Tool comfort (ergonomics) is severely overlooked and underrated. People don't realize how much stress is on their hands, wrists and arms while using tools, until they use a tool designed to make your work more comfortable. Having severe arthritis in my hands, I'm more into comfort now than ever before. Big props to the engineers who take ergonomics and comfort into mind when designing tools. Let the tool get beat up, not yourself.
Great stuff as always Tim. When it comes to grinding, I think every time we're picking one up it's for 15mins + and often larger than 4.5", so corded it king. But this one looks like it checks a lot of boxes
my 5" milwuakee fuel has replaced 95% or more of my grinder, i need to be doing over an hour of straight grinding/cutting to break out the corded 12amp unit.. a few 9.0 batteries and youre almost charging faster than you can deplete them when doing any normal work flow, youll need a few chargers and batteries if you wanna just bury the grinder full load full time but usually youre cutting ,measuring grinding welding planning measuring getting material out ect might actually have the trigger on 5 minutes out of an hour
Great review as always Tim! I noticed the Flex Grinder is on sale at Lowes for $199. I watched the Flex Round 2 earlier this week. Very impressive and innovative tools and battery technology. I am going to start my collection of Flex tools with the grinder. Best regards.
Thanks for that review. I'm a welder and looking to go cordless and I'm sick of stepping on cords all the time. I've tried Milwaukee and Makita (but don't like Xlock). Those are good grinders but the variable speed feature looks like it would be great for me for wire wheel application to clean up welds. I once broke a pinky finger with the kickback from my DeWalt.
Finally, someone reviews this thing! Can you typically run a 5" disc on a 4.5" grinder (or vice versa) if the guard accommodates it and if grinder has variable speed to accommodate disc specs? I never see this mentioned by folks reviewing grinders. Would love to see the Flex pitted against Makita 40v and Hikoki/Metabo HPT grinders. The latter seems like the best bet for its AC adapter feature, to your point about corded. Hope you get your hands on the Flex oscillating multi-tool as well!
? yes all 5" grinders can run 4.5", the speed difference is negligable both disks will be rated for more than any grinder.. 5" disk wont fit in a 4.5" guard but the grinder will run the disk if the guards removed dont need to worry about speed unless you try and shove a 9" disk onto a 5" grinder
Sheesh I am impressed with that grinder I wonder if it will stack up against my 414 or my 418 DeWalt grinders, be interesting to see a match-up. The 5 year warranty to a lifetime seems to be a great deal Thanks for the video bro much appreciated
I think it compares well with the 414. I will have to put it side by side with the 418. That 418 is a pure beast, and I'm not sure anyone can compete with that right now. Thanks for watching.
It's a personal preference thing, but I have always been biased toward the more traditional on/off switches rather than paddle switch seen here. Maybe it's due to the type of work I use grinders for, but I like the ability to hold them in multiple orientations, and the paddle switch only allows you to hold the tool one way. Love the variable speed feature, however.
@@ProToolsApproved Your comment proves my point. You can't hold them the same way if the paddle switch requires you to use both hands in certain situations.
I like the design of that guard and adjuster better than my Milwaukee. Mine is bulky and difficult to operate without using 2 hands to hit the release. The exra 1000 rpm is nice too.
Don't get the flex range in Australia. Not sure if we will get them. Looks a good enough grinder except for the paddle switch. I am in the other camp and hate them. Would certainly like to try some flex tools. Hope they come to Oz.
This has a 5/8” arbor but do you know if it will also support cut off discs with a 7/8” hole? Some manufacturers simply have a reversible nut to support either size, anything like that on this Flex?
id be interested in seeing a video comparing this grinder with say a 5" milwuakee or other cordless grinder that only does 8500 rpms, and see if it has an impact on disk wear, i find my cordless grinder has lots of power but the lower speed wears the disk faster
what are those red disks shown at 6:30? looks like a sanding pad but without the pad with its own backing built in? are they better than the diablo/norton paper you put on a grinder pad?
All brushless motors have sensors, and usually these sensors actually reside on the brushless motor. FLEX has moved the sensors to another location on the tool, so it allows them to make the brushless motor smaller. Thanks for watching.
