Best angle grinder [Hand-held cutting & grinding]

• Disc size. Angle grinders come in a variety of disc sizes, from 4” to 9”. There is an increased risk of injury with larger 9” discs, so it would be best to go with 4” or 4.5” discs.
• Amps. To compensate for smaller disc sizes, go for a grinder with a suitably powerful motor. For most cutting and grinding jobs, a 5 to 9 amp motor is advisable.
  
• Handle. A grinder should have a secure and comfortable handle. This helps you maintain control over the tool and reduces the risk of injury.
• Slow start. A grinder with a slow start feature gradually builds up to optimal speed when you press the starter switch, instead of starting at full bore. This prevents the tool from jumping or leaping out of your hand when you turn it on, making it safer to use.

Corded VS Cordless Angle Grinders

When shopping for an angle grinder, the choice often comes down between corded and battery powered grinder.

As with most power tools, corded grinders typically provide the most power.

If you need to cut hard materials regularly, a corded model would be the obvious choice. And of course, corded grinders never run out of power or have to be charged, so they are better suited for situations when there is not a need to cut a lot of material.

That said, newer cordless models–particularly those from the top brands–have enough power for even the most demanding jobs. Some even have similar actions as corded models, so you should be able to get used to their performance pretty quickly.

Should you opt for a corded or a  cordless grinder ? If you are going to be ding a lot of concrete cutting, it would be best to go for a corded model, simply because concrete cutting can chew battery power.

If you are working mostly with cutting reinforcing steel, a cordless model would be the better option. Running around on a house foundation with a corded grinder becomes a real mess with the lead getting tangled.

Also, consider going cordless if you will be doing a lot of work in confined spaces or areas that don’t have a power outlet nearby.

Generally for DIY use, I recommend getting a corded grinder as you can do both grinding and cutting with only the one tool.

For tradespeople, it’s best to have a big Amp corded model, and a cordless model. To saves the time of running leads for cutting reinforcing steel. And you still have a high amp corded grinder for cutting masonry, fast grinding of timber and concrete.

Best tool to cut and grind concrete

Angle grinders aren’t always the best choices for general cutting, but they can be the most effective tool for cutting concrete and metals quickly at even awkward angles.

Compared to alternatives like a saber saw they have so much more speed. Attach the right cutting wheel to your grinder, and you will find that it can cut almost anything from timber to masonry, and even hardened steel.

An angle grinder is an effective tool for cutting masonry if you install a diamond cutting wheel on it.

This attachment will allow you to cut tiles, concrete slabs, blocks, cement, and even bricks. You can even use your grinder to cut out the mortar from brick joints to then be recycled.

Tilers often use angle grinders for making plunge-cuts in tiles, as when there is a need to cut out a section from the tile’s center. A skilled worker can even cut out intricate shapes in tiles, slabs, or bricks.

Experienced tilers and masons may be able to perform such complex tasks in one pass. In most cases, however, cutting out complex shapes into tiles and bricks will require a few passes.

The Bosch 1994-6 9-Inch Angle grinder is my recommendation for the best concrete cutting, and grinding tool.

Best tool to cut steel

Mostly angle grinders can be used to cut all types of metals. With a good cutting wheel installed, angle grinders can cut through steel sheets, reinforcing, and take out sections out of metal rods or bars, and even split bolts and screws. This is especially useful when you need to cut off the heads of stuck bolts.

All these are pretty heavy-duty jobs and will place considerable stress and wear not on your angle grinder but actually just the blade, therefore the downfall is having to replace the blades often when cutting steel, there are tips and methods for making your grinder blade last much longer though down below.

Unlike masonry and grinding blades that last a long time, steel-cut of blades should be purchased in bulk to save money.

You will have to make sure that your tool is durable and has the amps to maintain enough power to cut with-out burning out the motor. So get a corded high amp tool for anything other than simple cutting.

The Makita GA4542C 4.5-Inch angle grinder is the go-to corded hand grinder for general steel cutting and small grinding jobs.

With an extra amp than the Dewalt, it is also less bulky and easier to hold.

Angle grinders and timber

Did you know that you can cut wood with your angle grinder if you wish, but you do have to take extra precautions. 

These tools are especially useful for grinding down timber rather than cutting. And very useful for landscaping work, or making quick cuts and check-outs into the wood.

An angle grinder equipped with a ruff grit timber grinding disk, can be used to very quickly shape and carve timber for landscaping and tidying ruff sawn timber sleepers if you are building something like a planter box much quicker than a belt sander.

This timber grinding tip can leave a smooth but still rustic finish, that you can hit again with a belt sander afterward if you want.

Keep in mind that there is a considerable degree of risk involved when using an angle grinder to cut wood rather than grinding, therefore, I recommend just using a circular saw unless you want to do fast check-outs.

Grinder discs typically spin at 10,000 RPM to 15,000 RPM, which can cause a powerful kickback when the blade snags.

Kickbacks are especially dangerous when using grinders with only one hand, make sure you have 2 hands and a sturdy handle to do this safely.

In general, angle grinders are better suited for making small cuts in wood. If you need to do more complex or intricate woodwork, you might want to consider using other tools instead, such as circular or jigsaws.

Angle grinder features

As with all power tools, I recommend going with a professional model from brands such as DeWalt, Makita, and Bosch. These brands are known for high-performance tools that deliver pro-level build and quality, and you could expect to get many years of use from them.

Most DIY grinders simply don’t have enough power to cut through hard materials efficiently, and you will end up having to buy a better model anyway.

DIY grinders with low speed and amps, slow the cutting blade down under the lightest pressure, this then makes the blades wear out incredibly quickly making them expensive to use.

Power (Amps)

The higher the wattage and amperage rating of an angle grinder, the more power it will have.

Always choose a model with as high an amp rating as you can afford, as this will provide you with sufficient power for even the toughest jobs.

The last thing you want is to get all your materials ready only to find that your angle grinder doesn’t provide enough cutting power to get any serious work done.

Keep in mind that bigger discs require more power than smaller discs. If you plan on using your angle grinder with the larger 7 or 9” discs, make sure that your grinder’s motor is up to the task.

Disc Size

Angle grinders come with a few different disc sizes, from 4.5” to 9”. As I mentioned previously, larger discs will require more powerful motors.

While a larger disc might seem preferable, you don’t necessarily want to buy a grinder with the largest disc you can find.

Instead, it would be better to make your choice based on the tasks you need to perform. For precision work, for instance, you would be better off with a smaller disc coupled with a powerful grinder.

Furthermore, as I mentioned in the introduction to this review, larger 9” discs are riskier to use than smaller discs.

Unless you need to make deep cuts into masonry, it is better to go with a smaller disc even if you can make several smaller cuts instead.

Durability

Your angle grinder will likely go through considerable stress and wear-and-tear, so it should be able to perform consistently without breaking down.

With professional models from the major brands I mentioned previously, you should be able to count on consistent and reliable performance.

Price

Good angle grinders are actually pretty cheap. Even some of the best models from the brands mentioned above are priced reasonably, and you can get good value for your money by doing a bit of comparison shopping.

As always, I strongly suggest you get the best model you can at the price you are comfortable with, instead of settling for the cheapest DIY grinder you can find.