Customer Reviews

Bosch 1803EVS 5-Inch Variable Speed Angle Grinder

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The grinder is smooth running and the soft start-up is a pleasant feature. The speed dial offers a large range and is located at the back of the tool where it is not likely to get bumped. The guard is easily attached and removed. It is nicely balanced, even with the additional weight.

You'll appreciate the soft start especially when working at high grind speeds. That alone would justify the additional cost of this vs. a standard grinder.

Blade cover was easy to remove and attach. One of these days I may actually use it.

Quality, long power cord with long lasting strain relief. (You know the tool will eventually be carried by the cord.)

It has excellent torque for a small motor. Difficult to bog down unless I'm using a large diamond disc.

I have abused and misused this grinder to the point I thought I'd kill it. I blow it out and it works as good as new. It has held up to regular all day long use.

I have never been disappointed with a Bosh tool. This is no exception.

Let me just say that I was urged to buy a variable speed grinder by my dad who has owned his (and probably a few others) fair share of tools and let me tell you he was right and I urge you to GET A VARIABLE SPEED GRINDER.

After reading some reviews on other resources than here it looked like some bosch grinders really had great balance and let me tell you I was definitely not disappointed.

Besides what others have said about the variable speed, and the slow startup (both very nice features btw) I would like to add some other comments however. The balance on this grinder is absolutely amazing. Everything feels so smooth I've even one handed some things and felt totally comfortable doing so (of course, I wouldn't recommend for others to do the same as it isn't the safest).

I have used this tool on a range of mediums, from sanding down some wood edges with the grit wheels, to taking down a fiberglass sub box I've been creating, to cutting off some loose screws hanging from the studs in my garage. Through all the tools has felt wonderfully balanced and incredibly receptive to whatever you toss at it.

2 things no one else has mentioned yet is that the cord is made out of the higher quality rubber/plastic and is the type where when it is in extreme cold temperatures it stays malleable and flexible. This is a relief to some other corded tools that stiffen up horribly in the cold.

Also, I will say the only downside i have to this tool is that the trigger is extremely difficult to press forward and hold forward, so I nearly ALWAYS find myself locking the grinder on. Now at first I saw this as a semi significant con, but after using it more I realized I never use the grinder unless I'm using it for at least 3 mins to which I would use the lock on feature anyway. Furthermore the tool has a nice feature that defeats the lock on in the event that you are plugging the tool in (hence if you forgot or somehow bumped the switch into the locked on position, the tool will not start up when plugged in until taken off the locked on mode, and pressed back forward)

All in all, this is my favorite tool in the garage so far, and that says a lot.

I bought this grinder to help fit granite blocks for a fireplace I am building and it works fantastic. The grinder is well balanced, I can use it with one hand for trimming firebrick. Th stability handle is great if you need it, but for hard to reach places it can be removed. The switch does take a little getting used to. The metal grinding blade that comes with it is good for sharpening stone chisels. Overall a great piece of equipment.

i give this variable speed angle grinder 5 stars based on its price and the fact it performs very well. It costs considerably less than other name brand angle grinders yet works very well. I have used this to polish granite with dry pads and it works beyond my expectations.

I am abusing this angle grinder by using it to polish an entire concrete floor ( about 14 x 14 foot room ). I first started out with a dewalt 7" grinder and it about rattled my teeth out. I returned the Dewalt and bought the Bosch 1803EVS and immediately noticed a huge difference due to the vibration dampening handles. The Bosch 1803EVS also had sufficient power to spin the 7" diamond cup wheel just fine even though it is labeled as a 5" grinder. The variable speed option was huge The Bosch was a beast and allowed me to chew through the very hard concrete surface to expose the aggregate. I have since used it for every polishing stage after the cup wheel (50, 100, 200, several 400, several 800, and 1500). I have polished both wet and dry with it. The thing is a beast and runs like a champ. I easily have 80 hours of very abusive solid grinding and have had no issues. I also bought an additional vibration handle (one for each side) so that I can use both hands to push evenly down on the floor.

This angle grinder is well balanced, powerful, comfortable in the hand, and has an easily-adjustable guard. Vibration is minimal, so user fatigue hasn't been an issue for me, even after hours of continued use. The soft start feature is great, and adds to the safetly of using an otherwise dangerous tool. Blade changes are a breeze.

The only complaint I have is with the switch. It never felt comfortable to begin with, but after only a short time of cutting and polishing 2cm granite, it became so caked with stone dust that it was near impossible to operate. It wasn't long before I had a painful blister on my thumb. Thank goodness I was able to lock it in the on position once engaged. This unit is supposed to have a sealed switch to prevent this from happeneing, but I question the engineering.

I would buy this product again, but only after Bosch fixes the switch.

If you're wondering why people pay so much for variable speed grinders, then you don't you need a variable speed grinder. If you're not and you do, this one is great! Well built, solid feel, good balance, truly variable speed (harder to find than you might think, some "variables" are so hard to control you just end up running it at full speed all the time), perfect handle placement, solid guard. If it wasn't for that truly difficult to use on/off switch, five stars for sure. I'm not a Bosch junkie but this is one nice piece!

Update 9/10/11: I've had this a good while now and just spent four straight days with it, cutting and trimming some stone. Absolutely great grinder. However, the switch is damn awful! It turns off nicely, barely a touch, but getting this thing turned on is an absolute bitch. I'm cutting stone, right? As I go, I'm putting it on the wall with a high end, very caustic, thin set mortar. There's also metal lathe involved which you know if you've ever used it, is designed to scratch the heck out of your hands and forearms. So, I'm wearing nitrile gloves. The gloves, which I've reviewed elsewhere, are holding up fine. Sharp stone edges, really nasty mortar, excruciatingly sharp lathe, no problem. Granted, I'm being careful, but no problem. Guess where the gloves fail, every time? Right, the thumb, from turning on that pain in the butt switch! This switch is so hard to operate I had to, every time, lay down the stone, grab the grinder handle with my left hand, then thumb the switch with my right hand, usually two or three times, then pick up the stone and trim. And when you're custom setting intricate pieces of stone, that means hundreds of extra steps.

Now Bosch's lawyers are reading this and going YAY! ... what could be safer than making this bozo use both hands to turn on the grinder and its only icing on the cake that he has to try two or three times .... that way we know he really wants to turn it on!!!!! Well, I've got a message for Bosch marketing people, you better stop letting the lawyers run the company ... if I had it to do again, I'd try another brand of variable speed grinder ... perfect in every way except for that stinking switch is not perfect enough for me. I've lowered the rating ... the more I use this thing, the more I think I could have chosen better.

This is a great grinder, which is versatile since it is variable speed. In the stone industry, it is necessary for many things to be run at a low speed, and this tool offers it! The motor is good and lasts a long time. Parts can always be ordered from Bosch, as our cords wear out faster than the tool itself!

Finally got to try this nice little grinder out. Wasn't using it for anything big but needed a variable speed grinder to do my project. It worked great! Initially I was worried it would be too heavy to use for extended period of time but it felt light and friendly. Really nice balance. Really good purchase.