Black And Decker Angle Grinder Review

 All good things must come to an end and so it was with regret that I had to consign my aging (20 plus years old!) Black and Decker angle grinder to the scrap heap. It had finally reached a stage where further resuscitation was no longer practical. Cue the start of internet research to find a suitable replacement. As with everything nowadays, there's a bewildering array of options available, starting from under to £20 to over £100. My available budget dictates that the lower end of the scale is where I'm going to be looking, so when I found a Black and Decker branded one for under £30 I decided to give it a go. After all, its predecessor had served me well.
It's specification is fairly standard fare for this price range: 230/240V, 710W, 1200rpm no load speed and takes 115mm discs. It also comes with 5 cutting discs (3.2mm width) - 4 for metal, 1 for stone. These were not a selling point for me as I rarely use the grinder for cutting and nearly always use flap discs rather than standard abrasive as you can see from the picture below - barely out of the box and it's already got a flap disc installed.

What's it like then? Well it's fine. It's physically smaller than the old B&D which makes it easier for my small hands to hold, but it still feels reassuringly solid and the more I use it, the more I like it. The on switch is stiffer than the old model (so you can't accidentally turn it on) but the lock for disc changes is easier to operate. Soft start takes away the initial 'kick' that the old one had. All in all I'm pleased with it. Will it last as long as the old one? Time will tell.
I bought this one via Amazon for £26, but they no longer list it. It's still available from many online sellers including MACHINE MART, but the price is now around £34.