@@johnargumaniz9179 old tools used to come with guides on how to replace every component they could tell us where the sensor we won’t be able to replaced is and does atleast our money keeps there company running
@@ProToolsApproved Hall effect sensors, they tell the computer in the tool what the rotor’s position is in, which the tool uses to manage RPM and prevent a run away power draw if the motor stalls. Flex tools still do this black magic brain boxers, they just do it a different way.
I’m disappointed most/all paddle switch grinders I’ve seen doesn’t have a lock. I regularly grab the head when I’m using a cutoff and use the tool one handed, but with this design it’s either impossible, very difficult, or dangerous.
These grinders are definitely power hungry, so they will go through batteries quickly. Depending on the job size, it may take a few batteries. Thanks for watching.
Tool comfort (ergonomics) is severely overlooked and underrated.
People don't realize how much stress is on their hands, wrists and arms while using tools, until they use a tool designed to make your work more comfortable. Having severe arthritis in my hands, I'm more into comfort now than ever before. Big props to the engineers who take ergonomics and comfort into mind when designing tools. Let the tool get beat up, not yourself.
Great stuff as always Tim. When it comes to grinding, I think every time we're picking one up it's for 15mins + and often larger than 4.5", so corded it king. But this one looks like it checks a lot of boxes
my 5" milwuakee fuel has replaced 95% or more of my grinder, i need to be doing over an hour of straight grinding/cutting to break out the corded 12amp unit.. a few 9.0 batteries and youre almost charging faster than you can deplete them when doing any normal work flow, youll need a few chargers and batteries if you wanna just bury the grinder full load full time but usually youre cutting ,measuring grinding welding planning measuring getting material out ect might actually have the trigger on 5 minutes out of an hour
Is*
Great review as always Tim! I noticed the Flex Grinder is on sale at Lowes for $199. I watched the Flex Round 2 earlier this week. Very impressive and innovative tools and battery technology. I am going to start my collection of Flex tools with the grinder. Best regards.
Its 119 with a 5amp and a charger right now
Thanks for that review. I'm a welder and looking to go cordless and I'm sick of stepping on cords all the time. I've tried Milwaukee and Makita (but don't like Xlock). Those are good grinders but the variable speed feature looks like it would be great for me for wire wheel application to clean up welds. I once broke a pinky finger with the kickback from my DeWalt.
Thin handle
Flexvolt level power
No lever guard adjustment
Adjustable rpm
This thing pretty much crushes the competition
Finally, someone reviews this thing!
Can you typically run a 5" disc on a 4.5" grinder (or vice versa) if the guard accommodates it and if grinder has variable speed to accommodate disc specs? I never see this mentioned by folks reviewing grinders.
Would love to see the Flex pitted against Makita 40v and Hikoki/Metabo HPT grinders. The latter seems like the best bet for its AC adapter feature, to your point about corded.
Hope you get your hands on the Flex oscillating multi-tool as well!
? yes all 5" grinders can run 4.5", the speed difference is negligable both disks will be rated for more than any grinder.. 5" disk wont fit in a 4.5" guard but the grinder will run the disk if the guards removed
dont need to worry about speed unless you try and shove a 9" disk onto a 5" grinder
She's a beast TJ.. the options to slow it down is really nice...Nice work bro....🏁👍
Thanks 👍
Sheesh I am impressed with that grinder I wonder if it will stack up against my 414 or my 418 DeWalt grinders, be interesting to see a match-up. The 5 year warranty to a lifetime seems to be a great deal Thanks for the video bro much appreciated
I think it compares well with the 414. I will have to put it side by side with the 418. That 418 is a pure beast, and I'm not sure anyone can compete with that right now. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews yes indeed bro, but that lifetime warranty is the one that got me that's an overall bargain deal, thanx again
I use the dewalt 20v brushless grinder love it i don't use a corded grinder anymore. That flex i would like to try one.
Dewalt makes a great grinder. This FLEX is very nice as well. Thanks for watching.
