First grinder I grab in the shop is the 8" air grinder. Little body, looks like a UFO. Don't know who made it but I'm sure my company bought it back in the 70's?
We have Makita's and Milwaukee's for when we are mobile. I've been abusing my Milwaukee daily for three months straight on a project I'm doing and it is still going strong. And it is already quite a few years old. My mechanic / employee prefers the smaller, lighter Makita to get into tight spots. I have nothing but good things to say about both brands.