Ridgid 18V Brushless 4-1/2 Angle Grinder

I always look at Ridgid as a sleeping giant.  Ridgid has some great tools, but they are not on everyone’s radar.  If you have been watching us for a while, you have probably seen some of our tool fights.  We usually have Ridgid mixed in the fight and almost every time they have come out on top.  They are just quality tools and they don’t beat you up on price.  Since they aren’t on everyone’s radar, I wanted to show off the Ridgid 18V 4-1/2″ angle grinder.

Ridgid designed this with a brushless motor which means it’s more efficient, which is a huge plus for a tool like this.  A grinder can eat through batteries, so having a little advantage such as a brushless motor is a huge key to success for these types of tools.  The guard can be changed without having to use a tool.  Just press a button and rotate it anywhere you want.  As a note, you can not rotate the guard 360° as the tool will prevent this.  Not a huge deal because once it hits the tool and you can’t move the guard anymore, just rotate it the other way.  You will still get a 360 ° coverage.  This grinder comes with a side handle.  While most allow you to mount their side handle in two positions, Ridgid allows the user to mount it in three different positions.  You can screw it into the left or right side, plus the top, which is great for the side cuts.  The handle has a slim design so when you are working with gloves, it’s easy to hold onto and control.  The tool only weighs 4.4 lbs. and features a lock-on switch.  The tool has a no-load speed of 8,500 rpm and does have a good safety feature.  Say your grinder is in your tool bag without a battery and somehow the switch gets bumped to the on position.  When you get to the job and put a battery in the tool, it will not automatically turn on the tool.  You will first have to turn the grinder to the off position and then turn it back to the on position.  For me, I think this is a great safety feature.  I have seen some tools that do not have this feature and if you’re not paying attention, it surely will wake you up.

Bottomline, this is another great product from Ridgid.  It’s powerful, easy to control and reliable.  Now sure what else you can ask for in a tool, but next time you are at Home Depot, pick one up and let us know what you think.