Queries re angle grinders

[Deleted]

I am thinking of buying a 4 1/2 inch/115 mm angle grinder - would be used for cutting predominantly I think.

I cannot see me needing a larger one, but if others' experience is that larger is better and more useful please let me know, before I go ahead and buy

I am also intrigued by the following on ebay:

cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOSCH-DeWALT-MAKITA-4-1%2F2%22-ANGLE-GRINDERS-INTO-SAWS_W0QQitemZ200325190400QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090328?IMSfp=TL090328124001r17672

-does anyone have any comments on these? Are they OK/safe, or should they be avoided like the proverbial?

Do they cut any better than the "usual" discs/blades?

All advice welcomed! ;D

Regards, A

[drjohn]

Hi Alasdair

I don't know about where you are, but in Malaysia I can buy the 4 1/2" grinders for two bottles of beer, but I can't get replacement discs or blades in 4 1/2" - so I opted for a 4" where all the consumables are freely available.

DJ

[Deleted]

Hi DJ - thanks for the reply.

I am in UK, and it seems that 4 1/2" blades/discs are readily available here.

Regards, A

[drjohn]

I bet they're not at Chinese prices ;D

But seriously, it's well worth buying a decent branded grinder if you intend to use it as much as I use mine. The cheap Chinese stuff melt the plastic cases, and the black & decker one melts the plastic rotor former.

DJ

[dickdastardly40]

Alasair,

B4 you shellout for a Bosch one, check out your local Aldi if you have one. Their own brand tools have a 3 year guarantee, I've been very happy with mine, I think they may be selling larger ones this week. Last I looked they had a selection of discs too. As ever with Aldi you have to be lucky that what you want is in stock. No Affiliation etc.

Al

Edit, seeing DJ's mention of quality, if you are using occasionally I think my recommendation has merit, if you see yourself cutting a lot then a name brand as DJ suggests may be better in the long run.

[weldsol]

Hi "A" I would go along with DJ go for a good make i.e Bosch Iv'e got one and it has taken a hard beating but still performs well. Once I was taken in at a car show special offer grinder for £10 (new) it came with spare brushes and looked the part, it lasted no more than 3 minutes before it smoked its self took it apart one brush had gone to dust (hence the spares) the windings were of the thinnest copper you could find and had decided to vanish.
Re the disc's on ebay two things one if your left handed they are no good. two if you have ever had a grinder kick back think what this thing will give. Stick to disc's you can get them down to 1.0mm thick for cutting (do not use these thin ones for side grinding)

Paul

[dickdastardly40]

Adding on to the advice, if when you spec your prospective purchase up, see if you can get one which 'soft starts', this prevents the twist motion you feel as you hold it when the disc spins up. Not sure if it is available on 4 1/2" types but definitley worth it on larger.

[ron]

Hi Alasdair
I've used angle grinders a lot in the past for classic car restoration and basically in most cases you get what you pay for, but for model engineering purposes they are not getting hard usage, ie they are not running for hours on end cutting out rusty panels then weld prepping. The 4.5" is the ideal size, the discs are easy come by and relatively cheap and the tool is a lot easier to handle than the the bigger ones.
I completely restored the body of an MGB with two cheap ones at a tenner a piece then a TR6 with a £50+ Bosch, sometimes the cheap ones make financial sense but they always seem to pack in at the most inconvenient time plus the Bosch one is still going strong years after the car was finished.
I'll also second Dickdastardly's advice, Aldi and Lidl power tools are excellent value for money even at full price, and quite often they have a fair whack off them.
Ron
PS No personal experience of it, but that thing on Ebay looks pretty dangerous to me! maybe better with a proper chop saw.

[drumkilbo]

Hi Alasdair,
I still use a Bosch one that I bought in 1983 when I was making a trailer, trailer has since decomposed but angle grinder still going strong and I got a diamond stone cutting disc for slab cutting so it 's had periods of heavy use, a bit like me really.

Cheers,

Ian.

[engineernut]

Had a cheap one yrs ago but no guts and did not last that long.
Then purchased a Bosch probably 15yrs ago and absolutely superb. Still going strong, after lots of brutal work, with no problems. Well worth the extra cost to buy it. ;D
Personally I would be very cautious on buying/using that saw you mentioned.
If you want to cut sheet metal why not go for a jig-saw with a metal cutting blade. Or if you think the sheet metal will be reasonably thin (can't remember offhand the thickness mine will cut) then a nibbler that fits on a ordinary electric drill.

[spamcanman]

Last week Heath&Safety turned up at a school I do work for looked at the bottom poles of the swings and saw some surface rust and condemned the whole playground, So I had to cut up the swing frames that were thicker than scaffold poles with an angle grinder. After first burning out my mates Wickes one we then burnt out another (Nutool) I popped into Screwfix and bought this this www.screwfix.com/prods/53964/Power-Tools/Grinders/Makita-9554NB-4-240V-Angle-Grinder and it finished all the rest of the playground. Even the disc's lasted longer than the cheaper models.

[ppplant]

Re the tool on Ebay. Even if you are right handed I cannot see how this can easily be used as a saw. Surely the side handle on the grinder will be in the wrong place for proper control? I alwys feel its better to get the corect tool for the job,multi-purpose tools are very often a compromise and dont do any job totally satisfactorily.

[havoc]

I got one of the small cheap ones. Use it about twice a year for cutting something or taking off paint with a wire brush. I prefer it for the paint jobs and if any cutting to do I get a saw.

[ace]

As the coordinator at work for PUWER - Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations I am often asked if we can purchase accessories for equipment like the angle grinder attachment etc, I have to say that unless it is designed for and approved by the manufacturer of the equipment forget it. If it goes wrong or worse fails at speed the manufacturer will not accept liability for the out-come. The standard angle grinder is designed to be used by either left or right handed people. Some manufacturers build in 3 handle grip positions to allow maximum comfort and stability the machines are designed to run at a set RPM and attaching foreign accessories may affect the balance & vibration level which has been known to explode disc's. Stick to a well known brand and only buy good quality disc's'.

[Deleted]

Thanks very much to all posters - my mind is now made up that whilst an angle grinder will be a useful tool (and I will buy one), I will steer clear of the ebay saw attachment.

Regards to all, A

[ironsanctuary]

A- I have been using a 4 1/2" grinder for about 20 years now. Very handy as a grinder and with a cup brush for paint and rust removal. I would be cautious about cutting with it. The blade speed is very high no matter which brand. I have had good results with a 7 1/4" power saw with an abrasive blade. Turns slower. I have had them disintegrate with no harm to me. It is very easy to guide in a straight line using a clamped guide bar. The larger ones are too heavy for me.