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Found out the hard way that a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight can ruin a whole afternoon
I tried to save 40 bucks on a $29 angle grinder to knock down some weld spatter on a gate I was building last weekend. Thing died after 15 minutes of use, just locked up and started smoking. I had to drive 20 miles back to the store to swap it out, which killed another hour of daylight. Plus the first one left a crappy finish because the wheel wobbled from the factory. By the time I got the new one home, it was dark and I had to finish the next morning. Anyone else waste time on a tool that seemed like a deal but wasn't?
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lisa_grant9d ago
Did you ever think maybe the problem isn't the grinder, but the way you used it? I've had a Harbor Freight grinder for three years now and it still runs fine, even after I dropped it off a ladder once. 15 minutes of heavy weld spatter might be too much for any cheap tool, especially if you were pushing it harder than what it's rated for. Plus, you can get a blade stabilizer for like 5 bucks that helps with that wobble issue, so it's not really the grinder's fault you didn't prepare.
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parker_bailey8d agoMost Upvoted
Yeah, I feel that. I once killed a grinder in ten minutes just by leaning on it too hard trying to cut a rusty bolt, so I can't really blame the tool for my own bad habits. In my case, the real problem was the guy holding the trigger. Still cheaper than buying a better grinder and having to admit I messed up.
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