Recommendation angle grinder for steel shafts

[jsixman]

Hello, wondering if someone could recommend a cheaper angle grinder and blade for cutting steel iron shafts.  I cannot use a pipe cutter anymore, I am typically cutting off like 1/4 or 1/8 inch and it just doesn't work.  

I do not have room for a chop saw.  I do have a mini dremmel but thinking that does not have the power.  

Really looking for the smallest angle grinder with attachment that will get the job done.  Not a lot of volume. 

Thanks

[Hammer_Hands]

Harbor freight tools is your friend in this case.

 

I have an old angle grinder and use these little cut off wheels with it.  Very cost efficient:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R8ZYS97?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

[Bad9]

40 minutes ago, jsixman said:

mini dremmel but thinking that does not have the power.  

I used a Dremel for years cutting steel and graphite shafts. No issues. Just use the fibre reinforced wheels.

[596]

A cheap pipe cutter is the best.  Cuts perfectly everytime and leaves no sharp edges. I've been using one for years cutting steel golf shafts.

 

Sorry just saw you are cutting too little for the pipe cutter.

Edited May 12 by 596

[azgreg]

59 minutes ago, Bad9 said:

I used a Dremel for years cutting steel and graphite shafts. No issues. Just use the fibre reinforced wheels.

[Spinozist]

besides what's already been mentioned, a cut-off tool can also work very well. sort of a middle ground between a grinder and a dremel.

[azgreg]

I don't have one now, but I've used the Harbor Freight mini chop saw before. It's pretty small and easy to store away.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/09-amp-2-in-mini-cut-off-saw-70478.html

 

Edited May 12 by azgreg

[Socrates]

1 hour ago, jsixman said:

Hello, wondering if someone could recommend a cheaper angle grinder and blade for cutting steel iron shafts.  I cannot use a pipe cutter anymore, I am typically cutting off like 1/4 or 1/8 inch and it just doesn't work.  

I do not have room for a chop saw.  I do have a mini dremmel but thinking that does not have the power.  

Really looking for the smallest angle grinder with attachment that will get the job done.  Not a lot of volume. 

Thanks

Dremel blades are too thin for being practical.  I have used them for graphite and even then they are prone to breaking.  Almost any angle grinder will work.  I will recommend that you get one that doesn't use depressed center blades.  It really limits the types of cutoff wheels you can use unless you buy or make and adaptor that allows you to use standard wheels in a depressed center angle grinder.  I don't recommend 'free handing' it.  Either the shaft needs to be in a vice or the angle grinder does. 

[jsixman]

Thanks all.  For the pipe cutter users, I've used a pipe cutter many times.  However, if you need to cut off and 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch, there pipe cutters are just too big, even the smallest ones.  Only half of the guide on the pipe cutter can be on the shaft and it's just useless.  They are great for basically at least a 1/2 inch or more. 

[Puttersaurus Rex]

Milwaukee 4.5" grinder with shaft in a vice...corded ones are cheaper.  I use Bosch cut-off discs for longevity and less fraying.

 

[weems]

47 minutes ago, azgreg said:

I don't have one now, but I've used the Harbor Freight mini chop saw before. It's pretty small and easy to store away.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/09-amp-2-in-mini-cut-off-saw-70478.html

 

I saw these and wondered how well they worked.  Did you like it?

 

Right now I am using a pipe cutter for steel and a dremel for graphite.

[weems]

Also,  while I haven't used it for shafts, this is an awesome tool if you are already in the milwaukee ecosystem

 

https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Milwaukee-M12-FUEL-12V-3-in-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-Cut-Off-Saw-Tool-Only-with-3-in-Metal-Cut-Off-Wheels-6-Pack-2522-20-49-94-3000-49-94-3000/315405077?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=vantage&utm_campaign=47147&utm_content=49404&mtc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D25P-Multi-NA-MILWAUKEE-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-MK892139001-47147-NBR-4051-NA-VNT-FY25_Q1_Q4_Milwaukee_Multi_AON_SEM_PORTABLE&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D25P-Multi-NA-MILWAUKEE-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-MK892139001-47147-NBR-4051-NA-VNT-FY25_Q1_Q4_Milwaukee_Multi_AON_SEM_PORTABLE-22172165883--&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22172196396&gbraid=0AAAAAolLu9-jxwouzP5vgzJAdW_SpirXP&gclid=CjwKCAjwuIbBBhBvEiwAsNypvRpddGZJi2NF5WN2FIankeM_QiWFsfXkHej4xiJvhnCP18BQBQk8KBoChBIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[jsixman]

2 minutes ago, Puttersaurus Rex said:

Milwaukee 4.5" grinder with shaft in a vice...corded ones are cheaper.  I use Bosch cut-off discs for longevity and less fraying.

 

Thank you

 

[azgreg]

6 minutes ago, weems said:

I saw these and wondered how well they worked.  Did you like it?

 

Right now I am using a pipe cutter for steel and a dremel for graphite.

I used it just one time. It belonged to a buddy of mine. It worked just fine. I use a full size chop saw from Home Depot.

 

[weems]

1 minute ago, azgreg said:

I used it just one time. It belonged to a buddy of mine. It worked just fine. I use a full size chop saw from Home Depot.

 

I'll probably wind up doing similar on a rolling cart.  I am limited on workbench area.

