Which Metal Grinding Wheel Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 6 metal grinding wheel options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Warrior
Price shown in test: $0.99
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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 | Wheel Diameter | Wheel Weight Loss 3min 10lb Arm | Steel Removed 3min 10lb Arm | Retest With 20lb Arm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Warrior$0.99 | 4.566 in | 139 g to 137 g, a loss of 2 g | 784 g to 736 g, a loss of 48 g | not given individual gram figures in this retest, only described as showing quite a bit more wear than the Norton, while both wheels removed about the same amount of steel |
| 2DeWalt | 4.573 in | 177 g to 176 g, a loss of 1 g | 788 g to 750 g, a loss of 38 g | not tested |
| 3Avanti | 4.555 in | 149 g, a loss of 3 g (ending weight not explicitly stated) | 782 g to 731 g, a loss of 51 g, tied with the Diablo for most steel removed | not tested |
| 4Makita | 4.552 in | 154 g to 152 g, a loss of 2 g | 775 g to 728 g, a loss of 47 g | not tested |
| 5Diablo | 4.598 in, the largest diameter tested | 177 g to 173 g, a loss of 4 g | 800 g starting weight, 51 g removed (ending weight not explicitly stated), tied with the Avanti for most steel removed | not tested |
| 6Norton$6.28 | 4.509 in, the smallest diameter tested | 218 g to 217 g, a loss of 1 g, described as almost no wear whatsoever | 798 g to 763 g, a loss of 35 g, the least steel removed of all six wheels | wheel: 219 g to 218 g, a loss of 1 g; steel: 778 g to 734 g, a loss of 44 g |
How it was tested
- steel removed (metal weight loss) in a 3-minute grinding test with a 10 lb arm weight
- grinding wheel's own weight loss (abrasive wear) in the same 3-minute test
- retest at 20 lb total arm weight, run only on the Norton and the Warrior
Data notes and caveats
Ends with per-use-case picks rather than a single winner ('which wheel won this showdown? I think that really depends on how you look at it'): Norton for longevity, DeWalt as a cheaper near-equal on longevity, Diablo and Avanti for fastest cutting, Warrior for lowest price; per spec this is recorded as winner:null with budgetPick set to Warrior and the other segment picks preserved in each product's notes. Transcript and description brand names match cleanly with no mangling detected. Prices for DeWalt, Avanti, Makita, and Diablo are never stated as specific figures in the narration, only the overall lineup range ($0.99 to $6.28); left null per the verbatim-or-omit rule rather than guessed. Meta chapters (Dewalt, Avanti, Makita, Diablo, Norton) align well with the transcript's testing order.