Side by Side Comparison of: PORTER-CABLE vs DEWALT

Nice little grinder. Enough power for my needs. I cut up a water tank to make a dozer blade and it worked great. Comes with 2 guards; one for grinding and one for cutting. Excellent price too. Just a little more than Harbor Freight stuff but way higher in quality. Porter Cable makes good tools. I have other tools by them and love them all and they won't bust the budget either.

Seems to be a good quality grinder and I bought it at a good price, the only problem for me is that the picture depicts the grinder with a finger operated paddle switch and mine came with a thumb operated switch on left site of grinder but I can live with it, even an old dog can learn a new trick.

Great price and a better tool than Harbor Freight had at almost the same price (grinder with a paddle switch). Comes with two types of guards - one for cutoff disks and the other for wire wheels and grinding/flap disks. 7 amps is very strong. Only complaint (and it is small) is the poor shipping packaging. The grinder was not damaged but the Porter Cable box was.

I'm not sure how you can beat this for the price. I purchased this and a DeWalt DW4725 Diamond saw blade to cut pavers for a walk I was putting in. It worked great! Plenty of power and a solid feel. I got the angle grinder and the blade for under $50 total and I'm extremely happy. The 4-1/2 inch blade won't cut all the way through a paver but it goes far enough to make a clean break.

Great little angle grinder - had no problems cutting through 1/4" cold rolled mild steel. For anyone who's never used an AG before: make sure you wear flame retardant long sleeves, gloves, and a face mask - there will be hot sparks everywhere!

Very happy with this grinder, in particular because it has a cutting guard and can use cutting wheels. Surprisingly some 4.5" grinders aren't setup for cutting. Side handle is thin plastic, head does not rotate, OSHA approved flappy paddle switch is a bit weird to get used to, all of this is fine given the low price.

This is my first angle grinder so I don't have much to compare to. That said, I don't know why I waited so long to get one - this thing is great! I made a maple sap evaporator out of a 55 gallon drum in no time with this D28115. It's so much faster and easier than the Mr Sawz-all option. It is easy to swap the grinding wheel and has power to spare.

I just burned up 2 Less Amp Makitas that were great for general handyman stuff and I had used for many years but this one is the Man. It finished up the job the Makitas gave their lives for in 5 minutes and hardly broke a sweat. Easy to use, A serious hand held grinder with easy to change blade spindle locks.

I bought this to replace an old Makita 4 1/2" side switch that I have had for 15 years or more. Initial inspection revealed just what you would expect from a DeWalt tool. Sturdy construction, reasonably ergonomic controls and plenty of power. I installed the diamond wheel that I ordered with it and started grinding epoxy off the basement floor. With the diamond wheel installed I found that the unit handled the diamond wheel well and found it hard to bog it down. After about an hour of continuous use and about 100 sq ft of epoxy and bad concrete patch removed the unit was still a joy to use. The tool is well balanced and comfortable to hold. The gearbox was warm but not hot, I did trip a 15 amp circuit breaker running this and my Craftsman shop vac at the same time. User error, no fault of the grinder. This is not a compact unit and I don't think it would do well in tight quarters. Overall good quality, easily controllable,smooth power and comfortable grips make this a solid unit.

These grinders simply work hard, and work great for a long time. I have several of these in use daily in my shop, and they always last a long time and provide a surprising amount of power for their size. Every new guy that picks one up and uses one for the first time is surprised by the power in the small package. I usually go through a few sets of brushes before something catastrophic happens leaving a grinder useless, but since I've got several in use and broken, I can pull parts from the other dead ones and make another functional grinder again in most cases. I'll continue buying these for years to come, even at the somewhat high price.

