Favorite angle grinder?

[StretchASU]

@Mac5005 that Hitachi is the same one I have. I would definitely buy another if they're still around $40 or so.

Forgot about the 7" Dewalt 15A. Overkill for this thread most likely but it really kicks ass when you have bigger jobs.

 

[Chris_Keziah]

My main grab is the DeWalt. It has the easiest guard to adjust out of the all of them. The Milwaukee is meh, it definitely is not in the same class as the DeWalt. Both are the $60ish dollar varieties. The Hitachi hands down the best grinder I've ever had, thing is likely 10 years old. Doesn't get used much anymore since the guard is long gone. Usually only gets used when there's more than just me in the shop. The big bastard Milwaukee is a hoss, pretty sure it's like 4hp. It's kinda like riding a horse on cocaine and only gets used when there's lots of grand fuckery to clean up.

I saw above talk about the M18 fuel grinder, thing is tits but it will never beat a corded unit. I usually keep a flap disc on it for quick clean up. You'll straight murder batteries if you try and use it like a corded grinder. However it's a must have for quick and easy stuff, just dont expect to cut long in thick stuff.

Cliff notes, I'd buy the DeWalt again. Though I've never tried anything other than the above. Likely going to buy the DeWalt that @Mac5005 has above to add to the lineup for the fatigue reason he mentioned.

 

[sammi_davis]

Milwaukee has been owned by techtronic since 05 and Atlas owned them from 95-05 before that they had an investment group that owned them. DeWalt was a rebranding effort from Black and Decker in 92 or so after B&D bought ELU. in 2010 B&D merged with Stanley and in 2016 or 2017 Spectrum bought them and put them under their umbrella.

Both companies have been bought and sold , both make a decent tool. The return rates on Milwaukee are a 1/4 of DeWalt / B&D but theirs arent high by any means. The Milwaukee's have a little better parts on most of the tools , like bearings instead of bushings , sintered gears instead of nylon gears and a better grade of electric motors. Milwaukee still makes a fair amount of their tools here , but DeWalt is bringing back a lot of production beyond the made in the USA with global materials. They just opened a new 425'000 sf plant in Texas and are bringing most hand tools and a lot of the cordless lines back onshore.

I run mostly Milwaukee stuff myself and with DeWalt's recent service center debacles most of our customers are moving over to Milwaukee as well . We carry Milwaukee, DeWalt and Craftsman but the Milwaukee lines outsells the DeWalt and Craftsman lines 3 to 1.

Metabo and Hitachi are one in the same and are owned by KKR.

Bosch makes a great tooless grinder that I think will make inroads as people see it and use it . It attaches like their starlock oscillating tools do. They merged with Skil in the early 2000's but Bosch sold them to Chervon who makes the EGO line of cordless outdoor power tools.

Porter Cable is B&D and nowhere near the tool it used to be .

Ryobi is Techtronic (Milwaukee) Rigid (but not Rigid hand tools which are made by Emerson) and Hart.

Makita is still a stand alone company as well as Fein and Festool ( if you have Treadway level funds). Hilti is also still on their own and their tools are fantastic , a lot of rental places use them based on their longevity and ability to withstand abuse.

I'm not sure if this will help or not!

 

[jeepinmatt]

How long does the battery last?

4.0 battery, not that long. Working a cutoff wheel or heavy grinding might even make it sub 5 minutes. Light-medium flap disc work is 10-20 minutes. 9.0 battery lasts a lot longer, and pulls harder too, but a bit heavy. I don't have anything in between. I think something around a 6.0 would be about perfect. Like @Chris_Keziah said, it's no corded grinder, but if you just want to do something quick without dragging out a cord, it is awesome. And for laying under stuff because the cord doesn't catch on tires or get under you.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I have a 20ish year old Milwaukee the same. The bearings in it sound like shit and i keep waiting on it to lock up. I'm in the market too.

Haha! The bearings in mine sound like shit too, but it has sounded like that for many years. I've been waiting on it to fail for so long now that I've given up waiting. It might outlast me.

I'm pretty sure they have straight cut gears. I looked mine up and it's a Milwaukee 6154-20 Super Magnum 4.5" that I paid like $140 for back in 2001ish.

4-1/2 inch Super Magnum Sander Grinder

The 4-1/2” Super Magnum® Sander/Grinder from Milwaukee Tool offers extra heavy-duty grinding capability in a compact, ergonomic design.

www.milwaukeetool.com

At 12 amps, it was the most powerful 4.5er that they made at the time, and is apparently more powerful than the ones they make today, haha. It has always had a very rough sound to it, and it has never gotten any better or worse.

 

[jeepyjman]

I have a few of the soft start 5" feins and they are top notch!

 

[Blkvoodoo]

was using this at work a few weeks ago, used with cut off disc on 1/4” plate and it was pretty effortless. Swapped on a grinding disc and that was pretty effortless as well. Probably end up with one myself pretty soon. It’s around a year old and has had multiple idiots using it (including myself) and hasn’t melted yet, how bad can it be ?

 

[CLRracer]

4.0 battery, not that long. Working a cutoff wheel or heavy grinding might even make it sub 5 minutes. Light-medium flap disc work is 10-20 minutes. 9.0 battery lasts a lot longer, and pulls harder too, but a bit heavy. I don't have anything in between. I think something around a 6.0 would be about perfect. Like @Chris_Keziah said, it's no corded grinder, but if you just want to do something quick without dragging out a cord, it is awesome. And for laying under stuff because the cord doesn't catch on tires or get under you.

I have found the 6.0 battery to be the sweet spot on my Milwaukee. It will never replace a corded grinder, but I can usually make it a whole day doing smaller odds n ends type grinding/wire wheeling while working on a project. For a corded grinder I also like DeWalt. If I had to only have one grinder, or did a lot of fab work like some of these guys, it would be corded. But as a DIYer I don't think I will ever not have a cordless option.

Duane

 

[NCJeeplover]

as well as Fein

I have a few of the soft start 5" feins and they are top notch!

I believe the fiens are some of the best bang for the buck out there. They are much cheaper than I thnought they would be.

Side switch

with paddle switch

FEIN WSG 7-115 PT 4-1/2" Angle Grinder With Paddle Switch, 3 Year Warranty 4014586888156 | eBay

Handy 820 W compact angle grinder with dead man's switch for light grinding and cut-off work. Dead man's switch.

www.ebay.com

One of the best things is it has the fein tool tradition, a super long cord!

 

[Jody Treadway]

I still have and use a DeWalt 4.5" that my dad bought me when I started building my first Jeep in 2000. Cord is nearly worn out, but it works like a champ.
Siince I don't do a ton of fab or anything, I use DeWalt from the Lowe's that is 1/2 mile from my shop.

 

[Black Bear]

Another Dewalt user. I have both the switch and paddle style. They have been great to me. One was bought in early 2000's and the other in 07 or so.

 

[rcalexander105]

Love my corded Hitachi

 

[Jody Treadway]

Love my corded Hitachi

What you do in your own bedroom is none of our buisness

 

[rcalexander105]

What you do in your own bedroom is none of our buisness

Nice of me to hold the door open for ya

Well played, sir

 

[Drunktaco]

I’ve got 2 dewalts. One I’ve had for a long time. The other I got a few years ago just because my original is getting a little long in the tooth. Both are the paddle style and hefty amp. I’ll have to look at the model numbers to tell you exactly but they’ve never let me down. Even when used as a hammer once or five times.

We’ve used Makitas at work but they’ve been phased out with metabo and Milwaukee.