Need high quality quiet die grinder

[AlfaGTA]

Looking for an industrial grade die grinder. 1/4" collet cap. Not extended length.
Need one that is quiet if possible...Not looking to cheap out but i am going nuts working across from a fabricator that can't sharpen a pencil without using an stinking air tool......
I need a unit with good power and quiet exhaust if possible....would hope to get some real hands on "used that" advice here...
Thanks , Ross

 

[joe m]

Im using a Snap-On, Mfg by Blue Point #AT401MC. Speny from what I remember 5 yeas ago possibly 170.00. Very quiet and torque.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?store=snapon-store&item_ID=78428&group_ID=19404

 

[Dave Cross]

My recommendation is to go electric than. We have variable speed Makita and Miliwaukee Die grinders for headporting and general deburing and cutting. Way more torque than an air tool, and very quiet.

 

[Dan from Oakland]

Ross- Dumore makes some good ones- kind of pricey if you buy new, but I got mine off of e-bay. They come with chucks or collets, and I think they make two sizes. Here is on on e-bay now. Not silent, but much quieter than a pnumatic one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/DUMORE-HAND-GRI...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9c284496

Dan

 

[Ries]

Although I dont own the die grinder, I have a couple different air tools from Nitto- and they are excellent quality, and as quiet as you can reasonably expect an air tool to be.

http://www.nittokohki.com/tools/products/powertools/diegrinders/index.html

 

[daryl bane]

Don't know how quiet they are, but Dotco used to make a fine line of air tools.

 

[dfw5914]

The true industrial grade air tools from Dotco, Ingersol Rand, Sioux, Desouter and such, are considerably quieter than the typical retail offerings. Plan on spending two to three (maybe even four) hundred bucks on a good one.

Dotco would be my recomendation.

 

[blwn31]

Dotco stuff rocks, quieter than most and smoooooooth. Not much vibration. Guess that's why they are used in the aircraft building and repair bis.

Keith

 

[Jim Caudill]

Another Dotco endorsement here, but it's also about the exhaust. You want a "rear exhaust" with the "silencer tube" or whatever they call it. If you've never heard one of these, you'll really be in for a surprise:

 

[Milacron]

Forget air, go with NSK electric. $900 or so, but you've got it...stimulate this economy m'man !

I've never owned one but have played with them at trade shows and the torque is amazing considering they are electric and so small. Quiet as a church mouse too....a church mouse twirling at 15,000+ rpm anyway.

There may be a rep for your area that could bring some by for trials.

www.nskamericacorp.com/

 

[mc_n_g]

I was going to reference Foredom if you have a good mounting system and a floor activated pedal to control speed. At least two of teh Foredom interchangable tools can handle 1/8 to 1/4 collets. The NSK are very nice for the money.

 

[Colt45]

I have used a DOTCO that was very smooth, powerfull and quiet, much more so than the 2 Snap On die grinders I have that are about 15% bigger. Have not used personally, but I hear very good things about Dynabrade and that will probably be my next one.

 

[Vinko]

I bought a Dotco about a year ago. Maybe no more quiet than the others I have (Chicago Pneumatic made in Japan jobs), but the best I've used. I also had Chinese or Taiwanese made IR grinders, which didn't hold up.

The one thing I didn't like on the Dotco I bought (a composite housing) was that the lever is cheap.

But they had it back to me in 2 days

It's a 22 or 25,000 rpm, and I'm thinking of getting another at 12,000 rpm.

PS. I bought the Dotco initially to grind down some very hard castings about 1/8-1/4 inch. Don't ask me why I removed the material that way. It was hell on me and others but not on the grinder

 

[bronto48]

Another vote for Dotco, if you go the air powered route. Way back when I managed the maintenance group at a power plant, they were the only thing that held up to heavy use. Also rebuildable.

 

[cash]

I have several Dynabrade air tools. They are quiet and top quality.

 

[Milacron]

I have several Dynabrade air tools. They are quiet and top quality.

I don't know that any air tools are "quiet" compared to the same tool in electric. There are mufflers available of course but the large mufflers that don't restrict exhaust flow too much are best suited to stationary pneumatic devices.

 

[jabezkin]

Cleco is a great die grinder. Rebuildable,a horsepower or horse and a half, and its got legs, runs forever.

For quiet, call about a remote exhaust with a muffler.

They have built air tools to use in a clean room. All exhaust went out of the the room, most all of the noise with it.

About $660.00

 

[cash]

I don't know that any air tools are "quiet" compared to the same tool in electric. There are mufflers available of course but the large mufflers that don't restrict exhaust flow too much are best suited to stationary pneumatic devices.

I guess quiet to somebody may be loud to another....

All I know is compared to a cheap air tool which just screeches the dynabrade have a small muffler on them which really does make a difference.

Our shop is not really that quiet. Grinders running, air guns blowing, coolant pumps running, vacuum pumps running on our furnaces and so on.

So at the end of the day it really does not make a big difference for me.

But I do think that the dynabrade tools are top quality. We use disc sanders and the small hand held belt sanders daily.

I am debating to but a 3/8" drill but at almost $600 i am debating wether i should get my old chicago pneuamatic repaired.

Milacrons post of that NSK that comes with the small drive really looks like a nice unit for somebody who needs a quite machine and to do some precise work.

 

[MICK 1958]

Not much said here other than cash speaking of the Dynabrade line....
I have quite a few....and they are the top of the line for me....I have Dotco also...and it is equally yoked....and I would give a recomendation to the Cleco line as well.....

but as far as the makita's, bluepoints, snap-on's.....pretty much homeowner crap... Now, the price reflects that...I am not putting anyone down for buying them....if your livelihood depends on it....go for the first 3 I mentioned...

I singled out Dynabrade because not only are they quiet, long lasting, ergonomic,.....their parts department are super friendly and even more helpful....repairs are dirt cheap...if not sometimes free....YES....FREE...

now I don't expect everyone to go out and buy 500 dollar air tools....they are plentiful on Ebay....and many auctions.....if you know what you are looking for you could bag a deal...

I have a few electric ones also.......I prefer air....although I would like to see the one Don is talking about..

my 2 cents

Mick

 

[donie]

"Cleco is a great die grinder. Rebuildable,a horsepower or horse and a half, and its got legs, runs forever."
Right on jabezkin!

Unreal power, with alot of noise, Alfa would probably kill his fabricator if he used one of those!
I use Cleco with burrs, I have 10 of them, "So I dont have to change burrs and retrue them". I use Dotco with stones. Both brands use Erickson collets, a real plus.