Ran a small test weld on some old boiler plate using a $30 harbor freight grinder wheel

I was patching a 30-year-old fire tube boiler in a basement near Cincinnati and figured a cheap wheel would do for a quick bevel. Halfway through the cut, the wheel threw a chunk that cracked my face shield and left me with a buzz in my ears for an hour. Has anyone else had a budget wheel blow up on them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancythomas2mo ago

I used to think the same, that a cheap wheel was fine for quick jobs. But after a 4.5" disk blew apart on me cutting some rebar, I had to pick fiberglass out of my arm for a week. That "raining sparks" thing you mentioned is a dead giveaway the wheel's coming apart. Now I only buy the name brand stuff, it's not worth the hospital visit.

the_hayden2mo ago

Man that cracked your face shield is no joke, I'm glad you're okay. I had a cheap wheel grenade on me once cutting some rusty angle iron and it looked like it was raining sparks for way too long. These budget wheels really make you pay for saving a few bucks in a bad way.

jordan_webb2mo ago

Is "raining sparks" really a dead giveaway or just how angle grinders usually work?