It's a personal preference thing, but I have always been biased toward the more traditional on/off switches rather than paddle switch seen here. Maybe it's due to the type of work I use grinders for, but I like the ability to hold them in multiple orientations, and the paddle switch only allows you to hold the tool one way.
Love the variable speed feature, however.
Nah I use both a switch and a paddle and I can hold them both the same. Just have to two hand it sometimes to get into position
@@ProToolsApproved Your comment proves my point. You can't hold them the same way if the paddle switch requires you to use both hands in certain situations.
Practically zero kickback and bogging. I asume it has a dead mans switch I might have missed that in the beginning but it’s a great tool!!!!
I like the design of that guard and adjuster better than my Milwaukee. Mine is bulky and difficult to operate without using 2 hands to hit the release. The exra 1000 rpm is nice too.
Right on, thanks for sharing. Thanks for watching.
Would love to see this up against the flexvolt dcg418. Most powerful cordless grinder ive ever used
Don't get the flex range in Australia. Not sure if we will get them. Looks a good enough grinder except for the paddle switch. I am in the other camp and hate them. Would certainly like to try some flex tools. Hope they come to Oz.
This has a 5/8” arbor but do you know if it will also support cut off discs with a 7/8” hole? Some manufacturers simply have a reversible nut to support either size, anything like that on this Flex?
Yes, it has the reversible spanner nut. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews thanks so much!
Metabo hpt 36v has variable speed. Yal should do some of their tools
I watched a how to on grinding before this video, you broke at least 7 safety rules:)
Thanks for the video anyways
id be interested in seeing a video comparing this grinder with say a 5" milwuakee or other cordless grinder that only does 8500 rpms, and see if it has an impact on disk wear, i find my cordless grinder has lots of power but the lower speed wears the disk faster
That's a great point. We will do some testing on this and other items very soon. Thanks for watching.
Thanks Tim, 😎😍😎😍😎
Glad we could help. Thanks for watching.
Very good review 👏
what are those red disks shown at 6:30? looks like a sanding pad but without the pad with its own backing built in? are they better than the diablo/norton paper you put on a grinder pad?
That's a ceramic disc from Metabo. It's thin and contoured and pretty firm, not flexible. Cuts really well and stays cool. Great for surface prep.
Is the Dewalt grinder you "replaced", the 20V or the 60V grinder?
The 20V. The DeWalt FlexVolt 60V is a beast and we love it, but it's just not handy for small stuff. We still love DeWalt grinders.
How long does the battery last while grinding before it's need to be charged?
What sensor are they referring to when flex says sensor free?
All brushless motors have sensors, and usually these sensors actually reside on the brushless motor. FLEX has moved the sensors to another location on the tool, so it allows them to make the brushless motor smaller. Thanks for watching.
But what are these sensors? What do they sense?
Your asking too many questions. There’s things we are not meant to know
@@johnargumaniz9179 old tools used to come with guides on how to replace every component they could tell us where the sensor we won’t be able to replaced is and does atleast our money keeps there company running
@@ProToolsApproved Hall effect sensors, they tell the computer in the tool what the rotor’s position is in, which the tool uses to manage RPM and prevent a run away power draw if the motor stalls. Flex tools still do this black magic brain boxers, they just do it a different way.
I’m disappointed most/all paddle switch grinders I’ve seen doesn’t have a lock. I regularly grab the head when I’m using a cutoff and use the tool one handed, but with this design it’s either impossible, very difficult, or dangerous.
Rubber band 🤷🏼♂️
I am having issue to do one job I got charge two 5 amp hr and two 2.5 amp battery I only have one of each and I have charge both twice to do one job
These grinders are definitely power hungry, so they will go through batteries quickly. Depending on the job size, it may take a few batteries. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews thank you would I be better off getting bigger battery like flat 10amp hr?
Soooo, with the charger and a 5-amp battery, this is $700 w/tax at Lowes. I'm out.
Quality costs more, but I want to eat, too.
It’s 199 at lowes lmao. Way off buddy
I got it for 96$ brand new on acmetool or something similar