Is my Angle Grinder up to the job?

[jkn]

This is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question - my apologies.

I have a cheap & cheerful B&Q 'Performance Power' 110mm angle grinder

- probably the 600W one they are currently selling off for a fiver!

I have an upcoming job of dismantling my late father's car trailer and I'm wondering if this will be up to the job, or if I should bite the bullet and buy something a bit better.

I haven't examined the trailer properly for years, but at a guess I'd say it was 'robustly' made from (say) 1/2" thick angle iron etc - certainly a lot beefier than the sort of stuff you buy from Halfords. I've always been a bit nervous around angle grinders (with good reason, I feel) and I don't want to combine that with being at the limit of the tool I'm using. I do have safety equipment to hand.

I appreciate that hiring a grinder is an idea as well. If the consensus is that it is worth buying something better than the PPro - with slow start, maybe? - then suggestions for current 'Best Buys' would be very welcome. I only occasionally use the current one so don't want to spend too much, he said vaguely...

Thanks for any advice

Jon N

[Adrian]

jkn gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Stupid question - why "dismantling" rather than simply selling? Having just bought a car trailer on fleaBay, I was surprised at how robust pricing seems to be for some extremely shonky-looking s**te.

[nicknoxx]

Unless time is of the essence, use yours, if it breaks, buy another.

[jkn]

Hi Adrian

It's a question of distance to travel and time to sell, really. I've spent a fair bit of time finding 'good homes' for stuff already. Also, it hasn't been used for probably 15+ years, so would be hard to sell as a 'going concern'.

J^n

[jkn]

I probably should have said that time *is* of the essence ... so if (say) a larger grinder would make things go swimmingly, and if I could persuade myself that I could control it OK, then that might well be a factor.

Thanks J^n

[robgraham]

The question of selling now that it's raised - whereabouts are you ? An old trailer unless really shot is quite an attraction. Try posting it here for sale and see if anyone is near you. If you're central belt Scotland, I could well be interested.

As far as the angle grinder is concerned, a larger, or more powerful one, would I think in this application be a danger to you due to the increased leaverage of the larger disc. Go for it with what you've got, using metal cutting discs, and if it fails 75% of the way through, just get another.

Rob

[jkn]

It's in the North-West - near Preston. I am on the South coast and only making sporadic visits. Although other member of the family are nearby they have plenty to deal with at it is.

I will see if I can get some photographs of it taken in the next week or so. I'd much rather find a good home for it than scrap it, for sure.

If anyone local might be interested, give me a shout off-list. It will need new tyres at least, but is probably built like the proverbial...

Cheers jon

[Cicero]

==============================================================================

You could try Freecycle; genuinely useful items are usually taken pretty quickly.

Cic.

[Dave Liquorice]

"car trailer" as in a box type thing for carrying general goods or flat bed thing for carrying cars?

Assuming it's still basically sound I reckon you'd get takers on eBay for Freecycle no problem. Doing that sort of thing from a distance is problematical though.

[Dave]

That is the reverse of my daughter and g daughters living in Portsmouth and me living near Preston.

Where about is the trailer? I might be able to help. Though I have no towing capabilities.

Dave

[Harry Bloomfield]

jkn explained on 22/09/2010 :

Then put it on Freecycle /Freegle - someone is bound to want it.

[critcher]

critcher said......................... I doubt its 1/2 inch t5hick angle, probably 11/2 x 11/2 x 3/16 thick

[jkn]

Box type.

[...]

oops, did I type 1/2"? I meant 1/4" (thick). More like 2.5" x 2.5" x

0.25" though, in my mind's eye at least.

J^n

[Him & Her]

only making sporadic visits. Although other member of the family are nearby they have plenty to deal with at it is.<

Jon, can you remember off hand what size it is? I'm in Preston every weekend and not far away the rest of the time.

[Tabby]

If it spins round it works. If it dies, time to get a new and better one. Better will get you much more longevity and less vibration.

I'd avoid a 9" one.

NT

[robgraham]

As the actress said to the bishop

[Lobster]

I have a similar one which cost about the same. Had it for years and it does do useful stuff, I'm well aware that a bigger one would be much more effective, but having a very healthy respect for angle grinders I reckon the self-limiting nature of a small machine is a bonus!

If you go for it, the trick is to take it slowly, and do it dribs and drabs so the machine doesn't overheat (because it definitely will!)

David

[jkn]

Hi David

That's a good point, and similar to my own feelings as regards these tools...

Also a good point, thanks. I was reminded of this when I started looking up details of hiring a larger grinder; they were listing a day's use as only around an hour! I'm sure this refers to 'actual grinding time', and that this is also related to operator fatique, vibration, and so on.

J^n