How to choose a grinder for your home – expert advice

For a long time, performing operations with metal and wood in hard-to-reach places caused many problems, difficulties and inconsistencies. Traditional methods failed to achieve acceptable results and manufacturers went to all sorts of tricks. It was their result that was the birth of the angle grinder, which was invented by the Japanese company Makita in the late fifties of the last century. Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, the angle grinder has bristled with new units and assemblies that expand its functionality, but their principle of operation has remained unchanged. In our country, these devices are well known under a different name – Bulgarian.

What are the grinders – types

All models of grinders on sale can be divided into two conditional categories. Conditional – because, depending on the technical features and applied solutions, one or another model can be attributed to two classes at the same time:

1. Compact one-handed angle grinders. They are also very often called household, since it is in everyday life that they find their main application. They are characterized by the presence of a low-power electric motor (up to 1.2-1.5 kW), and a disc with a diameter of up to 150 mm is used as a working tool;

2. Professional grinders with a two-handed design. Powerful devices designed for long-term routine work. Their power can reach 3 kilowatts, and the diameter of the installed disk can be 250-300 millimeters. Devices of this class are perfect for working with all materials and types of surfaces without exception;

The main criteria for choosing a grinder

There are a number of technical nuances that you should pay attention to when choosing a grinder for specific purposes.

Used disk size

The disc is a replaceable cut-off wheel that is fixed on the grinder rod and makes direct contact with the work surface. The diameter of the cutting wheel varies from 110 to 260 millimeters, and the larger the disc, the heavier and more powerful the grinder will be.

We recommend reading the article on how to choose a disc for a grinder.

Grinder power

Under this parameter, they almost always mean the power of the electric motor installed on the device, and with it the functionality of this or that grinder. On sale you can find a large number of different models – from compact low-power models (300-400 W) and ending with professional power machines, the power of which exceeds the above-mentioned ones by 7-8 times. The more powerful the angle grinder, the more versatile it is, and also the larger, heavier and, accordingly, more expensive.

Disk rotation speed

In this situation, the most direct effect is the original diameter of the disc used. Models designed to work with compact discs with a diameter of 110-130 millimeters can develop up to 10-11 thousand revolutions per minute, while larger machines equipped with larger diameter discs are almost never faster than 6.5-7 thousand revolutions in minute. When this threshold is exceeded, parasitic vibrations almost always appear, which lead to the destruction of the disc. A compromise option is the use of angle grinders, equipped with the ability to adjust the speed depending on the type of disk installed, but almost always such machines are quite expensive.

What functions can the angle grinder be equipped with?

1. The possibility of a smooth start, excluding an increased load on the rotor, and the same smooth braking of the device – when the power is turned off, the spindle rotates by inertia for some time;

2. A protective mechanism that prevents the wheel from jamming during cutting. Measures the deviation of the angular speed of rotation of the circle relative to the initial version, and if it reaches a critical value, the grinder automatically turns off;

3. Prevent secondary autostart of the device. a very useful function that prevents the device from spontaneous starting after the voltage in the working network has disappeared. In order to turn on the grinder, you must press the start button again;

4. Regulator of revolutions and synchronizer of speed. Highly demanded functions that significantly expand the range of use of grinders. The first one allows you to regulate the speed of the device and adjust them to the type of disc used, the second serves to maintain sensitively adjusted speed in any operating mode;

5. Customizing the controls 'for yourself'. The location, length, stick reach, as well as many other settings – all this makes working with the grinder as convenient as possible;

Ease of use and weight of the power tool

In order for the grinder to be as comfortable and functional as possible, it is necessary to pay special attention to its weight and size characteristics, as well as to such a parameter as balance. The weight of household grinders is almost always limited to 1.5-2 kilograms, while professional models can weigh twice or even three times more. But even with such a rather large weight, you can use the angle grinder with a sufficient degree of comfort. All that is needed for this purpose is to adjust the balance of the device so that during operation it does not outweigh forward or backward.

What attachments (discs) are equipped with grinders

As noted above, the main cutting element of any grinder is a special high-strength replaceable disc. It is he who contacts the surface to be treated and transfers the energy of the electric motor to it. However, there are no universal discs, and there are various models on the market that are suitable for a wide variety of materials. It is depending on this parameter that one or another disk should be selected.

1. High strength diamond wheels. They are used for processing stone, marble, granite, as well as for cutting metal.

2. The corbels are special attachments based on a rigid metal wire. Used for cleaning metal from plaque, corrosion and oxides;

3. Flap discs are special soft discs designed for working with wood surfaces – both processing and grinding, and for the final stage of processing – polishing.

In the next article, our experts will tell you how to choose the right puncher.

Video for choosing a grinder

Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.