After recently having our drive extended, I thought I would have a go at saving money and lay a block paved path down the side of my shed. At first I was using a brick bolster, which split the bricks in exactly the same place, no matter where I hit it. There seems to be some sort of weak point in the brick. After wasting about 20 bricks in the space of an hour, I decided to fish out my 4 ½ inch angle grinder. This didn't really help matters, as it wouldn't cut the whole way through the brick.
After speculating for a few days over what to do, I finally decided to purchase a bigger angle grinder (yes it did take me a few days to get to this - I don't like spending money). I went for the cheapest 9 inch angle grinder I could find, which happened to be one in the Argos catalogue. It cost £29.99, which I don't think is too bad. I reserved the item and collected it later that day.
Upon receiving the angle grinder, my first thoughts were that it is heavier than I imagined. It weighs about 5 ½ kg. The grinder is quite large and looks like a space ship out of Star Wars. There is a knack in getting it in the best position for holding, but it doesn't take too long to figure out.
The actual grinder is very good. It makes short work of paving blocks. It is however very noisy, so you will need to wear ear defenders. It also makes a lot of dust so make sure you wear a dust mask as well. I would also recommend wearing eye protection. I bought a machinery had from Screwfix which incorporates a visor and ear defenders. This was a wise decision as the angle grinder throws bits of brick everywhere. You can buy stands for this size of angle grinder, although I have only seen them at Axminster. One thing to bear in mind is that the cutting discs can wear down, so if you intend to be cutting a lot of blocks, it is probably worth buying a few extra discs. These discs can be bought from most DIY retailers for a few pounds.
The only real drawback to this angle grinder is the fact that it doesn't have a carry case with it. This means that it is just lying around the workshop, and wont store very easily. This can be resolved by buying a universal carry case for it.
The angle grinder comes with the following parts: 9 Inch angle grinder Stone cutting disc Spanner Inner flange Outer flange (these are for holding the disc on) Wrench Handle Wheel guard
Basically, it has everything you need to get started.
The technical specification is as follows: Power - 2000W No load speed - 6000 rpm Grinding disc max diam - 230mm Spindle size - M14
I would highly recommend this angle grinder for any DIY enthusiast who is likely to need to cut any stones, bricks or metal. It makes short work of almost any materials. I think this angle grinder is great value for money.
