Professional Tool Reviews for Pros

Ridgid's first crack at a 7-inch grinder is an unquestionable success, especially if you emphasize cordless power over all else. While its size and weight make it ill-suited as a 4-inch grinder replacement, this 7-inch grinder has the power for handling industrial trades.

The Ridgid Octane 7-inch Grinder can run on standard Ridgid 18V packs, but the Octane platform gives it beastly power. But power isn’t the only thing beastly about the Ridgid R88040B – look at the size of the thing! Here’s what we’ve found out about it during our daily grind.

Before the Ridgid R88040B 7-inch Grinder’s wheel completed one revolution, our crew was apprehensive about its heft. It’s especially heavy with two Octane batteries inserted. The apprehension turned into a conversation about what tasks and which tradespeople the grinder best suited. Suddenly, the R88040B made a lot more sense. Perhaps you caught PTR’s interview with Kevin Gee, Senior Product Manager at Milwaukee (Ridgid’s cousin) a while back. Mr. Gee said 7- to 9-inch grinders are at home in shipyards and gas/oil industries where long, tough cuts and grinds are the norm.

That’s significant for a couple of reasons. First, contractors, MEP Pros, and industrial fabricators shouldn’t think this grinder replaces 4- to 6-inch tools. Neither should they dock it points for its size, especially given the monstrous amount of power it produces. It also shows Ridgid’s confidence in the Octane platform.

We put the grinder to work at our shop before we even brought it to a job. First, we began the repairs on some trailer rust damage. Next, came a good deal of grinding on masonry—cutting it to fit or removing it. The Ridgid didn’t break a sweat! Since then, it’s been hard at work for our customers with equally impressive results.

The Ridgid Octane 7-inch Grinder mitigates its size/weight with a 3-position handle and a grinding head that pivots around the power base. It’s a design reminiscent of the MegaMax we reviewed a while back. In this case, however, the tool head is not interchangeable. Unfortunately, the button that allows it to pivot is very hard to push (and there are no slouches on our crew!).  There’s also a little bit of play between the head and base which we’re not crazy about.

However, the handle positions and the pivoting head make for safer, more comfortable operation—something we really liked.

Two things bugged us about the Ridgid Octane 7-inch Grinder. They are obviously worth mentioning but don’t break the deal. First, there’s a small separation where the front, bottom part of the handle approaches the power base’s body. This is a recipe for snags and peeled-back rubber.

Second, our crew members sense a slight spin-up delay when they pull the trigger. This might be Ridgid’s intention for safety reasons due to the centrifugal force of the large wheel. But it doesn’t mimic the familiar feel of a corded grinder. Kevin Gee, in the interview we referenced above, said that brushless motors allow manufacturers to replicate a corded grinder’s feel by manipulating the spin-up speed.

At $244 for the bare tool, the Ridgid Octane 7-inch Grinder is priced competitively. Here’s a look at the small field:

After hours of powerful grinding and cutting, this tool has grown on us. Ridgid’s first crack at a 7-inch grinder is an unquestionable success, especially if you emphasize cordless power over all else. Its size and weight surpass what a smaller 4-inch grinder can tackle. Other than a couple of design hiccups, we consider this tool a great option, particularly with no outlets nearby. There’s no doubt the Octane platform—and this 7-inch grinder—has opened up Ridgid tools to more trades like oil/gas and shipyard work. Ridgid has accomplished all of that at an excellent value.

Luis De León and Rita DeLioni started Quality Management and Building Services (QMBS) in 2000. Today, QMBS offers a wide range of services including custom construction, historic restoration, remodeling, maintenance, and landscaping.

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What kind of blades does it use? I returned their corded model prior to this release, as it simply only cut an extra 1/4” over my old 4” grinder / cutter because of the big center locking arbor and it failed to center and clamp a brand new stock standard 7” diamond masonry cutting blade without stacking a series of washers inside … The ridgid was only designed to hold discs with that flange in the middle for grinding. Had a chat with a product representative. This was intentional. It is not meant for cutting due to safety, only for…  Read more »

That has to be the most awkward grinder I’ve seen yet. Honestly it doesn’t even look functional as serious grinder

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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros