Almost all major tool manufacturers have made a deliberate effort to expand and diversify their cordless tool lines during the past few years. Some tools have not been able to match their corded counterparts’ performance, despite the obvious advantages of being cordless tools are well documented.
DeWalt’s FlexVolt line strives to provide true alternatives for corded tools, which includes the DeWalt FlexVolt Brushless Grinder. You can actually use this tool in place of your corded grinder. This grinder delivers impressive power with the help of its DeWalt FlexVolt 60V Max battery. The DeWalt FlexVolt Brushless Grinder also has a beautiful design. I recently used this power tool to cut and grind my boat trailer, so I am writing this DeWalt FlexVolt grinder review to let you know what I thought of it.
Specifications of the Dewalt Flexvolt Grinder
- Type of the battery: DeWalt FlexVolt 60v Max
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 9.1 inches
- Max Horsepower: 3
- Maximum Watts Out: 2300 watts
- Maximum Rotational Speed: 9,000 RPM
- Spindle Size: 5/8 inches
- Warranty: 3 years
- Spindle Lock: Yes
- Voltage: 60 volts
Know The Dewalt Flexvolt Grinder’s Advantages and Disadvantages
Like every power tool, the Dewalt Flexvolt grinder also has some advantages and disadvantages. Before buying this tool, you should know them in detail. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of this grinder:
Advantages
- Up to 30% power boost than the previous model
- Comes with integrated LED for improved vision and cutting precision
- Enhanced power without gaining weight or bulk
- This grinder has an integrated rafter hook for easy and quick storage
- Comes with great handle ergonomics
- It has excellent safety features, including an electronic brake, kickback brake, and E-clutch
Disadvantages
- The paddle switch fans of this grinder will need to get adjusted to a trigger
Things to Know About the Dewalt Flexvolt Grinder
There are many things that you should know before buying a Dewalt Flexvolt grinder. It is important because you have to find the perfect power tool based on your project’s requirements. Let’s check out some crucial facts about this tool in the below guide.
Safety Features
The DeWalt Flexvolt grinder is part of the DeWalt brand’s Perform and Protect lineup. This grinder comes with a number of excellent safety measures. Let’s check them out below:
Electronic Brake
An electronic brake activates when you release the trigger, slowing the wheel of the grinder to a stop in around 1.5 seconds. We, like many users, thought this was especially helpful.
While safety is unquestionably a concern, people also have a tendency to put the grinder down while it’s still running, which can harm expensive materials and lengthen repair times. So, the electric brake feature is becoming nearly a necessity between the safety aspect and shielding the work area from a spinning blade.
Kickback Brake
When a stall, pinch, or bind-up event is detected, the kickback brake activates. The Dewalt Flexvolt grinder has the ability to recognize when there is a pinch, stall, or binding and applies the electronic brake automatically to safeguard both the tool and the user. The electronic brake then applies maximum force to rapidly stop the wheel, limit the motion of the grinder, and turn it off.
E-Clutch
E-clutch improves user safety by assisting in the user’s protection in the occurrence of disc bind-up. When a pinch or bind happens along with the kickback brake, the motor turns off in less than a tenth of a second. In order to test this feature, I forced a bind, and the grinder quickly shut off.
Weight
What is really outstanding is that the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder comes with greater power without increasing its bulk or raising its weight. In fact, side-by-side, it is almost impossible to distinguish between the DCG414 grinder and DCG418 grinder models.
Both models weigh the same 4.66 pounds, which is lightweight. However, this is only the weight of the bare tool. With a Type 27 wheel, 9.0 Ah battery, and handle, the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder weighs 8 pounds.
Ergonomic Design
If you enjoyed the DCG414 grinder’s design, you are in luck because all the things look and feel similar. If you did not, well, you are not going to like the same things. When combined with the 9.0 ampere-hour FlexVolt battery, the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder appears to be quite huge. However, this tool’s balance is excellent. The handle provides typical DeWalt comfort, which is, in my opinion, best-in-class.
