Angle grinder advice.

[The Pastor]

I have a small (100 dia or something) but i need a bigger one.

whats a good decent size to get? Im doing a bit of sub frame cutting and grinding and my 100 or something just isn't big enough.

Having a look on tm, the biggest i can find is 230? doesn't sound very big to me.

Has to be powerful too. Hate underpowered tools :whistle:

at unitec in the fab lab, we had a massive monster that was just the business.

Don't have a lot of $$ either so looking at 2nd hand.

[Ocean1]

Depends. ;)

Really.

A good 125mm is a good compromise, though, small enough to one-hand if nescessary but big enough to do some serious damage when needed.

Hitachi, Makita or Bosch. In that order.

Edit: And that 230mm job is for dealing with heavy steel sections, too bloody clumsy for light fabrication type work.

[Madness]

230mm is the largest dia. Usually only used for structural steelwork and railway track repairs etc.

Metabo, Bosch blue range, Makita made in Japan, Hitachi made in Japan. In that order.

Check out the thin cutting wheels too. 125 x 0.8mm is like a hot knife compared to the standard 2.5mm thickness.

[roadracingoldfart]

I have a small (100 dia or something) but i need a bigger one.

whats a good decent size to get? Im doing a bit of sub frame cutting and grinding and my 100 or something just isn't big enough.

Having a look on tm, the biggest i can find is 230? doesn't sound very big to me.

Has to be powerful too. Hate underpowered tools :whistle:

at unitec in the fab lab, we had a massive monster that was just the business.

Don't have a lot of $$ either so looking at 2nd hand.


125mm is a good size and the disks are reasonably priced too.
Go hunt out a bargain at the likes of cash confiscators or search trade me.
If you cant afford a good second hand brand one then get a shitty cheapy from a hardware warehouse and when it craps itself you get a new one every 12 months ;) perfect plan huh :yes:

[BASS-TREBLE]

We built and fabricated a go kart frame with a 125mm makita grinder, using it for everything like cutting and grinding. It did a few dozen cuts through 40x40mm square steel thats 3mm thick. Those thin blades are truly amazing and with those quick blade changing nuts its a breeze. anything bigger would be too clumsy.

[pete376403]

Buunings do a GMC brand 230mm grinder for those times when serious grunt is called for. Only $90. Yeah its cheap and a Makita will last ten times longer but for occasional work it's quite adequate. I've used mine for cutting bricks and concrete (with a diamond wheel) - worke great

[SARGE]

are you guys sure you want to tell Rent-a-kid Masterbator where to get power tools?????


kinda like giving a chimp a hand grenade... :shit:

[Ocean1]

kinda like giving a chimp a hand grenade... :shit:

Be pointless telling him to get a little wee one, if a job's worth doing it's worth doing right.

[SARGE]

Be pointless telling him to get a little wee one, if a job's worth doing it's worth doing right.

completely agree..


i sell them myself.. but i wouldnt feel right about selling RM anything with sharp edges

[Ixion]

Hand grenades come in various sizes ?

[Ixion]

completely agree..


i sell them myself.. ..

Ah, what it is to have contacts. But are you not worried that the Armoury Sergeant will do a stocktake ?

[SARGE]

Ah, what it is to have contacts. But are you not worried that the Armoury Sergeant will do a stocktake ?

you'd be surprised what 3 bottles of rum and a few sirloins will do...:msn-wink:

[AllanB]

In this wonderful world power tools have become throw-away items :Oi:. Go to Bunnings and purchase the biggest baddest mother you can afford and thrash it for the full duration of it's 'home user' warranty (12 months).

I have a $15 hammer drill that will not die from there!

[Ixion]

I actually know a Sergeant Armourer. But NZ forces tend to be much fussier about such things. I mean, when you only have one hand grenade and have to share it round, it would be noticed very quickly if it went missing.

[Motu]

I have a $15 hammer drill that will not die from there!

Mine cost $16.50 - but I'm still pretty happy with it after 3 years.

[Ixion]

Bugger! I got swindled. I paid $19. The bastards saw me coming.

