4-1/2" Grinder - Does anybody make on that lasts?

I've got 3 Ryobis.. don't like to change cutter, flapper, grinder, etc. Got them from Home Depot each time. I really like the trigger switch versus a slide... MUCH easier to control speed and use and MUCH SAFER. I still have my Harbor Freight cheapy but don't use it. Important thing is that you ARE using something! Keep working.

 

I have a makita that is 10 years or so old. Also have the larger Makita found using it for bigger jobs helps the little one last longer.

 

Harbor freight 4 1/2 going on 2 years hard abuse, switch is out but still works.
Friend of mine thats in the metal polishing business told me to use harbor freights and quit paying $80 for grinders. He said the switches go out. He was right.

 

Both Milwaukee and DeWalt make two different models - standard and heavy duty, the latter have a stronger motor. Have been using Milwaukee for a long time and they hold up good. Now that they are owned by a Chinese company, manufacturing has been moved to Mexico and will probably shift to China soon.

 

I have a Makita and a couple Harbor Freight grinders. The beauty of the HF stuff is that with the replacement warranty I just run down there (they are only a mile away) and get another one for free as they explode. I seem to always have a new one at no cost!!!

 

I have a $20 Northern Tool, probably the same as HF, I bought it in a pinch expecting it to last a day or so...I finally killed it after several months(but not constant use). I ran out of thin cutoff wheels, so I was cutting 1/8" box tubing with a thick grinding wheel. It was slow going, then the smoke came...ended up having to got to the store anyway. If I had went for more thin wheels, the cheap little thing would probably still be working. They must have given out extra rations of rice the day that one was built, the only thing I have ever bought from China worth a ****!

 

I recommend cheap ***ed harbor freight for all power tools.

I was grinding with a 7" grinder wearing a loose T-shirt with a big hole in it. my buddies cheap *** harbor freight grinder caught the shirt and twisted it all to ****. the way it got me the shirt was wrapped around my hand and I could not let go of the trigger, when the shirt got tight it stopped the motor and I kicked the plug out of the wall.

my milwakee would ripped the shirt right off my back and sanded a nice gouge out of my chest.

so if you use milwakee, wear good Tshirts and don't be stupid.

 

Makita 4.5" - going strong after 8 years, lots of old Henry metal, and my right hand index knuckle

 

How do you guys feel about gloves while grinding or around other rotating equipment? I know they will protect against abrasions, but you can also get a finger ripped off, not jut scuffed up.

 

I've had my Milwakee going on 22 yrs. Replaced 2 switches, 4 sets of brushes, and 2 cords, but its still going!!

 

I've got an old Craftsman and an old Makita that still work well. All the newer ones I've gotten, except Bosch and Metabo, seem to die. I like the Metabo's a lot and will be buying those for the new shop.

 

i got a dewalt, and i'm guilty of using a grinding wheel as a cutting wheel occasionally.
has held up great, had it for a year and a half with no issues.

 

.had my B & D for many years,2 cords same switch,when I first got it I PACKED the gear head with heavy grease hasn't failed yet...

 

.........."It was slow going, then the smoke came...ended up having to got to the store anyway."

Too bad some enterprising soul can't come up with some replacement SMOKE so when it finally leaks out of these things we can just re-fill it with smoke and continue on....

 

i wear nitrile gloves in the garage, but at work when doing any sheetmetal jobs we are required to wear mechanix gloves.
drill press i'll roll my coverall sleeves down, and make sure the gloves, and sleeves are secure. maybe all this is overkill, but the navy also requires safety posters to be placed EVERYWHERE, so seeing pics of those who didnt take precautions is enough for me

 

We sell Metabos and DeWalts here at work. Personally, I like the Metabo, but being made in Germany, they are a bit pricey for most. The DW28402 (old DW402) 4 1/2" grinders are alright, but all in all, I can tell you from being in charge of our repair dept. we have more DeWalts than Metabos sent in for repair, however, you do have to factor that theres a ton of DeWalts out there as opposed to Metabos. We have one customer that swears by Metabo only and purchased over 200 brand new units alone last year. So far so good for them I suppose.

I would also recommend Porter Cable as well.

www.studerindustrial.com

 

As a Journeymen electrician, I use Milwaukee corded and cordless drills, rotary hammers and circular saws on a regular basis. They are tough units. We have them serviced yearly. Checked, lubed, whatever they need. We use big extension cords and the right sized unit for the job.

We've tried B&D, DeWalt, Metabo, Ryobi, Makita, Bosch and found them all lacking in durability. Some were better than others but none stand up to the Milwaukee.

There are several points to consider, like using the proper sized tool for the job. If you've got lots of grinding to do, use a big grinder. Use the little one for tight spaces and smaller jobs.

Proper sized extension cord. #16 cord is good for lights and maybe a 3/8 drill but not for big tools.

Maintenance. Blow them out, lube what you can, let the repair shop take the maintenace to the next level occasionally. Bushings, bearings, brushes, armatures all wear.

 

I have two DeWalt 4-1/2" grinders. They've both lasted me for years. One of them is plastic around the gear casing part and the other is metal around that part. The one with metal is better. The plastic one sounds like the gears are about to chew up at any moment, but it's been like that for years. Also the plastic one has kind of a junky switch that doesn't like to stay engaged. The one with the aluminum gear casing has a push****on to make it quicker to change grinding wheels, and it has an easier to use power switch. I think for the money, DeWalt is the best deal around. I have a DeWalt 1/2" hand drill I bought used 15 years ago, and it still works great.

