Keep on Grinding

A grinder is one of the most versatile power tools you can own. Go cordless, and it becomes even more useful. But should you buy a brushed, or a brushless model? We compared two Makita cordless grinders, to help you with your decision.

- By Grant Spolander

WITH SO MANY DISC types available, very few power tools compete with a grinder’s versatility. A grinder can do everything from cut, grind, sand and sharpen, to polish, deburr and de-rust, all on a wide variety of materials.

Naturally, that’s great news for DIY enthusiasts whose grinders are generally needed for a wide range of quick jobs around the house. These might include a lawnmower blade that needs sharpening, a padlock that has to be cut off after losing the keys, or a swollen door that needs sanding.

I’ve found that a grinder is the perfect tool for cutting conduit, pipe, and even plastic gutters. I can’t think of a single reason why I would use a hacksaw again to cut a length of gutter, when a grinder does the job faster, straighter, and a whole lot cleaner.The problem though has always been the power cord. Or more specifically, the extension lead! Because most of these quick jobs happen around your property where there isn’t an electricity plug point, the so-called ‘quick’ job entails opening a , walking outside to pull the lead through said window, walking back inside to plug the cable into the power socket, and then going back outside to plug in the grinder. Or, the alternative is to do what I tend to do: ‘Honey, can you please come here for a second?’

If there was ever a power tool that justified a move towards battery power, it has to be the grinder.