Just bought a metabo wa 11 125 quick

[VesselMaker]

I have a bunch of angle grinders, including a bunch I bought within the last year.

But as vibration bothers my hands more and more (and I am using grinders more than I used to) I decided to give the metabo wa 11 125 quick a try. Main job will be using saburr 4 inch flat disks.

Got it today and have been using and comparing to my previous favorites. Here's my impressions so far.

Really big body - HUGE compared to my Makitas, including a more amperage VS model. Would be very awkward for detail, but that is not what I bought it for.

In a pinch will work with the 5/8 bore saburr disks, although had I been smarter I would have bought 7/8 bore discs in the first place which would have worked with my other grinders as well. I spent a bundle on saburr discs before I really understood how 7/8 works better on most grinders as it can use the "arbor" to seat rather than the spindle. Oh well, next batch of burrs will be 7/8.

Power is good for the amperage, competes well with my bigger (VS) Makita which is rated higher.

I was leary of the quick lock (toolless) system for fastening wheels, but since I did not have a choice in that model (autobalance) I took a chance. It seems slick so far and seems to hold the burrs fine. I can now sort of see why folks like it. I am relieved that it works, although since the spindle is 5/8 I could have used the "nut" off another grinder if the quick lock did not work. So the toolless system seems a plus, rather than a neutral.

I don't like paddle switches, and the switch is on the top in front and so far I am impressed with it. Locks positive and easy with gloves. Yet out of the way.

I bought it because of what Metabo calls the autobalance feature, which is supposed to reduce vibration for long sessions with the grinder.

Drum roll.....................First I ran it and I thought, it's okay but not amazing. Then I started comparing back to back with other grinders I have. Decent ones that I picked becase they were smoother than other ones I'd tried.

Wow, the difference is big. Much smoother, even with the saburr discs which are heavier than some other wheels.

So bottom line is other than the fact the body is huge and would be awkward to hold for detailed work, the smoothness is great and it will certainly be what I'll grab for longer sessions. Was pricey, but so far seems like it was money well spent.

I would recommend it, but would advise holding one first as the body is a whale compared to other similar amperage grinders I've tried and would not be suitable for certain types of work - unless you had bushel basket sized hands.

[SeaLeveler]

Thanks for the review.Tony

[VesselMaker]

I've got a number more hours using the new grinder and I even more impressed with how much less vibration than my other grinders. A few of the hours I was hollowing on the inside of a big bowl holding the grinder by the body (handle was removed to fit inside) and I loved how little vibration was coming through the grinder body.

Some additional thoughts: The metabo anti vibe handle fits into my makita grinders. If you just touch it,it sort of buzzes, but virtually all vibration (that I can feel anyway) stops once I actually grab it. Don't know if they are available separately, but a real upgrade compared to the usual empty shell handles.

Am liking how the guard can be adjusted to several postions without tools. The danger in any of these toolless features is that they are so easy I have to force myself to unplug the grinder before I do them. I use chainsaws alot, but grinders with the coarse saburr disc are the tool I think are the most dangerous. Specially on the inside of objects. (I sometimes use an additional footswitch when hollowing on the inside in case the tool gets away from me and I can still turn it off. Happened to me once with a big die grinder. Amazing how fast it can wind itself up on the cord once it gets away.....)

With all my 4 1/2 - 5 inch grinders I cut the corners of the guard off at an angle, but since the saburr discs I mostly use are 4 inch and this grinder is a 5 incher it helps even more in getting good access to the disc.

I pop them off with a thin wheel cutoff die grinder and then touch them to the bench grinder so no sharp edges. I feel it gives much better use of the disc and still provides good protect to your hands if the wheel would explode or something.

Naturally, do this at your own risk.

Again, I sound like a metabo ad, but before anyone buys one hold one yourself as this sucker is big and fat. Hated it the first time I picked it up, but the other features have me loving it still. Another thing I find very usual for holding grinders for any period is putting friction tape on where I hold them on the body as they come too slick this makes them more effort to grasp. The metabo is even smoothr than most, and I feel would have benefited from some surface texture.

Naturally if you tape the bodies be sure to not cover any air holes.

[VesselMaker]

Just for the sake of completeness in the case of someone doing a search and finding this post I want to update my "opinion."

Still loving the smoothness, etc but after more hands on time I have slightly modified my opinion on the quick lock feature.

I had no choice this model, but I personally if I had a choice would opt for the conventional spindle nut system. I thought I could simply use a regular nut instead of their special quick nut, but life is not so simple.

The quick lock design is where the locking nut is to be release by engaging the spindle lock as the wheel spins down, they have modified the spindle lock so it can "slip" a bit before it finally locks and loosens the nut. The nut is then to be unscrewed by hand and rescrewed by hand. Turning on the grinder locks the nut.

Due to this design two things are not ideal to my thinking. Minor, there are only two spindle locking positions. But more annoying is that due to the intentional slip design, when manually locking the spindle it is resistant to locking securely, esp in one direction.

The spindle lock tends to "release" on it's own when I use it which I don't like. My own opinion is that the engineers are trying to be a bit too clever so sell grinders, although I have read some folks like the feature.

FWIW.

[Donsexton]

I have and use metabo grinders for carving and my men use them on my job sites. They are a professional grade tool and that quick disc change feature is good for fitters they wear discs out fast.

[VesselMaker]

Originally Posted by Donsexton

I have and use metabo grinders for carving and my men use them on my job sites. They are a professional grade tool and that quick disc change feature is good for fitters they wear discs out fast.

At $200 a pop the metabo is clearly pro grade. Just saying that how well the quick lock works out is in part on how it is being used. For me using the 4 inch saburr disks, I can swap out disks on my manual grinders just as fast as with the quick lock feature. I can simply spin on and off the lock nut on the regular grinders, but with my metabo I have to kind of laboriously unscrew the nut both because it is recessed into the point disk a little, and becaue the spring on the nut keeps it from turning easily.

And for the work I am doing lately I have to file brush the disk fairly often, which is far easier with a regular spindle lock which locks positively and in more than two positions.

Also the other folks that I know that use metabo grinders with ql do what I do: they unlock the nut by locking the spindle lock and turning the disk a little with a gloved hand. Easier for me than doing it the way metabo says to.

Not saying it is not a good feature, just that if personally had the choice with how I use it I would opt for no quick lock. The only advantage to me is that I don't need a wrench.

Just a personal preference. Great grinder, though.