For a lot of things I used to use a hard grinding wheel for, now I like to use zirconia flap discs. If you get good quality ones, they grind faster, are a lot quieter, and leave a nicer finish. The cheap ones shred to pieces in a few minutes, but the good ones last a long time.

I have a 4" Makita that's all plastic. Never was too happy with it. The gears sound terrible. DeWalt is a better brand than Makita. They're also easy to find in the mess on the garage floor since they're bright yellow!

 

here at crushproof, we are SPOILED by our Metabo's.

we have a large pile of "others" that still work, but get p***ed over for the "green meanies".we use the we-41-150 quick's. 7 inch grinder motor in a 4 inch body. I could grind an anvil to dust, and it would not even slow down.

21/2 years, both still going strong, and daily abuse from 6 guys.

suffice to say, that even at the higher price, I would buy another one.

 

I've got one of those huge 7" grinders, it's a Dewalt and it's a well made machine but I NEVER use it, since it's so big.

I had a HF 4 1/2" unit that lasted me a good couple years. It was still working when I "retired" it but it was getting really loose and I didn't feel like waiting around for it to explode.

That one went out while I was working on my Dad's GTO, and he went out and got me another HF replacement, but this one was different than the one I had previously. My old one was orange and had metal cooling fins on it, this one was blue and had plastic fins. Within a day the red plastic cooling fins on the blue grinder were disintigrating and blowing out red clouds of shavings, so I brought it back and got another one of the orange ones.

Unfortunately, it seems they replaced the old orange ones with a different model. I was happy to dig through a pallet load of grinders to find the last of the old style 4 1/2" ones. My only complaint is the on-off style slider switch instead of a push****on.

 

Ive got some of em' all. 2- Milwaukee 4.5", 3- Dewalt 4.5", One Bosh 4.5", B and D 4.5".
I like the Milwaukee grinders alot, and I think i use the 7" one more than the 4.5" model. Bosch makes a nice grinder too. Mine has a thunb switch on the side that locks in the on position. Nice thing for some jobs. Ive had 3 or 4 HF grinders. Junk. Waste of money. Buy a name brand grinder for $100 or so and you will be much happier. Its nice to have a few grinders with different attachments.

 

DeWalt I have 3 of them and I like the palm grip switch.

 

buy the best milwaukee............they last ,...rooster

 

I have had good luck with my Skil grinder. I have had my original one for close to 10 years and just bought a new one the other day. The new one seems well built and plenty of torque. I bought a cheap Buffalo brand a few months back for $10 and it is so under powered that it gets too hot to hang on to if you use it very long.

 

Dewalts for me. I use my 4 1/2" grinder nearly every day, only have one, so it does it all. The last one went 4 years until the brushes wore out, someday I'm going to buy it new brushes... This one is only 2 years old now. I buy the big amp grinders and if I used an extension cord, I have a few 50' cords rated @ 15 amps. It ****s when I have to close my shop to go across town to get another grinder, so I try to take a little care of mine, when it starts getting hot from the heavy grinding, I give it a little rest (maybe 5 minutes) before I abuse it again. Gene

 

The first ones that I had were cheapo grinders that a friend recommended, lasted a little longer than pulling them out the box, then smoked.

In the last five years, I've had two B&D grinders. I paid about $30 each for them. They have a two year warranty. The first lasted almost 3 years, the second one has been going for over 2 years. Whatever you buy, save the receipt along with the warranty, just in case.

 

i have had the same problem with ryobi..the 1st burnt up..this 1 i have now takes a beating...best thing about HD ryobi..you can take it back with no reciept...dirty and all and they will swap it out for ya..but i also have a makita that i have had for 10 years or so..but i like the ryobi better

 

Years ago for about $40, I think, I bought a cheapie Taiwanese grinder, it held up good, but it disappeared on me.

To replace it I'm on my second Harbor Freight "Chung-Ho" grinder...I got it for $15 and I'll buy another one if/when it fails.

I don't know if Snap-On sells a similiar tool or not....but I'd bet it's big bucks....

My money would be on the Makita if I were to buy a "good" grinder. I have one of their saw's alls..and it's never missed a beat. Old g/f's cousin is a slaes rep for Makita out of Chicago, and he said that they had the best motor in the business.

I also wouldn't be afraid to get a Ryobi...that seems to be a good tool as well...I bought one of their routers after wearing out my Black and Decker while building my woodie...

 

I've had a Makita and the newer Milwaukee (the older is comparitive size to makita). I've found that the makita was better for using a wire cup because of the clumbsy, narrow gaurd (compared to the Milwaukee thats easily adjusted) but it is smaller for tight areas and can be balanced in one hand. For most other jobs the milwaukee offers the better adjustment features and fits more comfortable in your hands. Because its bigger the vibrations are dampened more and the switch is less frustrating (and safer) than the thumb lock on the makita. Besides best comfort and stability, the milwaukee has another unique feature over the makita, it has an extra mounting hole for the handle at the top. If your only going to have the one though, I'd steer for the makita since it will get in anywhere and basic. Dewalt makes a good in between the two but they're made in mexico and thats were I 'stop at the border' sort to speak.

 

8 harbor freight grinder returns in the last year,got them to give my money back whole $9.99 put it toward a craftsman 7 amp $39.99 well balanced ,seems like a good grinder so far.