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Makita announced a new 5″ paddle switch angle grinder with AC/DC switch, 9558HP, but it’s not exactly what it sounds like.
New angle grinder offers high power with low weight and multiple power options
Multiple power options?! Does that mean… no, it doesn’t.
To me, AC/DC power suggests corded + cordless, but that’s not the case here.
Makita USA says:
The user has the option of using a simple slide switch to allow the 5” Angle Grinder to operate off of either AC or DC power (with a generator), depending on which power source is available at a job site.
I asked Makita USA’s communications manager to elaborate upon the “DC power with a generator” part but they never responded.
Does that mean it can be used with inverter and non-inverter generators? How often are non-inverter DC-output generators used at jobsites where a 5″ angle grinder might be used?
Makita also says the grinder is:
idea [sic] for users in the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades. It is also ideal for users in fabrication shops allowing users to perform a wide variety of metal grinding applications
It features “labyrinth construction” to protect the drive gear and bearing from contamination, as well as “zig-zag varnish on both sides of the armature coil.”
They add:
The 5″ Paddle Switch Angle Grinder gives the user 7.5 AMPs plus 10,000 RMP [sic] in a 4.5 lb grinder
- 5″ wheel size
- 7.5A motor
- 5/8″-11 spindle
- Paddle switch
- 10,000 RPM
- Weighs 4.6 lbs
Price: $114
Discussion
I don’t know if it’s because power tool brands rarely launch new corded handheld tools anymore, or I just haven’t been exposed to non-inverting generators very much, but the AC/DC switch isn’t very clear to me.
The new Makita angle grinder looks a lot like the Makita 9557PB, a similarly-sized and featured 4-1/2″ grinder. The new model has lower RPMs, which makes sense as it takes larger wheels.
The 9557PB also has an AC/DC switch for “use with alternative power sources.”
Looking across Makita’s broader corded angle grinder lineup, they ALL look to have an AC/DC switch.
If you need more power than the 9558HP, Makita also has a 4-1/2″ and 5″ paddle switch angle grinder (GA5052) with AC/DC switch and 11A motor at the same price point.
The AC/DC switch is beyond my familiarity – which is probably why I initially thought “multiple power options” meant this was a corded/cordless model, but seems similar to Makita’s other grinders.
I’m guessing Makita’s goal was to be consistent with the rest of their lineup.
Is an AC/DC switch something you’d look for in a corded angle grinder?