 

[dubbelbogey]

Harbor Freight 4.5" angle grinder. For light duty work (and I'd call golf shafts close to zero-duty work), the very cheapest one will serve you well. In all likelihood, will cost you less than $15, often less with sales or their coupons.

 

As for the opinion of those that say "buy once, cry once" with tools, I'd argue with this: I do a fair amount of metal working as a hobby. I'm cutting and grinding fairly large pieces of steel. I have three angle grinders - a "nice" DeWalt and two cheapo HFs. They've seen hundreds of hours of cutting and grinding steel up to 5/16" thick. The HFs are still kicking, despite being pretty abused. They're not as ergonomic to use as the DeWalt, but I could buy several for the price of one DeWalt. I bought the HFs as "disposable" because I was doing an outdoor project where they could get dropped and rained on. They did get dropped and rained on, but still work fine.

 

The best thing about a 4.5" angle grinder - it is a true multi-purpose tool. In addition to cutting steel and carbon fiber golf shafts, it can do a million and one other jobs around the garage or house. Even for the non-metal worker, it's one of the most useful tools one can have.

 

Way cheaper than a dremel, and you don't need to constantly replace those paper thin Dremel cutoff discs. (Seems I use those things by the dozen every time I need to use my Dremel.)

[gdb99]

I used to use a pipe cutter. Horrible! Especially when they start to dull. Too much work. 
 

Harbor Freight had a 7 1/4” cutoff saw, but I don’t see it on their website. I just keep it on the floor under my bench. It wasn’t very expensive. 

[Nessism]

Hate pipe cutters.  The blade walks and too slow.

 

These dremel fiber wheels work fine.  That said, I don't often use them for club building.

 

A cut off saw just for cutting shafts means another tool in the garage that doesn't get enough use.

 

Angle grinder to cut shafts sounds dangerious.  

 

I recommend a small 6" bench grinder, and a cut off blade.  The grinder has many uses, almost like a vice, so it's not just a dead tool in the garage.

 

 

 

[Socrates]

39 minutes ago, Nessism said:

Hate pipe cutters.  The blade walks and too slow.

 

These dremel fiber wheels work fine.  That said, I don't often use them for club building.

 

A cut off saw just for cutting shafts means another tool in the garage that doesn't get enough use.

 

Angle grinder to cut shafts sounds dangerious.  

 

I recommend a small 6" bench grinder, and a cut off blade.  The grinder has many uses, almost like a vice, so it's not just a dead tool in the garage.

Cutoff wheel on a bench grinder is what I have used for 30 years. 

 

Any tool in the hands of someone inexperienced is dangerous.  At least an angle grinder is something you can put back in its box and put on a shelf when you are done.

 

Shaft in a vice clamp should be okay. 

[NailedIt]

Dremel with abrasive cutoff wheel works great for steel and graphite. I highly recommend a vise to hold club. 

[BiggErn]

You can still use a pipe cutter just use some sort of dowel or the like for reinforcement inside the shaft you’re cutting. 

[DLiver]

I have a cheap cut off saw from Harbor Freight and it works really well.

[dubbelbogey]

OP specifically asked for advice on angle grinders, so that's what I wrote about. 

 

Dangerous? Sure - all power cutting tools are dangerous. Rule number 1 through 10 of cutting anything with a power tool is to secure the workpiece.  This means always hold the shaft securely in a bench mounted vise or equivalent. Yes, I've seen professional carpenters hold a 2x8 in one hand and their circular saw in the other - no clamp, no sawhorse, not even holding it down with their foot -  doesn't mean it's a good idea. 

 

Use good practice with an angle grinder and it's a great, versatile tool. (And keep the guard on! No reason at all to take off an angle grinder guard for a job as simple as cutting a golf shaft.)

 

Bench grinder is fine, too, as the other "safe" option is to securely mount the tool. I personally don't use this approach (even though I have two bench grinders) because I use the bench grinders for other tasks (grinding, polishing) and putting a cutoff wheel on for cutting shafts would be a hassle in my particular situation. I always have an angle grinder around with a cutoff disc mounted, not just for golf shafts, but for the myriad of other cutting jobs that happen around my shop.

 

Edited May 13 by dubbelbogey

[jsixman]

I bought a $65 dollar Bosch angle grinder with some cut off disks.  $70.  4.5 star reviews.  I'll see how this goes.  

[Spinozist]

The only thing with the cheaper angle grinders is that they can be a little unwieldy. 

[dubbelbogey]

1 hour ago, jsixman said:

I bought a $65 dollar Bosch angle grinder with some cut off disks.  $70.  4.5 star reviews.  I'll see how this goes.  

Congrats! Should serve you very well.

 

Probably not a bad idea to practice on an old shaft or something similar to get the feel of it. 

[Ben B]

You can pick one of these up and turn your angle grinder into a small chop saw. 

 

https://a.co/d/ipPzz2K

[Thayneil]

On 5/12/2025 at 8:40 PM, 596 said:

A cheap pipe cutter is the best.  Cuts perfectly everytime and leaves no sharp edges. I've been using one for years cutting steel golf shafts.

 

Sorry just saw you are cutting too little for the pipe cutter.

You can cut small sections off by using a shaft extension as support.not ideal but works

[DaveGoodrich]

Ryobi Cutoff tool at home depot

 

Quick, clean effortless cuts, steel or graphite.   Not the cheapest option, but if you are going to do this much, it's really worth it. Lots of other uses too.