Angle grinders are one of those tools that capture our imagination from early on. The vibrant spray of sparks they throw oozes instant street cred among your friends. But what exactly is an angle grinder and what are they used for? Well, they’re certainly not just for generating spark showers, so let’s take a quick, high-level look at the basics.
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What is an Angle Grinder?
An angle grinder is a handheld power tool that spins a wheel at a very fast rate of speed. It can be corded or cordless. Small models can spin at over 10,000 RPM while large models might run closer to 6000 or 7000 RPM.
That may seem backwards, but it’s the edge of the wheel that does the work. For example, a 10,000 RPM speed on a 4.5-inch diameter wheel has an edge speed of 3750 feet per minute. A 9-inch diameter wheel at 6000 RPM has an edge speed of 4500 feet per minute.
Not only do larger grinders have a faster edge speed, but their motors are also more powerful. There’s a noticeable difference when you’re cutting thick steel or grinding down welds.
You may already be familiar with a bench grinder. The concept of an angle grinder is similar, but the big differences are that a bench grinder stays in place, and it’s used almost exclusively for grinding down materials.
On the other hand, an angle grinder’s ability to move to the work and use a wide range of wheel styles makes it a more versatile tool.
What is an Angle Grinder Used For?
As you can probably guess from the name, an angle grinder is used for grinding. Using a thick abrasive wheel, you can progressively and quickly remove material (usually metal) from the surface. It’s kind of like a sander on steroids that prefers a high-iron diet.
That’s not all an angle grinder can do, though. By switching to a thin abrasive or diamond cutting wheel, it can also cut through metal. It’s a highly useful function when it’s inconvenient or impractical to cut with a reciprocating saw or other metal-cutting saw.
By installing a wire brush wheel, you can abrasively scrape off paint, rust, and other surface coatings. These come with the wire brushes sticking out to the side or down, giving you different attack angle options.
Moving over to the concrete and masonry industry, angle grinders hold a couple of significant roles. An odd-looking attachment called a diamond cup wheel smooths out concrete surfaces. You can also use an abrasive or diamond wheel combined with a dust shroud and vacuum to channel out mortar in remodeling applications.
In some cases, remodelers might use an angle grinder to remove grout between tiles, but oscillating multi-tools are a more common option for that job.
While there are some specialty wheels used to quickly shape wood, most professional users avoid them in favor of tools specifically designed for the job. Angle grinders are primarily used for working with metal and concrete/masonry.
