4.5 grinder recommendation?

[Looking4new]

My Makita serves me well. I've got about 15 years out of it so far.

 

[PILOON]

One thing I do do when I buy an angle grinder (cheap or not) is, I take the gearbox apart and make sure it has adequate grease inside. I've found that the cheaper ones have little grease inside so I always add some quality grease. With my heavy handed use, they need all the help they can get....

In all honesty I suspect some of the cheaper (import no name) grinders simply use lard as a lubricant. (LOL, you can tell by the smell)
As I mentioned elsewhere, air blowing clean occasionally is very important as abrasive dust is sure hard on bearings, bushings etc.
Part of my upkeep routine is to re pack with quality grease.

More than once I noted the grease clinging to the casting and none on the gears.

 

[5030]

I have used several brands, in serious settings. Milwaukee, Metabo, Hitatchi, HF orange, HF red, Makita, DeWalt, Lowe's, Skil etc. I've picked up a bosch to use, but never put much time on it. But Bosch is the owner of skil.

My thoughts:
1) Milwaukee. Good Product. Not without faults. Get highest amperage you can find. But idiots exist and as my father said "Some people can tear up a steel ball in a sand bed."
2) Metabo. Good product, but not what people say it is. Get the clutched model. But once you get in a regular habit of slipping them, they slip easier and easier.
3) Hitatchi. Good product for the price. Buy 4 and keep a different wheel on each one, and put the 4th one up.
4) HF orange. Save the brushes they send with one. But never had any issues with them except the fact they are low amp rated. Use accordingly and let the grinder do its job and they last. If not, watch the smoke. I miss those because they were good for certain tasks...but they've replaced most of them now with the red product I think.
5) HF Red product. Nope.
6)Makita. Works well while they last. Never had great luck, but some people swear by them. I burned up mine quickly when used under comparable conditions to similar amped models.
5) DeWalt. My favorite. If anything, you can see it with the bright yellow. But I don't buy less than the 10 amp. They have a 13 amp model...which I like. But I was on a job installing burglar bars on a restaurant. Had a new HF and just happened to be fairly new DeWalt on the tailgate of my truck connected to my engine drive. Walked into the restaurant to check out some installation issues. Came back out 15 minutes later and the orange HF walked off, and the Dewalt was still there. Go figure. Also they have newer designs with a special vent that keeps the sparks from getting into the motor works on some of them. Easy to use and adjust spark guard.
6) Lowe's. I think my brand at the time was GMC? Good product, variable speed, but it had its limits. Never burned up or smoked it, but did wear out the brushes. Need to fix it. It was great as a cup brusher.
7) Skil. Run and hide. It's not the grinding disk throwing out smoke.
8) B and D Orange Crap storm orange things. Lasts longer than skil...but don't hold your breath for more than home owner expectations, unless it starts smoking.
9) Bosch. OK...but I can't get away from the thoughts of a skil being from the same company blood.

But above all considerations, look for this:
1) Amp rating. It's the great equalizer and only way to truly compare. That will tell you expected duty and life span of the unit. 7 amps is not great, but tolerable for light stuff. 10 amps minimum for pro use. 13 amps are better, especially for a 4.5"
2) Extra Brushes. They all wear out.
3) multiple possible handle attachment points. 3 is good. 2 ok. 1...pass on it.
5) Easy to disassemble screws and brush openings. If its sealed up looking pass on it. No screws? Run.
6) Easy to access and operate Disk lock pin.
7) Easy to remove disk. I like the Dewalt hand remove, toolless design. Not all of them have it though.

I'd think in as much as you sell Oriental welders, you'd prefer Oriental grinders and probably vehicles too.... You eat with chopsticks maybe? Just curious.

 

[5030]

In all honesty I suspect some of the cheaper (import no name) grinders simply use lard as a lubricant. (LOL, you can tell by the smell)
As I mentioned elsewhere, air blowing clean occasionally is very important as abrasive dust is sure hard on bearings, bushings etc.
Part of my upkeep routine is to re pack with quality grease.

More than once I noted the grease clinging to the casting and none on the gears.

Was pleasantly surprised when I took the gearbox apart on the Bauer 20 volt 4.5 angle grinder. I was expecting Chinese lard as well but it actually had EP grease inside and plenty of it. Real needle bearings (not bushings) too.

Will see how long it takes to find the smoke.

Just found the smoke in a Milwaukee chop saw. Was a stinker too. Sure smelled like rice paper.:laughing:

 

[jasonzee]

I just bought the HF 11amp grinder and so far it works just like the highter dollars motabo.

 

[5030]

Even the cheapo HF 4.5's aren't all that bad so long as you first put real grease (not lard) in the gearbox and you don't force them excessively. The motors won''t take forcing well. They tend to stink quickly. At least with the cheap ones, there isn't much consternation about landfilling them.

The only drawback to the really cheap ones (besides the ease of finding the smoke) is that they are inherently noisy because the gears in the gearbox are die cast, not machined and no bearings, just bushings so internally, they are sloppy and noisy. Besides, lard don't make good lubricant really.:laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

Neighbor went through 3 Harbor freight one weekend... I loaned him my Milwaukee and no problem... but now wonder if that was a mistake?

He had the warranty so the exchange was no problem other than driving there... when he came back the last time they refunded his money in full... and he did not even ask for a refund...

Another has a well booster pump... he has the warranty and same thing... full refunded as he came back too many time.

Now I have Harbor Freight Chain I use around the place and 100% satisfied...

 

[5030]

Neighbor went through 3 Harbor freight one weekend... I loaned him my Milwaukee and no problem... but now wonder if that was a mistake?

He had the warranty so the exchange was no problem other than driving there... when he came back the last time they refunded his money in full... and he did not even ask for a refund...

Another has a well booster pump... he has the warranty and same thing... full refunded as he came back too many time.

Now I have Harbor Freight Chain I use around the place and 100% satisfied...

MY SOP is I buy more than one at a time so if and when I find the smoke, I go to another and find the smoke in that one and so on and take them all back at one time. Quantity discount so to speak.

So far I have not found the smoke in any of the Bauer 20 volt tools and I've tried though not stupiditly. I'm sure if I got stupid with them, I could. You put any motorized tool be it 110 or cordless in a locked rotor situation and keep on juicing it, you'll find the smoke and it don't matter who made it either. That applies to any motor in fact. Locked rotor equals no air flow and maximum amperage draw. No air flow means the windings overheat and then they stink. Some stink worse than others but they all puke the same way.

Don't believe me? Take your Milwaukee and gouge it into something, lock it and keep juicing it. You'll find the smoke, I guarantee it.

Least with the HF Bauer stuff, finding the smoke isn't financial ruin.... Chicago Electric is even better 'cause it's even cheaper.

 

[5030]

I just bought the HF 11amp grinder and so far it works just like the highter dollars motabo.

Don't lock the rotor or it will stink right away....:laughing:

 

[California]

Don't lock the rotor or it will stink right away....:laughing:

Can you stall an 11 amp angle grinder? Seems to me you risk shattering the wheel pushing it that hard.