What is the correct name for a grinder?

Anyone who makes repairs or spends time working in a workshop is familiar with what a grinder is. But not everyone knows that this is not its real name. And even more so, few people know where it came from. It's time to dig into history!

What is the actual name of the grinder, and what kind of instrument is it?

Its real name is an angle grinder, abbreviated as an angle grinder. Less common among craftsmen are such abbreviation options as SHMU (angle grinder) and LSHU. This, however, does not affect the meaning.

This is a hand-held power tool that was originally intended only for processing joints of flat metal surfaces. But modern craftsmen know that angle grinders are also successfully used for cutting sheets, as well as pipes and other rolled metal products. And this is only in the classic form. There are many different attachments, thanks to which the range of work expands.

For example, if you replace its working wheel with a disk or tape with sandpaper, then you can use it to polish surfaces of almost any shape. Also, various attachments will help you cut concrete, ceramic tiles and wood. By changing them, you can turn an angle grinder into a router, chain saw and the already mentioned polishing machine.

Why did the angle grinder become called the grinder?

The name was attached to the angle grinder in the Soviet Union in the 70s, when this power tool was first imported from Bulgaria. The actual title was too long. The abbreviation “angle grinder” that appeared also did not sound short enough, and the abbreviation “angle grinder” seemed too official. In informal conversations among themselves, the craftsmen began to call it “Bulgarian” - after the country of manufacture - and it stuck. Nowadays, this name has become so widespread that it can be found even in official publications and serious publications.

Although the name “Bulgarian” is the most popular in the post-Soviet space, there are other, less well-known ones. For example, in Primorye, in the Far East, it is more often called a “turbine”. This name also appeared during the Soviet era. It is connected with a funny legend about how a worker walked past a grinding shop and was surprised to hear the sound of an airplane taking off. It turned out that the sound of an angle grinder during grinding is really similar to the noise of turbines. Since the machine is small, the diminutive “turbine” was attached to it.

There is another name associated with funny circumstances. The first models of angle grinders were quite heavy. Therefore, the masters joked that if you work with it often, your arms will stretch to the floor and become the same as those of a monkey. And since then this instrument has been called the “monkey”.

There are also more neutral names. For example, one of the first angle grinder models was called “Fortune”, and it was loved by many craftsmen for its ease of use and high functionality. It began to be used so often that for many “fortune” became a common noun.It identified that instrument, even if it was a different model.

And finally, the most little-known name in Russia is “flexi”. However, abroad it can be heard more often than the real name of the power tool.

The history of this name is the same as that of “Fortune”, except that everything happened in Germany in the 30s, when the instrument was just being created. It was a rather bulky hand-held sanding machine “MS-6-flexen”, or “flexi” for short. In the 50s, a more compact version appeared, more similar to the modern one. However, out of habit, they began to call it “flexi”, and from there the name stuck.

Why is the angle grinder called that: decoding

The first models did not have the metal cutting function we are used to now. Its main (and at that time only) purpose was grinding. But more often, more questions arise in connection with the word “angular”. It is called this way because the shaft on which the attachments are placed is at right angles to the tool body.

Later, cutting abrasive discs became widespread and were installed on grinders, and it turned out that this is one of the most convenient ways of cutting hard surfaces.

Gradually, it began to be used more and more precisely for this purpose. Nowadays its grinding function is mainly used only by professionals. In household repair work, this is usually not necessary, because modern materials are usually sold already sanded, so many people are surprised by its real name.

It's amazing how many interesting stories can be associated with such a seemingly ordinary household tool as an angle grinder! But now you don’t have to be afraid of getting into trouble when you hear the official “angle grinder” or the less common colloquial “impeller.”