Alien
Elite Member
I burnt out, (wore out) my Bosch angle grinder and have missed it ever since. I used it for all sorts of things from sharpening mowers to cutting bricks when paving etc etc. Always something, BUT, I got sick of running an extension lead/s especially when no power points were in a convenient location.
So I considered a cordless angle grinder. Well, turned into a hornets nest of information and suppliers.
First the web...
Hard to find the right model, size, supplier who has stock etc.
I wanted a good brand and settled on Makita or Hitachi. Then I went looking...
One large business had 1 brand displayed here, another brand over there and another brand somewhere else and when I checked stock under the shelves they didn't have any at all????
So I went to Bunnings and started the perusal process again.
Aha... a Makita 115mm cordless, $114. Oh, it doesn't come with a battery or charger... (skin only they call it)?? Yeah, weird eh? So after searching for them for a while I gave up and asked a reluctant salesperson where the batteries and chargers were.
She took me to the other end of the toolshop and pointed them out and then fizzed off somewhere.
What!!??? $187 for a battery and charger!!!
Holy cow, I'm a pensioner.....
Long and short of it, I bought a corded Makita (125mm) and took it home for $97. I didn't really want a 125mm but you try and buy exactly what you want in Oz.
When I got home I said to my wife, "I should have got the cordless and then got the charger next month"
She agreed, so next morning back in the car and 30 klm later I drive into Bunnings and return the corded Grinder.
The short story is, I walked out with a full set of Makita 115mm Grinder, Charger and Battery for $301 + a few discs to keep me going. I need my wife to feed me for the next couple of weeks....
So if I buy the Grinder by itself, $114
The Charger is $189 (ridiculous)
The battery is $90
Yet they sell the Charger and Battery combo for $187. What the????
I see they are now selling brushless motors in their tool lineup but they cost an extra $100+ on top of the normal brushed type.
This is bull crap. I have been using brushless motors for years in model aircraft and they range from $15 to $50. Who is rorting who here? Brushless is the way to go for sure but I hate thinking folks are getting ripped off just because it is new technology in the tool lines but old everywhere else.
Anyways, I no longer have to run extension cords and my little Makita drill is happy to have a mate sitting beside him for company now.
So I considered a cordless angle grinder. Well, turned into a hornets nest of information and suppliers.
First the web...
Hard to find the right model, size, supplier who has stock etc.
I wanted a good brand and settled on Makita or Hitachi. Then I went looking...
One large business had 1 brand displayed here, another brand over there and another brand somewhere else and when I checked stock under the shelves they didn't have any at all????
So I went to Bunnings and started the perusal process again.
Aha... a Makita 115mm cordless, $114. Oh, it doesn't come with a battery or charger... (skin only they call it)?? Yeah, weird eh? So after searching for them for a while I gave up and asked a reluctant salesperson where the batteries and chargers were.
She took me to the other end of the toolshop and pointed them out and then fizzed off somewhere.
What!!??? $187 for a battery and charger!!!
Holy cow, I'm a pensioner.....
Long and short of it, I bought a corded Makita (125mm) and took it home for $97. I didn't really want a 125mm but you try and buy exactly what you want in Oz.
When I got home I said to my wife, "I should have got the cordless and then got the charger next month"
She agreed, so next morning back in the car and 30 klm later I drive into Bunnings and return the corded Grinder.
The short story is, I walked out with a full set of Makita 115mm Grinder, Charger and Battery for $301 + a few discs to keep me going. I need my wife to feed me for the next couple of weeks....
So if I buy the Grinder by itself, $114
The Charger is $189 (ridiculous)
The battery is $90
Yet they sell the Charger and Battery combo for $187. What the????
I see they are now selling brushless motors in their tool lineup but they cost an extra $100+ on top of the normal brushed type.
This is bull crap. I have been using brushless motors for years in model aircraft and they range from $15 to $50. Who is rorting who here? Brushless is the way to go for sure but I hate thinking folks are getting ripped off just because it is new technology in the tool lines but old everywhere else.
Anyways, I no longer have to run extension cords and my little Makita drill is happy to have a mate sitting beside him for company now.
