Makita DGA504 Review: The Sensible Cordless Grinder

No kickback sensor and no frills, but it is lighter than the Bosch, cheaper than the Milwaukee, and it simply does not break.

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The Verdict

Buy this if you are already on LXT and want a grinder that will outlive the batteries. Buy the Bosch instead if you cut steel overhead or unsupported.

Tools Soko score: 8.8 / 10

Pros and Cons

The Full Review

Makita’s approach to the cordless grinder has been consistent for a decade: keep it light, keep it sealed, keep it cheap enough that losing one on site is annoying rather than catastrophic. The DGA504 is the current expression of that, and it is very good at the job it sets out to do.

At 2.1 kg bare it is the lightest tool in this test, and you feel it on the twentieth cut rather than the first. Runtime is genuinely excellent — 44 cuts through 40 mm box section on a 4.0 Ah pack puts it within a whisker of the Bosch.

What you do not get is the safety net. There is no kickback sensor, and the brake, while present, takes 2.4 seconds against the Bosch’s 1.6. For bench work that is academic. For overhead cutting on unsupported stock it is the reason we scored this a notch lower.

The dust chamber run is worth noting. After two hours in fine concrete dust the Makita’s switch still worked cleanly. Two of the five grinders in this test did not.

Scorecard

Criterion	Score
Cutting speed	8.5 / 10
Safety features	7.5 / 10
Runtime	9.0 / 10
Build quality	9.5 / 10
Value	9.5 / 10

Specifications

Specification	Detail
Disc diameter	125 mm
No-load speed	8,500 rpm
Spindle thread	M14
Brake stop time	2.4 s measured
Weight, bare	2.1 kg
Battery platform	Makita 18V LXT
Warranty	3 years

Where to Buy

Retailer	Price	Availability	Link
Amazon	$149 $179	In stock	Check price
Jumia	$156	In stock	Check price