What Is The Difference Between An Angle Grinder And An Angle Grinder

14th August 2020

Angle grinder and grinder: how are they different?
What is the difference between an angle grinder and a grinder. The main functions of the angle grinder. Types and purpose of grinders.

Angle grinder and grinder: how are they different?

Construction and repair work is not complete without cutting, cleaning and grinding various surfaces: metal, wood, stone. Therefore, you cannot do without a quality angle grinder or grinder. Angle Grinder. The colloquial name for an electric tool, the main purpose of which is the abrasive processing of metal, as well as other materials. Today, such a tool is widely used for cutting metal, stone and wood, as well as for processing various building materials, including brick and concrete. Another name for the instrument. Angle grinder. The name familiar to everyone “Angle Grinder” appeared due to the fact that the first samples of an angle grinder appeared in the Soviet Union only in the 70s and they were produced in Bulgaria. The tool has a cylindrical body, attachment and side handle.

Distinctive Features of Angle Grinder

The range of grinders is quite large and, in terms of engine power, they are divided into household and professional ones. The former have low power, simplified functions, and shorter runtime. For home renovation and construction, a great option. The latter are distinguished by greater performance and power. The professional angle grinder is equipped with a spindle speed control and can work for a long time without shutdown. Households are equipped with a handle and have a power of 1.5 kW.

what is the difference between an angle grinder and an angle grinder

Manufacturers equip an angle grinder with various useful functions:

Balancing, which stabilizes vibration, preventing the disc from beating against the treated surface;
Control of the number of revolutions of the disk;
Speed control;
Soft start. It is convenient to work with such devices. They start at low revs and gradually gain power;
Automatic shutdown of brushes if an electrical failure occurs.

The angle grinder is equipped with an angle gear, brushes (cutting, roughing, brushing, dish, cup) or discs of different sizes. Suitable for working with an angle grinder are diamond cut-off wheels that can be used to work on granite, concrete and asphalt, as well as abrasive cut-off wheels, which have proven themselves well when cutting ceramics, stone, metal, slate.

Features of the grinder

If it is necessary to sand the material in places where a regular angle grinder cannot reach, it is recommended to use a straight grinder. This is a type of electric tool designed for polishing metal, plastic or wood surfaces. There are many types of grinders on the market, most of them are equipped with a vacuum cleaner that collects shavings, sawdust and other waste.

The following types of grinders are on sale:

Tape. Good option for polishing large surfaces. Grinding is carried out unidirectionally using a belt located on rollers. Can be used instead of a plane;
Vibration or surface grinding. Has a flat sole, is equipped with a vacuum cleaner, suitable for grinding wood, plastic, metal;
Eccentric or orbital. The outsole resembles a circle, used for working with curved and convex surfaces;
Polishing, which is used to polish painted and metal surfaces;
Brush. During grinding it rotates on its axis.

As you can see, the angle grinder and the grinder have similar functions. Are used for polishing, grinding and cutting various building materials. But an angle grinder is best used for cutting metals, while a grinder is suitable for cleaning and polishing surfaces.

Angle grinder and grinder: how are they different?

Special Features Angle Grinder

Manufacturers equip an angle grinder with various useful functions:

Balancing, which stabilizes vibration, preventing the disc from beating against the treated surface;
Control of the number of revolutions of the disk;
Speed control;
Soft start. It is convenient to work with such devices. They start at low revs and gradually gain power;
Automatic shutdown of brushes if an electrical failure occurs.

Features of the grinder

The following types of grinders are on sale:

Tape. Good option for polishing large surfaces. Grinding is carried out unidirectionally using a belt located on rollers. Can be used instead of a plane;
Vibration or surface grinding. Has a flat sole, is equipped with a vacuum cleaner, suitable for grinding wood, plastic, metal;
Eccentric or orbital. The outsole resembles a circle, used for working with curved and convex surfaces;
Polishing, which is used to polish painted and metal surfaces;
Brush. During grinding it rotates on its axis.

Sander

A sander is a type of power tool for grinding and polishing surfaces of various materials, such as plastic, metal, wood.

Many types of grinding machines have the function of collecting sawdust, shavings, in a word, waste from the work performed. The vacuum cleaner can be either built-in or additionally connected.

Types of grinders

Belt sander. It is a tool where the surface is sanded unidirectionally, using a sanding belt, which is located on the rollers provided for rotation. This type of tool is suitable for polishing large surfaces.

Belt sander

Vibration sander. This type of machine is also called a surface grinder. It is a flat-bottomed instrument, hence the name. The surface is sanded by reciprocating movements of the sandpaper. It is this action that is vibrational in nature. This type of machine also has vacuum cleaners for collecting construction dust.

Vibration sander

For work on ledges and in corners there is another type of vibration-type machines, this is a delta sander. The sole of this type of tool has a triangular shape, which allows you to work in hard-to-reach places.

Eccentric sander. This variety is commonly called the orbital. The name, again, was formed by the appearance of the sanding sole. It resembles an orbit or, more simply, a circle.

Eccentric sander

Angle grinder. This type of machine rotates around its axis. In addition to grinding, the angle grinder can cut metal, concrete and other materials.

Angle grinder

Polishing sander. The function of this tool is to polish metal and painted surfaces.

