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This one was a disappointment. The other is worn all the way down. It soon quit. The brush ought to make contact with the holder even without that wire, but perhaps not well enough, and with the high amp draw of this motor, it overheated. I've had it for maybe 4 years, so it's undoubtedly out of warranty, but have not used it very hard. Today it ran slower and slower, sounding funkier and funkier, but I kept going, trying to finish grinding down one weld that was almost done. After having learned my lessons with cheap Chinese tools sold in stores with names that make you think of the place where boats are unloaded, I decided some years ago to stick with decent brands for power tools -- Bosch routers, Skil circular saws, and Milwaukie drills and grinders. I'm not sure which came first, the worn brush or the loose wire, but there was clearly a manufacturing defect in this brush assembly.
Unfortunately they made the holder and brush as one unit so you can't just replace the brush alone with a generic part. The stranded wire that goes inside the brush and is spotwelded to the brush holder is loose from the brush. Generally, Milwaukee tools are pretty good, but I'm thinking they may be slipping a bit these days. The windings check out good, the commutator isn't visibly worn (confirming the low hours on it), and nothing is bound up mechanically. It's always run hot and has been sounding kind of funky (like the $15 Chinese ones) for quite a while. Perhaps initially the brush jammed in the holder and started arcing once it wore back a little, or perhaps the wire coming loose was the initial cause of the problem.
On the plus side, they designed it so a person can actually take it apart with a regular screwdriver. One brush is full length and still flat on the end. The evidence now is of overheating, but it's hard to say what happened first.If I can find a replacement brush assembly at a reasonable price, I'll try repairing it. If nothing else, the lesson here is use it hard while it's still in warranty and if it starts sounding funky or acting up, send it back while you still can.
The industrial design is intuitive and quite frankly, amazingly well thought out. In the end I had a very clean product that only required a bit of polishing.I would highly recommend this tool as it is an absolute steal at under $150 and is amazingly capable with many different abrasive disks available.
I mainly use it for computer case modifications or to cut pipe for home and garden projects. I have yet to need to run this up to the rated maximum speed.I'm glad I practiced using this tool on an old computer case as I did not realize it was powerful enough to melt the steel case.
I purchased a factory reconditioned 6154-20 in reasonably good shape several months ago and it has performed flawlessly on many tasks. It tore through that modification in about 5 minutes and accomplished in that time what would have taken hours with a Dremmel tool - having the right tool makes life much, much easier.
In mere seconds, the friction from the cutting edge had heated the cutting surface and spattered molten metal on my wooden deck. oops.
Other positive features include; the variable speed 12 AMP motor, detachable handle, movable guard, paddle switch with safety, and the quick lock plug. This is one very well engineered product and I am happy to add it to my other Milwaukee tools - they are the only brand that has consistently exceeded my expectations.My only regret is that I wish I had purchased a new one from Amazon instead, as the reconditioned model I acquired from the Milwaukee store was about the same price.
as a long time user of milwaukee tools, I'm not disappointed with this one. It is powerful and heavy duty in the true sense. But you now have to watch for some imported from china stuff from them. I don't know how they determine what will come from where.
I've been using this grinder for several years now and consider it one of my "go to tools". I had a job remodeling apartment units where every vanity top had to be cut down a couple of inches. I've cut metal, ground out mortar joints, cut tile and marble with it. The variable speed is great for precision cutting. Being able to slow the wheel down helped me control the tool better to get a clean, straight cut. The 12 amp motor gives it enough power to cut 4" cast iron and everything else I've put in front of it.
I love the variable speed feature on this grinder. I've owned several Milwaukee electric tools over the years including a sawzall, circular saw, 1/2" drill, and 1/2" hammer drill. It comes in very handy especially if you want to maintain precise control of the grinder for various operations. All of which are built to last. This 4-1/2" grinder is no exception. With as many grinding, sanding, and cut-off wheel attachments there are on the market, this little machine has endless uses. I also like that it has a detachable cord.
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