Milwaukee 6148 6 8.5 Amp 4 1/2 Inch Magnum Sander/Grinder

Customer Reviews

Best Grinder of the Bunch

2004-09-14
I have owned Ryobi, DeWalt, and Milwaukee grinders, and Milwaukee is by far the best. Powerful rugged and can stand up to heavy use. The wrench is not strong enough to remove the wheel if it is very tight.

Excellent Grinder/Cutter!

2004-08-03
I built a fireplace in my basement and needed a grinder/cutter to shape the stones as I put them on the fireplace. This tool worked great. With a diamond blade it cut the stones like butter and the grinder wheel fine tuned the stones so they fit perfectly. The three position handle was especially convenient in the shaping and cutting the stones when I found myself in an awkward position. The motor had plenty of power and didn't bog down. Removing and installing the blade guard was a little awkward until I got the hang of it. One of the previous reviewers complained about the wrench and how difficult it was to use. I found it easy to use and had no trouble changing blades and wheels. I highly recommend this tool.

Many Milwaukee tools are good, but maybe not this one

2001-04-26
I had a few bad experiences with this particular tool:

1)The first one I bought was leaking oil from its gear case, so back I go to the store to exchange it for another one. I'm not too upset yet.

2)The exchanged one is not leaking oil and looks fine, until I try to use the enclosed spanner wrench to lock a grinding wheel to the spindle. It turns out that the spanner wrench does not fit the spindle, so back I go to the store to find the spanner wrench from the grinder I had just returned. The spanner wrench from the first grinder is fine so I exchange it for the defective one from the second grinder. I'm getting a little upset at this point since I effectively have had two defective units in a row.

3)That night I use the grinder to cut through two small metal pipes, with the enclosed metal-cutting 1/4" wheel. Works well, but at some point I want to change wheels and find that I can't, because the wheel and locking nut have tightened themselves so much that the awkward spanning wrench cannot loosen the nut. The wrench bends (with my hand pressure!) and at this point I am so frustrated and afraid of breaking the whole unit by using any other tool to loosen the wheel, that I return to the store a third time, this time to return the unit altogether.

I will not buy another one with this wheel locking arrangement and crappy wrench.

Milwaukee Rocks...OK, it Grinds 2000-03-17
I used my 6148-6 sander grinder with a wire brush to clean rust off a mower deck. The tool had plenty of power. Two features that I particularly liked (besides the power): the three position extra handle. At one point, it was too awkward to get at the deck with the handle to either side, but being able to work with it atop of the grinder, was great. Second, the safety paddle switch was a real plus. Having used another grinder without the switch, I used to worry about dropping the tool and have it continue to operate. The Milwaukee paddle/safety was unobtrusive and effective. Great tool. Don't forget your eye, ear and respiratory protection.

Best in Class 2007-09-26
I spent a lot of time looking into my grinder purchase. I am not wealthy and can only afford to buy it once.

This is the best I could find in it's class.

Great Value Grinder/Sander For A Small Price 2007-04-10
I chose this model because I simply planned to use it to remove rust, bondo and welds from mild steel, not needing the large unwieldy models for masonry work. I also liked the safety paddle switch that prevents accidental turn on.

This product has exceeded my expectations, and performed well in every task I've used it for. It is very powerful (watch out, this tool can injure your wrist) runs cool even with heavy use and functions well as a cutoff tool. With a sanding back, it will handle any orbital sanding duties required.

The wrench supplied for wheel removal is a joy to use and far stronger than needed for the task of changing discs.

The only reason I gave it four stars is the lack of spiral bevel gears like the 6140 model; it deserves five in every other aspect.

Great Grinder 2007-01-10
I read lots of reviews, but rarely write them. I am a part time remodeler. I have had this grinder for 3 months now. I chose the 8.5 amp model instead of the 12 amp because I do not use a grinder every day. Metal or masonry work daily would require a 12 amp 4 1/2" or bigger. I paid $90 and change for this grinder. Now its even less $. Milwaukee is plenty powerful. When you push in the switch the entire grinder will want to twist-hold on. I have used it to cut off 2" solid steel stock and lots of concrete material. With a husky 4 1/2" metal blade (about $12 at HD-great blade/great price) this grinder can cut through concrete patio blocks almost by itself. This model also has a paddle switch which I find to be safer and more accurate to use. There are generally no brakes on grinders and the paddle switch is helpful for control. For my uses it has worked great. The reason I gave it 4 stars is if I press the switch and turn on the grinder without cutting anything and just let the switch go and the blade rotates to a stop there is a noise in the head that sounds like sloppy bearings or something. I didn't notice it when it was new but it could be nothing. There has been no effect on performance, it works fine-just a concern. I guess time will tell. Excellent performance.

Durable powerhouse 2006-09-05
I bought this grinder more than a year ago and have used it weekly with periods of daily use. It is an 8.5 amp, 10K rpm single speed machine and one of my favorite tools. I'll admit it. I don't treat it nicely. The guard was set aside the first day I used it. I now generally keep a 5" grinding wheel on it and it does eat them quite voraciously but that's its job. I also have a third party sanding back (from Home Depot) that is nice for finishing metal or roughing wood. I've also used the flap sanding wheels but they are a bit pricey. I like the spindle lock on it because you can reach it with your thumb, thus allowing the replacement of wheels without tools for some people.

The only time that it has ever failed me was my fault for putting it in the vise (by the body). It refused to turn on. When I took the case off to see what was wrong I noticed that I had pinched the cable connecting the brush to the motor and it had jammed the brush. A quick flick and the brush popped back in its place and all has been well since.

I have had it running for as long as 4 hours straight and it just continues to run without complaint. The lock on the switch is plastic and is starting to show a tiny bit of wear but it still works so I'm not complaining. I've ground down hundreds of ugly welds, sharpened a lot of drill bits and chainsaw blades, and cut off a lot of heavy steel bars, bolts etc. I've never stalled it, it has scads of power.

Basically, I've given it a good workout and it is still going strong. Enough said.

Powerful and Very Effective 2005-01-28
I bought the 6148-6 to flush grind welds on a table saw stand that I made from 3/4 inch square mild steel tubing. The job was completed very quickly, much to my delight. The tool is powerful and the motor temperature barely moved above ambient throughout.

Some reviewers have commented about the less than robust wrench that is included. The tool that I bought included a wrench that is 1/8 inch thick and is entirely up to the task of tightening and removing the abrasive disks.