Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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jim
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......
  #2   Report Post  
Grant Erwin
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

I looked at one in the store, it's a real POS. But then it's priced like
one. I hate to say it, but you get what you pay for. How many times are
you planning to use it? A Milwaukee is about $100 - it will last you many
years.

Well, you can see my bias.

Grant

jim wrote:

harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......


  #3   Report Post  
GTO69RA4
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

Buy used on eBay. I've gotten an older DeWalt DW402 for $15, a similar refurb
for $15, and a Hilti super-duper-hot-$*!% model for $30.

GTO(John)


I looked at one in the store, it's a real POS. But then it's priced like
one. I hate to say it, but you get what you pay for. How many times are
you planning to use it? A Milwaukee is about $100 - it will last you many
years.

Well, you can see my bias.

Grant

  #4   Report Post  
lane
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight


"jim" wrote in message ...
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......



I have two of them. Yes, they are noisy, yes they are cheap, yes they keep
running. Have had them for a couple of years now, without any problems. I
first bought one because I couldn't afford anything else for a project I had
at the time. Figured I'd buy a decent one when this HF POS quit. Well, it
hasn't quit yet. So I went ahead and bought another one because I got tired
of switching grinding disk with wire wheel all the time. My brother has same
experience. Others here have similar experiences.

Lane


  #5   Report Post  
Dan Caster
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

Harbor freight has several models of 4 inch and 4 1/2 inch angle
grinders. They are not all the same quality. Some are excellent
value for the price and some are junk at junk prices. The model I
have is no longer sold, so I can't advise you about which ones are
decent. Sorry.

I do have the 46607 nine inch grinder, which is a current model. I
got it on sale and am pleased. I do not use it a lot, so it might not
stand up to hard useage. But I think it will serve me for a long
time.

Dan


jim wrote in message ...
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......



  #6   Report Post  
Don Huseman
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

jim wrote in message ...
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......

yes I have one and it sound like a grinder that has bad bearings , but
I have use it for about 5 hour grinding and cutting though 1" nuts and
it has held up. If I recomend that you buy it and they have a little
tool bag that you can buy also to hold all your grinding disc and
sanding disc. They also have an attachment that make the thing into a
narrow belt sander and it works great. I would get the extended
warentee with it .
Don
  #7   Report Post  
Jeff Wisnia
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

jim wrote:

harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99


snipped


expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......


I've had one of the $9.99 (on sale price) ones fro about three years, and
for the few times a year I need it it's been a real bargain. I know of one
welding shop which buys them buy the dozen like we buy Bic pens for the
office, and just tosses them out as they die.

One thing missing from the cheapest ones though is the "paddle switch" to
turn the motor on and off. The cheapy uses a thumb operated slide switch
which stays on, until you slide it off, and could exacerbate things if you
lost your grip on the tool and it started bouncing around on its own.

As for "what can you do with it" I leave that to your inventiveness. I've
used mine for stuff like cutting a few pieces of 1/2" flagstone to size to
cover a concrete back door step (with a masonry wheel), removing a bike lock
my kid lost the key for, and the usual snagging of the rough edges of steel
stuff I've cut with my HF "Chinese copy" of a Milwaukee portable bandsaw.

Just my .02

Jeff

--
Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone to
place the blame on."


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Tom Del Rosso
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

In ,
jim typed:
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99
and i guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it???


I think you're better off without any included wheel. A cheap grinder
at least won't blow up, but a cheap wheel might shatter.


--
-Reply in group, but if emailing add 2 more zeros-
-and remove the obvious-


  #10   Report Post  
Gary Coffman
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 23:58:45 GMT, jim wrote:
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......


I have several of the 4.5 inch ones you're calling the $15.00 ones.
They've held up incredibly well. They *sound* like they're going to
fly apart, but they never do.

Gary


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JohnF
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

My son and I have been using them (the 15.00-20.00 ones)for 5+ years
and the only thing we've broken is the thumb switch on one of them.
The locking switch is kinda, sorts, semi dangerous though. I nearly
got snagged over the weekend but I was doing something stupid anyway.
The wheels go on sale on a different weekend or month at about 5 bucks
for 10 wheels. They work just fine too.

JohnF



On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 23:58:45 GMT, jim wrote:

harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......


  #13   Report Post  
Marc Godbout
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

I had a couple with broken switches, too. On one, it was just the plastic
rod connecting the thumb-slide to the actual switch was missing a screw on
the guide. The other wouldn't turn on reliably. That one was a felt cover
on the switch was hitting the housing. Real easy fixes.

-Marc

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 17:29:57 +0000, JohnF wrote:

My son and I have been using them (the 15.00-20.00 ones)for 5+ years
and the only thing we've broken is the thumb switch on one of them.
The locking switch is kinda, sorts, semi dangerous though. I nearly
got snagged over the weekend but I was doing something stupid anyway.
The wheels go on sale on a different weekend or month at about 5 bucks
for 10 wheels. They work just fine too.

JohnF



On Tue, 18 Nov 2003 23:58:45 GMT, jim wrote:

harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99 and i
guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it??? seems that it retails
for $19.99 and its on sale with some other junk for one day in the
store. they have another one for about $15.00 that pops up all the
time. anyone ever bought one of these and was it worth it.. i dont
expect to get a $300 unit quality, but for limited use is it worth it
and what can you do with it???? thanks for a reply......


  #14   Report Post  
Jeff Wisnia
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight



Tom Del Rosso wrote:

In ,
jim typed:
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99
and i guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it???


I think you're better off without any included wheel. A cheap grinder
at least won't blow up, but a cheap wheel might shatter.


All the metal and masonry wheels I've ever bought for my 4-1/2" cheepo
seem to be reinforced with something that looks like it might be layers of
fiberglass mesh. I've never had one shatter on me yet.

I may be wrong, but I don't think those wheels are as prone to exploding
as bonded "stone" grinding wheels are.

Anyway, I've resisted the temptation to remove the wheel guard from my
grinder and I try to always keep my face out of the line of fire, even if
it means having to pause and shift my position once in a while.

Happy Holidays All,

Jeff

Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can smile when things are going wrong, you've thought of someone
to blame it on."


  #15   Report Post  
David Courtney
 
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Default 4 or 4 1/2 in. angle grinder from Harbor Freight

The ones that came with my $15 grinders didn't have any reinforcing... I
pitched them immediately and put on name brand reinforced wheels. I don't
know how unsafe the others were... but if the 10 second life span of their
abrasive sheets is any indication; they aren't very good! lol
David




"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...


Tom Del Rosso wrote:

In ,
jim typed:
harbor freight has some cheap angle grinder, one on sale for $9.99
and i guess you have to buy the grindig wheels for it???


I think you're better off without any included wheel. A cheap grinder
at least won't blow up, but a cheap wheel might shatter.


All the metal and masonry wheels I've ever bought for my 4-1/2" cheepo
seem to be reinforced with something that looks like it might be layers of
fiberglass mesh. I've never had one shatter on me yet.

I may be wrong, but I don't think those wheels are as prone to exploding
as bonded "stone" grinding wheels are.

Anyway, I've resisted the temptation to remove the wheel guard from my
grinder and I try to always keep my face out of the line of fire, even if
it means having to pause and shift my position once in a while.

Happy Holidays All,

Jeff

Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can smile when things are going wrong, you've thought of someone
to blame it on."




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