Polishing sander

Brush sander. The brush performs the functions of a grinder, rotating along its axis.

Brush sander

How to choose a sander?

Before proceeding with the purchase, you need to decide what specific device you need and what functions it should perform. The tape machine is designed to work instead of a planer. That is, the work of the tool is a rough roughing of paint and leveling the surface. For vibration, work on wood, plastic and metal is more common. Such a machine produces high-quality cleaning and polishing of the material. The orbital sander is designed to work with convex and curved surfaces. Thus, before purchasing this kind of tool, it is important to decide on what surface you will work on and what requirements the electrical appliance should meet.

How to Work Your Angle Grinder Correctly to Avoid Injury: 3 Ways to Use and 10 Safety Tips

An angle grinder (angle grinder) or, as it is also called, an angle grinder should be in the arsenal of every master. She is a faithful assistant in repairs: not a single laying of ceramic tiles or a cut in concrete can do without this tool. What can we say about large-scale construction and dismantling work: here the angle grinder is a real queen, second only to a jackhammer.

Every builder knows how to work correctly with an angle grinder, but even professionals make mistakes. Injuries sustained from an angle grinder are the responsibility of the surgeon and may not always be curable. The article will skip all the horrors of severed fingers to move on to the main thing. Safety, which is not always found in standard instructions. But first things first.

Device and capabilities

All angle grinders, regardless of manufacturer, are made the same. The difference may be additional structural elements, due to which the brand wants to stand out. A standard grinder (e.G. Makita GA5030) consists of:

Durable shock-resistant case that is not afraid of falls;
An electric motor, which includes a rotor, stator and electric brushes;
Gearbox and couplings;
Two handles for holding the machine;
Lever for quick disk replacement;
Button that starts the engine.

Often this button works very smoothly, which allows the angle grinder to gradually pick up pace, thus reducing the load on the motor and reducing the risk of possible injury.

The functionality of an angle grinder depends on the dimensions of the machine itself and the diameter of the disc. So, if you need to perform a large amount of work, for example, to clean up an impressive area of concrete, you must select a disc with the maximum diameter (indicated in the technical characteristics of a particular model). There are also universal cutters: almost all angle grinders can work with a nozzle for an inner hole diameter of 22-23 mm.

Important: the larger the disc, the slower its rotation, that is, the work itself takes longer. True, modern tools are equipped with the ability to adjust the number of revolutions. This functionality is especially useful when cleaning or sanding surfaces.

How to operate an angle grinder safely?

When everything is more or less clear with the universal points on safety, it is time to analyze specific examples of work and the protection of the operator when performing them. For clarity, the information is presented in the table. The data are systematized according to the main points.

So, most often the angle grinder is used for cutting ceramic tiles, performing tasks on metal and wood. On this later.

Attention! Manufacturers do not recommend using an angle grinder for working with wood due to the increased risk of injury!

What is the correct name of an angle grinder

The familiar name for everyone. The angle grinder. Is so common that few people remember why it is called that. This tool is correctly called an angle grinder (angle grinder). Initially, it was intended for processing internal corners at the joints of two planes. The first copies of such machines arrived in the Soviet Union from then friendly Bulgaria, where they were produced. According to the habit of the people, they tried to shorten the long and inconvenient name. As a result, a new word has become firmly established. An angle grinder. But on the package the correct name is indicated. An angle grinder.

Gradually, all power tools, which outwardly resemble a prototype, began to be called so. Although there is a difference between them. For example, an angle grinder is often called cutting machine.

There is undoubtedly an external similarity, but the cutting machine is equipped with a platform so that the cut is directed perpendicular to the surface to be processed, which makes it different from an angle grinder.

What this tool can do

The classic angle grinder is a hand held power tool with an abrasive wheel. The main purpose of the angle grinder is to process the joints of flat metal surfaces. However, it can be used for other operations as well. The base circle is ideal for cutting sheet metal, trimming pipes and rebar. By simply replacing the working wheel with a disc with sandpaper, the sander turns into polishing. An angle grinder can be used as such when machining handrail pipes, flat or curved surfaces to a mirror finish. In addition to metal work, the angle grinder is produced cutting of ceramic tiles. To do this, you need to use a circle on concrete as a working disk. The list of operations that can be done with an angle grinder is very wide.

Each type of material requires special discs for its processing:

Grinding disc for metal with a thickness of 5-6 mm;

Flap grinding disc;

Cutting wheel for metal 2 mm thick;

Cutting wheel for concrete and ceramics with a diamond edge;

Cut-off circle on wood;

Chain circle on wood.

Why an angle grinder and how it works

Today, almost every home craftsman has an angle grinder in everyday life. However, many do not know why it is called that, and what functions this tool can perform, in addition to conventional cutting. From this article you will find out the origin of the unusual name of the angle grinder, its structure, and what else it can be used for.

What is the correct name of an angle grinder

Gradually, all power tools, which outwardly resemble a prototype, began to be called so. Although there is a difference between them. For example, an angle grinder is often called cutting machine.

Why an angle grinder and how it works

Today, almost every home craftsman has an angle grinder in everyday life. However, many do not know why it is called that, and what functions this tool can perform, in addition to conventional cutting. From this article you will find out the origin of the unusual name of the angle grinder, its structure, and what else it can be used for.