Welding Tips. Selecting The Correct Grinder, Part 3

Welding tips, how to select the correct grinder for your welding project. Part 3

Another way to determine the intended application of an angle grinder by the manufacturer is to determine if the grinder has easily replaced brushes or not. Good quality grinders have small circular ports that screw out in the motor section of the grinder. These ports screw out to give access to the motor brushes so that they can be easily accessed and replaced. Any grinder without this is considered disposable and not intended for nothing more than hobby or occasional use. These disposable grinders will begin to overheat and melt down while grinding if used with anything more than a gentle touch. I’ve had name brand, brand new and even relatively expensive grinders burn out in short order because they were light duty in construction. Of course, steel gearing and ball bearing construction are a minimum requirement for any angle grinder worth its salt, but you’ll also find that heavier duty grinders often are rated for AC and DC 120V use. This is because these grinders are intended for heavy duty use where engine driver stick welders are supplying the power output. Older engine driven welders would only put out DC 120V. Of course many resistive loads will operate off of DC 120V, such as lights, rod heaters, etc, but not all grinders will. Those intended for AC only may not be as robustly made as a unit designed for AC and DC use. A heavy duty grinder will usually be single speed as well since it runs off of DC. Variable speed controls found in many light duty grinders do not work with DC power sources and will burn up after a few minutes of use.

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