2 hours to burn out a £15 5" grinder

[John.Stitch]

Bought a 5" grinder and diamond blade.
The Bosch blade was £15.68
The B and Q grinder was £14.99. 500W motor

I cut the grouting out if the quarry tiles on about 15 of them and lifted the tiles then used the grinder to cut into the concrete beneath.
The grinder caught fire and stopped with a smell.
I had done the important part (grouting) but could have used the grinder to get rid of the concrete quicker than with a hammer and chisel.
Took it back to B&Q and the manager read the instructions to see if cutting concrete invalidated the warranty.
Then he offered me a replacement.
I said I'd like my money back which I got.

 

[r896neo]

Probably it was a duff one!

Although that said I have had a few cheap grinders i use for hard to get at things the power saw cant reach, twice i have lent one to a friend for some diy and both times they have burnt them out. It's amazing what some people think a 5 inch grinder will cut through.

Of course a small grinder is perfect for cutting tiles grout etc but a slab of concrete?

 

[chippie244]

You did the job and got your money back, what's the problem?

 

[R5GTT]

Buy cheap, buy twice.

No offence, but didn't the alarm bells start ringing when you realised the grinder was cheaper than the blade you were using?

 

[TicklyT]

I was once told the design life of a certain manufacturer's DIY range of power drills equates to about one hour of continuous use.

It sounds horrible, but if you only use the drill twice a year to put up a shelf or something, that one hour will probably last for years.

 

[Paul Barker]

We have a cheap shop chain like Woolworths called Boys. The buyer told me (while I was servicing his boiler) that the power tools dealt in by such stores and that would include the b and q cheap lines, have brushes rated 14 hrs. Because they know that the diyer won't exceed that much use during the guarantee period.

I just buy quality makes and then only the quality tools within that make. For professional use it pays.

My Hilti angle grinder is so steadfast it almost outdoes my stihl saw at cuting concrete. It is 100 times the power and ability of a cheap one which might look and feal similar.

It isn't just about brushes either. It's the whole package.

I apreciate that for diy you don't need a Hilti. But when a diyer is doing a professional job he needs to realise he can't do it with toys.

 

[Hitachimad]

Cheap grinders are a waste of time, buy a decent one and it will run for as long as you can hold it.

I use 5" grinders more than any other powertool. Bosch Blue or Hitachi gets my vote.

Not just how long it lasts, its also how it is to use. Cheap ones tend to vibrate a lot.

 

[John.Stitch]

You did the job and got your money back, what's the problem?

Exactly

 

[John.Stitch]

Buy cheap, buy twice.

No offence, but didn't the alarm bells start ringing when you realised the grinder was cheaper than the blade you were using?

It was a Sunday and I wanted to do the job. Ideally I would have bought a Makita and blade for £50