I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer model
for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at just under
the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a disc). Toolstation
have a Makita with disc at £54.72. There is a Lidl fairly near me
advertising their Parkside 2000W model (no disc) at £34.99, but it won't be
available until the 4th of May and there doesn't seem to be a way of
checking local availability online anyway.

Price isn't everything but obviously I don't want to pay more than I have
to. Many thanks.

Bert Coules wrote:

Price isn't everything but obviously I don't want to pay more than I
have to. Many thanks.

I bought a B&Q's own crappola PowerPro job in about 1997 for a one off
job. It's still going strong now having then discovered just how useful
they are. I even stripped down and re-greased the gearbox a few years
ago as a mark of its good service!

Mind you, for £35 the Bosch sounds cheap enough to avoid the non-name stuff.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

Scott,

Thanks for that. The Bosch is also lighter than some, at 1.9kg, which is
quite an important factor I'd have thought.

Bert

....Though the £49.99 Hitachi (which has a disc and a case) is even lighter.
I think this is my current favourite option.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hitachi-g1...der-110v/62564

Bert

On Tuesday, 28 April 2015 10:54:44 UTC+1, Bert Coules wrote:
I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer model
for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at just under
the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a disc). Toolstation
have a Makita with disc at £54.72. There is a Lidl fairly near me
advertising their Parkside 2000W model (no disc) at £34.99, but it won't be
available until the 4th of May and there doesn't seem to be a way of
checking local availability online anyway.

Price isn't everything but obviously I don't want to pay more than I have
to. Many thanks.

For occasional use a cheap Ferm is more than good enough. The one brand to totally avoid is power devil. A site boss bought several PD tools, all were dead 30 days later.


NT

NT wrote:

For occasional use a cheap Ferm...

Thanks for that. I haven't come across any Ferm models in my searching:
I'll have a specific look.

Bert

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 10:54:41 +0100, Bert Coules wrote:

I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer
model for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at
just under the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a disc).

No-brainer, the Bosch.

Don't let "comes with a disc" swing anything - they're a consumable that
really doesn't last very long at all. Get a pack of the right ones for
what you're cutting/grinding, and be willing to swap 'em when they start
to show they're "going off". Or, of course, when they turn into a handy
shirt button.

On 28/04/2015 11:41, Bert Coules wrote:
NT wrote:

For occasional use a cheap Ferm...

Thanks for that. I haven't come across any Ferm models in my searching:
I'll have a specific look.

Bert
Ferm was the Screwfix 'Own Brand' a number of years ago. I have a number
of Ferm tools which ar good for my DIY needs but I suspect that Ferm has
been replaced by a different 'Own Brand'

Malcolm

Adrian wrote:

No-brainer, the Bosch.

Thanks for that, and the advice about packaged discs. The idea of a case is
appealing though, and the Bosch doesn't have one of those. Whether the
extra cost for, say, the Hitachi is worth it just for the case (and one
disc) though, is another matter.

Bert

In article , Bert Coules
wrote:
Adrian wrote:

No-brainer, the Bosch.

Thanks for that, and the advice about packaged discs. The idea of a case
is appealing though, and the Bosch doesn't have one of those. Whether
the extra cost for, say, the Hitachi is worth it just for the case (and
one disc) though, is another matter.

I bought a Bosch quite some years ago - probably about 25. It still works
fine, but I only use it ocasionally.

--
From KT24 in Surrey

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

Charles,

I bought a Bosch quite some years ago - probably about 25. It still works
fine, but I only use it occasionally.

Thanks. I have a couple of Bosch low-end power tools and they've always been
entirely reliable and satisfactory.

Bert

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:12:38 +0100, Bert Coules wrote:

The idea of a case is appealing though, and the Bosch doesn't have one
of those. Whether the extra cost for, say, the Hitachi is worth it
just for the case (and one disc) though, is another matter.

I have a case for my (low-end, about £40 some years ago) Makita. TBH,
it's a pita. Trying to get the cable to get in the case and stay there
whilst I latch it, especially if there's a few discs in there too... and
if you had the side-handle on, it'd need to be removed before putting it
away. Sure, it keeps it tidy and the spanner handy (if I've put it back
in!), but it takes up a LOT more space than just the grinder would.

How organised are you?

If you're disorganised, you won't use it, just trip over it, and the
spanner and discs'll never be in it anyway.

If you're hyper-organised, you don't need it, because you'll always be
able to find the spanner and the discs and the handle.

If you're somewhere in the middle, it may or may not get properly used
and be a benefit...

