I have a gift certificate for $75 from sears;
I'd like a 1/4" die grinder.
I'm using it maybe to buff, but mostly with carbide burrs to drill and
gouge undercuts in stone carving.
I tried harbor freight's $15 grinders; within a few months one of them
died, and they never had enough torque, always bogging down.

But the difference between $15, $30, $60, and $150... as the pricing
ranges seem to go for simple straight die grinders, seems too much
like voodoo to me. What should I buy, and why?

I can see maybe that bearing and turbine tolerances can matter,
whether needle or ball (needle would be better?), if they even managed
to harden them sufficiently, as might be an issue on the dirt
cheapest; I'm trying to think what else would differentiate. But you
don't see any of that. You only see a brand name and price on the
box; maybe cfm and rpm, where cfm could be high because it's powerful
or because it's inefficient and leaks, and you'll never know.


thanks!!
-Bernard Arnest

Bernard Arnest wrote in news:ea269136-5965-4d70-
:

I have a gift certificate for $75 from sears;
I'd like a 1/4" die grinder.
I'm using it maybe to buff, but mostly with carbide burrs to drill and
gouge undercuts in stone carving.
I tried harbor freight's $15 grinders; within a few months one of them
died, and they never had enough torque, always bogging down.

But the difference between $15, $30, $60, and $150... as the pricing
ranges seem to go for simple straight die grinders, seems too much
like voodoo to me. What should I buy, and why?

I can see maybe that bearing and turbine tolerances can matter,
whether needle or ball (needle would be better?), if they even managed
to harden them sufficiently, as might be an issue on the dirt
cheapest; I'm trying to think what else would differentiate. But you
don't see any of that. You only see a brand name and price on the
box; maybe cfm and rpm, where cfm could be high because it's powerful
or because it's inefficient and leaks, and you'll never know.


thanks!!
-Bernard Arnest


If the manual for a specific model is available on-line, download it to see
if it contains a statement that the "rated" CFM applies to *continuous*
operation.

Several of HF's pneumatic tools state that their "continuous" use may be as
much as 4 times the "rated" usage.

BTW, just how often have you been lubricating your die grinder while
working stone? Rock dust is quite abrasive.

FWIW, you might want to select a die grinder with a *Front* rather than a
*Rear* exhaust so that the exhaust can keep the grinding area clear.

Merry Christmas, Bernard.

"Bernard Arnest" wrote in message
...
I have a gift certificate for $75 from sears;
I'd like a 1/4" die grinder.
I'm using it maybe to buff, but mostly with carbide burrs to drill and
gouge undercuts in stone carving.
I tried harbor freight's $15 grinders; within a few months one of them
died, and they never had enough torque, always bogging down. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Part of the problem may be the stone dust being drawn through the die
grinder.

BTW, are you wearing any kind of breathing filter?

"Bernard Arnest" wrote in message
...
I have a gift certificate for $75 from sears;
I'd like a 1/4" die grinder.
I'm using it maybe to buff, but mostly with carbide burrs to drill and
gouge undercuts in stone carving.
I tried harbor freight's $15 grinders; within a few months one of them
died, and they never had enough torque, always bogging down.

But the difference between $15, $30, $60, and $150... as the pricing
ranges seem to go for simple straight die grinders, seems too much
like voodoo to me. What should I buy, and why?

I can see maybe that bearing and turbine tolerances can matter,
whether needle or ball (needle would be better?), if they even managed
to harden them sufficiently, as might be an issue on the dirt
cheapest; I'm trying to think what else would differentiate. But you
don't see any of that. You only see a brand name and price on the
box; maybe cfm and rpm, where cfm could be high because it's powerful
or because it's inefficient and leaks, and you'll never know.


thanks!!
-Bernard Arnest

With an attached oiler full of trany fluid, a cheap die grinder will last a
very long time.