Completely serious angle grinder question

[Bert Coules]

My word, thanks for the warning. Bad enough in a sander, but a violently self-destroying angle grinder doesn't really bear thinking about. The Bosch is looking better and better.

Bert

[Dave Liquorice]

profits

Didn't know that, a bit odd that they don't make a thing of it but is that because of a belief system and just "what you do" so to them it isn't anything "odd"

And, presumably, the tax man... B-)

11 year old figures though, what are the intervening years like?

[Bert Coules]

Can you buy generic cases in the appropriate sizes (or a bit bigger)? It's never occurred to me to look: I'll have a search.

Bert

[Dave Liquorice]

Of those I'd go for the Bosch. In green casings they are the "reasonably made budget" tools. Things whiz around rather quickly in an angle grinder, I'd not want corners to be cut on those parts.

Discs are consumables, the fibre based cutting ones don't last five minutes. I got an angle grinder for the same reason as you, I think it came with a disc and I bought another so as "not to run out". Bah, I'd only done about 3/4 of the 15' or so of trimming I needed to do before both discs were shirt buttons. Get a diamond disc, the kerf will be less and it'll last a damn sight longer than fibre ones. Smaller kerf means less dust but still a lot of dust...

But do you need an angle grinder?(*) Are these slates yet to be fitted? Can't you trim them the traditional way with machete and iron edge?

(*) Silly question of course you do, it's a tool, you can never have too many tools. I did resist the Lidl cordless SDS though and that would be useful as the hammer drill is next to useless on the stone here. But I got side tracked by the Sabre Saw right next to it for £29.99 and packs of 3 blades for £2.99.

I have a large pile of 2nd user timber that needs cutting for the woodburner. It wasn't going to happen by hand... Now I'm just waiting for the weather, between -5 and -10 windchill today but most of the snow has melted.

[Dave Liquorice]

Yes but supplied tool cases are generally blow moulded and shaped to hold the tool in the case without it rattling about. A generic case may come with that horrible cubed pluck foam that doesn't last and is not very high density either. Almost any power tool will be too heavy to be propely protected/held.

[mike]

Those are the colours of Performance Power Pro (the brand that Scott M repo rts he's had for nearly 20 years and is still going strong). Power Devil w ere red, and ceased to exist as a brand many years ago, so the likelihood o f Bert buying one is fairly remote.

Power Devil in the UK and Ferm (who are still going in the Netherlands) use d to buy the same Chinese OEM models but obviously in their own colours. T he previous posting about Ferm being good and Power Devil being no good rem inds me of the market research done for a new bleach some years ago. Consu mers were given three bottles of bleach: a yellow one, a blue one and a yel low-and-blue one and asked to test them. The yellow was weak and ineffecti ve. The blue was too harsh. The yellow-and-blue was just right. Of cours e, the bottles contained identical bleach.

For the record, I have a Power Devil router that has been doing sterling se rvice for years and I had one of their reciprocating saws that was crap and eventually emitted magic smoke and went for recycling.

The Bosch is a good price for a branded model and seems better than the oth er £35 offerings from Screwfix but the £20 125mm Lidl/Parkside one from a few weeks ago fits your original requirements too. The Lidl one you've l inked to is a full size 230mm model.

[Bert Coules]

Is it still available, though? I know that Lidl stuff comes and goes, and there doesn't seem to be any way of checking availability, short of going to a store.

Bert

[Bert Coules]

Another vote. Thanks.

Passing quickly over "Of course you do" (which is, of course, a very valid point) yes, I do: I do have an excellent slate guillotine but the ones that have to be trimmed are already immovably in situ.

Bert

[Bert Coules]

Sure, but even a case which only holds a tool loosely will surely give the tool more protection than just chucking it into a large box full of similar items. It would also ensure that accessories and so on are all kept together.

Bert

[The Medway Handyman]

I have a MacAllister which has been used twice if you want a 'pre loved' one. Bought it because I'd left my Makita on a job & didn't have time yo go back for it (I have now).

[The Medway Handyman]

Most AG take 115mm discs. 125mm discs aren't as common.

[GB]

I ended up with both. I got the 4.5" one for slicing through some angle iron, and discovered that the depth of cut is under an inch - the housing and the guard get in the way. So, I got a 9" one as well. It's a real beast. It's definitely worth finding a job that requires one!

Power Devil. Didn't somebody else say they are no good? Anyway, mine has lasted the best part of 20 years' occasional use and shows no sign at all of giving up the ghost.

[Bert Coules]

Thanks for the offer Dave, but I'm hoping to pick something up locally first thing tomorrow. Screwfix's Bosch is sounding like an ideal choice.

Bert

[Bert Coules]

Ah right, thanks.

I'm slightly reeling from trying to take all all the information that's been offered, but I think that was a mis-identification.

Bert

[Harry Bloomfield]

Bert Coules explained :

Cases for equipment are a bit of a pita to use, with anything which has cables or which you need to add extras like disks or bits. I have four angle grinders, all kept in a drawer, the various sized and types of cuttings disks stacked on a shelf, their spanners hung together.

[Bert Coules]

Cases specially made for specific tools can be, yes. But a simple firm plastic box with a lid, large enough to take the tool plus any bits and pieces but not so huge that they rattle around could be extremely useful, especially where storage space is limited and things have to be stacked up slightly.

But do cases like that exist? A Google search for "tool box" and "tool case" produces only big containers intended for lots of different tools.

Bert

[mike]

Wouldn't you rather have an extra centimetre? (And it'll obviously take 11

5mm discs too.)

But if Bert's local store don't have them any more, it's academic.

[fred]

In article , Bert Coules writes

One tip to add to all advice given:

For all 'aggressive' power tools[1] I wear a riggers or other medium tough glove on my free hand. The idea is that should an error result in inadvertent contact with the moving disk/blade/cutter then the first contact is not with your skin but with some basic inanimate protection, giving you the chance to withdraw your hand (rapidly) before serious damage is done.

[1] Planer, router, power saw, angle grinder etc

[Tony Bryer]

I keep my cordless tools in zip canvas bags bought from a tourist souvenir stand at the market, $5 each. Each bag a different design so I know which is which.

[GB]

I think the withdrawal had better be damn rapid! I'd say the score will be Angle grinder: 1 - Glove : 0.

:)