Could be an angle grinder in my future

Let me guess, the first time occurred moments after your avatar photo was taken.

 

I've got 9 Milwaukee's 2 recently let the commutator end bearings eat the shaft. 4 makitas never a issue, just brushes. 4 sioux, excellent but I don't think that they are made anymore. 2 metabos again never a problem. If you have a compressor dynabrade makes a sweet grinder that I'm really liking. Although it stops so fast it can spit off the wheel if you don't wrench it on.
5/8 11 is the best spindle imho. Don't buy cheep wire brushes unless you like a numb hand. Flap wheels leave a nice finnish but stones are more precise. Metabos slicer wheels are the cats &ss.
Best to go and get what fits your hand, especially if you have small hands.
I could go on....

 

I use a corded Dewalt 4 1/2" grinder. I use it for cutting, grinding and sanding metal. I also use wire wheels for rust removal.

I have the chainsaw wheel for rapid removal of wood on carving projects. That chain wheel is sick how fast it cuts. It is pretty dangerous if it grabs and can almost throw the grinder out of my hand.

If the grinder crapped out tomorrow, I would be fine as I already got a lot of use out of it. It owes me nothing. Wish I had one years ago.

 

I have noticed that Metabo seems to be the choice of guy's that make their living welding.

 

That chain wheel looks twrrifying.

 

How can you not have an angle grinder!!! I have 2. There very usefull. Hook a wire wheel to them to clean up rust and scale to paint, knock tell slag off a weld. Cut rusted nuts and bolots off, cut metal.

And you can buy the corded models for $10 from harbor freight . There 4.5" and they have decent power for a homeowner.

 

They also make 4" angle grinders.

 

They make those for wheedeaters. And I have seen the ones from grinders. I can't say I would have the balls to use one. I'd be worried it would be ripped out of my hands and come back around and get me somehow and not like a chain saw where if your hand leaves it the throttle is off, that grinder will go until the switch gets bumped off, it cuts it's cord or it gets ripped out of the socket.

 

Mention was made earlier of variable speed.

Does this increase the versatility of the tool? What kind of tasks would require slower speeds?

 

I can't think of any...finesse maybe. Or something that can't the rpms?

 

We also use Metabo angle grinders at work...I have two that are at least 11-12 years old...used often, and HARD...and just keep going.
At home I have two 4.5" angle grinders, one HF special (POS) and a Dewalt...and they are probably my most used power tool, both at home and work...with a cordless drill being a very close second...probably put more trigger time on the grinder though.

 

I've had the out of control grinder happen with a narrow cut off wheel. Thank god the meat slowed it down before it got to the bone......

 

We use DeWalt 4.5" at work, I get over a year maybe 2 with them , which in itself doesn't sound like a lot, but we only get one, and they get used for everything. Not to mention when welds need to be ground flush or bevels need to be put on parts, they can take a real beating over the course of an hour being used real hard. I've had them so hot they are almost to hot with gloves on to hold. No matter what you get, spend some money on it, so you don't have to be afraid to use it.
The 7" grinders are mean! We have a metabo at work that has outlasted about 10 makitas. Armed with a 7" cubitron 36+grit pad you can remove some steel in a hurry. Most 7" you can really stand on them.

 

actually the first set was about 12 years ago, remodeling a kitchen had to rip a board down, wife was holding it, saw a bird, pretty bird, turned to get a better look, moved the board and caught my 2 fingers in the circular saw, by some miracle the saw stalled against my fingers and I wound up with 4 or 5 stitches. No residual affects, just 2 small scars.
the odds are better at hitting the lottery then being bit by a shark.

 

Uhhhh, shudder.

 

I did mention to get the trigger switch not a slide switch. The trigger type shuts off the grinder as soon as you release the switch (a good thing when bad things happen). But really not a variable speed option. There are some that also have a dial that does vary the speed, more for polishing I would imagine.

 

one speed is good for 99% of everything you will do. I have a variable electronics speed control, collects dust unless you are polishing something. It was to expensive to use a "grinder" polishes only, the only reason I bought it was for concrete countertops I was building

 

They tend to burn out faster too.

Myself, I think I might get rid of Katie before I get rid of my angle grinder. Okay, that might be over the top, but it shows how attached I am to my grinder. I do not have a cutting torch so all my fabrication is done using thin cut off wheels. I think they are fast and accurate, but I had a boss who insisted upon using a sawzall. Man they ate blades and cut slow.

Not a great photo, but I built this Feller-Buncher cutting all the steel with an angle grinder.

 

That is cool. You built that little buncher. What severs the tree? Is there a bar and chain on the bottom or is it a disk like the bigger versions?

Edit: looking closer.
Or does that just hold it and you cut with your saw?