The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 4-1/2 in.-6 in. Grinder is a high performing small angle grinder. It generates the power of a 13 Amp corded grinder and has 6 in. grinding capacity. The POWERSTATE brushless motor provides users with 9,000 RPM, delivering industry-leading performance. REDLINK PLUS intelligence ensures maximum performance and protects the angle grinder from overload, overheating and over discharge. The rapid stop brake feature stops all accessories in under 3-seconds. Providing users high performance, advanced ergonomics and legendary durability, the M18 FUEL 4-1/2 in.- 6 in. baking grinder is designed to complete the toughest grinding, surface preparation and cutting applications. The M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT XC6.0 battery delivers users with more material removed per charge and unmatched run-time in all applications. It also offers tool-free accessory changes using the FIXTEC nut and tool-free guard adjustments, meaning users will experience less downtime as they work. The kit includes one M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT XC6.0 Battery.
- POWERSTATE brushless motor: purposely built for the M18 FUEL 4-1/2 in. – 6 in. braking grinder to provide the power and performance of a 13 Amp corded grinder
- REDLINK PLUS intelligence: ensures optimal performance and provides overload protection to prevent damage to the tool and battery during heavy applications while still maintaining compatibility across the entire M18 System
- REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT XC6.0 battery pack: provides 50% more power and runs cooler versus M18 REDLITHIUM XC battery packs, superior pack construction provides the industry’s best protection against jobsite conditions
- Rapid stop braking feature stops all accessories in 3-seconds or less
- Metal housing and gearing system provides legendary durability
- 100% tool free- make all accessory changes and guard adjustments without a wrench for increased productivity
- Compatible with all M18 batteries
- Includes: 2980-20 M18 FUEL 4-1/2 in.-6 in. grinder, paddle switch, no lock, one M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT XC6.0 battery, type 27 6 in. guard, side handle, FIXTEC nut, backing flange, wrench
Bertha Kunze (verified owner) –
Milwaukee does it again. This is a fabulous angle grinder. Especially not having to fight with a power cord slapping around or getting nicked. I use this for hollowing out bowls. I was inverting them over my table saw with stops set to keep bowl centered on blade. Then I would raise the blade about 1/8″ at a time and rotate the bowl till I got to the depth I wanted. Wellll, with this puppy I can leave the bowl in the lathe and use a chainsaw wheel, yes a chainsaw wheel to hollow out my bowls. See photos. I know, you can gouge the center out with a lathe tool BUT I have hard and soft woods laminated and the chisel would always grab the soft wood. I feel safer hogging it out this way now. Anyway this is more fun! The paddle switch is fantastic, well positioned and it has a safety lever so you can’t pick it up and turn it on accidentally. You have to deliberately slide the lever forward. I really like the fast stop feature, under 3 seconds easy. A spindle lock makes putting wheels on/off easy and the nut has a flip up tightening tab for faster tool changing. If you need it tighter there is a spanner wrench included also. With the 5/8-11 threaded spindle you can even use a threaded hub grinding wheel. Balanced??? I‘ll say it is. AND it takes a 6″ wheel too. The carrying bag is plenty roomy and even has strap hooks on 2 bottom corners for a shoulder strap when you have a handful. So grind away my friend!
Johnathan Bailey (verified owner) –
Great grinder good power, had a little trouble with the guard, it keep falling off the 1st few time I used it.
Kelvin O’Hara (verified owner) –
Simply put. For a battery powered item, this things a beast.
Grayson Swaniawski (verified owner) –
This is by far much larger grinder in the standard 4 1/2 inch fuel grinder I was using before. They make both versions one with paddle which I prefer and the other being the standard switch. I prefer the pedal switch for safety reasons I’ve seen enough people have accidents with leaving the switch on and put the grinder down and not realizing it. I was a little skeptical about the breaking feature on this grinder whether not it would actually stop the grinder from spin Inc. within three seconds and I have a video attached to this review that shows his lesson three seconds every time it’s pretty impressive. The Innovation from Milwaukee is always impressive especially the breaking feature. The grinder itself comes with a 6 inch guard if you wanted a smaller car for 4 1/2 or 5 inch desks you would have to order that separately. This grinder is available is tool only, with one battery, or with two batteries kits. This Kit features the new 6 AM hi output batteries that give you maximum performance for these brushless fuel tools. If your homeowner and do lotta metal work or your welding shop meeting a decent grinder without the cord this is definitely the way to go.
