Bench Grinder Vs Angle Grinder: Which One To Use To Sharpen Garden Tools

If you want to make life easy when working in the yard, there are a number of gardening tools you should be sharpening regularly. A bench grinder and an angle grinder are both capable of doing these types of jobs, but which one should you use? In many cases, either one would be okay. That said, each has its advantages depending on which garden tool you're working on. Let's look at them in a bit more detail.

A bench grinder, as the name suggests, is usually bolted to a bench. It provides a fixed, sturdy platform to work on. It's common for them to have a grinding wheel at each end, which could be different grits, each with a basic adjustable rest and a clear shield to protect the user from sparks and debris. They plug into a power outlet. You take a garden tool to a bench grinder.

An angle grinder is a portable tool with a rotating disk at the end. The disk can be changed to suit the material, typically either masonry or metal. The body of the tool is gripped in the hand, and a side handle offers additional control. Angle grinders can be either corded or cordless. You take an angle grinder to the garden tool.

Let's say you noticed signs that your lawn mower blades need sharpening. Most experts recommend they be removed, and you need to maintain the existing angle as you sharpen. The bench grinder's guide can help here. With an angle grinder, you would need to work freehand. Doable, but not so easy. The same is true with an axe or shears.

However, if you're looking for the best way to sharpen a dull shovel, you don't need that level of precision, and it would be awkward trying to hold a shovel against the bench grinder's wheel. A quick rub over with the angle grinder out in the yard is a much better approach. The same would not be true of a trowel, though. You might be able to hold the angle grinder in one hand and the trowel in the other, but it's not very safe, especially for inexperienced users. For a small garden tool like that, you would probably want to take it to the bench grinder.

This, of course, assumes you have both, and the investment is worth considering. If you had to choose one, the angle grinder is more versatile. By changing the disk, you can also cut bricks, tiles, pavers, etc. The bench grinder cannot. In a pinch, you could always clamp the trowel or other garden tools to a bench, leaving both hands free to control the angle grinder.