Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 4-1/2 in./6 in. Grinder with Slide Switch Kit and Two 6.0 Ah Battery

Love it!

This grinder has more power than the 5 inch braking grinder without being much harder on the battery usage. My only complaint is the fact that they made the handle about an inch longer. I would have been happier with a handle the same length as the 4.5″ and 5″ grinders to save on the overall length.

This Milwaukee grinder features a 9000 RPM brushless motor with electronic braking that stops the disc within 3 seconds (Milwaukee claims 1.5 seconds for cutting discs, 2 seconds for flap discs and 2.5 seconds for grinding discs). While it is bigger than a corded grinder, it is well balanced and feels good in hand. I like the ability to change between 6 inch discs and 4-1/2 inch discs. Unfortunately, only the 6 inch type 27 guard is included and nothing in the manual or Milwaukee’s site indicates the part number to order the 4-1/2 inch or 5 inch compatible guards. Finding 6 inch cut off wheels was fairly easy. However a type 27 grinding wheel in 6 inch was very difficult to find. Most grinding wheels are 5 or 7 inches.The grinder features a FIXTEC nut for tool free disc changes but I found they nut gets tight and I had to revert to the included bi-pin wrench to break it loose. Another feature of this product is the tool free guard adjustment. It has five different positions it can lock into. A simple press of a small spring loaded lever allows one to twist the guard to the various positions. Unfortunately, on my product, the guard was incorrectly installed and would not move. I had to loosen a Phillips screw on the guard, install it to its proper location and then tighten the screw. A simple process to correct but it is something that should have been caught on the assembly line.The included charger is a Rapid Charge model which will charge the battery in about half the time of the standard charger. The kit includes a durable bag, the grinder, a type 27 six inch guard, side handle, dust screen, wrench, two M18 XC6.0 high output batteries and the rapid charger.There are two models of this grinder. The one I used has a locking slide switch on the top. The switch is plastic and the locking point is also plastic. I worry the locking point may wear out over time. The switch is fairly small but activates without issue and unlocking is a simple press at the back of the switch. The other model of this product has a paddle switch on the bottom which is not lockable. Everything else is the same between the two models. In my testing I used a 6 inch cut off wheel with a 5/8 inch arbor hole as well as a 6 inch grinding wheel with a threaded mount to cut and grind on a 1/2 inch thick steel bar. I could tell no difference in power between this battery operated model and a corded model. Overall this is an outstanding product and recommended if you have a need for a battery based grinder. However, I did knock off one star because of the improperly installed guard lock mechanism. Not providing information for alternate size guards is disappointing.

AWESOME !!!

I love it. It feels super heavy duty and it is very powerful. I’m very impressed with the battery to. Only thing I’ve had a problem with is the charger makes a really loud high pitch noise and smells a little when charging

The Milwaukee Brand, M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 4-1/2 in./6 in. Grinder with Slide Switch and Kit, plus (1) 6.0 Ah Battery is a tool for the professional tradesman and avid DIY home owners alike. Really, there is absolutely no need for a corded angle grinder except for the biggest jobs that might be encountered with this Milwaukee, M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless angle grinder. The lithium battery powering this grinder is big and long lasting. While not the largest battery Milwaukee offers, it is a good match for this angle grinder based on weight and balance verses battery life. This is such a versatile angle grinder, for cutting stone, cutting concrete roof tiles, grinding metals and sanding wall surfaces, it is likely the only grinder a contractor or DIY home owner may ever need. To say it is impressive, is to say it is just another good angle grinder. This grinder is really outstanding with one little frustration. Due to the very efficient and powerful permanent magnet motor of this grinder, it makes the spindle lock a bit difficult to use. Not impossible, just somewhat difficult. A very strong permanent magnet motor is employed in this grinder for power and efficiency, but moves past the internal magnets quickly and with force, making the spindle lock somewhat difficult to engage. Not impossible, just more difficult than a non-permanent magnet motor. The grinder comes with a storage bag, that I really like. Some DIY home owners might prefer plastic storage cases, however as a handy man, I prefer a bag as I can usually fit the other tools I need in the bag for a customer’s job. I am not a contractor, yet still I would prefer a bag if I were. I wish every tool in my tool box were “Milwaukee Red,” really, Milwaukee makes some of the finest tools anyone will ever own.

