The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Angle Grinder

I'm in the market for an angle grinder primarily for removing rust. It will be my Christmas present to myself.

I'm thinking a compact design with battery power would be good for working in tight places and for the frame. Any advice on brand, battery power, compact design models, etc. ?


Thanks

If you do that, buy lots of batteries and an extra charger. My 4 inch Makita angle grinder plugs into the wall, and the battery never runs down.
Jerry

The ones I like have a paddle switch. Way easier to use. I've had good luck with Dewalt, Makita and Bosch rechargeable power tools.

John

I have a Milwaukee M18 FUEL 2780-20 Cordless Brushless Grinder 4 1/2 5" 18 Volt. I love it. It runs a long time. Gets in hard to reach spots. I also have the
Milwaukee M18 2663-20 Cordless 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench 18 Volt. Not Cheap but worth the investment! Again, the Batteries last a Long Time. (Same batteries ONE charger!)
Good Luck & Merry Christmas.
Todd

Just remember with a battery it might be a little bigger and heavier and you will have to charge it and may need extra batteries .With a cord grinder good for if you need it in a power outage or out in a scrapyard or field .

I like my makita corded

When I was cleaning up my frame I got a HF CHEAPO and kept a cup wire wheel on that. Had a flap disc on the makita

Was worth it for time saving


If I get a battery operated one i’lll just get the same brand as my drill , bosch

I bought two HF units, the $10 one which has a slide switch that is a PITA to use, and it wore out the shaft bushing when I put a cup brush on it. The other was the $20 paddle switch unit that has been my go-to for my restoration work. It's still running strong since I bought it at least 4 years ago. When the really cheapo one went bad, I bought a spare paddle switch unit for backup. It hasn't seen any service yet, and I'm on the downhill side of needing it for my truck work. All of them are corded. My experience with battery powered drills/impact drivers is that when you need to use it, the battery needs charging, delaying the work.

We use 125 mm Milwaukee fuel grinders to cut rebar and give them a pounding very reliable I would say bulletproof but have used HRL s gun and see what damage they do battery technology is a lot better now

My best grinder is a Makita 7", I bought it new almost 40 years ago and it has never let me down, zero failures and zero maintenance.

I too have a 40yo 7" Makita. Takes both hands to carry it around but made to take a beating. The type of work you are planning is 1)crappy, so you want it to go as fast as possible and 2)Very hard on the grinder.

I have several air grinders, the big 7", several 4.5" grinders and a cordless Dewalt. The cordless is good for quick (15min) jobs away from a 120v plug. The air grinders are more for medium load, non-stop, hours of continuous running (they are light and generate no heat themselves), the 4.5" are good for heavy metal or paint removal in a small area and the big 7" is likely my first choice for much of what you are describing.

You don't want to skimp here.

Ditto- - - -when something absolutely, positively HAS to get ground down, my big Makita 7" comes out and the job gets done! With the right disc, it even smooths out concrete!
Jerry

Thanks guys for all your advice and Merry Christmas

My 30+ year old off brand angle grinder finally gave up on me last week. Maybe Santa will have an extra in his sack.

If you are intending to do any real grinding and sanding, a corded version is a must. I like the small 4 1/2 inch diameter models as they are light so they don't wear you out holding them. Any bosch, makita, or dewalt brand is okay. I never liked the switches on the cheapo versions.