Brendon Olson (verified owner) –
M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 4-1/2 in./6 in. Grinder with Paddle Switch Kit and (1) 6.0 Ah Batteryby MilwaukeePackaging Contents: Grinder, side handle, guard, wrench, battery, battery charger, contractor’s bagFirst Impressions: Big and beefyDescription: The Model 2980-21 is a complete kit, save for the grinding wheel or wire wheel. The grinder is claimed to be equivalent to the power of a 13A corded grinder. It has a built-in brake which brakes all accessories under 3 seconds, and it has a 6” grinding capacity.It has a brushless motor and is supposed to provide users with maximum performance, while protecting from overload, overheating and over discharge.The tool is built around the power of an 18 volt battery system for all-day performance in commercial settings for the busy contractor. The tool is also designed for tool-free adjustments and attachment exchanges.Tool-free accessory changes using the FIXTEC nut and tool-free guard adjustments mean users will experience less downtime as they work. The cordless angle grinder’s grinding wheel is sold separately. The kit includes one M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT XC6.0 Battery.Usage: Well, I did find this tool to be strong. Indeed, it has a no-nonsense battery power that will handle the most demanding jobs, making going cordless a real joy.Ergonomically, I find it to be very good, and I particularly liked the way the guard and wheels attach with tool-free methods. The user must become familiar with the business end of the grinder because the instructions are not clear and detailed enough to show the proper usage. Luckily, it is pretty much self-evident for any user.Because the guard goes on only one way, once in place, the built-in lever allows it to spin around to various detents to keep debris from the user. A very nice touch indeed.I did not like the safety lock-out for the paddle switch. These safety devices are often poorly thought out, and this is no exception. Having to move one’s hand back to engage it and bring it forward is an annoying and unnecessary step. It would have been far better to put in place a switch with a neutral position, as many drills and drivers have.One can use just about any shape of grinding, cut-off, or sanding disc, as well as various brush wheels within the 4.5-6 inch range. This makes the tool very utilitarian and able to handle a wide range of jobs; no need to buy separate tools. That’s a money-saver.When looking for the correct attachment, keep in mind the tool’s rated 9000 rpm, the size of 4.5-6 inch diameter and the spindle shaft which is threaded at 5/8–11.The tool set comes in a very large bag; larger than necessary. However, since it is listed as a contractor’s bag, it is likely assumed the worker will place other things in it, as well as in the exterior tool slots. The bag and zipper closure are certainly strong enough.The tool only has a five year warranty and three year on the battery. I would have expected a lifetime warranty for the price.They have now come out with even a larger battery for this system of tools, but even this one and its charger will fit dozens of tools.You should see how fast it cuts steel with a cutoff disc. Did I mention “fast”? You’ll like that it is definitely up for the task. I even tried it out of the box with the battery only showing the first charge light, and it didn’t even slow down. Pretty impressive.Overall Thoughts:This is a big, powerful tool and it will do what you need done.
Anthony Sporer (verified owner) –
SUMMARY: A GREAT ADDITION TO THE M18 TOOL LINEBACKGROUND: I prefer to switch grinders instead of wheels when working metal. The Milwaukee 2890-21 4 ½ to 6 inch angle grinder looked like a great addition to my grinder collection for large area flap-wheel sanding.FIT AND FINISH: I love my Milwaukee tools. Like all the Milwaukee tools I own, this had that same rugged “use me” feel. Advertised as the same power as a 15 amp angle grinder, it was noticeably larger than my Milwaukee 11 amp angle grinder. AT roughly 5 pounds it is definitely a hefty tool. The kit comes with the grinder, handle, charger, 6 amphour battery, 12v / 18v charger, and a carry bag.FEATURES: Although advertised as a 4 ½ to 6” grinder there is only a 6” blade guard included. The packaging indicates the 4 1/2” guard is an optional accessory. Once installed the included 6” blade guard allow a fairly wide angle adjustment. The design of the guard will not let you put the guard in a position that exposes the body of the grinder to the blade.The included side handle is beefy and screws onto either side of the head with equal ease. It is bulky, put I believe that is due to the vibration injury abatement requirements. It was not to large for me to hold and felt quite comfortable when using the grinder. The FIXTEC retaining nut was a new feature for me and I like its flip-up handle that allows tool-less removal of the nut when changing wheels. I hope I can get these for my other grinders.The power brake is also a very nice feature. The ability to lay the grinder down within a few seconds without any worry of a spinning attachment makes for a quicker, less worried workflow. The paddle-lock power switch is a slight con point for me. There is no way to lock the power on so one hand has to hold the switch to keep the grinder running. I you were going to need a grinder in a tight space or awkward position this grinder might not meet your needs. The grinder uses the Milwaukee REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ XC6.0 Battery Pack. I have several of the older Milwaukee batteries and have always been pleased with there performance. This is the largest amp hour battery I own from Milwaukee and am expecting great things from it.OPERATION: Simple to use. Attach the appropriate guard and cutting/ grinding/ sanding wheel (if available.) Plug in the battery. Don your PPE and start working. Release the power switch and the Rapid Stop feature stops the attachment within 3 seconds. PROS: Rugged. Easy to use. Cordless. Brushless.CONS: There is no support information on the Milwaukee web site yet. A search for any manuals for “2980-21” resulted in: “Your search for ‘2980-20’ returned 0 results.” I have contacted product / parts support to see if they can provide the owner’s manual and parts list in soft format.I spent about 15 minutes trying to find the “optional” 4 1/2” blade guard with no luck. Since the product is new it may take a while for it to show online. I don’t expect to see it in stock at any Home Depot.Which brings the 3rd issue. I have a ton of 4 1/2” discs, wheels, and cups. The only thing in stock at my local Home Depot is a 6” cutting wheel. I had hoped to get a 6” flap-wheel sander, but may have to go to a third-party vendor.SUMMARY: Another welcome addition to my tool collection and my Milwaukee stable!
