How To Choose A Makita Cordless Grinder

Choosing A Makita Cordless Grinder

Cut through sheet metal, pipe, quickly clean up welds or carve your way into stone during a home construction with flexibility and freedom when you use a Makita cordless grinder. This tool offers multiple uses, including grinding, cutting and polishing. The cordless variety lets you work in tight spaces and gives you the opportunity to continue working even when an extension cord or source of power is not available. While every grinder from Makita will boast the same quality, they aren’t all alike. Find one that suits your particular needs, whether you want to use it on the job or at home.

In the Grinder World, Size Matters

The grinding wheels determine the size of the tool. Monster jobs like cutting through sheet metal or pipe on a daily basis are simpler with the help of a larger Makita tool. Depending on its size and type, the grinder is useful with certain materials. For instance, a concrete grinder is an ideal choice for cutting through concrete. A traditional cordless grinder with a 5-inch blade may not cut deep enough or be strong enough to cut through thick material. Choose the Makita grinder to fit your project. Larger for wide flat jobs and smaller for more detailed work.

What’s RPM Got to do With it?

How fast do you want to grind, polish and cut? For faster cuts, a smaller Makita cordless grinder is essential. Smaller grinding wheels spin at higher speeds which are preferable for certain tasks, like polishing metal.

Not every task demands a high speed, however. A larger grinder spinning a medium or low rpm is useful for:

• Sanding floors
• Cutting through concrete
• Slicing through decking

While a seven-inch grinder may not be as fast at completing the job as a five-inch angle grinder, the lower speed produces less heat, which puts less strain on the tool.

If you plan on using the grinder for multiple types of tasks, choose one that boasts adjustable speed. Makita cordless tools often feature Automatic Speed Change™ technology, which:

• Adjusts the torque and speed
• Reduces operating temperatures
• Extends grinder life

While in most cases a smaller grinder means faster speeds, don’t let size alone fool you. A motor on a larger Makita cordless grinder with a higher amp rating may be just as fast as a small grinder with a low amp rating.

Benefits of a Cordless Grinder

When choosing Makita power tools, especially Makita cordless grinders, it’s important to consider the benefits they bring. While the most obvious is the absence of cords, these tools offer plenty of other features as well. For example, many Makita cordless grinders feature:

• Lightweight construction
• Ergonomic design
• Soft grips
• Soft start-ups
• Lock-on switches
• Anti-restart protection
• Extreme Protection Technology (XPT™)

Each of these features is beneficial to you in some way, but some may not be as important to you as others. You may want a lightweight angle grinder with a soft grip that helps reduce the amount of fatigue you experience while operating the tool for long periods at a time. However, you may not care whether or not the grinder has a lock-on switch if you plan to use it for small, quick tasks. Find the features that mean the most and are helpful for you.

Overheating, Overloading, Overdischarging No More

When browsing through Makita cordless combo kits, there are many features to consider that help extend the life of the concrete, angle or die grinder by reducing the chances of overloading, over discharging and overheating. Some of the most significant are:

• BL™ Brushless Motors- These motors eliminate resistance that could cause overheating and overloading by using no carbon brushes. This helps your angle grinder run more efficiently and at a lower temperature. It also eliminates the need to regularly replace brushes like you would in a traditional motor.
• Star Protection Computer Controls™- This is a unique technology available on many Makita drills, grinders and batteries. It protects your grinder by making it possible for the tool and the battery to monitor conditions during use and communicate with one another. If it detects the tool or the battery is close to over discharging, overloading or overheating, it cuts off the power to preserve the life of the battery and grinder.

Get More Charge out of Your Battery

Not every Makita cordless grinder comes with a battery, but many do. Each one is also compatible with Makita rechargeable Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries. The specific type of battery your grinder is compatible with varies, depending on whether the grinder boasts Star Protection Computer Controls and the voltage of the battery required. To ensure the battery for your Makita tools last as long as possible before needing to be recharged, look for certain features, including:

• A BL Brushless Motor capable of optimizing the energy use of a battery, so it operates as much as 50 percent more on each charge
• An LED battery gauge that lets you know the charge level of your battery
• Star Protection Computer Controls, which shut off the Makita cordless grinder’s power to prevent the battery from overheating
• A Rapid Optimum Charger, sometimes included, optimizes battery life by controlling the temperature, voltage and current of the battery during the charging process

Be sure to note whether the concrete, angle or die grinder you want comes with a battery and a Rapid Optimum Charger. If not, factor these additional purchases into your decision.

How Experienced Are You?

Makita cordless grinders are excellent tools for polishing, cutting and even sanding. They are serious tools, though, that work at high speeds and are potentially dangerous. Not every grinder is ideal for every user. If you do occasional DIY work around the house and haven’t had much experience with a grinder, a smaller one may be the best option.

While these Makita tools cut fast, their lightweight design means operation generally requires one hand. Larger kinds may be slightly heavier and need both hands for safe operation. These are best for professionals or those who have a higher experience level with the tools. If you’re a novice, consider starting with a small die, angle or concrete grinder to get used to how they operate before advancing to a larger one.

No matter what size or type of grinder you choose, safety is a key priority. In addition to purchasing the angle grinder, Li-ion batteries and charger, you also need to buy safety equipment such as:

• Gloves
• Safety glasses
• Face shield

When looking for a Makita cordless grinder, take care to find one that fits your needs. Not all grinders are alike; some are more appropriate for home use while others for professional use. Pick the Makita power tools that suit your needs and start enjoying the benefits today.