HF tools that suck

[lostcreekranch]

Couldn't be as noisy as the $9 angle grinder .... or is it?

I've never bought one of their angle grinders but others, who have, noted that giving the gears a good glob of grease makes a big difference in noise level.

 

[California]

I've never bought one of their angle grinders but others, who have, noted that giving the gears a good glob of grease makes a big difference in noise level.

I should - but I never have.

 

[flyerdan]

It's not just the HF grinders, open up any brand and you'll discover that they chinzed on the real grease. Whenever a new grinder came into the shop, they always gave it to me first to open it up and replace the cosmoline for some moly grease and a dollop of Power Punch. That made it a bit stickier, and help it to flow into the bearings that otherwise wouldn't see any lube at all.

 

[lostcreekranch]

It's not just the HF grinders, open up any brand and you'll discover that they chinzed on the real grease. Whenever a new grinder came into the shop, they always gave it to me first to open it up and replace the cosmoline for some moly grease and a dollop of Power Punch. That made it a bit stickier, and help it to flow into the bearings that otherwise wouldn't see any lube at all.

Power Punch?

 

[California]

I just remembered a Much Suck HF tool from 10~15 years ago: A rig for mounting an angle grinder to make it a chop saw. Made mostly of thin sheet metal.

You would expect you could force a little weight on it, to the point where the motor rpm dropped a little. However - it flexed so much that there was extreme risk of shattering a thin cutoff blade because forcing it in the cut flexed the chassis crooked instead of loading the cutting edge. I tried clamping it to the workbench to improve stiffness. That didn't help.

Also I just remembered that tightening the built in 'vise' pulled whatever was in the vise up off the table, crooked.

100% a useless pretend tool.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I've never bought one of their angle grinders but others, who have, noted that giving the gears a good glob of grease makes a big difference in noise level.

i have 3 of their grinders, 1 cheap one and 2 their best. They all run smooth and take a lot of stress the way I do stuff. I guess; wait and see. I use the cheap one for a wire brush wheel, i for a cut off wheel and the other a 14/grinder disc. They are always on the welding bench.

Ron

 

[California]

i have 3 of their grinders, 1 cheap one and 2 their best. They all run smooth and take a lot of stress the way I do stuff. I guess; wait and see. I use the cheap one for a wire brush wheel, i for a cut off wheel and the other a 14/grinder disc. They are always on the welding bench.

Ron

Similar, I have the $9 one, the orange (now red) one, and the blue paddle switch. Wire brush, cup brush or flap disc, grinding disc, respectively. I only use them occasionally, but no problems in the 15 or so years since I bought the first of these. I really should grease them. They clearly don't have the torque of a $100, 11 amp pro tool but they serve me ok.

 

[JRobyn]

Sometimes, especially when wirebrushing odd-shaped pieces with a knotted brush, a little less torque is a GOOD thing.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Similar, I have the $9 one, the orange (now red) one, and the blue paddle switch.

I had the blue paddle switch. It died about a week after the 90 day warranty ran out. Probably the 2nd or 3rd time it had been used.

Went to Lowes and got a MUCH nicer Porter Cable for about 10 bucks more.