What Size Grinder Do I Need?

If you need to tackle a concrete grinding project and are unsure of which size concrete grinding equipment to use, you’ll find this guide useful.  

It gives a brief description of the various types of concrete floor grinder and how they are used - plus it provides some examples of where the different pieces of equipment are used so you can get a clear picture of which one is best suited to your particular job. 

You do need to choose your concrete equipment carefully though in order to get optimum results, so make sure you’ve covered all your bases in terms of what you’re planning to use it for and the size of the job before you make any final decisions.

Concrete floor grinders can be classified into three broad categories namely hand-held, walk-behind and ride-on.  Each of these operates on the same principle of using rotating discs in a variety of types and grits to remove the damaged or unwanted top layer or layers of the slab to prepare it for further work such as laying carpets or polishing.  

Hand-held concrete floor grinders

These are ideal for smaller applications and for fiddly jobs like grinding areas that are close to walls, in corners and other hard-to-reach places.  Their compact size means they’re lightweight and easy to manoeuvre so they’re a popular choice for domestic projects like smoothing concrete countertops, bathroom floors, rough patches on concrete floors and even smoothing vertical surfaces like walls and door jambs.

Because they’re handheld, these grinders do require manual control to achieve a smooth surface whereas the heavier and larger floor grinders require less operator control. 

Walk-behind concrete floor grinders

These come in various sizes from single disc units right up to multiple disc units, and are used for polishing larger surface areas of concrete floors in both domestic and commercial buildings.  They are well-suited for profiling large slab surfaces in a relatively short space of time and are a very popular choice - even amongst first-time users.   

They can generally be categorised in terms of size ie small, medium and large.  For example, a small unit would weigh around 50kgs and would be ideal for residential floor grinding and preparation jobs.   A medium-sized grinder would be a powerful 240 volt unit for large residential grinding jobs, commercial flooring jobs and for honing alfresco and outdoor areas around pools and sheds whilst a heavy-duty one would be a 415 volt machine that would be used for rapid removal of coatings, glues and membranes and for honing down lumps and bumps over large surface areas.

How do you know which of these are the right size for your job?  Well, the floor area that you need to cover is your biggest clue as to which type of concrete equipment you need - but it’s always best to ask the professionals for their expert advice. 

Ride-on floor grinders

Now we’re talking size!  These are generally used to grind and polish huge surface areas such as floors in shopping complexes, commercial buildings, retail outlets, warehouses and distribution centres etc. 

They can be powered by electricity, gas or propane and are able to cover around a metre wide in one pass - so you get the picture of just how effective these machines are for major jobs.

Every project is different and when it comes to concrete grinding equipment, it’s definitely not a case of one-size-fits-all.  

We recommend that you always discuss your requirements with someone who has extensive industry experience because the right choice of equipment may not always be the most obvious one.  There are many different things to consider including the size of the project, access, power available, the desired finish, the available time and manpower, portability etc and a few minutes with an expert can be the key difference in how successful your project is.

We have a wide range of concrete equipment for hire and would be delighted to help you make the right choice for your specific application, domestic or commercial.  Put our 20 years of industry experience to the test and see why Concrete Hire is the supplier of choice when it comes to concrete equipment hire in Perth.   Call us on 1300 048 521 or send us an email at hire@concretehire.com.au