Selection Tips
In order not to be mistaken with the choice, you must immediately distinguish between home and professional devices for yourself. The difference between such grinders is mainly related to the duration of continuous work. Household models can be used for a maximum of 3 hours per day, and then with pauses of 15-20 minutes for 10 minutes of work. Obviously, if there is a lot to be done, this limitation will cause serious inconvenience. Violation of the standard mode of use will drastically reduce the service life of the device.
If you use a real professional unit, you can work 8 or even 10 hours a day - as long as your own strength is enough. However, the private use of such machines is severely limited by their high cost. Moreover, such devices are quite heavy. The power of the angle grinder is also of key importance, which determines the diameter of compatible disks. Low power units only handle very soft materials.
You can still cut the glass, as well as remove burrs from the metal. But cutting even a thin steel sheet or copper tube is extremely difficult. In most models of grinders sold in stores, medium power motors are installed. This allows almost all work to be done. The most powerful (from 1500 W and more) motors are installed on angle grinders for industrial enterprises.
Quite an important point is the number of handles. Two-handed grinders are considered more practical to work with. In addition, they allow the installation of discs larger than 150 mm. As a result, even hardened steel can be cut. As for the price, the cheapest models allow exclusively grinding metal - they are hardly capable of more.
If you need a mini angle grinder, which is easy to use in a confined space, you will have to choose a model with a battery. It is hardly justified to buy a car “with a margin”, as it will make the mechanism heavier and unnecessarily complicate the work. The size of a standard disk says little about power. Sometimes models with a very large working attachment are quite weak.
Choosing a Makita grinder, it is also very important to know how to distinguish a fake from the original. The high demand for this brand makes it attractive to fraudsters as well.
First of all, you should refuse to buy an instrument that is too cheap. Both prices in other stores and the cost of models from other firms that are similar in characteristics will serve as a guideline. But we must understand that the price is not everything. Some of the crooks are trying to get the maximum income, and therefore sell their fakes at quite reasonable prices.
Genuine Makita products are always labeled accordingly. Also, the nameplates on them must be glued directly (not upside down). The only real guarantee of quality, however, is the purchase in specialized brand stores. It is somewhat less safe to go to large construction stores and home appliances supermarkets. Most of the fakes are sold in markets and online stores.
Fake Makita grinders are equipped with carbon brushes without production numbers. Counterfeiters have also not yet mastered the use of hex head screws, which are used in a number of models. The protection of the armature windings from dust is depicted by the use of a self-made varnish. You just need to know what a real insulating varnish looks like so as not to fall for the tricks of scammers.
Peculiarities
The Makita angle grinder is deservedly considered a multifunctional tool. It can be used to grind and saw:
- hardware;
- concrete blocks;
- brick walls;
- ceramic tiles;
- other solid materials.
As a result, Makita angle grinders can be used for both dismantling and surface cleaning. With their help, old paint is removed, other types of work are carried out. In terms of its characteristics, this tool is excellent for both professionals and DIYers. Like all grinders, it is powered by an electric current that is converted into mechanical motion by a motor. The manufacturer has taken care of protecting his tool from dust that inevitably appears during work.
For this purpose, a special varnish was used, which is used to paint the main parts of the electric motor. It prevents dust particles from settling. But besides this, rubber seals of the labyrinth type are provided. The start button is sealed with a special insulated loop
Most importantly, Japanese engineers managed to create a unique (received a separate patent) anti-kickback system.
Power Sanders Makita can be 710-2600 W. Of course, according to this indicator, household and professional copies are clearly separated. The outer section of the working disk and the total productivity directly depend on the power. The higher the energy generated by the motor, the more stable the device works, the slower the heating occurs. However, the downside of increasing power is always increased mass, increased energy consumption.
LBM designers always take into account the optimum rotational speeds of the disc. They are selected in such a way that at the point of contact with the surface of the workpiece, the linear speed of the disc is about 80 m / s.
It is possible to maintain such an indicator constantly only with an increase in the number of revolutions simultaneously with a decrease in the size of the disc. The same dimensions in the Makita line are represented by the 5 most demanded values - from 11.5 to 23 cm. The latest developments of the company have relatively small dimensions, which does not prevent them from demonstrating impressive technical characteristics.
Japanese high-power grinders, belonging to the professional class, have the function of adjusting the spindle speed. It allows you to easily install discs with a smaller diameter. In addition, as the working nozzle wears out, the speed of its rotation should increase.
It is also important that grinding, polishing and cleaning surfaces require less speed than cutting. If you do not reduce the speed of the disc, the material is likely to ignite.
Device
In addition to basic technical characteristics and auxiliary options, it is very important to understand exactly how everything works. As a sample for consideration, you can take the Makita 9557HN grinder
The device is housed inside a compact body. LBM is equipped with an electric motor with a total power of 840 W. As befits modern technology, the grinder is equipped with a labyrinth seal system. It reliably isolates not only the motor parts from dust, but also the bearings.
The dust-proof varnish is applied in several layers. The armature and stator are processed with it. The rotor usually does not need such additional protection. But the installation of a blocking device is required. The source of such interference is the operating electric motor itself. With the help of a gearbox, a turn of 90 degrees is provided. The release clutch can only be found on large angle grinders. Its role is to prevent kickback, which is very likely when the disc gets stuck in the material being processed. In some models, there are buttons that provide a smooth start.
But what should be mandatory is the outer casing. If it is absent, there is a serious danger for those working with the grinder.
The slightest negligence or unforeseen obstacle can result in injury. A useful addition is the auxiliary stick.
With its help, angle grinder can be used in a variety of positions, while holding the tool is quite comfortable. The lock button can also be of great benefit, allowing you to stop the device as quickly as possible, if such a need arises.
Advantages and disadvantages
Analyzing the advantages and weaknesses of Makita grinders should not be isolated, but comparing them with similar tools from other leading brands - Bosch, Hitachi. Comparison of models of comparable power allows you to say for sure whether a purchase is justified or not. Makita products are different:
- large power reserve;
- effective limitation of inrush currents;
- the ability to set a strictly defined number of revolutions;
- the ability to change the nozzle without a key;
- smooth adjustment of the speed.
As already mentioned, Japanese specialists were able to develop many original innovations. To maximize the security of your product, you can purchase a branded dust collector; often this device is made from fabric of a special design. Dust collectors are made for angle grinders with strictly defined dimensions of the working disk. In addition to them, there are also ideally compatible adapters for connecting to vacuum cleaners. Makita grinders have no particular drawbacks, you just need to carefully study the characteristics of each version.