EDIT: That was for a hammer drill, not a hand grenade. I don't know why all this stuff about power tools has gotten into a thread about hand grenades :Offtopic:

[gatch]

get a 4 1/2 inch (115mm) metabo or bosch, some 1mm cut wheels, piece of cake, if you stall one you are trying way too hard



OR if you want to cut your bike clean in half and probably lose some limbs at the same time, then get a 9inch take the guard off and put a 12inch cutting disc on..

[Ixion]

Bosch make hand grenades?

[TLDV8]

I have a small (100 dia or something) but i need a bigger one.

whats a good decent size to get? Im doing a bit of sub frame cutting and grinding and my 100 or something just isn't big enough.



If you can not do simple jobs like that with the 4 inch grinder you have,a bigger unit will not improve things.
Get some decent abrasives as recommended and get on with it.
If you want to waste money buy a 5 inch unit.
As far as 9 inch grinders you can use them on light materials but you need the appropriate skills and stamina,i have seen plenty of hero's scare or injure themselves over the years,they are not for bunnies.

The bottom line is until you can handle a small (The smallest) grinder it is pointless getting something bigger.

[cowpoos]

If you can not do simple jobs like that with the 4 inch grinder you have,a bigger unit will not improve things.
Get some decent abrasives as recommended and get on with it.
If you want to waste money buy a 5 inch unit.
As far as 9 inch grinders you can use them on light materials but you need the appropriate skills and stamina,i have seen plenty of hero's scare or injure themselves over the years,they are not for bunnies.

The bottom line is until you can handle a small (The smallest) grinder it is pointless getting something bigger.

That pretty much exactly what I was thinking...I'm working with Metal every day I'm working these days [metal buildings]...and I have a 230mm grinder,125mm grinder and a 100mm grinder... the 100mm grinder is used 95% of the time...the 230mm hasn't been used in months. 100mm grinder will cut next to anything..its light...easy to handle...mint...the 230mm grinder I have weight a heap...and not to mention as soon as you start the thing the torque rise being instant on a elec motor twists the thing in your hands!! Use your 100mm grinder...just learn to use it properly.

[cowpoos]

Mine cost $16.50 - but I'm still pretty happy with it after 3 years.

still in the box is it?

[The Pastor]

yeah but the frame has all this welded on shit where its cutting and i need to go deeper.

also it doesnt seem to be cutting one type of metal very well - do i need a better cutting disc? (or is it a weak grinder?), it cuts the other type of metal on my subframe really easily, just needs to cut deeper.

another reason for not perseving with this little grinder is that it has no shield and the blade is about 1cm from my knuckle.....

[The Pastor]

oh and i have a 105 dia blade on my grinder.

[vifferman]

I've never regretted buying decent tools, but I have regretted buying cheap ones.
Oh - and that expensive, well made but badly designed chain clamp universal filter tool. I bought it to be able to undo different sized filters on three cars and the bike, and it has worked only once. Every other time I've had to resort to "other methods" (such as punching a screwdriver through the filter).

I agree with what TLDV8 said - a bigger grinder's not necessarily going to be better for doing the job: it will be much more awkward (and tiring) to handle due to the torque and the gyroscopic action of the large blade spinning around. Buy a decent small one if your existing one's fookt, buy the right blade(s) for it, and use it as intended.

[The Pastor]

i dont think you understand. the 105 wont cut deep enough.

[vifferman]

I don't have to understand. You know what your needs are - go out and buy something suitable.
Just a thought - would one of those sabre saws work, or are they too wimpy? You'd still need the grinder to tidy things up though.

[The Pastor]

actually one of those might be better in terms of access to the area i need to cut, but they seem way more expensive.

[peasea]

get a 4 1/2 inch (115mm) metabo or bosch, some 1mm cut wheels, piece of cake, if you stall one you are trying way too hard



OR if you want to cut your bike clean in half and probably lose some limbs at the same time, then get a 9inch take the guard off and put a 12inch cutting disc on..

I understand most of that but.....what's the cake for?

[pete376403]

the 230mm grinder I have weight a heap...and not to mention as soon as you start the thing the torque rise being instant on a elec motor twists the thing in your hands!! .

The GMC from Bunnings has a soft start - no torque kickbaack when it starts up. The front handle also swivels through 90 degrees.

