

I use the higher amp Dewalt for wire brushes and 36 grit flap wheels when I am doing a lot of grinding.

I tried a 24 grit flap wheel (not available at HF, so DeWalt from Tractor Supply), to clean up rusty metal before welding. Wow! 24 grit is way more aggressive. I prefer it for this application.

 

[aczlan]

I use the higher amp Dewalt for wire brushes and 36 grit flap wheels when I am doing a lot of grinding.
I have three of the $30 HF grinders for cutting and general light grinding.
A good cup brush will let the magic smoke out of one of the HF grinders in short order though. Been there, done that.

My problem was the gearbox losing a couple of teeth in a row, not the smoke getting let out...

Aaron Z

 

[California]

My problem was the gearbox losing a couple of teeth in a row, not the smoke getting let out...

Mine, the $9.95 model, spit out its internal plastic cooling fan, in fragments. The similar one 10 years newer went up in smoke. Both had been installed in a chop-saw holder. They aren't well suited to that continual heavy load.

My better HF angle grinders, orange and the blue one with paddle switch, continue to work as expected.

I recently got a Ryobi 18 volt angle grinder since I have the batteries and could use the included charger. So far, I like it. But its power is probably equal to a 5 amp grinder like HF's orange, now red, version.

I really want an 11 amp pro-grade angle grinder!

 

[Big Barn]

Sadly they’re all using more plastic parts theses days.

My “tool guy” who has repaired more than his share of grinders pointed out the differences in Metabos. (His fave).

The newer ones are considerably more ergonomic but the weight savings are a direct result of plastic replacing metal. In his industrial setting the entire dockyard was equipped with Metabo grinders with many being rebuilt multiple times.

I toasted my 7-9 inch Milwaukee due to plastic components.



Mind you i didn’t have much invested in it as I bought it used.

 

[Fallon]

Mine, the $9.95 model, spit out its internal plastic cooling fan, in fragments. The similar one 10 years newer went up in smoke. Both had been installed in a chop-saw holder. They aren't well suited to that continual heavy load.

My better HF angle grinders, orange and the blue one with paddle switch, continue to work as expected.

I recently got a Ryobi 18 volt angle grinder since I have the batteries and could use the included charger. So far, I like it. But its power is probably equal to a 5 amp grinder like HF's orange, now red, version.

I really want an 11 amp pro-grade angle grinder!

I'm a Ryobi fan as well. Not great, but good enough & more importantly One+ batteries are the ones I got started with. Once you get locked into a battery system you are hard pressed to change.

I only have 1 One+ grinder for now. Equal power to the HF grinders, but massively more convenient without the cord for under 15 minutes of grinding.

 

[DJ54]

For my money, I go with the DeWalt mid grade grinder. I do a lot of cup brushing cleaning up rusty metal tubing from conduit reels. Even with deep clean with using electrolysis, it needs to be buffed off. Dust being sucked in, will wear the armature contact point where the brushes run, and wear it to the point of no return. I used Milwaukee also, and they last about the same amount of time, but here, the DeWalt's are a little less expensive. I'll get 2, maybe 3 years out of one, and you can tell it's starting to falter, so time to be looking for a new one.

Here, Home Depot seems to have the best prices on comparable models. When the kids ask what I want for Christmas, I ask for the HD gift cards, to buy new power tools, if needed. At least I get something I can "use"...

 

[swines]

I have, Bosch, Milwaukee, Metabo, and Fein grinders. FWIW - as of 2016, Metabo is owned by Hitachi. The Fein grinders are made in Germany and, in my estimation, are the best dollar value. The Fein grinder line starts at about $69 and goes up to about $400 depending upon the size of the grinder and features (anti-vibration, motor wattage, etc.). The have a "two pack" of small grinders that put out 360 Watts for $99. For $50 bucks a piece that's hard to beat. The last one I bought was the WSG8-115 for $129 because it has a 13 foot cord.

I recently bought the Milwaukee 18 volt battery operated grinder because I do enough "remote" grinding that the convenience is worth the cost. So far, it's as good as AC units for power and grinding ability. I use it with Norton Blaze fiber discs and it's faster than a standard depressed center grinding wheel.

 

[not2old]

For a second or third grinder, look at a cordless model. they are very handy when using a thin cut-off wheel.

I'm really disappointed with my Makita cordless. The brushless model might be better.

