# Arbortech/Angle Grinders



## Tom Smart (Jan 7, 2015)

I invested in an Arbortech Turbo Plane at the woodworking show this weekend with the intent of carving some stool seats and larger trays, platters. I don't own an angle grinder so I stopped by all the power tool booths - Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee - at the show. Each of them looked at me like I was crazy. "It's a woodworking show. What do you need that for." I pointed each in turn to the Arbortech booth for their education. As for mine, I came home and began my online due diligence (no wiki). I learned each company had a bazillion options across the price spectrum. So, I seek the collective wisdom here. What would you choose, or currently use, in a 4 1/2 inch grinder that's gonna primarily be making wood chips and saw dust and not sparks?


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## barry richardson (Jan 7, 2015)

I have a Makita and like it. They make a couple of different powered versions (amps) I have the less powerful one and it is more than ample for wood carving..

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Jan 7, 2015)

I probably have 6 or 7 different grinders- I do not use enough to really know the difference but one with variable speed would work. They all seem to be durable. I traded for the arbortech tool with the little chainsaw head. Cool tool- definitely a wood eater........


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## Schroedc (Jan 7, 2015)

I've got a big Dewalt and a smaller Milwaukee. I'd recommend either since I've beat the hell out of them both without issue (Both were actually underwater for 3 days back in 2007 and after a bath and some lube they took right off again) Another thing to consider- Do you have compressed air in your shop? If you have a decent compressor an air powered one is another option.....


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## JR Custom Calls (Jan 7, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> after a bath and some lube they took right off again


Wasn't quite sure what to think of this... haha

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Schroedc (Jan 7, 2015)

JR Custom Calls said:


> Wasn't quite sure what to think of this... haha



 It's early, I just re-read that. We had a flood in 2007 and had 4 feet of water in my garage. The first thing we did as soon as I had water running again was to hose the mud out of everything and then pile all the tools into a barrel of clean water until i had time to get them cleaned and oiled.


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## woodintyuuu (Jan 7, 2015)

Tom Smart said:


> I invested in an Arbortech Turbo Plane at the woodworking show this weekend with the intent of carving some stool seats and larger trays, platters. I don't own an angle grinder so I stopped by all the power tool booths - Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee - at the show. Each of them looked at me like I was crazy. "It's a woodworking show. What do you need that for." I pointed each in turn to the Arbortech booth for their education. As for mine, I came home and began my online due diligence (no wiki). I learned each company had a bazillion options across the price spectrum. So, I seek the collective wisdom here. What would you choose, or currently use, in a 4 1/2 inch grinder that's gonna primarily be making wood chips and saw dust and not sparks?


Tom the arbortech tool line is my go to stuff for carving , lots of waste with a fair degree of safety, I would not be able to operate without one. As for the tooling necessary to drive them , i own 3 porter cables, and two makitas, and 4 right angle proxon minis to drive the smaller arbortech blades and sander/griner heads. I have beat um all silly, have let students use um for 10 years and they are hard on stuff , and they have never broke down. In fact i have borrowed one to @Kevin , which is a good test of equipment, mabey he has driven it enought to make an assesment. Just stay away from dewalt or hf or hd . Hope that helped


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## Kevin (Jan 7, 2015)

woodintyuuu said:


> mabey he has driven it enought to make an assesment.



I haven't even plugged it in yet.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tom Smart (Jan 7, 2015)

Thanks sharing your experience, guys. At this point there doesn't seem to be one particular brand that stands above the others.


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