Keyon Zboncak (verified owner) –
Best grinder I ever had. Worth the money.
Susan Sawayn (verified owner) –
Excellent kit. I love how it came in the heavy duty Milwaukee bag. Everything fits perfectly with room to spare for another tool. it comes with TWO XC6.0 batteries which is awesome. 6.0 will last you a long time compared to the 3.0s. The battery indicator is a great option to have. The attachable grip is very grip-y and helps stabilize everything. The touch and feel of everything is great and feels heavy duty. I love how strong it is and can see it being as strong as a corded one. I love Milwaukee and have over 15 hand and power tools, the oldest power tool being 14 years old and still working like day one!
Laila Effertz (verified owner) –
Just about as good as a corded grinder. I highly recommend it.
Lenora Jenkins (verified owner) –
Best grinder ever!
Ambrose Hudson (verified owner) –
What an awesome grinder. I almost can’t believe that such a powerful tool can run off of a battery. My favorite feature of the grinder is the brushless design. It stays amazingly cool while my old grinder would start burning my hand and burning itself out. I also like the ability to use up to 6″ discs. This kit comes with everything you need. Another neat feature is the foldable d-ring on the flange nut, so you can tighten and remove it without using the spanner.
Deborah Miller (verified owner) –
Works great, has a lot of power but you need to use a 6.0 or bigger battery it uses a lot of power, the only thing I am not real thrilled about is the nut that holds the grinder disk on, it is hard to grab you can’t just grab the disk like you do on most grinders and spin the nut off
Clifton Senger (verified owner) –
This is a great kit. I have had it for a few weeks now and love it. I have used it for sharpening lawn mower blades and many other grinding tasks. The six inch wheel size makes this thing awesome. I really like the paddle switch feature. Batteries last a long time. charge quick. Very powerful and nice to not have a cord laying around to get caught on things. I strongly recommend this tool kit to any one. Carry bag is also well made. I have not found a thing I don’t like. Over all this is a great kit and a must have.
Adella Terry (verified owner) –
So much power. Blows all 60 volt competitors out of the water. The only cordless grinder I would trust to cut, bevel, and prep pipe
Emanuel Ferry (verified owner) –
I really like this grinder. Was a little disappointed did not already have a disc for it, but since you use this for so many different things can see why now. After I got it home and put it together was well pleased. the handle fits either side, so great for different jobs and attacking from different angles. Went back to the HD couple of days later , got be couple of disc and even some wire brushes. Very pleased.
Dortha Bartell (verified owner) –
Easy to use great battery life
Brett Erdman (verified owner) –
You can cut all day long with this tool!
Julien Eichmann (verified owner) –
The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 4-1/2 in./6 in. Grinder with Paddle Switch Kit and (1) 6.0 Ah Battery. This has the power to cut through and grind everything I need it to and no dragging around extension cords that get in my way. If you are new to grinders the paddle switch that this has is considered safer than the slide lock switch because when you let go of the switch or drop the grinder the grinder stops. Where the slide lock switch stays on until you push it off or unplug it.
Hermina Gulgowski (verified owner) –
excellent tool and price
Myrtice Schmitt (verified owner) –
Fast, powerful, and I love the braking feature. I only wish the 6” size had more support from the disc manufacturers.