I love this grinder! It has the features of a 9" grinder in a 5" package. It's tough, and powerful. It doesn't require you to release a "safety" to start it. Pull the trigger, and you're going. It also has a lock to hold the trigger in the on position, for those long jobs that require it. The trigger handle is "normal" sized, so you're not trying to hold onto the whole 3" plus diameter of the main body of the machine. Many grinders are like that, and they promote pre-mature hand fatigue. This is a personal "pet-peeve" of mine! What kind of sado-masochist would design such a thing, let alone want to use it! This grinder is comfortable to use for long periods of time, and it has the "snort" to back it up! It even has an air injection design to help keep the motor cooler, while reducing the amount of dust that can enter the motor housing. Very smart! I would definitely buy this grinder again, but I think that someone would have to steal this one first. It's going to take a long time to wear it out!!!!

After having my carpets ripped out in preparation of transitioning to stained concrete floors, I discovered that the builders had sprayed thick latex paint all over the slab a good foot from the wall. Several attempts at chemical stripping produced very mediocre and messy results over the course of days and many hours of labor.Finally I decided to give mechanical removal a try...what an idea! Coupled with a DEWALT DW4774 4-1/2-Inch Double-Row Diamond-Cup Grinding-Wheel and vacuum-attached dust shroud (though don't get Metal 5-Inch Dust Shroud for Grinders / Concrete Grinding Diamond Cup Wheels if you need to get close to a wall) I finished a room in about 45 minutes.This unit has a button to allow you to lock the trigger which is really nice for extended grinding.

Product as described and a prompt shipping. Would rather have an on/off switch instead of having to constantly hold the paddle switch on.

Tool itself has a good feel, decent weight, and decent overall size. Build quality was much better than I expected, and it really feels much more robust than the price point.Gear transfer head could be a bit smaller, but it's fine for probably 90% of what it'll be needed for, and likely just inconvenient for the rest. Forward cant to the handle in either of the side positions is strange, and initially I don't like it, but it's possible it'll grow on me. The wrench it comes with is pretty poor, but that's consistent with others I've used.

Works great. Very powerful.

This thing is a beast for being pretty cheap. I've used it to cut the floors out of my jeep cherokee and it's never skipped a beat. 4/5 stars because I really don't like the safety mechanism on the switch is hard to press down with gloves.

looks ok, haven't used it a lot. handle takes some getting used toupdate: the safety covers can be improved, changing them takes some time. the safety feature of the trigger is a bit difficult to use. no deal breakers, still a good grinder

A great 4.5" paddle-style grinder. I've put this thing through hell and it doesn't care.

Good

Works very well , only went through 10 disks so far but it got lots of power holding up well

I use this to sculpt the seat of a dining chair that I am making. It is a powerful machine and generates lots of wood dust. The only negative thing is the noise - so only a 4 star.

This is a very good grinder. It has a TON of power and with a 4.5 inch wheel of any kind there's no way you're going to be able to bog it down. It can really throw some sparks. It's sturdy and well built without being too heavy to handle for extended periods. The only two things I would change about it are:1. It is very loud. Wear hearing protection.2. The motor and gearbox on the front of the unit get hot and stay hot for a long time with intensive use. It won't burn you but it's hot enough that it makes me worry about how long the bearings and brushes in this thing are going to last.

good little grinder, no complaints after 2 months of hard work. I did remove the rubber O-ring which made it difficult to change from grinding to cut off wheel but it works fine without.

Awesome versatile tool! I like how this grinder feels and how well it works. I did at first have to remember that it is NOT classified as a heavy duty tool and has its limitations. However, I am very pleased that this is what I chose for my first portable grinder.

Like the tool but it is making a "rattling" noise when I release the power. Is this normal? Sounds like it's ready to fall apart. Used it once and put it away. Please advise.Thanks for your advise.....Garygr_coll@cox.net

Good grinder but product description said it comes with a case. No case.

Lots of power, but the fixing nut is tricky. I put on the including cutting wheel to try it out and quickly shattered the wheel. This really wedged on the restraining nut. Took me an hour to get it loose to replace the wheel. Fussy business, that. I still think I'll get good use out of this, though.

