Find Your Grind
The DeWalt 4.5 in. — 5 in. grinder has variable speed control (six speed settings), a safety system that shuts down the tool if the blade binds, and a brake that stops the wheel after the trigger is released.
For a general carpenter like me, a grinder is not a tool I use every day. Recently, though, I wondered why I was still using a corded model, which is not only inconvenient but can be dangerous as well. So, I bought the DeWalt 4.5 in.–5 in. grinder.
I purchased it mainly because of the variable speed control (six speed settings), which means that unlike with my old grinder, I don’t have to run it at 9000 rpm for every job. I can run it slower when polishing surfaces and when I want to reduce the amount of dust created when I’m cutting cementitious products like backerboard. With my previous grinder, my dust-collection system could not always keep up with the copious amount of dust the tool made at those high rpms.
This tool also has DeWalt’s Kickback Break and the E-Clutch System, which senses when a blade begins to bind and shuts the tool down in such a way that doesn’t damage the motor like other brakes can. It also has a shutdown brake, which engages as soon as you release the trigger and eliminates the thumb-twiddling time spent waiting for the blade to stop spinning before you can set it down.
I’ve been happy with the overall power and feel of the tool and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a grinder. The DCG409VSB costs $250 for the bare tool.
— Josh Risberg; contractor in Rosemount, Minn. Photo courtesy of the manufacturer.
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