2023 test11 productsPower Tools
Which Corded Angle Grinder Brand Wins?
We compared 11 corded angle grinder options head to head. Makita came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Makita
Price shown in test: the most expensive brand we'll be testing
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Runner-up
Milwaukee
Price shown in test: $133
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Budget pick
Ridgid
Price shown in test: $60
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Rebar cutting speed with cutoff wheel | Maximum torque rebar grinding test | Overall non-subjective average finish | Performance-only average finish | Startup torque | Tool vibration | Wheel stop time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Makita SJS high-powered grinderthe most expensive brand we'll be testing | the Makita claims to be a high-powered grinder, and it made the fastest cut yet at 2.98 seconds. Very impressive | the Makita shrugged off the 20 lb of force and held great blade speed. And the Makita made the fastest cut yet in only 5.82 seconds | the Makita came out on top with an average finish of 2.2 | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Ridgid$60 | the 12,000 RPM Ridgid shredded the rebar in only 3.8 seconds, taking the lead from the Porter Cable | the Ridgid takes the lead and is over 4 seconds faster than the Black & Decker at only 10.4 seconds | not tested | the very affordable Ridgid had an average finish of two | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 3Milwaukee$133 | the Milwaukee lost a lot of blade speed making the cut. 5 seconds for the Milwaukee | the Milwaukee moves into a two-way tie with the Metabo at 12.6 seconds | Milwaukee averaged 3.4 | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 4Metabo$123 | the 11-amp motor on the Metabo maintained pretty good blade speed and made the cut in 4.8 seconds | the Metabo finished the job in 12.6 seconds to move into second place behind the Ridgid | Metabo 4.8 | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 5DeWalt$92 | the 10,000 RPM DeWalt lost some blade speed, but it still blasted through the rebar in 4.3 seconds to move into second place behind the Ridgid | the DeWalt did good enough to move into second place behind the Ridgid at 14.4 seconds | not tested | Metabo and DeWalt 3.5 | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 6Porter-Cable$33 | the Porter Cable takes the lead from the Black and Decker at 5.1 seconds to make the cut | the Porter-Cable is a little bit slower than the Black & Decker at 15.2 seconds | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 7Black & Decker$29 | the Black and Decker makes the cut in 6 seconds and takes the lead from the Wen | the Black & Decker is right at 2 seconds faster than the Wen at 14.5 seconds | not tested | not tested | the Black and Decker is more motivated than a drill sergeant and nearly came off the table. 4 in lb of tool reaction | not tested | not tested |
| 8Wen$27 | the Wen made the cut at over 3 seconds faster than the Warrior at 10.7 seconds | the Wen lost a lot of blade speed and is barely holding on, but it survived the test. 16.5 seconds to grind through the rebar | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 9Ryobi$60 | the Ryobi began bogging down quite a bit when it made contact with the rebar. 6.7 seconds to make the cut | the Ryobi's electric motor is glowing red and is puffing smoke. Unfortunately, the brushes on the Ryobi are finished | not tested | not tested | not tested | the Ryobi is by far the smoothest yet at around 12 m/s squared | not tested |
| 10Hilti$149 | the Hilti lost a lot of blade speed making the cut in 7.5 seconds | 20 lb is just too much for the Hilti. Once the Hilti stalled, I gave it two more chances to power through the rebar, but the Hilti ran out of steam | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | the angle grinder that comes to a stop the fastest is the Hilti in 3.4 seconds |
| 11Warrior$15 | the Harbor Freight Warrior lost a lot of RPM and sounds as though it might stall. However, the Warrior didn't give up and finished the cut in 14 seconds | 15 lb is just too much for the Warrior and the Warrior is smoking | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
How it was tested
- rebar cutting speed test with a cutoff wheel and 10 lb of force
- startup/tool reaction torque measurement
- tool vibration measurement
- wheel stop time
- maximum torque and working load test grinding through rebar
- switch activation force test
- noise level (dB) measurement
- no-load RPM measurement
- overall average-finish ranking across non-subjective categories
“the Makita came out on top with an average finish of 2.2”