Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use a Makita 230 mm angle grinder

Updated: October 2026

You have a 230 mm Makita on the bench, a paving slab in the garden, and a 125 mm habit that will not transfer. How to use a Makita 230 mm angle grinder starts with the size of the disc and the weight of the tool, not with a trick angle copied from a smaller machine. The [Makita angle grinder 230 comparison](/hub/tools/makita-angle-grinder-230) is where the six listings are lined up. This page is the sequence once one of them is in your hands: isolate it, keep the guard, fit a disc the tool is built for, and use both hands. If you buy through our amazon.co.uk links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a 230 mm Makita on the bench, a paving slab in the garden, and a 125 mm habit that will not transfer.

Our top picks

Makita Makita GA9050R

Best overall

Makita Makita GA9050R
6.1/10about £78.52
View offer
Makita Makita GA9020/2

Rank 2

Makita Makita GA9020/2
9.1/10about £107.99
View offer
Makita Makita GA038GZ07

Alternative

Makita Makita GA038GZ07
5.0/10about £319.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why a 230 mm disc needs a different stance
  2. 2.Guard, spindle lock and the box spanner
  3. 3.Discs you do not fit
  4. 4.When the job is for a trained person

Why a 230 mm disc needs a different stance

Makita UK prints about 68 mm of depth on the GA9020 and about 74 mm on the GA9050. Screwfix’s rule of thumb for a 230 mm disc is about 70 mm, against about 30 mm on 115 mm and 38 mm on 125 mm. Declared noise is 92 dB(A) and 97 dB(A), above the HSE action values of 80 and 85 dB(A), so hearing protection belongs in the plan. Surface-grinding vibration is 5.5 m/s² on the GA9020 and 7.0 m/s² on the GA038G. The action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8). A declared number is not your dose. Keep the side handle on and do not lean over the wheel.

Guard, spindle lock and the box spanner

Unplug a corded grinder before you touch the wheel. On the GA038GZ07, take the pack off. Electrical Safety First expects that, and a UK 3-pin plug. If a GA9020/2 arrives with a Euro two-pin plug, a competent person fits a UK plug. This page does not describe the wiring. Supply sits on the 110 V or 240 V page. HSG17 says the guard contains pieces if a wheel bursts and keeps you off the wheel. You isolate the tool, leave the guard on with the open side away from you, press the spindle lock, and free the flange with the box spanner. You seat a disc with a 22.23 mm bore on the M14 spindle, using the flanges that came with the tool, tighten it, spin it clear of the guard, and only then reconnect the lead or the pack.
Makita Makita GA9050R

Testsieger

Makita Makita GA9050R
6.1/10about £78.52
View offer

Discs you do not fit

The disc has to suit an angle grinder, the diameter the listing is built for, and at least the speed the tool can reach. Makita UK prints 6,600 min⁻¹ on the GA9020 and the GA9050. The GA038GZ07 listing prints 6,600 rpm. The GA9050R amazon row prints 5,000 rpm, which fights that manual figure, so you do not buy a slower disc to match the bad cell. Wheel thickness on the GA038GZ07 is capped at 6.5 mm. A toothed stump blade is outside the tool. One French review of the GA9050R describes fitting one, and the clutch tripped. PSA5 says toothed saw-blade attachments raise kickback and should not be used.

When the job is for a trained person

At work, PUWER 1998 and HSG17 require training before someone mounts an abrasive wheel. If you are not trained for the paid job, hand the mounting to someone who is. Domestic paving is still two-handed, with the guard on. A 230 V tool on a site needs a look-over each shift, a weekly inspection, a monthly combined test and an RCD. Choosing a 110 V supply is not a disc-change step. The buying guide is where you confirm the box named the guard and the spanner. If the wheel has burst, the guard is missing, or you cannot hold a test start, the next cut is not yours to force.

Common questions

Do you unplug the grinder before a disc change?
Yes. A corded Makita is unplugged before you touch the wheel. On the GA038GZ07 you remove the 40 V pack, because there is no lead to pull. Electrical Safety First states the unplug step for angle grinders in general. You do it even when the switch has a lock-off, because a lock-off is not the same as an isolated tool.
What does the guard have to do?
HSG17 describes the guard as the part that contains pieces if a wheel bursts and that keeps the operator off the wheel. You set the open side away from you and you leave the guard fitted. The GA9020/2 bullets call the cover tool-less. Listings that do not say that still include a guard in a proper box, and you still do not run the disc naked to see the cut line.
Can you take the guard off to fit a larger disc?
No. A larger disc than the body is built for is the wrong disc, not a reason to remove the guard. These listings are for 230 mm, apart from the GA9050R title, which is silent and whose manual still lists 230 mm. Taking the guard off so a 230 mm disc fits a smaller grinder is a different mistake, and it is not a setup this page supports.
Is a toothed stump blade allowed on these Makita grinders?
No. PSA5 covers toothed saw-blade attachments on angle grinders and says they should not be used because of kickback and loss of control. A French GA9050R review that describes a stump blade is a report of what someone did, including a clutch trip, not an approved method. Use a disc rated for the grinder and for the material.
Which listings name a tool-less cover or a spindle lock?
The GA9020/2 bullets name both a tool-less wheel cover and a push-button spindle lock. The GA038GZ07 bullets name a tool-less cover, a spindle lock and a paddle with lock-off. The GA9050/1 names a push-button spindle lock and does not name a tool-less cover. The GA9050KX names a spanner in the box and a safety switch, and it does not print a spindle-lock line. Use the parts the listing names after you have isolated the tool.

Related pages

Makita GA038G or a corded 230 mm angle grinder

Makita angle grinder 230

Makita 230 mm angle grinder 110V or 240V on a site

Best Makita 230 mm angle grinder among UK listings

Makita 230 mm angle grinder: your buying checklist

Sources

Public UK sources used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the six amazon.co.uk listings scored on 21 October 2026. HSE rules apply at work. They are not a certificate for a domestic tool, and a declared vibration figure is not a daily dose.

  1. Makita UK, GA9020 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Makita UK, GA9050 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Makita UK, GA038G (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. GA9050 manual (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. HSE, construction electricity (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. HSE, HSG17 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. OPSS, PSA5 toothed blades (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Screwfix, angle grinder buying guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)