What size angle grinder ??

[PlanePig]

Hi , I am looking at getting a new/another angle grinder. I have blue bosch 100mm & a 115mm cordless Hitachi but I need a bigger one . I not sure if I could handle a 9inch grinder- would a 7 inch be easier to handle ??
Any thoughts .
Planepig

[Claw Hama]

7" are far more easy to handle than a 9", lighter easier to manouver etc. Depends if you want it for grinding or cutting and depth of cut.

[Gavin Newman]

In case it helps, I'm 53 years old, weigh 63 kg wringing wet and use a 9" grinder a lot with no problems. It's a matter of respecting the machine and being careful. I'm not sure there'd be much difference between a 7" and a 9" in any case.

I have 2 x 9" grinders, 1 Makita set up for cutting which I've had for 20 odd years and a Bosch which I use for grinding.. Also have a slew of 4" and 5" for finer work with a combination of grinding and flap wheels.

[PlanePig]

Thanks claw hama & Gavin for your reples. I have been checking the weight of 7 & 9 inch grinders & they are almost the same weight. When I get the $$$ I will check them out .
Planepig

[jatt]

Of course it depends on what u plan on doing with it. So I guess the question is what do u plan to use it for?

Found my 9 inch spends most of its time with a masonry disk on it. Seems to be my elcheapo concrete cutter. Dont seem to use it much on steel. Have the cuttoff saw for that.

Only prob I found with the 9 inch is the extra weight and of course a bit more vibratration.

Most if the time my 125 corded and 115 cordless grinders are in use. One runs a thin metal cuttoff wheel, the other a grinding disk.

Cant recall using a 7 inch myself.

My suggestion: buy the 9 inch. It appears that you already have the smaller end of the scale sorted.

[PlanePig]

Thanks Jatt,
I did have in mind cutting concrete with the bigger grinder so I think I will go with the 9 "
Planepig.:2tsup:

[rogerbaker]

At risk of preaching to the converted.
Couple of years ago I was in Hospital with a minor problem and in the next bed was a guy that had an argument with a grinder and lost. The disk went halfway through his thighbone. I have had a very healthy respect for mine ever since.

Roger

[8679]

Hi,

Just be aware that many industrial workplaces have banned 9" grinders due to the personal injury that they can create. Very nasty!

[PlanePig]

Thanks for your concerns I will keep them in mind when I decide on what size I now end up with .
Planepig.:oo:

[bollie7]

there's nothing quite like that moment when you have had a run in with a grinding wheel, when you look at your (insert body part here) and see the space where part of you used to be, just as the blood is starting to come and just before the pain hits. Its one of those Aah S*** moments.
Grind injuries seem to take forever to heal as well.

I've never hurt myself with an angle grinder of any size but have had a few off bench and floor grinders.
Best thing to remember with an angle grinder is check to make sure the switch is off before you plug the lead in and wait until the wheel stops before you put it down.

bollie7

[Jack E]

Most mining and industrial construction sites have banned 9" grinders.
I would go the 7" as it is a good size and will handle most of the bigger jobs unless you plan on doing some pretty serious grinding.

My old man picked up a 9" grinder by the trigger end one day and inadvertently pressed the trigger at the same time. The torque caused the grinder to jump and somehow it hit his wrist as his other hand was reaching for the front grip.
He had lots of microsurgery and eventually regained full use of his hand but it was a close call.
My dad has worked in construction for 35 years and is no fool with tools, just an accident from a sometimes dangerous machine.

[Gavin Newman]

Any tool can be dangerous, I look around my workshop and I see various grinders, 14" cutoff saw, metal lathe, mill, pistol drills, drill presses and welders. The garden shed contains a chainsaw, chipper/shredder, ladders etc.

Any of these could kill or maim, I think the essence is to respect the power of the tool, use it wisely (think three times, act once) but not to be afraid to utilise the tools properly.

It's a matter of striking a balance between rashness and wrapping yourself in cotton wool and dying of inaction.

Mind you, I say this as a guy who spends his spare weekend driving around race tracks in a superkart, a go-kart on steroids that runs to well over 200 kmh, no belts, no roll-cages....

[BobL]

Any tool can be dangerous, I look around my workshop and I see various grinders, 14" cutoff saw, metal lathe, mill, pistol drills, drill presses and welders. The garden shed contains a chainsaw, chipper/shredder, ladders etc.

Ladders are #1 cause of DIY handyperson, Accidents, Hospitalizations and Deaths

#2 and #3 DIY handy person deaths are motor vehicle repairs (crushed when jack fails) and electrocution!

Angle grinders are in the top 10 for accidents, mostly for eye injuries from people not wearing eye protection!

[Gavin Newman]

#1 cause of handyman death is breathing. Statistics prove that 100% of handymen who breathe die (eventually) :C

[silentC]

I know a bloke with a permanent smile thanks to a 9" angle grinder that kicked back. The scar runs from the corner of his mouth to just below his right ear.

