Angle Grinder, 7 In.or 9 In.

As others have stated, this thing is a beast and heavy duty. I bought it primarily for masonry work (cutting bricks/pavers, cutting out mortared bricks for repairing walls, re-tucking walls, etc. It works like a champ but one BIG thing to consider--if you're looking to do these masonry tasks--is that the 7" and 9 " diamond blades you would use for cutting/mortar removal can not cut to as great a depth as you might think. This is due to the fact that the gearbox where the spindle is located (and the wheel attaches) is so big that you can't push the blade in deep enough on many materials to do a single sided cut and utilize the full radius of the blade. The material will often hit the side of the housing first and as a result the depth of cut is shortened substantially--even on a 9" blade.I got this thing in the first place because my 4 1/2" SuperMag grinder couldn't get deep enough to cut a mortared brick out of a wall, but a 7" blade on this can't go much deeper--I couldn't even make a one-sided cut through a shallow paver brick with that blade. In order to make long angle cuts on these pavers I reverted back to my old circular saw with a 7 1/4" diamond blade. It was easier to cut straight and had no trouble going all the way through (albeit in several passes but still much cleaner than a flip over double cut). This is due to the fact that the saw blade is able to sink almost all the way to the center point and utilize a lot more of the blade depth. Plus the circ saw was easier to control since it weighs much less--and it seemed a lot safer too. I ultimately got a 9" blade for this grinder, but by that time all the cuts on that project were complete. I'll use it for a retaining wall repair job coming up next.One thing to note however, was that a masonry grinding wheel on this bad boy came in very handy for shaping cut bricks with curved/beveled edges, cleaning up rough cuts and taking off small amounts of undercut bricks without a re-cut--no circ saw can do that. Obviously the limitations of the cutting depth are not the tool's fault, but it is worth noting if you're looking to use it for this purpose, especially with bricks. A big 10 1/4" circ saw with a diamond blade might be a better choice for a lot of masonry cutting jobs, but obviously can't do any grinding work. Even an 8 1/4" saw might be better. A gas powered saw is there as an option too, but those are big dollars--too rich for my blood.A few more points to note:If you don't need the 9" capacity, a 7" unit might be a better choice because, as previously mentioned, this thing weighs a ton--much heavier than the 7" models I tested/held at Big Orange Depo.It IS made in China, but so is everything these days, so unless you want to spring for a high dollar German brand like Fein, Metabo, Hilti etc., what are you gonna do? Hopefully it will last, but it sure ain't made in Wisconsin no more.The guards--both 7" and 9" are included--are excellent on this unit, heavy duty and with REAL tool-free adjustment, so rotation is easy and quick. This is a big safety factor--I would not dare to use this beast without the guard in place (and at the proper position), as I routinely do with the 4.5 incher. These guards, if NOT included, can be pricey so its worth factoring that in. Also included are the flange nuts and wrench, also sometimes not included on certain brands/models. Again, if you don't have 'em you have to go hunting for 'em.This particular model does have the third screw hole which allows the handle to be attached to the top of the tool and turned sideways for use, adding a lot to its versatility. Note that some grinders only have 2 side position attachment points, which does tend to limit the usefulness of those units as purely cutting tools.This model does NOT have the Quik-Lok removable cord. This is a "nice to have", especially regarding tool storage in a case, but not a deal breaker.Speaking of cases, forget about finding a decent carrying case for this bad boy. They don't make the metal ones any more, and one this big would cost upwards of $75-$100 IF you were lucky enough to find one anyway. I bought this as an open box return unit from ebay, so there's no way I was willing to pay almost as much for a case as the tool cost in the first place. Keep in mind you need at least 24 inches of USABLE space to store this with non-detachable cord protector not getting severely bent sideways. I did find an inexpensive alternative that is at least better than the cardboard box it comes in however. Sears has a 26" plastic tool box that will fit this unit, sans the top tray, for about $20-25 on sale. Yeah, its plastic, and paying money for plastic cases is somewhat offensive, but its better than nothing.All in all a great heavy duty tool, but keep in mind the depth of cut issue and the general "scariness factor" of using this thing for anything other than simple horizontal grinding, and even then...

I've used angle grinders for quite a few years and I think that this grinder is as good a grinder as I've ever used. It's side handle is angled just right so it's comforatble to use. Its quieter than the others I've used too. In fact it's not really any louder that a lot of 41/2" grinders I've used. It came with a 7" disk and has the capability and more than enough power to handle a 9" as well. It doesn't have a detachable cord and I prefer that. In fact it doesn't have any frills, ie detachable cord, adjustable handle etc. It has what I need the most, power as well as comfort! It does however, come with a guard for a 9" disk and a wrench and associated hardware to handle sanding discs as well. I haven't used the trigger lock yet but the trigger is easy enough to hold down I don't know why a person would need to use it. I've had a 41/2" grinder by Milwakee for several years so I had complete confidence in the name.I'd highly recomend the 6088-30 angle grinder to anybody.

I ran the grinder after opening the box to verify it ran. I noticed a clanking sound coming from the gearbox. I opened up the gearbox using a star-fitting socket wrench. There was a very small amount of clear grease on the inside surface of the gearbox and none on the surface of the gears. I repacked with disk brake grease ( which should withstand heat ).

A real nice tool and a real beast it is a heavy duty tool it cuts metal super fast. I have been using a 4 1/2 IN Craftsman grinder for years to sharpen lawm mower blades but when you try to sharpen a bush hog blade that is a half inch thick the 4 1/2 is too time consuming. This grinder makes short work of it. It is real heavy but the the handle has a nice grip, well balanced, and the guard is a real safety feature of which it comes with the 7in and the 9in guard. My only complaint is that it is made in CHINA which I am not a fan of CHINESE made tools or any thing else for that matter although it looks like a real quality made product.

I've purchased tools for the last 35 years. I've learned from experience that you should not buy the cheap imitation knock offs. I have a failed masterforce hammer drill from menards, a failed switch on a chicago reciprocating saw, a failed armature on an tool shop angled grinder from menards. However, all of my Milwaukee, DeWalt, Porter-Cable and Rigid tools are running like new after several years of construction work. This Milwaukee grinder is great.

Have 2 of these at work. First one died within 3 weeks, other one is still going but I don't expect it to last. Takes alot less force than expected to bog it down too. Our 15 plus year old makita 7" is still going strong so I would suggest you buy one of them instead.

This tool can take it. I used it during my farm house construction on a daily abusive fashion. We cut metal in abundance and this grinder is still going strong.

My husband had been wanting this tool for some time and had been pricing it several places. I surprised him with this quality tool and for a great price. He loves it!

We needed this to grind out a large steel grease interceptor. It cut through the steel like butter. Of course new blades always help. Prior to this we had been using a small Dewalt angle grinder with an over sized blade (I really don't recommend this) for a lot of jobs. It's a very powerful tool. I can't compare to other brands but worth the money in my mind. For larger cutting jobs I wouldn't go back to the small grinder.

Used this tool for interlock pavement and I was very pleased with it power (15amps). This grinder, with a 9'' blade, was cutting concrete like it was cutting wood! To my opinion, you can't get this type of quality for this price on any other major brands (ex.Bosch or else) buy with confidence!

Works great. I used it to cut concrete. It never skipped a beat. It is quite heavy though, and can blow the breaker on a 15 amp circuit when starting.