# Grinders?



## Kniggit (Apr 11, 2013)

Any of y'all use a large grinder for cutting stone? Amazon has this on sale 9" Grinder thinking it might be an improvement on the skil saw I use now.

$124 at the reduced price in cart.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

All the time...although I use 8" grinders with a 7" or 8" blade.


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

14" diamond blade (80$) in a 14" "metal" chop saw....
cheesy but works for smaller pieces.

Very large 4-5" thick stones can be cut with a concrete floor saw, using pallets as starting and finishing platforms.....

Next lick and stick I'm going to try a worm drive skil saw with a 8" diamond to trim the pieces


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

For thin stone I use the dewalt 4 1.2 inch with the squeeze trigger so if I drop it the power is cut off. full width stones I use a demo saw. The worm drive doesnt get much use anymore.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

I use a quick cut most of the time. Stihl TS420. I do own a 7" makita grinder and a pile of garbage 4.5" grinders. The 4.5" I buy are the cheapest i can find because they take a lot of abuse, mostly from grinding out joints or cutting thin stone. No matter what brand I buy they only last about 6mos so I buy the cheapest I can find. I can't even remember why I bought the 7" makita but i like it...mainly because of the trigger rather than a switch like JBM said. I don't use it more than a couple times a month...maybe. for cutting stone I use a hammer and chisel or sometimes the quickcut (you guys call it a demo saw?) depending on the appliction

Never used a skil saw...except when i cut wood


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## Nick520 (May 2, 2013)

I use makita 4" grinders and blow them out with air multiple times a week. Gas cut off saw does everything else


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## BenjaminA (Nov 23, 2014)

4 1/2" grinder for thin stone veneer, masonry table saw for brick and block, Stihl TS400 with a 14" blade for everything else here.




Ben


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

No one uses an electric 14" chop saw for bricks?


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## Kniggit (Apr 11, 2013)

Well, I have all of this stuff to dry stack









And I'm looking for an easier, faster way:clap::whistling, to trim off the little protruding nubs that I hate pounding on with a hammer. Hoping I will be able to manipulate the grinder better than I can with a skil saw.


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## Kniggit (Apr 11, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> No one uses an electric 14" chop saw for bricks?


I'll put one up on a tall scaffold so I don't have to throw the cut up and down if there's going to be a lot of cuts. Around here that is almost all of the other crews use for the whole job.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Kniggit said:


> I'll put one up on a tall scaffold so I don't have to throw the cut up and down if there's going to be a lot of cuts. Around here that is almost all of the other crews use for the whole job.


I just know what I see, if it's a brick job there seems to be a couple of chop saws running, if its cultured stone I often see 4.5" grinders and fans to blow the dust away from the workers.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> No one uses an electric 14" chop saw for bricks?


If you mean a target saw, gas is way more common around here You can't rely on a house having power, and if there is the drywallers or carpenters are more likely to need it. Except for repairs and restoration I use hand tools and gas equipment almost eclusively


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

dom-mas said:


> If you mean a target saw, gas is way more common around here You can't rely on a house having power, and if there is the drywallers or carpenters are more likely to need it. Except for repairs and restoration I use hand tools and gas equipment almost eclusively


One of these things:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

pretty much. I'll find a pic
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-image.html?adId=1031086335&image=0&enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

I've always called them target saws...like I call it kleenex. Apparently Husqavarna bought partner AND Target


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## brickhook (May 8, 2012)

Pretty much the TS42O for everything. 

Sometimes I might use my Dewalt 4.5 battery grinders if I'm working at the top of a chimney, but I don't really like them.

If I have to saw a lot of thin brick, Ill use a Clipper table saw.


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## brickhook (May 8, 2012)

Kniggit said:


> Well, I have all of this stuff to dry stack
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's some beautiful stone. I notice you started laying the brick in the back ground.

Post some pictures! :thumbsup:


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## heavyc (Jul 2, 2013)

dom-mas said:


> If you mean a target saw, gas is way more common around here You can't rely on a house having power, and if there is the drywallers or carpenters are more likely to need it. Except for repairs and restoration I use hand tools and gas equipment almost eclusively


Generators must be in your arsenal? Even commercial jobs don't always have power, but we do. Roll in the generator and away we go. Price on maintance of gas chop saws is rediculous. Filters, improper mixing of gas, drops. Our 14" electrics are bullet/ dummy proof. We use K3000 wet. Pre-cast, brick, cmu swap blade cut re-bar also a must have. 1k$ had same one for 2 years use it 4 or more hours a day generally. No fumes no gas to buy or mix. Except for the generator if no temp power on site.


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## Kniggit (Apr 11, 2013)

brickhook said:


> That's some beautiful stone. I notice you started laying the brick in the back ground.
> 
> Post some pictures! :thumbsup:


Ugh, don't get me started on these brick, they are the most banana faced, out of square ended, hairline fractured brick I have seen in a looong time. Then they decide they want to use this "Limestone" colored cement on these super dark brick that don't want to set up at this time of year.

We started it Friday, this one is going to take awhile...


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## Kniggit (Apr 11, 2013)

We don't work if we don't have power, even my mixer is electric.


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## Nick520 (May 2, 2013)

Jeeesh that can limit ones scope of work


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

That soft start feature sounds really nice


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Yea, even the 4 1/2" Milwaukee will gyro out of your hands...my delwalts aren't nearly as bad.

Metabo makes nice grinders , but they're a bit pricey for the way us masons mangle them.

I still know I won't buy el chepo HF or other knock offs as they just seem very uncomfortable in terms of vibration and design.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Bought a Dewalt once. Hated it. 

The Walter Metabos are VERY nice


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Really Dom?...I actually like them. 

What was your pet peeve?


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Can't remember now...I think it was the position of the switch maybe....something to do with the switch anyway. And it felt bulky and there was something that made it so I couldn't cut as deep as I could with others. 

I only bought the one model and I'm sure there are others but that one just left me with a really bad taste for them and I've never tried again


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## Rock Headed (Nov 8, 2007)

Lately I've been doing wet cuts with my 4.5" grinder.

I'll hold the grinder in my right hand. Hold a sponge in my left hand. The sponge hold enough water to finish most cuts without re-dipping....anything that will take more water than that is a large enough cut that I'm probably making it with the stihl 420



So far, no problems, but the water stone dust is more likely to clog and gum up the works then dry dust--of course this trade off allows my blades to last longer and my air to be dust free. The vents in the outer casing get clogged a bit, so it needs to be cleaned.....not ready to recommend this method, but I've seen it do well even on a demanding week, with maybe 5 minutes of vent cleaning needed per week.


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

A garden sprayer tank water hose taped to your 4.5" grinder, valve on side handle would free up a hand. 

Use a GFIC of course....


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