I agree with buying quality tools - I have (i guess) $1000s of good brqnd stuff in my toolbox, but sometimes a cheap tool CAN do the job

[AllanB]

i dont think you understand. the 105 wont cut deep enough.

The disk wear down pretty quickly - does it need replacing?

or

Crack out the hacksaw and build up those arms young man.
Use the grinder to tidy it up.

GRINDING - such a great word - I love it.

[doc]

Hand grenades come in various sizes ?


Yup , n you can even get old ones with different length fuses. ;) ferk use to luv playin with them.

Back to topic Don't ferk around with cheap disc's on a 230mm grinder, looks like a grenade has gone off when they shatter.

[reofix]

230 grinders are widow makers ... throw them in a skip... banned in polite company... only suitable for naki pipeline crew

[MsKABC]

Be pointless telling him to get a little wee one, if a job's worth doing it's worth doing right.


From the couch, hubby says: stop fucking around and get the biggest concrete saw you can lift with cut-off blade. :done:

[The Pastor]

I had a look at the sabre saws, and they look the bussiness, but angle grinders are way cheaper.

[FROSTY]

What the heck is wrong with a bloody hacksaw ? Seriously??
Put a GRINDING blade in the grinder if you must to tidy up the corners of the cuts. The time youve wasted rserching what kinda grinder to buy you could have the job done with the ol hacksaw

[The Pastor]

What the heck is wrong with a bloody hacksaw ? Seriously??
Put a GRINDING blade in the grinder if you must to tidy up the corners of the cuts. The time youve wasted rserching what kinda grinder to buy you could have the job done with the ol hacksaw
now wheres the fun in that?

[Madness]

So, where's the thread on "What colour hacksaw blades should I buy?".

[speedpro]

I've just mowed the subframe on my bucket with a B&D 110 that I've had for 20? years. I've got 1mm cutoff wheels and can vouch for them. I've also got a sabre saw and they do have their place but even the quality blades don't last when going through welds. Maybe you need to trim bits off till you can complete the cut. Be careful if cutting right through a frame member as they can jump when freed and bind on the blade. Do NOT buy the cheap 1mm wheels, get norton or some other name brand. The old 9" grinder can be great but generally they are more trouble than they are worth but geez you can get through some steel with a 1mm cutoff wheel in one of them. Be super careful with the biggies. I nicked a finger with one and it took out a very clean sharp edged 3mm deep slice. No doubt at all that the finger could have been removed in a blink.

[The Pastor]

I found a 2nd hand tool shop and got a repo saw - just need the blades now.

[Madness]

I found a 2nd hand tool shop and got a repo saw - just need the blades now.

They'll reposess powertools these days? sheesh!. I think you mean Recipro.

[Harvd]

Mine cost $16.50 - but I'm still pretty happy with it after 3 years.

haha i used to work for a certain Large (MEGA?) store and you wouldnt believe how many of those peice of shit angle grinders and drills and saws... we sold and how many came back from tradesmen who cum bak and say it shat itself gimme a nu 1! Furk off. always buy the good stuff coz the amount of tradesmen who say theyve had a mikita (Pro bosch, dewalt, hitachi, metabo) tool for more than 20 years was quite amazing. the second they move production to china the quality falls away instantly. maybe 1 day china will get there?

[TLDV8]

They'll reposess powertools these days? sheesh!. I think you mean Recipro.

Reciprocating Saw actually. :laugh:


haha i used to work for a certain Large (MEGA?) store and you wouldnt believe how many of those peice of shit angle grinders and drills and saws... we sold and how many came back from tradesmen who cum bak and say it shat itself gimme a nu 1! Furk off. always buy the good stuff coz the amount of tradesmen who say theyve had a mikita (Pro bosch, dewalt, hitachi, metabo) tool for more than 20 years was quite amazing. the second they move production to china the quality falls away instantly. maybe 1 day china will get there?

I know a few folk who have got good life out of the cheap brands,i once grabbed a cheap ($39.95) drill which refused to die even using hole saws,luck of the draw perhaps.
Brands like Bosch have changed though,they used to be indestructible but now the armatures seem soft and give no where the life.
To date i had a great run out of Flex 5 in grinders,still made in Germany i think.
It is not limited to power tools,most products these days are cheap and nasty compared to yesteryear.