For decades I avoided buying (even investigating) an angle grinder because the name wasn't sufficiently explicit. When would I want to grind angles? I now assume the device was so christened because the cutting disc is mounted at right-angles to the handle.My brother (DIY perfectionist and talented cook) has no use for one and believes it to be the crudest and least controllable power tool available outside the pneumatic drill, which North Americans refer to as a jackhammer. I agree. But occasionally one is faced with a crude job.
In my case I needed to reduce the capacity of my wine rack to accommodate a new sliding door. (And no, I hadn't taken the pledge. Simultaneously I increased the capacity of the rack under the stairs.) The angle grinder was perfect for cutting off two dozen short strips of flexible metal which would have been tedious work for a saw.
The angle grinder is spectacular. Sparks fly, metal melts and protective glasses are essential. The angle grinder automatically invokes the TV nannyism - "Don't try this at home".
