Before purchasing an angle grinder you should always carry out research on the model you are looking at, you can do this by reading through angle grinder reviews from a reputable power tool info site or by trawling through the reviews of previous buyers of the model you are interested in.
If you are considering buying an angle grinder to make repairs to your vehicle then you have probably been asking yourself which is the better to go for, a corded angle or a cordless model?
We will break down the main differences between the 2 and what the pro’s and con’s are for each one, which will help you make your decision.
Corded angle grinder
The corded angle grinder comes with a lower price tag than the cordless model because of the price of the batteries in the cordless so if you have a limited budget you will have more luck in finding a good quality with the corded version.
In terms of design the corded and cordless designs are identical apart from the power source they rely on with the corded taking the power from any electrical socket in your home or workshop or run an extension lead to work on you vehicles whereas the corded is using lithium batteries to power it up.
The corded angle grinder has been used for many years by auto repair garages, metal fabrication and industrial companies and has been a reliable and trusted cutting and grinding tool and it is no way inferior when it comes to power and performance over long durations.
The main advantages of the corded angle grinder
It doesn’t run out of power, as long as it’s plugged in it is ready to get to work cutting, grinding and polishing.
Also as already mentioned there is quite a gap in prices and you can pick up really good quality corded angle grinders relatively low priced, around $50+ in fact.
That makes the corded model great value for money and hard to beat especially if you are going to be pulling it out the tool box a few times a week.
You will also find higher priced models that are corded and they are more suited to professionals who will be relying on it everyday to complete there work tasks, otherwise it will be an overkill for the occasional user.
Disadvantages of the corded angle grinder
The main one is the cord that comes with the corded model it can be both annoying and a bit limiting in some work scenarios with the cord being something you will need to keep an eye whilst working and this is especially true when you are working on your cars and other vehicles as there is often limited space to work under the bonnet or even under the chassis to cut or grind parts for repair/replacement..
Cordless angle grinder
The cordless grinder has come a long way since it’s introduction with the battery technology improving so much over the last 10 years they are now just as powerful as the corded model with big lithium batteries powering the motor and providing some serious grunt.
Many power tool manufacturers now produce cordless angle grinders and that has led to rise in the selection available for consumers.
The cordless technology does come with a higher price though, those lithium batteries are not inexpensive to produce so that contribute largely to the price on the retail end.
The advantages of the cordless angle grinder
The main advantage of the cordless angle grinder is accessibility, you can get into any small and hard to reach spaces which this tool and that will be a necessity for many professional tradesmen who need to be able to work in those types of space limiting conditions regularly.
It is also a big advantage for working on vehicles because there is many a time you will be limited for space or have to get in to a tight angle whilst working on your car.
Not having to watch your power cable is also helpful and a big plus for those working on sites that are busy with many tradesmen all working in the same area because in that environment you can’t just run cables across floors and access points as it will be a tripping hazard, you have to route you cables and extension leads in the least intrusive way.
The disadvantages of the cordless model
The most obvious limiting factor for the battery powered version is of course the batteries, they will only last so long and the harder the cutting or grinding work the quicker they will drain of power.
This is less of a problem if you have multiple batteries and a quick charge battery charger with that set up you can get away with minimum wasted time because you rotate the batteries and the plug the dead battery in you have swapped out and you will be able to keep going.
You would need 3 batteries and a 1-2 hour quick charge re-charger to not have any waiting time and those batteries are not cheap but it is a solution for professional contractors who are used to spending large amounts on hardware.
The price of the cordless angle grinder is higher so that will reduce the amount of home workshop and DIY users from purchasing one when the gap is around $100-$200 more expensive.
Power
We can’t talk about angle grinders without covering power as this is the main quality of this tool.
The higher the Amp motor the more powerful it is and the same can be said for the voltage.
RPM’s are also a gauge of how powerful it is, if it has a high Voltage or Amp rating and the RPM’s is high it is a guarantee it is a powerful machine.
Angle grinder safety
The angle grinder is very powerful machine that can be lethal when used incorrectly or without the correct use of PPE.
The disc rotates at over 10,000 RPM’s so safety is to be taken very seriously.
Some angle grinders have a safety kick back feature that stops the grinder from biting into the metal which causes it to kick back and risk harming the user, this is a good feature to look out for if you are buying a new one.
Safety goggles
Always, always wear safety goggles when operating an angle grinder, not those safety glasses type no use the proper safety goggles that cover the full eyes part of your face.
There has been so many cases of users blinding themselves in one eye because they didn’t have the correct goggles or worst still though it’s just a small grinding task I will just quick do it without eye protection.
Those people learnt the hard way how quickly you can damage your eyes, don’t learn the hard way.
Wear some tough gloves that will reduce the impact of the rotating cutting or grinding disk on you hands if you make a mistake this can help you escape or decrease the severity of any injury.
Never remove any safety guards that come with the grinders design because you are increasing the chances of having an accident.