So on all of my electric stuff the first thing I do is throw away the safety shield. Might not be smart but its what I do. The only problem that I have had is stupidly laying the tool down and the wheel caught the ground which then ran over and cut the electric cord. Gloves and face shield are your friends! Oldmics
Removing the safety shield is about as smart as not wearing safety glasses. get the right tool for the job and keep safety in mind. I won't post pics of people with pieces of cut off wheel moving at high speed digging into their faces. And, I just a 4" grinder for clean up and a HF cut off tool because I couldn't find an electric one at any other store in town but I could find an electric one at HF. Sometimes we Harbor Freight because there isn't a choice for what we need, not because we are communists. *jeez!*
Oh, and if I am cutting anything thicker than the 3" wheel needs, I use a sawzall, also electric. The right tool for the job.
I have this one, among other metal-cutting tools. It's one of the few HF tools that hasn't failed me. http://www.harborfreight.com/120-volt-3-high-speed-cut-off-tool-68523.html Most of the other HF tools I started with have since been replaced with quality tools.
. . . . . and a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and enough shop rags or paper towels to soak up all the blood . . . .
Geez, guys... Maybe it's time to put our "man pants" on here. The "suicide wheel" is a fact of life, and sometimes it is exactly the right tool for the job. I've used one to cut almost everything for over a decade, and I've only had a few wheels let go, ALL due to my own stupidity. If you are careful and paying attention, it's as safe as any saw. Personally, I do not like the idea of the extension shown in post #32, but that is just my opinion. I also use only "flat" cutoff wheels, not the drop center type. Lastly, a grinder with a handle trigger or paddle switch is MUCH safer for cutoff use than the thumb switch type. You know what's really safe? Having someone else build your project...
I just bought my third Dewalt angle grinder, getting about two years of use out if them. $60. I really prefer the thumb switch it has over the handle trigger. I also keep the safety shield on at all times. The newest version of the model I use makes it very easy to change its position if its in the way of your cut. And I wear gloves and a full face shield when I'm using it. And I've never had to get stitches, or have any metal pulled from my eyes either Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
To each his own. I know that, with the way I hold the grinder when cutting, the thumb switch puts my hand much more in harm's way than the paddle... If it works for you, go for it.
I use that exact grinder every day at work w a cut off blade. Take two of the little base washer things and tack weld them together to pace the wheel out from your fingers. Added benefit is .the nut will be flush with the blade w no shaft sticking out.
If you're worried about safety cutting old dirty rusty metal might not be for you. Removing the guard is the only way to get to the things you need to cut sometimes.
I like this tool because it's idea for tight places and has a safety shield. Does anyone else make a tool like this besides HF? I prefer to buy Makita, Milwaukee, etc rather than HF if I can.
I use a 41/2 inch grinder, an air cutoff saw, a chop saw and my skill saw with large cutoff blades from Wal-mart for cutting off of 4x8 sheets. Each has a use.
On a related note, what's the best way to make long, straight cuts in a big piece of sheetmetal, without a big shear?
For long straight cuts my neighbor turned me onto this saw http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ci_sku=M0480&gclid=CNLRjJ-k4bUCFQZV4AodJGgALg Its the shit and will cut thick stuff. Oldmics
ditto the metal saw from Northern - bada$$ - HEARING protection required. For small stuff a 4" angle grinder is fine, and I' sure many of you have seen these, but I just recently discovered diamond blades for these - and they will cut anything. (Plus, I have yet to be fragged by one, like with the thin cut-off wheels.)
It never ceases to amaze me when people feel the tool needs to be run wide open when cutting or grinding, which is exactly what happens when using a 4 inch type electric grinder. It has nothing to do with being man enough to pull the trigger. Use some common sense.
Yep, you can buy two or three of them and have one for cut off disks and one for flap wheels and another with a wire cup brush on it and you don't have to stop to change what you have on one to do another task. The name brand ones are nice and I have a couple that stay under the bench most of the time while the HF ones get used just about every time I go out in the garage. As he said they are noisy and they may be a bit heavy compared to the 100.00 ones but they work. One of my buddies swears by Makitas and only uses Makitas but he has burned up at least one a year for the past twenty years. He does use them pretty hard and often though.
I have at least three cheap HFT type 4" angle grinders, 2 still in the boxout in the garage. I even bought one out of a shopping cart at a local grocery store years ago. Use them until they don't work and pitch and grab another one. And I have and old like a long-nosed DuMor type, 1/4" collet chuck die grinder that run's 30,000 rpm. I use cheap Chi-Com stones in it and have had it blow one or two up at rpm under load!! I always use GOOD safety stuff and point it 90 degree's away from me, it scare's me that much everytime I use it. pdq67
Amen. Got 2 Harbor Fright myself 1 for cutting and 1 for wirecups/flapper wheel. Keep the good one around for less stress on the grinder. Ive been hard on those 2 HFs and they still hold up just dont like that they are on/off button instead of trigger.
I will repeat. For long straight cuts, I use my $10. pawnshop skill saw with a metal cutting blade from Wal-mart. The metal cutting blades are just like bigger cut-off blades, they come 3 in a pack. Under $10.00. New skill saw $40. Used it all the time before I got a chopsaw. Now I just use it to cut smaller pieces from 4x8 sheets of sheet metal.
Just curious, but why do you all use those abrasive wheels? One diamond blade will outlast 100 of those things and doesn't shrink as you cut? Try a cheapo ebay or HF diamond wheel and see what you've been missing. All those abrasive wheels would have bought a lot of beer while the diamond wheel is still going. Joe H
i dont know about cutting alot of metal often and such wiht one. but i have one and use it on little projects here and there. i love it. it works great.
I've found an electric shear works the best for me. It seems to hold a line better than any kind of saw. Your mileage may vary....
Menards sells a very decent electric hand held shear,[Tool Shop brand[I just bought it a few weeks back. It has blades shaped like a miniature Beverly shear.... it will cut straight and will cut sharp curved lines. It sells for 39 dollars ,is a good heavy built tool,-cuts very well on 18 ga C/R steel sheet. It does slightly roll the edge on one side of your cut line,but you can plan around that,and its safe to use.
Several years ago when my compressor took a dump in the middle of a port job...being broke as a joke and not able to fix it, I bought a used Makita electric die grinder...variable speed, sucker kicked ass...I think I did at least two more sets of heads with it before I got my compressor back up, but man, could lug it down and it kept running, ...damned fine tool if you are set on an electric die grinder.
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