First Time Angle Grinder User

[caveman2]

As the title says and I want to buy the safest and prepare properly and safely. I have a cordless 125mm grinder arriving today. All I've purchased so far is a Bosch Carbide disc to enable me to reduce in size for disposal a garden gate and 50 branches too big for my shredder.
Although I have nothing planned as a DIYer I will buy more discs and safety equipment. I would rather pay more for the discs if they are safer and plan to buy a diamond cutter for masonry (if required) and flap discs for my mower blade to start with.
I know a visor is recommended, but an impact resistant one costs a lot. I have goggles and protective gloves.
Can you guys recommend disc types and brands which will suit me best and makes of safety equipment you think I should have. Thanks in advance.

 

[ETAF]

i'm just a DIYer and personally i would not use a grinder to cut up branches or a wooden gate , having broken up a lot of old fences and gates - i used a handsaw for most of it , as it tended to fall apart once the joints cut , with a couple of Prise/crowbars

50 Branches - again i would use a wood cutting saw - in fact i have a chainsaw , so would use that - but often i use a bowsaw and a pruning saw - purchased some years ago from Lidl

I do not have an answer for your specific question , although i have a cordless Dewalt 125 grinder and have used frequently - only used to cut Bolts , Tiles, bricks etc

 

[Diver Fred]

Try This.

Think you are looking incorrectly if you wish to use an angle grinder on timber - see Stumpy Nubs the blade is banned in the UK thankfully.

You would be much better off and considerably safer with a Reciprocating Saw.

 

[Koolpc]

Maybe the branches and gate are made of metal!

 

[ETAF]

Maybe the branches and gate are made of metal!

good point,

and 50 branches too big for my shredder.

metal branches would not fit in a shredder very well

But maybe a metal gate - i guess the OP needs to provide more info pictures of gate and size of 50 branches

 

[caveman2]

OK. I accept your advice re. garden use although I thought the Bosch Carbide disc was ideal for wood use. Could you please furnish info. re. recommended brands for discs and perhaps a visor that isn't too expensive.

 

[Nozzle]

There is no suitable disc for cutting wood, it's a very dangerous thing to do. Someone will be along soon to post the link from a local rag (Leicester?) for someone who died when an angle grinder was used to cut timber (though it was modified) and it kicked back.

Use a recipracting saw.

Surely they are not allowed to sell these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115mm-Angle-Grinder-saw-blade-for-wood-and-plastic-40-TCT-Teeth/271843416314?_trksid=p5713.c100042.m2062&_trkparms=aid%3D555012%26algo%3DPW.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140109134133%26meid%3Da977a06a0768492d8bbaa821c3cefb4d%26pid%3D100042%26rk%3D9%26rkt%3D29%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%...

www.diynot.com

 

[Notch7]

Small electric chainsaw for the branches and gate too if it’s free of nails

 

[caveman2]

Thanks for the advice. Why then do Bosch advocate their Carbide disc https://www.bosch-professional.com/...ti-wheel-x-lock-cutting-discs-2869695-ocs-ac/ as suitable for wood cutting?

 

[thomp1983]

Forget what bosch say, they'll not be interested when it goes wrong.

Use a coarse bladed hand saw for the branches and the gate you can probably smash up with a bit of effort.

Grinders when they catch and kick back can be very serious, I use them everyday for probably 20 years and wouldn't dream of using one on the type of wood your talking about

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Thanks for the advice. Why then do Bosch advocate their Carbide disc https://www.bosch-professional.com/...ti-wheel-x-lock-cutting-discs-2869695-ocs-ac/ as suitable for wood cutting?

It's probably a specific building trade thing. Very often you need those discs on composite materials such as cement board fixed to OSB, or plastic coated galvanised steel fixed onto plywood where they will happily cut through both materials in one pass (I have used them for both). Because they are made of a carbide grit bonded onto a disc with no gullets or teeth they can indeed be used on wood,  safely. My experience is that they cut reasonably well when new, albeit slower than a circular saw would, but thar they do go off (lose sharpness) faster than a saw would

I know this puts me at odds with almost everyone else here, but I don't think you have used these items

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Thanks for the advice. Why then do Bosch advocate their Carbide disc https://www.bosch-professional.com/...ti-wheel-x-lock-cutting-discs-2869695-ocs-ac/ as suitable for wood cutting?

It's probably a specific building trade thing. Very often you need those discs on composite materials such as cement board fixed to OSB, or plastic coated galvanised steel fixed onto plywood where they will happily cut through both materials in one pass (I have used them for both). Because they are made of a carbide grit bonded onto a disc with no teeth as such they can indeed be used on wood,  safely. My experience is that they cut reasonably well when new, albeit slower than a circular saw would, but that they do go off (lose sharpness) faster than a saw would

 

[StephenOak]

To somewhat echo what has been said; I have an angle grinder, a recip saw and a chain saw (two in fact). If I wanted to cut "branches too big for my shredder" the first tool I would reach for is a bow saw. On the bow say is a raker tooth blade like this, whereas they normally come with a peg tooth blade like this. The raker tooth blade makes a huge difference.

Of course, context matters. To me "branches too big for my shredder" sounds like 50mm not 5". Also how many cuts per branch.

Shredding sounds like you are disposing of these branches. In which case it may be better to offer them on you local Reuse group. If they are already short enough to fit in a car then the collector may well prefer them as they are, to minimise the carrying.

As for the garden gate, if I wanted to get rid of one of them (wood or metal) then I would take it intact to the council tip.

 

[opps]

Try This.

Think you are looking incorrectly if you wish to use an angle grinder on timber - see Stumpy Nubs the blade is banned in the UK thankfully.

You would be much better off and considerably safer with a Reciprocating Saw.

The blade used in his video is indeed illegal in the UK/EU but the Bosch blade in question is legal, that said, the OP linked to it after you posted your factually correct post.

My lay understanding is that the banned blades were marketed as blades that would effectively turn an angle grinder in to a saw. The EU decided that angle grinders are not saws- they don't have base plates or riving knives (or the other safety features) and that they cannot be considered safe to use as saws.

As per @JobAndKnock 's post, I don't doubt that the blades work as described by Bosch but I an not sure if they would recommend using them on green/wet wood.

 

[sxturbo]

A recip saw would be ok for what you need

Definitely not an angle grinder though