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what brand grinder do you like......Edit......bought one

gmc4cw

gmc4cw

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I am looking to replace my dewalt 4-1/2" grinder. It has served me well for 10 years. The pin that locks the wheel so I can remove it has been failing for awhile. Really the casing is to blame. they surround the pin in plastic.

This has since been redesigned. I am probably going to buy another Dewalt. all my power tools are Dewalt. I am not looking for a cheaper option, but maybe an optin. Who uses Milwaukee? they are a little more money.

The only feature that I have to have is the on switch has to lock. I do not want one with a paddle.
 
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I dig the crap out of my ridgid grinder
I beat the crap out of it and it is still kickin after 4 years
i have built just about everything on my truck with it.
 
those are your best choices...

We slaughter our Dewault... run carbide 7" circular saw blades in it to cut 3" S.S shafts in 1/2.. psycho abuse on it... it's like 8 yrs old now and still as torquey as the day we got it...

Milwaukee makes nice stuff.. good motors.. haven't used the grinder, but sawzall's, drills and buffer/grinders are pretty sick.. so i'd bet the 4 1/2 is too...
 
you run 7" blades on a 4 1/2" grinder?
holy crap
anyone lost any fingers?:eek1: :eek1:

I have lost a lot of skin on the grinder at work with no guard and 4 1/2 disks
i cant even think about a 7 in blade on it
 
It's about a 1/2" from the leading edge of the trigger... And yeah, it's nuts... But it's effectiveness is invaluable for that job.. Fun running that in a tight bildge... :rolleyes:

I wont trust anyone else to run it like that... certainly not the safest thing...

speaking of, what are these guard things you speak of??? :rolleyes: :haha:
 
my boss was using it in a 53 chevy we chopped and dropped it while it was stuck on on. It was funny, it was bouncing all over the place and he was trying to get out of the car
funny stuff
 
I picked up a Makita a few years ago when I got tired of borrowing one from someone. 6 axles later and about 4 trucks and it is still running like a champ. I didn't expect much of it as I payed 50 bucks for it but it sure proved me wrong. Everything else I use is DeWalt though. That stuff just gets expensive afer a while.
 
I have run my Milwaukee for over 7 years. It has ingested TONS of concrete and tile dust. Still runs like new. The only complaint I have, is the guard doesn't always stay in the position I set it in. I had a DeWalt, and it lasted for one hour, grinding concrete, before the motor ground down and started smoking!!!!!
 
Did you check with Dewalt on parts? Maybe you can just buy the upgrade parts? Possibly? Slim chance?:crazy:
 
Milwaukie, Dewault, and Makita are likely the top three in that order.

I use Dewault and Milwaukie myself.
 
My grinder is not worth upgrading/fixing. I would need a new casing. as for Makita, I looked at them. they don't impress me, that and a close friend of mine killed one in a few days.

So far I haven't seen anything to sway me away from Dewalt. A Milwaukee would look out of place in a sea of yellow.
 
The last week, I have been running a new Hitachi, side by side to my Milwaukee. The Hitachi is rated at 1.5 amps MORE than my Milwaukee, yet it bogs down more using the exact same wirewheels. I THOROUGHLY DISLIKE the switch setup on the Hitachi.
 
I like Milwaukee for corded tools & DeWalt for cordless tools. I have put a beating on both and they both hold up great.

Harley
 
I spent 20 bucks on my 4 inch grinder from Harbor freight. I figured for 20 bucks I cant go wrong. That was 3 years ago and I cant get the damned thing to die...

~Brian
 
We use Makita exclusively at work, a pair of 7" beasts and a half dozen 5" model's. The 7" are a tough, durable monster...but can wear a guy out pretty quick unless you're grinding flat. 95% of the grinding is done with the 5" Makita's and more often than not I see 7" disc's on them. :doah:

Guards go straight into the scrap steel bin...

Of the half dozen 5" we have two just recently went in for warranty at the one year mark...but you have to remember they're being used 6-10 hours per day, every day, and often with 7" disc's on em. None of the 6 have burned out. One I did replace brushes on, 2 or 3 have had triggers replaced...and the rest have all been cord problems (cord ground through or burned is most common)

The two that went for warranty I just didn't have time to look at. Both were likely trigger related.

Rene
 
The only feature that I have to have is the on switch has to lock. I do not want one with a paddle
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure all the Dewalts are like that now, no lock on feature and they are paddle type trigger.
 
they still make a lock on switch. they just moved the switch from the top to the side. Doesn't Milwaukee have replaceable cords? I thought I saw that somewhere. the cord plugs into the end of the tool and twists to lock it on. that way if you fubar the cord you can just buy a new one. That would be a nice feature. Not that I am going to mess the cord up.

I am the only one who uses my tools. they always seem to be where I leave them now that I am not making a living with them. Nothing will kill a tool faster then having an operator who is not responsible for replacing it if its broke.
 
yeah ive had my harbor freight one for almost 3 years, it came with extra brushes, so ive replaced them once. still running strong....they go on sale almost every month for $12. cant beat that in my book
 
killed the Ryobi on the first project 3 hours into it. I have a makita and my friend has a hitachi (same thing) the reason why i picked makita was the availablity of the bolt on wire cup, the threads are specific to makita/hitachi and no one but home depot has only that brand in stock by my house. They work great and there cheap and a locking button also. I will never by another default (dewalt) product ever again, there chit breaks and its expensive. Milwaukee is good, but there grinders were expensive last i looked and the removable cord thing is only on the expensive models.
 
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