I don’t know about you, but except for a chain saw, an angle grinder is about the last thing I want to be more compact and slim. It looks as though I’m in the minority here as both Bosch and Ridgid offer small slim grip angle grinders. Maybe they’re on to something after all.
Bosch 1380 Slim 4-1/2″ Angle Grinder
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Bosch’s slim grip angle grinder is ergonomically designed, and is intended to add comfort and convenience for all day use. Despite its svelte size, Bosch was still able to fit a reasonably powerful 7.5A motor inside the grinder. The grinder is priced quite affordably at $70, or $75 with a kit case.
Bosch Slim Grip Grinder via Amazon | Grinder Kit with Case
Product Info via Bosch
Ridgid R1005 4-1/2″ Angle Grinder w/ Slim Grip
Ridgid’s slim grip grinder offers a much slimmer grip, and resembles a balloon animal that’s about to be twisted. Although Ridgid’s slim grinder appears to offer a better grip than Bosch’s, its rear looks to be a bit bulkier, possibly hindering one’s ability to grasp that part of the tool.
This grinder has a 7.0A motor, which realistically won’t perform much differently than the 7.5A motor in the Bosch grinder. At $99, Ridgid’s slim grip grinder is a bit more expensive than Bosch’s..
Ridgid Slim Grip Angle Grinder (Manufacturer) | via Home Depot
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Final Thoughts
I’m still a bit on the fence as to whether a smaller grinder with powerful 7, 7.5A motors are a good thing or not. Then again, if they were unsafe or unwieldly, Bosch and Ridgid wouldn’t have approved the tools’ production. Right?
Other brands produce small angle grinders, but these are the only slim grips I’m aware of.
uthscsaedu
The slimmer grip makes sense to me. I can see how you get better control.
Stuart
Maybe I was a bit too harsh and critical of the tools, especially without having handled them in person. Bosch’s looks like it could provide an improved grip, and the Ridgid has a hit or miss pistol-grip trigger going on. Maybe better grip does lead to more control.
In any case, with all the impressive compact cordless tools on the market, I should be accustomed to seeing high power tools designed in smaller and smaller packages.
PutnamEco
I really hate the non 90˚ side handle on the Bosch, it makes working in corners hard.
IndyEngineer
I agree with PutnamEco. The Bosch handle is a weird design.
Neil Bruce
Here in the UK Bosch recently conducted a survey of angle grinder users needs and 23% said that convenience. This group of people rated ergonomic slim grip as the most important feature.
In the same survey performance was the top user need with 26% and safety was 3rd on 21%.
This led to Bosch releasing the new GWS7 series of 100mm and 115mm grinders.
Stuart
Neil,
Thank you for that information! I’d like to say that I’m surprised to see that user rate ergonomics and performance as more important features than safety, but that sounds about right.
While I don’t doubt that Bosch implemented every safety precaution they could into the tool, there’s something about high power in a smaller package that still makes me a bit uneasy.
Without trying out these tools myself yet, an exaggerated analogous visualization I have yet to dissolve is of a motorcycle engine designed around a dirt bike frame.
steve j hall
lost the tip of my middle finger. i am often unable to maintain enough grip while metal working. ill try the ridgid. and remembering gloves. thanks