This thing is a beast! This battery powered braking grinder kit made by Milwaukee completely out performs every A/C powered angle grinder I have ever used. It doesn’t seem to spin as fast but the torque of the brushless motor in this grinder is amazing and more than makes up for it. The battery life is outstanding. This grinder seriously cuts twice as fast as my A/C powered one, and with this one, I don’t have to worry about cutting the cord off, or setting it down to fast because it stops spinning almost immediately after letting go of the push button. My one complaint with this grinder is the slide switch can be cumbersome to operate when using the grinder in certain positions. Milwaukees grinder kit will hold accessories from 4 1/2 to 6 in. I am currently using 5 in. The position of the guard can be rotated or removed tool free. The disks can also be changed tool free but if they happen to get to tight, Milwaukee provides the wrench to loosen it. The included charger is a fast charger that will charge both the M18 and M12 batteries. This kit also comes with a red lithium high output XC6.0. Everything included in this kit fits nicely into the tough bag it comes with.

I received my Milwaukee fuel 18-volt brushless grinder today, and it comes with two 6.0 Ah batteries.I like that this cordless grinder will accept 4-1/2 inch or 6-inch accessories. The brake is another nice feature, and the grinder stop s in 3 seconds when you let off the slide switch.This Milwaukee grinder has a tool-free design in that you do not need any tools to change any accessories or the guard. After trying this grinder on some angle iron, I can say it is just as powerful as any of my corded grinders, and with the 6.0 Ah batteries, it will last a long time. Overall all this cordless Milwaukee grinder is more powerful and will accept a larger grinding wheel (6- inch) than my other brand of cordless grinders. This Milwaukee grinder will now be my go-to grinder for everything from welding to sharping mower blades. Another nice feature is it comes in a heavy duty large tool bag that is capable of carrying additional accessories.

This Milwaukee FUEL M18, 18-Volt 4-1/2 in. – 6 In. Grinder with Slide Switch Kit is GREAT! I prefer the slide switch over a paddle for working in various positions, where the paddle can be a bit difficult to operate safely. This kit includes 2 XC6Ah battery packs, a 18V/12V Rapid Charger, accessory nut wrench and a good bag. I’ve had several 4/4-1/2 in. corded grinders, as well as a Milwaukee Industrial duty 7 in. grinder over the years. However, this will be my go-to grinder from now on. The first thing I noticed when I charged the battery packs was that the Rapid Charger “sings” while charging, due to the high amp output. It charges much faster than the other chargers. The grinder is well-balanced and easy to handle, with plenty of power. The Rapid Stop Brake is very good, stopping in <3 seconds from switch release. The very convenient FIXTEC nut works well and means no tools needed to change "most" accessories. The guard is very easy to adjust to 5 different positions with the press of a lever, again with no tools needed. Unfortunately, no one in Tucson has ANY 6 in. grinding wheels, or Milwaukee 6 in. cutoff wheels, so I used a 4-1/2" grinding wheel, and flap wheel to grind a couple of old weld beads off my bench, where someone decided to check their welder settings. Worked great, but 6 in. wheels would have been better to reach into the bottom of the 4 in. angle iron, not to mention that more surface area removes more metal faster. I went to HD and bought another brand of 4-1/2 in. sanding pad backer and pads for finishing that area (the nut for this required a different wrench). I bought two other branded 6 in. cutoff wheels for use in cutting the welds from the old axle and spacers off of my old tiller because the replacement wheels require a smaller diameter axle. All told, I fabricated several new pieces, as well as spacers to raise the engine, to make the axle work. In addition to the 5/8 in. axle and washers, I made a number of cuts in 1/8 in. x ½ in. angle iron and several cuts in 1/8 in. x 1 in. flat stock, and used the grinding wheel to square things up. This grinder worked quite well. I found that the XC6Ah battery packs run for about 30 minutes, and having the second one was good. In all, I went through 3 full charges. Given the 30 minute run time of the battery packs, I don't think this grinder would be ideal for large industrial or fabricating work, but it sure is great for smaller jobs. Again, 6 in. grinding, wheels, flap wheels, and sanding disks would make the work go faster, and probably get more done on each charge. Hopefully HD will be stocking them soon.

Great 6 grinder for cutting and grinding in a pinch, were a cord would be hard to find. Eats through batteries very quick so have a few on hand