Update:Not long after I wrote this review, I noticed the spindle lock was slowly beginning to go. Watching the sun set in the background as I desperately try and get an angle grinder attachment off is extremely aggravating. A week or two ago I spent about 90 minutes trying to get my wirebrush off so I could put on a grinder attachment, I actually broke part of my table saw when I gave in for a moment of cathartic rage. This feeling is horrible. I believe that I will get this fixed through warranty but I will find out soon. This grinder was definitely worth the money I spent on it, but if I could go back and change my decisions I would buy a more reliable brand which would last much longer..Old Review:I bought this with the intention to use it relentlessly, break it, and return it. However it has lasted me months of vigorous use, I've gone through a dozen disks or so and it keeps on cutting, grinding. I have a lot of fun using this and I couldn't be happier with this tool. If the zombies come though, I will regret not having a cordless grinder.

Reasonable performance. My biggest complaint is the spindle lock has to be depressed below the surface of the grinder. As the button is too small, I have to press it with my finger tip (rather than the "pad" of my finger) which is very awkward. It's even more difficult wearing gloves. Also, the cord has a tendency to ravel up like a telephone cord. That may not be unusual though. I also wish it had a power switch lock (but knew it didn't come with one).

Gear case gets hot as a rocket in 60 seconds. Works fine, but job only took 5 minutes to do. Plenty of power and has 2 guards and 2 wheels. If anyone has input on gear case heat, I'd appreciate a heads up. Then I can adjust review as necessaryJim

Great power but no safety features, you could really hurt yourself easily with this machine. Also I'm not sure about other users but I've experienced the arbor nut constantly getting stuck onto the tool. I've bent and broken many wrench trying to remove it more than a couple times. If it wasn't for that particular problem I would use it a lot more.

Heavy duty with plenty of power. It is heavier than others and definitely use both hands making it less versatile. It has an "O" ring on the spindle that has to be removed to use it with a sanding disc. How long before the "O" ring needs to be replaced? Could have been much better designed.

I genuinely find the cheap grinders from the tool store by the bay to be just as good as this DeWalt in terms of build quality and what I perceive to be life of the tool. I do like the quick, no tool rotatable disc guard. The harbor grinders require a screwdriver. The cast portion of the tool is the same thickness and appearance as the ten spot tools. Obviously it's more amperage, but I don't really see that translating into faster grinding or cutting or finish removal. It's a lot heavier than lower powered tools. That does seem to help some with the perceived vibration. But it's just as noisy. Heats up just as fast when under similar grinding loads.

Had one unit fall apart, meaning case separation on first use!!!

Just got it. Appears to be a great tool. BUT, they didn't meet a simple and basic expectation... that what I was shipped should match what I selected online.I shop online a lot. When I buy tools, I compare various things between brands and models to help make my decision. How many batteries or blades does it come with? How many additional attachments? Cord length? Brand reputation?In this case, the product details says it comes with a case.... Something I considered when choosing this item. It did not, however, come with a case.An online merchant's most critical job is to ship you the correct product that you selected based on the details THEY provide. If you can't do this, you shouldn't be in business. I'm not talking about an accidental shipment of a totally different item. I'm talking about being too lazy to confirm their own product details before putting it up for sale and then hoping the customer doesn't notice. This is shoddy.This rating would be a 1 or 0 if it weren't for the fact that I expect I'll probably enjoy the tool.

It only comes with the Type 27 guard. It does NOT come with the Type 1 guard shown in the right-hand picture. That is extra, and required for safe use of cutting wheels. Misleading, as I did not expect to have to spend another $17 for a Type 1 guard, or to have to wait to use my new tool while I ordered it. I have found the part number for the Type 1 guard: 643772-00. Here it is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XELHOAG/