Adrian,

Thanks for that excellent analysis, and for reminding me what a struggle it
is to get my corded B&D circular saw back in its extremely snug-fit box. I
am, I think, hyper-organised albeit with occasional lapses.

The several recommendations for the Bosch are making that the current
front-runner.

Bert

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:55:05 +0100, Bert Coules wrote:

The several recommendations for the Bosch are making that the current
front-runner.

....and the final clincher for me...?

Bosch are that rare thing - an ethically-owned business. 92% owned by a
charity set up by the founder of the business, which uses the profits for
philanthropic, development, educational, healthcare charitable purposes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bosch_Stiftung

(No, I don't work for Bosch. If I did work in their marketing dept, I'd
be shouting about that a lot more than they inexplicably don't seem to.)

Interesting, Adrian: I didn't know that. As you say, they don't make a song
and dance about it.

Bert

On 28/04/2015 14:04, Adrian wrote:
On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:55:05 +0100, Bert Coules wrote:

The several recommendations for the Bosch are making that the current
front-runner.

...and the final clincher for me...?

Bosch are that rare thing - an ethically-owned business. 92% owned by a
charity set up by the founder of the business, which uses the profits for
philanthropic, development, educational, healthcare charitable purposes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bosch_Stiftung

(No, I don't work for Bosch. If I did work in their marketing dept, I'd
be shouting about that a lot more than they inexplicably don't seem to.)

I wonder if it might be counterproductive in many of their markets.

It is interesting to see how it has done so well - most of their profits
go back into the company, which is rather the opposite of most
companies. I wonder if there's a lesson there for anybody else?

(wikipedia has 2004 numbers - $2.1b profit, $72m to the charity, $6m to
the family, rest back into the company. Can you imagine any owner
settling for that little over here?)

On 28/04/2015 13:55, Bert Coules wrote:
Adrian,

Thanks for that excellent analysis, and for reminding me what a struggle
it is to get my corded B&D circular saw back in its extremely snug-fit
box. I am, I think, hyper-organised albeit with occasional lapses.

The several recommendations for the Bosch are making that the current
front-runner.

You haven't said whether you want a 4.5" angle grinder or a 9" one.

You get a much bigger depth of cut with the 9", naturally. My 9" one is
really heavy, and if I were buying one of those again, I'd consider the
weight as very important in my decision.

The difference in weight of the smaller ones is not so important that
I'd pay extra. My cheapo brand just soldiers on, so why pay more?

They are really frightening devices, but so far none of the discs has
come apart. Some people use the smaller ones one-handed, but I always
hold mine with both hands, even the smaller one, as that way I can't
inadvertently cut a finger off.

GB wrote:

You haven't said whether you want a 4.5" angle grinder or a 9" one.

True, and it was a foolish oversight, though perhaps the prices I quoted
would have furnished a clue: it's a 4.5" model I need. I take your point
about the weight being more important in the larger sizes.

My cheapo brand just soldiers on, so why pay more?

What brand is that? Some appear to have better recommendations than others.

Thanks for your reply.

Bert

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 03:38:25 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

The one brand to totally avoid is power devil. A site boss bought
several PD tools, all were dead 30 days later.

Pretty sure it was Power Devil(*) orbital sander that exploded on me.
The dicast metal backing plate just disintegrated. Lumps taken out of
wall and I was finding bits of shrapnel all over the room for ages.

(*) Pale grey red fittings, dark adjustable front handle.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:48:51 +0000 (UTC), Adrian wrote:

I have a case for my (low-end, about £40 some years ago) Makita. TBH,
it's a pita. Trying to get the cable to get in the case and stay there
whilst I latch it,

That is a problem with nearly all the cased power tools I have. Why
don't they make a bit of space for the cable to be coiled (coiled,
*not* folded) into?

But I like cases despite the agro of getting the cable in. Keeps the
tool clean and protected, other wise it would end up in a plastic
storeage crate with other uncased power tools dumped on top and of
course the one you want would be at the bottom and the cables would
have got knitted...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

Pretty sure it was Power Devil(*) orbital sander that exploded on me...

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

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:26:41 +0100, Clive George wrote:

Bosch are that rare thing - an ethically-owned business. 92% owned
by a
charity set up by the founder of the business, which uses the
profits
for philanthropic, development, educational, healthcare charitable

purposes.

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"

(wikipedia has 2004 numbers - $2.1b profit, $72m to the charity, $6m to
the family, rest back into the company.

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

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

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

But I like cases...

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

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 10:54:41 +0100, Bert Coules wrote:

I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer
model for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at
just under the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a disc).

