Makita XAG04Z 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 4-1/2” / 5" Cut-Off/Angle Grinder, Tool Only

Why it's worth it

The XAG04Z is a brushless 18V grinder that takes 4-1/2 and 5-inch wheels and shuts itself off when a wheel binds. If your drill and impact driver are already Makita, it's an easy add — a bare tool that runs on the batteries you own.

The case for this one starts in your battery drawer. Makita's LXT line is enormous, and if you own a few 18V packs already, adding this grinder costs you a fraction of what a new platform would. It's a bare tool, so nothing in the box duplicates what you have. That math is the whole reason to pick it over the Milwaukee.

Active Feedback-sensing Technology is the safety story here. If the wheel is suddenly forced to stop — a pinched cut, a snagged edge — AFT cuts the motor rather than letting the tool twist in your hands. It won't replace a firm grip and a properly positioned guard, but it's the kind of electronic backstop that used to appear only on premium corded tools.

From our review of 8 angle grinders

What we like

• +The case for this one starts in your battery drawer
• +Active Feedback-sensing Technology is the safety story here
• +Automatic Speed Change technology adjusts speed and torque as the load changes, so the grinder settles into heavier work instead…
• +It handles both 4-1/2 and 5-inch wheels, so you get a little more reach than a strictly 4-1/2-inch grinder without moving into…

What to know

• –It uses a slide switch with a lock-off rather than a paddle
• –Like the Milwaukee, it ships without a battery or charger