Technical What's your favorite grinder?

I need a 1/4" pneumatic angle grinder. Something to use Rolocs on. I have bought cheapo Harbor Freight or Northern Tool grinders in the past, and they don't last long. I was in a HF on Tuesday and was drawn to the grinder shelf, and saw one for $14. I got it home and installed an air coupler and disk, and the thing didn't even last one minute before locking up.

What brand angle grinders have you had good luck with? I am ready to pony up, but I only want to spend it once.

 

Avoid any tool with these three words on it, "Made in China".

 

Good luck,LOL

 

What's a 1/4" grinder?

 

With any new air tool, break it in with a lot of oil and running about 1/2 speed, no load, for a period of time. I usually run mine for at least a couple minutes to break it in. Bones

 

look on ebay for an old US made one?

this is over 25 years old, still works fine. yes I oil it regularly.

 

I do what Bones said with any air tool. Makes sense to me and I've had both ends of the price scale. Works with both.
Pete

 

I've had an Astro Pneumatic for many years. We used the Harbor Freight ones at work. Most of the problems with pneumatic tools are lack of oil or moisture in the air supply.

 

Sierra, about 5'7" , brunette Damn... Seriously.. I have a couple hf angle grinders, ya gotta step up to the $20.00 one, I have a USA made one off a Mac truck, The casting for the 90 is bagged out, price for part is over half the price new, was a couple hung new... HF. Upper end from here out...hate ta say it, In mac's defense it is 30 yrs. Old,

 

I've had a Sunex for decades and bought a Husky from Tractor Supply to keep from swapping tooling, the Husky really is a good piece for the money.

 

I do my best grinding on the dance floor............Wait, did I say this out loud??

 

My buddy. I'm not really a fan of grinding and he seems to like it, so.............

 

Read and comply with the instruction on the tool.............. oil daily

I disregard that and only oil it the first time I am going to use it that day. So I'm getting away with the 'oil daily' thing as I don't use them every day. The really funny thing is that the stupid tool doesn't realise it's not getting oiled daily. Dumb (HF) tool just keeps working though.

Chris

 

At post # 9 ya see them little zerks, I call them zerks anyway. what is the proper stuff to put in there?

 

Funny thing, neither do I! Do a lot of paint work, And don't have any fish eye's in these parts..

 

Candy Barr was my favorite. HRP

 

I just went through the same thing. I bought the below I.R 302B and its fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/Ingersoll-30...pID=410o-yOqS1L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

grease gun grease.

 

Yup
Drain compressor daily even if you have a moisture collector, they don't always work.

 

I have a snap on straight die grinder I’ve had almost 20 years no issues and a couple Mac and snap on right angle ones for years also ( I will set them up with a roloc arbour , grinding disc arbouror cut off wheel and then I’m not swapping between tools

The big thing is don’t buy the cheap , cheap ones as the air motors don’t develop the torque a better one can and you end up working them hard and they overheat and done.

Also because they spin at duck high rpm and consume a lot of air, piling the motors and greasing the heads are very important, also clean dry air helps.

 

I dunno but this is 1/2 grinder

 

Along with oil in the air inlet regularly, you need to pump a couple squirts of grease gun grease in that fitting whenever you hear the gears starting to run dry! Take care of them and you will lengthen the life of the grinder immensely!

 

For the price, go to Orshelins(?spelling). A farm and home store here in Iowa. Oil and no moisture isn`t gonna help a tool if it`s junk to begin with. In 25 years, the Air drill is the only(air operated) Mac tool I`ve worn out. And my tools do get used. Often. I do have a 3/8 air ratchet that is getting week.

 

Just bought a 3-pc set of 1/4" collet style Astro Die Grinders; a straight version, and a 90º version,
& an 8-piece carbide burr set. p/n 219. Amazon has a pretty good deal on them $115, IIRC
Seem to be good quality. Light-weight.
Oil before every use.

 

I usually buy second hand dynabrade or aro pneumatic tools off ebay.. I’m not positive but I think aro is no longer supported so you can get them cheap and every tool I own runs great and probably will my lifetime..

 

I'll have the Italian with capicola and hot ham!

 

Hello, Jimmy Johns!

 

Can you even find a US-built air tool anymore? Everything I've seen is either China or Japan, regardless of brand. With that said, I've had decent luck with the HF stuff. Some last longer than others, if it goes bad within 90 days I take them back for a free replacement, but I generally get at least a couple of years out of them; I have one that I've worn all the chrome off the trigger paddle down to the copper base, that took more than a few years to do. I had a US-built IR one, the bearings went out after about four years and the cost of rebuild parts wasn't far away from the cost of a new one; for the same money, I could buy four from HF.

 

Hi HRP now you`re dating yourself.Course,she was my favorite too.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Mac makes a couple different versions, one has a regulator built into it, and has some real torque built in. The other one is just a regular type deal, but I am happy with that, and use it daily.