Recommend auto angle grinders

[stagman]

I have only had 1 - my old Bosch is still going strong after over 20 years of total abuse. Never done anything to it other than change the discs! (oh and repair the cable after I cut it in half)

[tractorman]

My Black & Decker "Professional" is still going strong, though the switch sticks on occasionally. I bought it in 1988, it cost somewhere about £70 but it doesn't owe me anything! It's got a much nicer body than the modern machines - slim enough to hold easliy and the switch is at the back of the body, so you hold it on with your little finger (and it switches off automatically). It has been used for everything from cutting paving flags and far too thick bits of steel to wire brushing and sanding and is still nice and tight in the gearbox. When the switch started playing up, I bought a Bosch that was on offer at B&Q and it was dead and gone within three years. However, it was the green version (the "DIY" range), I'm told the blue ones are much better.

A friend has an Aldi one, and has had it for five or six years. It seems OK, but he doesn't use it very often. My 9" grinder is a ten year old Focus own brand and, for the money, it can't be beaten. However, I did a silly last time I used it: dropped it and broke the pin that locks it up when changing the disc. Having removed the pin, I'm back to two spanners to change discs - that's not really a problem though!

[ChrisD]

Gents,

Great responses. Thanks very much.

Chris D

[kevanf1]

I bought a Black and Decker 'professional' 4.5" angle grinder nearly 30 years ago. It has not failed me yet, has never been serviced or anything and is well and truly abused. I'm surprised the motor hasn't burnt out long ago the amount of dust clogging the fan. But no, it just keeps going. It does get used a great deal and always has. One nice thing about it is that I can unplug the mains cable to put it away if I wish... I never do though, just chuck it in the bottom drawer of my tool chest

[sierra3dr]

I've well abused the draper from Wilki's,were the brushes got replace,and I think they're on the way out again. Also the trap mechanism for changing discs is redundant.

[gentil79]

3 years ago at Christmas, I got a variable speed angle grinder from Halford, which has a power rate up to 900w. However, it is a bit annoying to handle, because you have to press a trigger and a button at the same time and it doesn't lock. the guard cannot me moved either. because of that, i bought a cheap B&Q 500w... which lasted about 5 months without working too hard. i had to use the Halfords one which worked well until i borroed my colleagues 10 year old De walt, which is a dream to deal with. for hard and continuous use, i would recomend a DeWalt, otherwise, if it is going to be used occasionally, then a cheap one will do.

[gentil79]

I bought a Black and Decker 'professional' 4.5" angle grinder nearly 30 years ago. It has not failed me yet, has never been serviced or anything and is well and truly abused. I'm surprised the motor hasn't burnt out long ago the amount of dust clogging the fan. But no, it just keeps going. It does get used a great deal and always has. One nice thing about it is that I can unplug the mains cable to put it away if I wish... I never do though, just chuck it in the bottom drawer of my tool chest

Old B&D stuff is tough as old boots. I have a 1978 B&D drill that still is going strong... however, some of their current products can't match the quality of the old ones.

[tractorman]

Sorry to do a Lazarus, but my B&D 4 1/2" Professional died this morning! I blame the cement coping stones that I cut groves into last week because it wasn't too happy when I put a wire brush on this morning and,after half an hour or so, wouldn't switch on. Tried from a different socket (in case the extension cable was faulty) and managed a "Phutt" befire giving up altogether.

I'm now looking at Makita and Htachi (with a sideways glance at Bosch - rather beyond my price range though) - I'll take a trip to town tomorrow. Typically, I have just slaughtered my funds by buying a bargain lathe!

Mind you, the 9" one is pretty potent with a big wire brush. My hands are numb after half an hour of using it!

[tractorman]

I've just bought a Metabo W6-115 from a feller on eBay. It was bought because it has a nice slim body and 3yrs warranty (if it's registered with Metabo). I'd looked at Makita, Hitachi and something else at about the same price (£50 inc carriage) and the Metabo won the contest!

I've just spent half an hour using it (it was switched on for all that time) with a wire brush and it does seem a decent bit of kit. The slim body is a lot better to work with than the Bosch I had a couple of years ago - almost a modern B&D Professional (hope it lasts as well as the B&D did!).

Mind you, I'm not looking forward to having to use it for another two or three (or more) hours this week while I get paint of a tractor's safety frame!