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I Forge Iron

Grinder brands. Whose is the best?


Hayden H

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  1. Whats a good brand of hand grinder? Mine quit today
  2. Whats a good brand of wheels to use?

My personal favorite brand of finish wheels are standard Dewalt wheels in the appropriet grit. I LOVE Red-Line abrasive discs. Carbide encrusted awesomeness is the only way to put it.
And I use the cheapo harbor freight cutoff discs. Metabos on the list when my funds go back up.
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I use BOSCH grinders , they cost a little more , but last longer than all other brands. The DeWalt 41/2" is too fat for my hand to fit around comfortably, The grinder wheels from home depot, or Harbor Freight are OK for a hobbyist , If you are doing a lot of grinding , Ace Industrial Supplies, in California, has 4 1/2" wheels, 5/8" hole, 1/4" thick , for $1.50 ea. If you buy 100 min. Warning! Ace will annoy you to death with follow -up fone calls.

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I have a Ryobi grinder, works good.

I use Dewalt disks because they last significantly longer than the HF disks. After travel or shipping there is no value for me to use cheaper disks. I have used a better lasting disk than Dewalt, but don't remember the brand. I get Dewalt discs locally (every big box has them)

Phil

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I have two 4 1/2 side grinders. One Bosch and and Milwaukee. the Bosch is I guess 15 years old. I fried a bearing in the head the first 6 months I had it by hoggin a rock into a place and stoppin the wheel. I replaced the bearing with ( iirc ) a 10 id 20 od standard pump bearing and it has gone the trip in good service. The Milwaukee howls but does good. It has a paddle switch which i really like better. I keep rocks on the Bosch and flap wheels on the Milwaukee. I truly like one particular model of Pearl wheel but can no longer find it so I use either Makita, Flexovit normally. Norton makes exceptional wheels. I use Makita flaps but others are good too. I normally keep a Makita 7" on the big grinder ( which is a Sears ). I have used Metabo and will probobly buy one if and when the others die.

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So a Metabo cut-off can be used to grind, not just cut? All I've ever used one for was to cut something square with a box of pricy cutoff wheels. And I'll never own a ridgid hand grinder as long as I live. The shop owner bought 3 on August 29th, one quit (while I was using it) a week ago, one makes a very strange whiring noise, the other has had no ill effects, well not yet atleast. They're used all the time in the shop by people that don't exactly know how to operate a grinder. (Seems pretty sraight forward until they put something on backwards, or take a flap-wheel to a mobile object and make projectiles out of both.) They're used at absolute max for 4 hours a day, and never continuously.

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I have a 7" Bosch and love it will eat some metal had some trouble with other Bosch tools (circular saw) coating on the motor pealed off 2 years old just out of warranty and left hanging with a piece of junk Chop saw wore it out. Bought a Milwaukee 4 1/2" a few months ago it runs great but made in Mexico came with a nice tool bag.

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I abused a Makita 5" for 15 years, and it would still be running if I had not burned it out using a 7" diamond wheel on concrete. The 7" Makita I bought to replace it is good as well. I also bought a 5" Makita with a soft start which is a gutless POS. I have several 4.5" Mastercraft (Canadian Tire house brand) grinders that I picked up when they go on sale for about $25. they have stood up amazingly well. I have only killed one from dropping it one too many times.

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I have several 4.5" Mastercraft (Canadian Tire house brand) grinders that I picked up when they go on sale for about $25. they have stood up amazingly well. I have only killed one from dropping it one too many times.


You've had much better luck than me. I have blown through about 4 Mastercrafts in the last 2 years of my infrequent use. The gears stripped out on one within the first 5 minutes of using it. A 2nd one must have had an electrical issue from the get-go. I started it up and it let out a 'pop' and a puff of smoke. The other 2 stripped out the gears after a bit more extended use (usually with a cup brush).
I have had good luck with my Bosch with a thin grip (fits my pork sausage fingers nicely). I have a 5" Makita and I use 7" Dewalts from work. My friend sells Fein, so I was thinking of trying that one next. They are pricey, but if they last for years, then they are worth it.
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As far as I'm concerned dewalt, millwalkee, ridged, and a few others are just Chinese companies now and don't exist anymore. I'd rather buy the foreign brands made in China..... Bosch, Metabo, Makita which are good machines......Mini rant.
I don't know who's abrasives are the best but the worst by far come from HF, you get what you pay for....
I know what you're sayin' Rusty when you mentioned call backs from these jokers........They hang on like grim black death! I was abusive as possible for years with one outfit and they still kept calling. I think they had running bet as to which one of em' would get me to crack and buy more stuff.......The last time one called I told the guy, nah I don't want to talk about grinding wheels today....Let's talk about your Mother, and that was the last call I got... B)

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I'm throwing in another vote for Metabo! I especially like the "slimline" version, it's nice and light. Have two of those 100mm ones, one with grinding disc, one flapdisc. Am going to buy another to have a cut off disc on it at some point. I also have a 230mm Dewalt which I bought as it was on sale, but I don't like it! Might just be because it's a beast of a thing, though!!

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RIGID is the best!!!!! They are a heavy duty tool, and the come with a LIFE TIME warrenty!!!!!! I have had one now for 4 years and it has never given me any trouble, and they stand by their warrenty!!!!


But if you've never had any trouble with it, how do you know they stand by their warranty?

Sorry, I couldn't resist. It was a rhetorical question. You've had good experiences with the brand. I get it. :D
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RIGID makes great tools, In 1994, I bought a RIGID 590 carbide tipped 12 " dry cut saw. It came with one blade, I bought two more blades so one would be at the sharpen shop, and I would cut with a spare. Now all blades are worn slap out, and the saw keeps on cutting, original brushes too. Then, those blades cost $200.00. I do not intend to spend that on an old saw that may smoke anytime. I do intend on using dry cut carbide saws as my primary means of cutting solid bar stock, NEVER tubing, and intend on buying a JEPSON 14" saw. the cut is better than a chop saw as a sharp blade leaves no sharp kerf which must be ground off. As fast or faster than a chop saw, a lot quieter, and no abrasive dust at all, the sawdust is pure steel chips only.I have cut 3" solid round steel with it and pallet strap. Used with care, this is a very good cutting method. For this old saw I intend to buy any cheap 12" carbide tip blade with a 1" hole. OH!! that reminds me of a modification to my saws that I want to pass along. I used M.I.G. wire to tie a clear face shield lens to the blade side of the saw. It sure stops those sparks from hitting me.

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