Practically Classics Forum

Hi all, I'm new on here but avid reader of PC.

I'm looking to restore a couple of old doors bought for my Porsche 911.I'm looking to buy a good quality angle grinder. Any recommendations re make and price. Auto work only and something that doesn't give up the ghost after 1 job

Cheers

ChrisD

If you've got an Aldi nearby keep an eye out for their specials - my old (and vey much abused) powecraft grider has lasted longer than anything else I've had over the years, all of which were 'quality' brands.

I dont think you can go wrong with an angle grinder there all brutish devices not like drills that have 'features' a grinder is just a big motor with a handle.

I'd agree with both of the above posts. Mine came from Wilkinson's and is a Draper brand one; only £12.99. It's now been used and abused over the past couple of years and even with the knot brush on it, the motor copes fine.

Aldi, Lidl and Netto are all known for their cheap but perfectly decent power tools that appear in between the usual lines of food-related messages and alcoholic beverages.
These three low-rent supermarkets tend to put leaflets through the letterbox every so often that inform of up & coming tool offers, they're all well worth looking at.

I bought a £10 grinder (probably Draper as well)that still works after around 10 years of total neglect and abuse, only real fault with it is the gearbox has developed a load of lash and its really noisy. Still works mind you.
That was substituted for a £25 Black and decker which has a removeable side handle (The other grinders one snapped off) and has the advantage that its quieter.
(Well quiet is relative for an angle grinder)

I'd buy a cheapo, and put the extra money on a pair of ear defenders and some goggles- I've been a bit lax with the ear defenders in the past, and have not great hearing, I use them regularly now.
I find Aldi do cracking deals on discs as well. A pack of 10 cutting discs for a fiver? Can't fault that

My Black and Decker is coming up on twenty years now, the only one I've ever owned - it's been well used!

My original B&D died in a big way after 5 fairly hard years of use. Now replaced with a DeWalt, which I've had for nearly 10 years and even more hard use, and it still performs like new - and spares are available if it ever does break!

Cheers

My B&D with a 3-year warranty was replaced FOC when it died after 2 years. The second one lasted for another three or so. I tried a cheapish German one (Einhell or something) that lasted about a month. Current Bosch still going strong after 3 or 4 years.

Amongst my pile of grinders accumulated over many years, my best buy so far was a "Challenge extreme" variable speed grinder from Argos.

Paid around £20 for it, and it doubles up nicely for polishing and cutting back paint as well as the usual grinding jobs etc.

It's coming up 15years old now, and still going strong.

mal.

Hello There

As you can imagine I give my angle grinder a lot of stick. I gave up buying big brand grinders a long time ago after an expensive B&D caught fire in my hand. Big price and famous name counts for nothing I am afraid, and these days I aim to pay between £10 and £15 for a budget machine from B&Q or Homebase or whatever.
If it lasts a year then that is fine and if dont -I take it back with the ticket and they give me a new one.

Actually Ed and I run two of the things - one for cutting and one for grinding. They are both from B&Q and have done about 18 months without a problem.

What is critical though is the power rating. Aim for about 650 watts,-much less and it will struggle. Much more and it will kick like a mule.