First up;
Sparks fly
It’s the Metabo W 18 LTX Li PowerExtreme Grinder. A couple of things stand out about this grinder. Firstly, the battery. Metabo have slapped a 3 year warranty on these batteries, and they’ve got the technology to make that warranty sensible. Plus the battery pack is rotatable, meaning you can adjust the angle of the battery while it’s slotted into the grinding. That allows you to gain access to tight, awkward spaces. Metabo have also programmed their batteries with ‘ESCP’, their own brand of cell protection. Basically, your batteries are going to run longer per charge, they’re not going to over cook and they’re going to have a longer working life.
Metabo claims their batteries will give you more cuts than any other professional grinder on the market. They say, “that’s 17 more cuts than the worst result from the 5 major pro competitor’s products we’ve tested”.
Another feature that stood out to us as we tested the grinder was the ability to change the guard, meaning you go from having a 115mm grinder to a 125mm with just a flick of a quick release lever. Metabo have also fitted a Metabo Quick Nut for tool-free disc changing. Maintaining the tool is easy due to the ‘Easy Access Carbon Brushes’, so you’ll be able to service the tool yourself. These grinders aren’t cheap (what professional tool is?), the ability to look after them and prolong their work-life is vital.
Grinding and cutting can be dangerous. Metabo have programmed the motor in the W18LTX PowerExtreme with an overload cut out. If the grinder’s put under too high of a load it’ll simply stop. To start it up again you need to physically turn it off and then back on again (watch out for this in the video). This doesn’t only help protect you, it protects the motor of the grinder.
This safety feature is coupled with a thermal overload cut out. The motor has a thermal sensor fitted and if the grinder gets too hot while you’re working with it, it’ll slow down with a red LED light displaying on the handle. Basically, you need to remove the grinder from the work piece, keep it running so that the air passing over the motor cools it down. You’re then able to get working again. Again, this protects you and the machine.
And finally, just listen to the motor in action; Metabo claims it doesn’t sound like a battery powered grinder but more resembles, to the ear, it’s corded cousins.
But what do you think? Ready to give the Metabo W 18 LTX Li PowerExtreme grinder a go?
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