PM ing your angle grinder

[pickled]

A tip for you folks,

I was cutting some steel up with my trusty old angle grinder for a welding project the other day and I noticed how gravelly it sounded when I would let off the trigger. I took apart the head of the unit and found that it was filled with some "lifetime" grease to lubricate the bevel gear and two bearing races. The grease was oxidized and hardly even coating the parts anymore. There are a number of bearings in these things that get beat up pretty good if you use them to cut and grind. I cleaned out all the old goop with some acetone and shop rags then packed it full of Amsoil synthetic racing grease. After I put it back together I hit the trigger and it was extremely quiet. It now runs better than new and you can really lean into it without it stalling. Even though these things can be had for under $20 at harbor freight...you can do the world a favor and keep them alive by repacking the grease every year. It was a 10 minute job on mine.

 

[John_K]

Makes me wonder about some of the "lifetime" grease on auto parts.....

John

 

[pickled]

Yeah...I like to take those plugs out and scoop and fill if the application allows for it. I've refilled a noisy CV boot before (some will call me a heretic) using a grease needle and silicone tape to get 35k more miles out of it before I traded the car in- when failure was probably 1000 miles away. If you treat the environment like an operating room (i.e. keep everything clean) most of the time you can keep things alive by servicing such "fill for life" grease applications.

 

[punisher]

I hate to admit I buy 2 or 3 angle grinders at a time when Harbor freight has them on sale for $6.99. I use them and toss them when the gears give up. I have a nice Snap-on angle grinder that sits in my tool box because I don't want to wear it out. Go figure.

 

[The_Jeff]

^ nice thing about that is you can have a cutoff wheel on one and a grinding one on another and not switch 'em until they're worn out.

My chinese grinder needed, of all things, a new power cord before any other maintenance. It says use light oil on the gears... which of course just gets flung out immediately thereafter.

 

[alreadygone]

"you can really lean into it without it stalling." pickled

One would do well to talk to one of my employees before embracinng this process! He had (at home, thank goodness) a rock bust because of crowding it. One half, or so of the shrapnel hit him in the calf! Cutting a major vein, or artery, don't recall which now. Nearly bled to death on the way to hospital. Now that entire ankle and foot are numb. He has to walk with eyes glued to footing or he'll fall about like a rag doll.

Bob

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: punisher
I use them and toss them when the gears give up.


I'm surprised the armature windings last long enough for the gears to wear out.