[Andy Mac]

I like using the 9" grinders for their grunt, consequently they can remove a lot of metal. The main thing with the weight is to use them at a suitable height, not lifting it up and trying to handle it around chest height. Most seem to have safety switches now, which have 2 stages to get it operating, and they are momentary- unlike some small hand held grinders which need to be clicked off.

Cheers

[BobL]

I have an old 8" ww table saw that I use for exclusively cutting metal. I normally use it with 5" thin kerf cuttoff blade but I can also sneak a 9" grinder wheel onto it. It's much slower than an angle grinder but that makes it MUCH quieter and much safer. I use the 9" wheel mainly for truing up my chainsaw bar rails but I also use in in preference to a grinding wheel to hog out metal from steel bars etc. OK it's not the sort of thing you can use to apply to large pieces of metal but if the metal is smaller than the grinder its much safer to have the wheel stationary and move the metal around it.

[echnidna]

Thanks Bob I just found a good use for my old table saw :)

I might forget about getting a horizontal bandsaw

[glenn k]

i'D GET A 9" if a 7" is the same weight you could run a 7" in it and it would be the same. Most important is 9" blades are easier to find (and probably cheaper) as they are standard.
I run 14" on cut off wheel then on 9" then on 4" but usually from 9" to 4"
Have also put several blades on the bench grinder to get them to 4" size.

[Dave J]

Hi Planepig , A lot of grinders these days have soft start if that is a concern. I have 3 x 9 inch grinders, one is bolted in a grinder cut off stand because of it's weight (heavy)it is a old bosch the other one is a Hitachi I keep with a grinding wheel it is probably 10 year old and is not much lighter, the third one a light cheap GMC one I keep with a cutting disc.I find that I am frequently changing the GMC one over from grinding, cutting to wire wheel because it is alot lighter to handle.The GMC came with a spare set of brushes and only cost about $69.00( the cheapest grinder I own but the most used in the 9 inchers).I bought a mate a similar grinder different brand same price 2 sets of brushes included for a birthday present and he is happy with it (works well and it's light).So if your on a budget or your not sure if you want the 9 inch grinder buy a cheap one from ALDI or bunnings or some were like that and see how you go, they are a lot lighter and cheaper than the quality one's and seem to last( I have had mine for about 4 yr's with medium to heavy use) and for around $70.00 to $99.00 dollars they are cheap enough to have around for the amount of use a home shop gives them instead of paying around $300.00.Dave

[Jack E]

Yes there are a lot of tools, most of them dangerous.

Most of them are still used in the mining and construction industry but 9" grinders are not.

Sure these industries are big on safety and may be over the top sometimes but as far as I know 9" grinders are the only banned tool.

That's enough for me, and I have a #### load of tools, many of them dangerous.

[spooled]

Most 7's are 9's with 7 inch guards on them. As people have said most places have banned 9's and soon that will start being reflected on workers comp and public liability policies. The extra inch all round on the 9 will remove material a little quicker and the disc will last a little longer. Like I said the 7's usually have the same drive unit so the only difference is the disc outside edge speed is a little slower and the discs don't last as long. All the big units are only good for serious grinding anyway as most of my grinding is done with my 125mm machines.

RE grinding injuries. Whenever I show someone to use a grinder I always tell them to assume the disc is going to break away and fly off. That is make sure your face and body is protected by the guard at all times. Grinding discs and especially cutting discs do shatter and break away around the retaining flange for various reasons. I know an old fellow who had a breakaway disc hit his knee when he was about 25. It led to a lifetime of pain and problems and repeated surgery, and also ended his soccer career.

[glenn k]

I wouldn't consider a 7" there are so many times you need to put on a new blade to get the extra depth. This banning was do doubt due the some over paid stupid union leech. If you ban a 9" grinder what about a chainsaw? Can't put on a guard has to be the most dangerous hand held tool ever made and yes chains break aswell. Like grinders you just have to be aware of what can happen and be ready for it; like all tools. I think from a safety aspect it is far better to ban stupid operators than tools, nothing can be fool proof.

[spooled]

True that Glen. I can take my petrol powered 14" quick cut that weighs a ton and is like wrestling on ox when the full load is on the blade, but I can't use a 9":?

[silentC]

This banning was do doubt due the some over paid stupid union leech.
You'd like to think that these bannings come about following some in-depth analysis of injuries and causal factors and that the tool is looked at in terms of procedures and modifications to see if they can't be made safer and reduce the potential for injuries. At the end of the day, the responsibility of an employer is to provide a safe work place and if you don't, the compensation lawyers will have your backside - so in theory at least, these regulations are intended to further that end.

If you really examined the data you might find that the tool has been banned more because of failure to address misuse than from any inherent danger in the design of the tool, but it's hard to make that call without having all the information.

I seriously hope that it has nothing to do with union leeches, stupid or otherwise.