The grinder works great as a "grinder", however, the other day I needed to use it to sand some primer off a large section of steel. I tried to add a sanding adapter, available at most hardware stores, and it wouldn't fit. Not only is the arbor to short, but the base of the arbor sits below the flange of the tool. So even if the arbor was long enough to get the nut on, when you tighten the nut, it sucks it right up against the base of the tool and locks up. I'm really disappointed at this. I used up three Ryobi grinders over the years, and you could grind or sand with them, they even came with the sanding adapter and nut. Add to that they were $29 and came with a nice case to store them in. I just got tired of the soft brush sets and poor power cords they use. So I went with a Dewalt for $139, no case, a "lot" louder and you can't sand with it. I just ordered a 6124-30 Milwaukee From Northern Tool ($129, w free shipping). I would not have ordered the Dewalt had I known it was a grinder only. It would have been a four star unit had you been able to sand. Add a case and make it a quieter, and it would be five stars.

Burned up under med. Use

3 months old. Using it with the Dewalt dust collector and double row cup grinder on concrete. Motor started smoking. Took it into the service center 2 weeks ago. They still have not looked at it. They said it would be at least another week. So much for warranty service. This tells me one of two things 1) They have so many warranty problems that they cannot keep up with the demand (poor quality mfg.) or 2) They are not serious about honoring there warranties or standing behind their products.I have owned a number of dewalt products and been happy with them. I think it is time for me to find someone else that will take care of my needs.

Sounded good but the problem is that you cannot grip it up high to have control with one hand. for two handed operation its fine but not for one handed - which I do a lot

I have used this grinder for cleaning my welds and grinding out root passes beveling pipe putting landings on pipes it is really good for cleaning welds but the grinder only made till last week bought back in May 2013 lasted till September 2015 and I didn't register the warrenty now I have to buy another go with a milwaukee better warrenty all around

I am a homeowner who purchased this to grind out some poor motar joints to tuckpoint. I used this grinder a total of maybe two hours and it ceased up. I had to go buy a Harbor Frieght grinder for $20 to finish the job. Now I need to see if Porter Cable will repair or replace their grinder.

It has been 12 months and a couple of weeks since my purchase, and it died today. I have used it 3 times over the past year for a total of 20 minutes or so, and it is dead. It started smoking today and got too hot to touch after around the 30-40 second mark. This is probably the worst power tool that I have ever owned. I obviously could not recommend this to anyone. If it can't handle the limited use that I put it through, it can't handle anyone's needs. Unfortunately, I am out the money for this. I wish that I had done more research. Oh well

This product is defective, the flat discs cannot be installed properly. It will touch the metal guard.

They showed a paddle switch and also stated a paddle switch which is not the case how sad!!!!!!!!!!

It overheated the first time I used it and stopped working.

I must have had a defective model, but it worked for about a 1/2 hour then quit. Amazon return process was painless.

description was for a AC/DC, when i made the Purchase online, and what came was a AC only, Cant use with Generator and or my portable welder, afraid to burn it out.. VERY unhappy , cant send back now,

bad

Bought this after I killed a Makita cutting a bit of rebar. I mostly wanted to derust tools and smooth concrete surfaces, not stone cutting or serious metal cutting. After a handful of projects the brushes self-destructed and took out the plastic "arm" mounts they attach to. the replacement parts aren't that expensive but the mounting screw are a microscopic allen wrench size that is impossible to access and fundamental it's unrepairable. Areal waste.

Bought this in April of 2014, and it went in the garbage with a cooked motor in March 2015. I used it a total of five times. It burned up doing light grinding, and I had to use my small, $15 Harbor Freight grinder to finish the job. I will never buy a Dewalt tool again!

I got this grinder last feb. used it three times and it burned up under normal use. I was told to take it to a local dewalt repair shop where I was told they would have to send it back to the factory. I just got it back after 2 months and used it once to cut off three one eighth inch thick T braces and made it through two before it burnt up again!!!!! I use old cheap black & decker grinders at work nearly every day and have less failures with them....So if you are looking for a good grinder ,,,don't buy this one.I will say I've got Dewalt tools I've been using for 15 years without any problems, but this one has been nothing but trouble..

i buy this as dewalt but after some minute of working. as i live in georgia i can not send back.bad choice