# Angle Grinder Questions



## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

Well, mostly just one question.

There seem to be two categories in the 4 1/2" angle grinder world, a 6-7.5amp category that cost around $50 and a 11-12amp category that is $99 or more. 

What's the difference? What can I do with an 11amp unit that I can't do with a 7.5amp?

What I'll be doing is carving/shaping wood and cleaning metal with a wire wheel. Maybe a little light gauge cutting, but not much yet.

Brands I'm looking at are DeWalt and Milwaukee, but Bosch and Makita wouldn't be bad if a screamin' deal came along.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

The 4.5 amp Harbor Freight one for 20 bucks or less has done every thing I have asked it to do. That includes grinding concrete with the diamond cup wheel. I paid more for the wheel than the tool that powered it. 

If you have not needed one before now, I suspect the same model will meet your needs.

My ex BIL works metal for a living sometimes cutting larger angles and a lot of them in the same day. He might benefit from the increased duty rating of the more powerful tools. You will just be wasting money unless you plan to use it all day every day.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

The higher amp grinder with the wire wheel might twist a person's shop apron up a little tighter but that's about it.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

I have been using Dewalts low end for years. Quite happy with them.

I have used it for: cutting concrete with diamond blades, grinding steel with course grit resin fiber disc, Wood is a breeze, knoted wire cup brushes, type 27 grinding wheels for steel, type 1 cut off wheels. Once you start using it, you will wonder how you managed without it


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

I've cut concrete,pavers, and rebar with this one for the last 3-4 years,works for me.


http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-4-1-2-half-inch-angle-grinder-91223.html


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks guys. I'm not a Harbor Freight guy usually so I'll stick to one of the other brands, but it's nice to know I can get a lower priced one and not outgrow it very quickly. 

And it's not that I haven't needed one until now, I've just always had to ******* it with something else.


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## asevereid (Sep 24, 2015)

I've used a Dewalt (lower end) for the last two years for everything from coping trim to cutting out stucco, to cutting brick. 
It's taken everything I can throw at it, but it will bog down under load. 
I'd guess that it would work fine for a wire wheel, but you may need to step up to a higher amp model for carving (but I wouldn't know, I've never carved).


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

with a higher amperage your gonna get more power in general.. you might even see variable speed but im not sure about it.. the biggest thing youll find is tool life.. my tile guy has used the 4.5 amp grinders and only gotten a year out of them but the 7+ amp models hes gotten countless years out of .. 

the innards of the higher amp tool will have heavier gauge wire with better insulation on them so they wont burn up nearly as quick


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> What's the difference? What can I do with an 11amp unit that I can't do with a 7.5amp?


Ayuh,.... You can lean on the higher amp grinder much harder before it labors real bad, 'n stalls,....

I like the Dewalt 4, 1/2" with the paddle switch,...
Got several of 'em,...

I Hate the thumb switch grinders,...


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

It'll definitely be a paddle switch. My jigsaw has a side switch, and I'm not crazy about it, but that's the only way I could get that particular one. As long as the paddle still locks on in case I want it to, that'll be what I get.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

After an accident I had nearly 50 years ago that could have been very disastrous but I came out smelling like a rose, any portable tool with a lock gets the lock disabled.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

I've always been reluctant to buy any power tool with a paddle switch because if the power cord ever gets stuck under that paddle, you can't turn the machine off. I can see people will doubt that could ever happen, and I'll fight to the death to defend their right to have that opinion, but I've had it happen to me with a Makita angle drill.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> I've always been reluctant to buy any power tool with a paddle switch because if the power cord ever gets stuck under that paddle, you can't turn the machine off. I can see people will doubt that could ever happen, and I'll fight to the death to defend their right to have that opinion, but I've had it happen to me with a Makita angle drill.



I have a Dewalt angle drill with a paddle switch. Never had the cord issue but have had several inadvertent start ups just picking the tool up.
Real easy to depress the paddle while grabbing it.

On a grinder the paddle should have a toggle safety lever that needs to be moved prior to depressing the paddle. After the paddle is released the safety lever should reset. Any paddle switched grinder that did not have this safety lever to prevent inadvertent start ups, I would leave on the store shelf.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

I thought that was standard issue on paddle grinders?


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## Wildbill7145 (Sep 26, 2014)

Trigger locks can be a dangerous thing for sure. A customer of mine was using a hand held power planer while up on a ladder. Ladder kicked out on him and he fell. Trigger lock on the planer was on. Shaved an 1/8" of flesh of his arm when he fell and lost control. Planer got caught up in his pants and started heading upwards to his 'parts'.

Thankfully it bound up and killed the motor before it arrived at it's potential destination.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Mort said:


> I thought that was standard issue on paddle grinders?


Ayuh,.... They are on the Dewalts,....

I know, as that's the 1st thing I take off, 'n throw away,....
That, 'n the blade shroud that never even gets put on,....


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,.... They are on the Dewalts,....
> 
> I know, as that's the 1st thing I take off, 'n throw away,....
> That, 'n the blade shroud that never even gets put on,....


Haha, you're right about the blade shroud. I got a 2nd hand one (which later burned up, hence the need for a new one), and I was all worried about it not having a guard that would fit. I then looked at my table saw, my scroll saw, and circular saw, realized that not one of them had a guard, and went on with my life.


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## Mort (Nov 26, 2008)

Update: went with a DeWalt DWE4011, which is a 7amp slide switch type. I looked for a paddle switch but no place had one locally except in a Makita and I wasn't crazy about the design on it. 

So far cutting and grinding light gauge steel, along with a test carve/shape on some pallet wood, I think it will serve me well. Thanks for the advice.

I wish I could get variable speed but for the price point I'm not far away from a Festool RAS115 which would be better for wood shaping anyway, and dust collection would be way better.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Mort said:


> Update: went with a DeWalt DWE4011, which is a 7amp slide switch type. I looked for a paddle switch but no place had one locally except in a Makita and I wasn't crazy about the design on it.
> 
> So far cutting and grinding light gauge steel, along with a test carve/shape on some pallet wood, I think it will serve me well. Thanks for the advice.
> 
> I wish I could get variable speed but for the price point I'm not far away from a Festool RAS115 which would be better for wood shaping anyway, and dust collection would be way better.




Looks similar to the same unit I have been abusing for about 5 years. 
Regarding the VS, I have a home-made VS controller made from a junction box, receptacle, VS fan switch and a heavy duty extension cord. Simple to put together, minimal cost. I use it on several rotary tools. Like the RotoZip, router, old single speed dremel, and grinders. 

I am not a electrician, so I am not 100% sure that this is the best for these tools, but I have never burned up anything using it.


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

I'm definately NOT "Mr. Shop Safety", but be extremely cautious about grinding with carborendum wheels w/o the safety shroud on. I've had them come apart while working them hard before, and it's ugly. I thought I broke my wrist last year when a huge wheel broke apart and hit me...............


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