Shopping for a disc grinder/sander

[projectPONY]

Does anyone here use something like this for any kind of fab/metal work?

I know there is special disc grinder specifically for metal work but those suckers are in the $1k range. I basically just need one for the home shop for cleaning up edges of patch panels, beveling(sp) square and round tube for welding, and things like that. Most of the ones I've seen are titled "sanders" and I'm thinking all it would take is a disc and belt change to make it a grinder. I've looked at the expensive, dedicated grinders and they have an average rpm speed of 1750, and this one pictured clocks in at 1720rpm.

http://www.dfwmustangs.net/forums/at...1&d=1337081602

Anyway, your thoughts please.

[projectPONY]

Here's a 12" model by Burr King so you guys get an idea of what a dedicated grinder is priced at, as if you guys didn't already know.

http://www.burrking.com/catalog/p-10...2-disc-grinder

If you notice the HP rating and working RPM. I've seen considerably less expensive ones with about the same HP and RPM numbers but they are labeled as sanders. Some of them are actually labeled to be for woodwork. I just don't see what the difference would be aside from maybe a different grinding disc.

[SidecarFlip]

Go to Harbor Freight and get yourself a 12" disc grinder for 150 bucks and change out the PSA disc for a metal cutting disc. 1 horse cap start, induction run, fan cooled motor, cast iron base and table with dust chute. It weighs 70 pounds, has all kind of guts. I use mine regularly for deburring and chamfering. Just like the Burr-King for appreciably less and probably the same one, just badged Central Machinery.

They all come from China any how.

Get the expensive one not that 150 bucks is expensive. HF sells a cheaper one for about 20 less. Not as stout. Aviod that.

I almost got a hernia lifting the box in the car.

[projectPONY]

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-...nder-6852.html

this is the one I'm considering at the moment, I was just wanting to know if anyone thought this one WOULD NOT do the job of one of the expensive ones.

[flyerdan]

+2 on the HF 12". We had the cheaper one at a fab shop and it stood up well. The switch went out eventually, but that's a common theme with their electric stuff. Biggest problem was mouth breathers holding material in the same place and burning through the disc, but that's not an equipment fault.
The only reason I can think that a belt sander would be a good addition would be if you are deburring the inside of angle iron a lot, that would be hard to do on a disc only sander.

[SidecarFlip]

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-...nder-6852.html

this is the one I'm considering at the moment, I was just wanting to know if anyone thought this one WOULD NOT do the job of one of the expensive ones.

I have one of those as well. It's light duty compared to the 12" disc unit. I use it for aluminum only. It won't handle (not enough gonads) steel. I canned the side disc entirely and made a flywheel from a steel plate to add some inertia to the wimpy motor.

I also have a skinny belt sander with a metal belt, a Wilton but it was 400 bucks on sale.

get the 12" HD Harbor Freight and don't look back. I use it regularly for radiusing the uprights on my paddock stand afre table cutting the blanks.

Forget the HF discs, Get some quality 3M PSA discs in 40 and 60 grit. Just be careful with your fingers and knuckles, the disc will do a real quick skin removal, don't ask me how I know......

The only downside I found was the lower deflector. It's made of plastic and I managed to set mine on fire, grinding steel. I bought a replacement and lined the replacement with brass shim stock shaped in a 'L' and soldered the joint. Burning plastic stinks.....

All in all, it's really a good buy for the price. Typical rough Chinese castings but the table is nicely finished and comes with a nice miter fence too. Easy to set square and you won't slow it down. Plenty of gonads.

[projectPONY]

I have one of those as well. It's light duty compared to the 12" disc unit. I use it for aluminum only. It won't handle (not enough gonads) steel. I canned the side disc entirely and made a flywheel from a steel plate to add some inertia to the wimpy motor.

I also have a skinny belt sander with a metal belt, a Wilton but it was 400 bucks on sale.

get the 12" HD Harbor Freight and don't look back. I use it regularly for radiusing the uprights on my paddock stand afre table cutting the blanks.

Forget the HF discs, Get some quality 3M PSA discs in 40 and 60 grit. Just be careful with your fingers and knuckles, the disc will do a real quick skin removal, don't ask me how I know......

The only downside I found was the lower deflector. It's made of plastic and I managed to set mine on fire, grinding steel. I bought a replacement and lined the replacement with brass shim stock shaped in a 'L' and soldered the joint. Burning plastic stinks.....

All in all, it's really a good buy for the price. Typical rough Chinese castings but the table is nicely finished and comes with a nice miter fence too. Easy to set square and you won't slow it down. Plenty of gonads.

Great, thanks for the post. I think you've swayed my decision. Might pick one up this weekend since it might be on sale for the holiday.

[vicegrip]

The more different configuratons the better in each class of tooling.
BUT; If I only had one............
I would get a 4" wide belt-sander over any disc-sander anyday and twice on Holidays.

Belt-sanders tend to unload, disc-sanders tend to clog.

Belt-sanders offer more part-shape-accsess, disc-sanders limit the scope and shape of work.

& on and on.
vg

[MBM]

I see that your last post was from a couple weeks ago, so did you end up getting it? I have the 1 hp Direct drive disc sander from Harbor Freight and am happy with it so far. The aluminum table doesn't really match the otherwise heavy sander, but it does the job I suppose.