by the Professional Power Tool Guide Crew
A grinder is a useful power tool that a lot of people don’t think to get. It can polish and smooth all kinds of metallic surfaces, and you can use a grinder for a variety of projects. There are a lot of styles and sizes of this tool to select from, which may make choosing a grinder seem like a bit of a challenge. That said, there are some simple things to look for that may make your selection a bit easier. Let’s look at some of the factors that may go into picking out a grinder so you can get the right one when it comes time to buy.
There are a few different kinds of styles you’ll look at when choosing a grinder. Belt grinders and bench grinders are among the most popular to pick from. Belt grinders are great when you have to grind a piece of metal that has a coated abrasive. Don’t confuse them with belt sanders though as those are used only for wood. Bench grinders are used for finishing and have two wheels instead of one. You can also find cylindrical, jig and surface grinders out there, so look into those options if you have specific projects in mind.
Most of the grinders that you look at are going to be handheld, but there are some standalones available. The only reason you would ever use those would be for large, professional projects. If you’re just a person working on some at-home projects, the handhelds will do fine. The projects that you tackle will likely require a different pad size, so think about that and the grain you need when choosing a grinder. Buy something to accommodate most of your projects.
The blade that you need should also affect your decision in grinders. There are several types available, and they each have a certain strength to accommodate for a certain cutting need. You can buy diamond bladed grinders for projects involving granite or tile because those materials are very hard to cut. Carbon rasps are used for tile adhesive and grinding fillers. You can use a standard metal grinding blade for ferrous metals. Chances are that will be the one you look at when choosing a grinder. Though you may think that you should just buy the diamond blades to be able to cut through anything, that can get really costly really quickly. Don’t opt for diamond blades until you have to have them.
