We recently had the opportunity to visit Metabo’s headquarters in Nürtingen, Germany for a full tour of how they whined the copper, assemble armature, electronics, housing, etc. It was very impressive and clearly, they are continuing to advance in corded technology, which it seems other manufacturers have forgotten. Of course in USA Metabo’s bread & butter is their Grinders and Slicer Wheels so we were not surprised they continue to advance their motor technology in grinders. Coming to market as we speak Metabo is launching their compact Rat Tail Grinders which have the highest power/weight ratio ever of any grinder and also offer all their safety features clutch, brake, tethering attachment and more!
The rear handle or “rat tail” design offers a lot of nice advantages, better control when using a more powerful motor, better hand grip, better leverage in tight spaces but it is a personal preference. The new 5” and 6” grinders will use a 1700w motor rated at 14.5 amps while the new 7” grinder will get a new 1900w motor rated for 15 amps. What is amazing about this power is that the motor fits into a very similar size package as Metabo’s other 5”/6” grinders instead of a bulky 7” we typically see.
Grinders are inherently unsafe tools to use, they spin fairly brittle materials at amazingly high speeds which if those wheels become cracked, hit, snagged or whatever they can shoot projectiles at the user. Metabo includes the slip clutch in all their new pro grinders (look for S-Automatic Clutch) and in these 3 new Rat Tail grinders also the Safety Brake, which will stop a wheel in under 2 seconds. Also they come with carabiner connection points in rear handle which tie-off is now required for anyone working at heights.
Of course you will pay extra for the most power, lowest weight, longest runtime, safest grinders on the market. The 5” WEPBA 17-125 RT DS ($320) / 6” WEPBA 17-150 RT DS ($329) / 7” WEPB 19-180 RT DS ($343) which can easily be double or more compared to other good grinder options but if you are a heavy user we would bet these grinders would be cheaper in the long run after you’ve replaced the other 4 or 5 times. The new Rat Tail grinders will be on the shelves by the end of June.
If you want the Metabo performance but looking for a great deal there are a few remaining 50th anniversary 4.5” Gold WP9-115 Quick ($99) while supplies last from Ohio Power Tool.