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.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 17:05:00 +0100, Bert Coules wrote:

But I like cases...

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.

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.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 4:43:04 PM UTC+1, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 03:38:25 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

The one brand to totally avoid is power devil. A site boss bought
several PD tools, all were dead 30 days later.

Pretty sure it was Power Devil(*) orbital sander that exploded on me.
The dicast metal backing plate just disintegrated. Lumps taken out of
wall and I was finding bits of shrapnel all over the room for ages.

(*) Pale grey red fittings, dark adjustable front handle.

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

Power Devil in the UK and Ferm (who are still going in the Netherlands) used to buy the same Chinese OEM models but obviously in their own colours. The previous posting about Ferm being good and Power Devil being no good reminds me of the market research done for a new bleach some years ago. Consumers were given three bottles of bleach: a yellow one, a blue one and a yellow-and-blue one and asked to test them. The yellow was weak and ineffective. The blue was too harsh. The yellow-and-blue was just right. Of course, the bottles contained identical bleach.

For the record, I have a Power Devil router that has been doing sterling service 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 other £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 linked to is a full size 230mm model.

Mike wrote:

...the £20 125mm Lidl/Parkside one from a few weeks
ago fits your original requirements too.

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

Dave Liquorice wrote:

Of those I'd go for the Bosch...

Another vote. Thanks.

But do you need an angle grinder?

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

Dave Liquorice wrote:

Yes but supplied tool cases are generally blow moulded and shaped to
hold the tool in the case without it rattling about.

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

On 28/04/2015 10:54, Bert Coules wrote:
I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer
model for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at
just under the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a
disc). Toolstation have a Makita with disc at £54.72. There is a Lidl
fairly near me advertising their Parkside 2000W model (no disc) at
£34.99, but it won't be available until the 4th of May and there doesn't
seem to be a way of checking local availability online anyway.

Price isn't everything but obviously I don't want to pay more than I
have to. Many thanks.


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).



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 28/04/2015 17:45, Bert Coules wrote:
Mike wrote:

...the £20 125mm Lidl/Parkside one from a few weeks
ago fits your original requirements too.

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

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


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 28/04/2015 16:34, Bert Coules wrote:
GB wrote:

You haven't said whether you want a 4.5" angle grinder or a 9" one.

True, and it was a foolish oversight, though perhaps the prices I quoted
would have furnished a clue: it's a 4.5" model I need. I take your
point about the weight being more important in the larger sizes.


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!




My cheapo brand just soldiers on, so why pay more?

What brand is that? Some appear to have better recommendations than
others.

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.



Thanks for your reply.

Bert

The Medway Handyman wrote:

I have a MacAllister which has been used twice if you want a 'pre loved'
one...

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

GB wrote:

Power Devil.

Ah right, thanks.

Didn't somebody else say they are no good?

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

Bert Coules explained :
The idea of a case is appealing though, and the Bosch doesn't have one of
those. Whether the extra cost for, say, the Hitachi is worth it just for the
case (and one disc) though, is another matter.

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.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Harry Bloomfield wrote:

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.

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

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 6:28:28 PM UTC+1, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 28/04/2015 17:45, Bert Coules wrote:
Mike wrote:

...the £20 125mm Lidl/Parkside one from a few weeks
ago fits your original requirements too.

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

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

Wouldn't you rather have an extra centimetre? (And it'll obviously take 115mm discs too.)

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

In article , Bert
Coules writes
I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer model
for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at just under
the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a disc). Toolstation
have a Makita with disc at £54.72. There is a Lidl fairly near me
advertising their Parkside 2000W model (no disc) at £34.99, but it won't be
available until the 4th of May and there doesn't seem to be a way of
checking local availability online anyway.

Price isn't everything but obviously I don't want to pay more than I have
to. Many thanks.

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
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On Tue, 28 Apr 2015 17:58:10 +0100 Bert Coules wrote :
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.

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.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com

On 28/04/2015 22:05, fred wrote:
In article , Bert
Coules writes
I need an angle grinder for very occasional use, initially to trim some
slates. Any recommendations? Screwfix have a basic-looking Energer
model
for an amazing £17.49, with a Bosch at £34.99 and an Hitachi at just
under
the £50 mark (the only one of these which comes with a disc).
Toolstation
have a Makita with disc at £54.72. There is a Lidl fairly near me
advertising their Parkside 2000W model (no disc) at £34.99, but it
won't be
available until the 4th of May and there doesn't seem to be a way of
checking local availability online anyway.

Price isn't everything but obviously I don't want to pay more than I have
to. Many thanks.

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.

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





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