 

[spitter]

Metabo is by far the best grinder I have ever used . I bought a Metabo 14 amp 5 " grinder for my demanding jobs like concrete cutting and grinding .The problem is if you don't have hands as big as andre the giant's holding on to it for lite flap wheel tune ups it get whey to heavy and cumbersome. Plus it will run you about $300 . If you go on the metabo website they have about 75 different grinders in the 4-6" range ratails , lever switches , thumb switch, all 7-14 amp. pretty mind boggling.:confused2: But if you can't find your perfect grinder there it don't exist. Much better than buying what ever they have left on the shelf at the home sh-- hole. :drink:

 

[TractorGuy]

I have a Dewalt DWE4120 9 amp that works well. I prefer a paddle switch. The safety lever on the Dewalt switch took some getting used to but I decided not to disable it.

Prior to that I had a 30 year old Craftsman that nothing would stop. Was a sad day when it finally went up in smoke.

I went through two HF grinders between the Craftsman and Dewalt. Those are junk and I don't have time to be running to the store every time I come up on a task they are not up to. I had the cheapest and then tried the paddle switch model. Both would bog under a load and both burned up pretty quick.

Unlike a previous poster I have been satisfied with HF consumables. Both the grinding wheels and spiral wound wire brushes have held up and performed well for me.

 

[Big Barn]

I'm really disappointed with my Makita cordless. The brushless model might be better.

Same here. Mine is equipped with a flap wheel and relegated to quick touch ups.

The brushless is most likely better like you say but I won’t bother.

 

[radios1]

I have a Dewalt DWE4120 9 amp that works well. I prefer a paddle switch. The safety lever on the Dewalt switch took some getting used to but I decided not to disable it.

Prior to that I had a 30 year old Craftsman that nothing would stop. Was a sad day when it finally went up in smoke.

I went through two HF grinders between the Craftsman and Dewalt. Those are junk and I don't have time to be running to the store every time I come up on a task they are not up to. I had the cheapest and then tried the paddle switch model. Both would bog under a load and both burned up pretty quick.

Unlike a previous poster I have been satisfied with HF consumables. Both the grinding wheels and spiral wound wire brushes have held up and performed well for me.

Craftsman tools are made in China, just like Harborfreight tools are!. most everything is now made in China!. the only thing that changes between brands is the labeling and outside customizations. this is done to save money!.. the first 3 digits of a Craftsman part number signify who it was made for originally.. but STILL made in China!..

 

[EddieWalker]

I've tried a few brands. The old Craftsman from the 80's probably lasted the longest, but I wouldn't buy Craftsman today. I tried DeWalt tools when I started working full time as a contractor, but they didn't last very long. Their grinder was one of the worse tools that I ever bought. That might of been when I decided to give Makita a try. I have two 4.5 inch Makita grinders that are ten to 12 years old and still going strong. One has a slide switch, the other is more of a paddle type switch. I don't pay attention to either when using them, it's more of what's on it that decides which one I use. Cutting wheel, grinding wheel or sanding disk. I use them more for sanding then anything else.

 

[radios1]

you can look here for who makes tools. Surprise!. Tool Industry Behemoths: Who Makes & Who Owns Most Tool Brands?

 

[Ford850]

Most brands have several products ranging in quality. I’ve been buying the USA made Dewalt tools and have had very good luck with them. I’ve also bought a few of the higher end Bosch tools which have been great too. Stating one brand is better or worse is like Ford vs Chevy. They both make high end goods and low priced junk.

 

[California]

Reading through this thread I finally decided to get an 11 amp 4.5" grinder like I've been thinking about for years.

After reading favorable Amazon reviews I chose the Dewalt DWE402N, normally $81~85. I set a pricewatch @ $60 at camelcamelcamel.com. They send you an email when your target price is hit.

(camelcamelcamel shows four instances below below $60 this year, one of those was $49.99).

Anybody have experience with Dewalt DWE402N? It's the DWE402, 11 amps, with No lock-on switch.

 

[yomax4]

Being from China doesn't mean automatic bad. Just like welding equipment made in China. Some plants are great others are bad. I have brushless cordless Milwaukee stuff and it's holding up. My Makita cordless stuff I used to use was ok but the batteries were shot once you got them hot. Friends have Ridgid from Home depot and Master Force from Menards and they seem to take an ok beating. I seldom use corded grinders.

 

[groundcover]

Had a high end Dewalt that gave up, had it repaired for almost as much as a new one. Now it has died again and been tossed. While it was out for repair I got a soft start Milwaukee with paddle switch. Love it but the soft start won’t kick my Ranger welder out of idle.
Have had a Makita for years that has never missed a beat.