Review by jshroyer | posted 02-08-2015 07:19 PM | 3938 views | 0 times favorited | 12 comments | ![]() |
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- Harbor Freight 4-1/2 in. 4.5 Amp Heavy Duty Angle Grinder
- Brand: Harbor Freight | Category: Grinders
I got this angle grinder because i have only used 1 of these a single previous time. I normally used air tools only. so i decided to start out cheap and get one of these. I didnt want the regular one but got the heavy duty instead.
I was planning on using this for grinding on metal and cutting metal. Mostly cutting threaded rod for jig building and also for anything else like that. i dont leave a tool in my dremel and so thats the reason why i didnt do that.
I ended up getting a crazy good deal on a unisaw on craigslist and wanted to get it running really nice. the only issue was the pivot shaft was goobered up with crud (sorry for technical speak). but i ended up cleaning up the whole cabinet so i could repaint it. there was some rust so i got a HF wire wheel set and used those to clean it up. i could only go for about 2 hours before my hands would hurt too much. so i ended up going to paint stripper and then finished with wire wheel. only took me 13 hours to strip and repaint the cabinet in 1 day. the vibrations on this thing are a lot. If i was going for shorter periods of time it would be great though. thats my only issue with this thing. So if you are going to have an angle grinder in your hand all day each day i wouldnt get this. but since i am a woodworker first and metal worker second i am happy with it.
-if you plan to redo a large table saw cabinet get paint stripper first and then use wire wheel on angle grinder.
-be sure to get lots of attachments for these. (wire wheel, metal cutting, sanding)
I am thinking of adding some grip tape to the handle and the body to try to help the vibrations a bit.
12 comments so far
Dallas
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3599 posts in 3941 days
#1 posted 02-08-2015 09:08 PM
No matter what brand of wire brush you get, it is going to be un-balanced.
I Have tried nearly every brand using my HF and my Makita and my Milwaukee angle grinders. Every one of then was horrible.
Don’t blame the machine without trying other tools that attach to it.
-- Improvise.... Adapt...... Overcome!
runswithscissors
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3134 posts in 3479 days
#2 posted 02-08-2015 11:54 PM
I think Dallas makes a good point. A way to check whether the vibration comes from the tool or the attachment is to run it without any attachments.
-- I admit to being an adrenaline junky; fortunately, I'm very easily frightened
bobasaurus
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3747 posts in 4638 days
#3 posted 02-09-2015 12:38 AM
I have one of these and it’s a workhorse… I think it’s about the best tool you can get from Harbor Freight (not saying much, I know, but it’s actually a respectable tool). I used it the other day to cut out a rectangular window from a steel computer case. I’ve also used it to cut 1/8” tool steel bar, remove guards from grinders, cut large bolts, sand Andy-style box contours, and remove rust with a wire wheel.
-- Allen, Colorado (Instagram @bobasaurus_woodworking)
Tedstor
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1691 posts in 4086 days
#4 posted 02-09-2015 03:03 AM
I bought one of these a few years back. Good tool for the price. I only need an angle grinder 1-2X per year…...so paying more didn’t make much sense. I actually just used mine, with a cut-off wheel, to hack through an old rusty master lock on my back gate. Worked well.
Craftsman on the lake
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3896 posts in 4891 days
#5 posted 02-09-2015 01:06 PM
Fun story:
I cut a lot of metal when welding. I burn through a grinder a year. Dewalt, millwaukee. So I decided on buying Hf to see. I ordered three cheep ones on sale. each one lasted 20 minutes before the gears were smoking then stopped.
I go to Sears…. Craftsman grinder for about $50. And $7 gets you a three year replacement plan. I figure I’ll burn it out every year and just go get a new one. Never have to buy one again. That was 7 years ago…...Still using the same (albiet beat up) sears grinder. And I’m not even a big fan of newer Sears power tools. Just have a few older ones.
-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful.
JesseTutt
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854 posts in 3564 days
#6 posted 02-09-2015 03:02 PM
I have the older (?) orange model that I use to cut rebar and angle. Very little vibration. As with any other HF tool I only buy one if it is rarely used. Constant use tools are name brand.
I did cut 4 linier feet of 1/16” steel once and except for the grinder getting warm and wearing out a blade it did a good job.
-- Jesse, Saint Louis, Missouri
Bill1974
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185 posts in 4439 days
#7 posted 02-09-2015 08:30 PM
For paint removal with an angle grinder, there work better than most other options:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-4-1-2-in-x-5-8-in-11-in-Non-Woven-Quick-Strip-Disc-PNW045STRB01G/202830907
I have not used this brand but the HF and other brands that I have used worked pretty well.
b2rtch
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4922 posts in 4502 days
#8 posted 02-11-2015 11:55 PM
I bought one for $9.99 several years ago, it still going strong when I need it.
-- Bert
Tim812
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13 posts in 2306 days
#9 posted 01-13-2017 11:58 AM
Thanks for the review. Good to know that it is half decent. Most review websites feature only the top brands in their angle grinder reviews, hard to find reviews on the HF models. As for the vibrations – a good idea would be to get anti-vibration gloves. You can use them when working with other tools as well. I haven’t tried them myself, but apparently it works very well. Saw an article on a chainsaw website.
-- Dust and coffee = ideal day
b2rtch
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4922 posts in 4502 days
#10 posted 01-13-2017 01:17 PM
“As for the vibrations – a good idea would be to get anti-vibration gloves. ”
A better idea yet would be to buy quality disks.
I love HF but HF abrasive suck, all of them
-- Bert
Fahed
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1 post in 546 days
#11 posted 11-19-2020 10:56 AM
Angle grinders are the best DIY tool among the rest of the power tools and must-have tool at all homes.
I wrote several guides on this niche at angle grinder guide.
dereck
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1 post in 407 days
#12 posted 04-07-2021 03:46 PM
Woodwork—otherwise known as cabinet and furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning—has been around for centuries. And despite some serious advancements in modern technology in the past millennium, many of the wood working techniques used by woodworkers today are the same ones used hundreds of years ago.
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