Disc grinder thoughts?

[Cord]

I had a Milwaukee 4.5 and it died from wear. I then got a Bosch 5" rat tail and smoked it when I put a 6" disk on. I liked that grinder because the tail gave me a lot of control. I typically the 9" disks when they are worn and then put them on the smaller grinders. This one was a little big and I was working the grinder too hard. I now have a 4.5" Metabo. The grinder is comparable to the Milwaukee, but I really like the toolless wheel change. I also have a 4.5" Makita cordless grinder. This grinder is great for those little jobs. Grab it, slap a battery in and finish before you could have dragged the cord across the shop.

The 9" Milwaukee used to be the fastest way I had to remove material. Nothing could come close. Now I've upgraded to a 12" bench grinder and we're in a whole new class of material removal.

 

[PILOON]

Piloon, two of those Makitas are over 20 years old.

So you confirm my faith in the Makitas, LOL, guess I have another 10 years to go.

 

[ultrarunner]

Local Home Depot had a TWIN pack of Makita 120V disc grinders for $99

 

[LD1]

I have a metabo 6". Not sure the specific model.

But it's like the power of a 7-9" grinder, in a 4-1/2" size.

When it comes to flappers and grinder wheels, I just use 5" stuff so they work on my other grinders. Byt being able to use a 6" cutoff disc is a lifesaver many times.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I have the small 4.5 and 7 inch grinders. If you are an occasional user nothing wrong with Harbor Freight. I've used mine quite frequently and can't kill them. The 7 is great for fast removal. Just need to hold on.

 

[orezok]

When I have to remove a lot of metal, and I mean a LOT of metal, this is my go to grinder. 9" Milwaukee. I've had it for 40 or so years. The biggest drawback is that it weighs 15 lbs.

 

[Big Barn]

When I have to remove a lot of metal, and I mean a LOT of metal, this is my go to grinder. 9" Milwaukee. I've had it for 40 or so years. The biggest drawback is that it weighs 15 lbs.

View attachment 528905View attachment 528906

Now there's a tool I'd like to have. They definitely don't make them like that anymore.....

 

[EddieWalker]

I started out with a DeWalt 4.5 inch grinder and it was fine for small projects, but died the first time I used it for an extended period of time. It just overheated and burned itself up. At that time I thought DeWalt was a top end brand and figured that if it failed so easily, I should just buy cheap ones and not worry about burning them up. I went through several brands before rethinking that idea. It wasn't so much that they where cheap and died quickly, it was that I didn't have anything once it happened and had to go buy another. Being out in the country, I'm sure everyone understands about having to run to town for something you didn't plan on.

Then after my DeWalt circular saw died, I decided to try Makita. They had a special for the saw and a 4.5 inch grinder in the same box for $99 that seemed too good to pass up. That was ten to 12 years ago and both are still working great. I bought another Makita angle grinder so I could have them both ready to use with different disks. They have two different types of triggers, and I really don't know which is better.

Since then, I've replaced just about every power tool that I have with Makita.

 

[downsizingnow48]

For a while Bosch 4 1/2" angle grinders were selling for $49. I got 4 of them and put different disks on. That was several years ago and no problem. I like that it doesn't matter what I do, the trigger is in the same place and feels the same and I can operate it easily with heavy gloves on.

My dad had one of those 9" grinders, it was always my job. I hated that monster.

 

[tomplum]

It is good to hear Makita is good stuff again. Probably was the next thing after the HF ones that didn't pass muster were the Makita for me and they kept resetting so I moved on to the yellow ones. Interesting that we've graduated to 5 and 6 to fill the gap, but no real 6" grinding wheels seem to be available, at least commonly. Looks like the consensus is to look for a 5 or 6 with some power behind it or grab a 7". Thanks for the input guys and gals .