Also, the removable side handle improves usability for both right and left-handed users. This tool has a standard two-finger trigger-type switch and an integrated safety override for power. Although I personally like a paddle switch, DeWalt did a nice job with the ergonomics of the handle to make up for this. In my opinion, the trigger was well-made and simple to operate.
One feature I wish this tool had is a button to keep the trigger engaged, like in corded models. The inclusion of the trigger lock would have been good because I discovered that my hand started to get a little tired when grinding for extended durations.
Usability
The grinder’s wheels can be changed extremely simply and intuitively. The Allen wrench functioned nut secures the blade to the arbor and the wheel lock is properly positioned. The provided Allen wrench could have been used better with on-tool storage, but as I always keep a few sets on hand, so this was not a big concern for me. The guard adjustment function was one that I particularly enjoyed.
The guard can be moved to the ideal position by the user using a spring-loaded arm that snaps into detents. I prefer this as opposed to the old clamp style, which frequently failed. In order to remove the guard, you just need to push the arm and spin the guard till it pops off. The wheel guard’s size was a problem I encountered while using the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder. It is quite deep and thick and frequently prevented the grinder from being used to its maximum potential. While not a problem when using the grinder’s wheel vertically, when cleaning up weldings, I ultimately had to take it off in order to get access to the grindable profile. In the future, I hope to see a more low-profile version added.
Also, the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder has detachable screens over the vents to prevent debris from entering the grinder’s motor. These screens are replaceable, and a Phillips head screw is required to access them. Given how simple this feature is to incorporate to lengthen the tool’s life, I think it will soon become standard among numerous tool manufacturers.
The run-time was outstanding, and a completely charged battery would last roughly 40 minutes when used continuously. Since I don’t often use a grinder continuously, like I did when cleaning the weldings on a pipe fence that I constructed, so I don’t think this would be a problem for most uses.
Power
The performance of any tool intended to replace corded tools is its most crucial feature. The power is quite impressive for a cordless tool after using it for several tasks. After using it for multiple tasks, the power is quite impressive for a cordless tool. DeWalt FlexVolt grinder now provides 2300 watts of power, which is equivalent to 13 amperes corded grinder on paper.
More than the 1700 watts of the DCG414 model, the DCG418 model features a 30% power increase. With this grinder, you can confidently cut and grind any type of material that you desire. Despite the increase in power, the maximum wheel speed with a 6 inches wheel is still 9,000 RPM. This cordless grinder made it ridiculously simple to cut bolts, grind welds, and shave steel and aluminum.
There is simply no comparison in performance of a cordless grinder over a corded one unless you consider not having to deal with extension wires. The DCG418 obviously had more power than the DCG414 did.
I brought them over to the vise, locked them down with some #5 rebar, and started experimenting with a Type 27 wheel to get a better idea. The ability to bear down made the power difference much more obvious. Although the DeWalt FlexVolt Angle grinder’s original version had impressive power, this one is even more powerful.
Other Noteworthy Features
Some other noteworthy features of the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder are:
- Wheel locks are simple to access
- Its small gear case makes it simple to use and provides access to confined areas
- Side handle install areas on the right and left
- Comes with a single touch guard system for effortless keyless guard adjustments
Pricing
Three configurations of the DeWalt FlexVolt grinder are available. The cost of the bare tool is $199. A single-battery kit costs $299, while a two-battery kit costs $449. The cost of the DCG414 is the same as the bare tool.
In contrast to the 2.0/6.0Ah batteries that come with the earlier kits, the newer kits run longer with the 3.0/9.0Ah batteries. Given the wide range of cordless grinders available on the market, the price seems just about right for this level of performance.
Conclusion
Although this tool’s design had a few flaws, its overall performance was quite impressive. This device is the top performer in the field of cordless grinders because of its indisputable power and comfort as well as its numerous safety features.
If you want the most from a cordless grinder or are already invested in Dewalt’s FlexVolt series of products, the Dewalt FlexVolt grinder has to be on the top position of your list. The bare tool only costs $179, which makes it an excellent deal as well.
Cutting the cord has its costs, of course, and if you are a heavy user, I suggest you pick the premium package of a 2-battery kit. If the 2-battery kit’s $449 price tag is inside your budget, then don’t overthink too much and buy it.
