Bosch has announced their new X-Lock angle grinder lock interface, which they say makes wheel exchanges fast and simple. The new system is said to be up to 3X faster.
Described as the ultimate changing system for grinders, the Bosch X-Lock grinder interface ejects wheels with just a lever pull, and fresh wheels can be attached without the need for any other tools. The X-Lock grinding wheels are also compatible with grinders that have standard 7/8″ mounts.
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Bosch X-Lock will be available on a variety of “core grinding applications” products, such as cut-off wheels, bonded discs, flap discs, wire wheels, and diamond blades.
What else do we know so far?
Bosch X-Lock grinding wheels and accessories will require new grinders to take advantage of the tool-less connection system. Meaning, it’s not just an accessory you can add to existing grinders.
But, you can also use them with other grinders in the same way as standard accessories. So, if you have a collection of grinders, you can continue to use them.
Buy Now(Bosch X-Lock Tools and Accessories via Tool Nut) – Available as of August 2019
Buy Now(Bosch X-Lock Tools and Accessories via Acme Tools) – Available as of August 2019
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Unofficially
Bosch will NOT be the only supplier of X-Lock accessories. There will be other abrasive and grinding accessory brands that will participate in offering accessories with the new interface.
Brushes and drills will not be compatible.
Discussion
What’s not to love? Well, aside from the need or want to buy all-new grinders.
Bosch and Fein’s Starlock tool-free oscillating multi-tool system works in a somewhat similar fashion, and it’s beautifully simply to use and effective in practice. Multi-tool accessories click into a Starlock tool, and are easily unlocked when it’s time to change accessories. This new Bosch X-Lock interface seems to be similar in many regards.
When Bosch Starlock accessories first started appearing, they were reasonably priced and seemed to be worth buying even for users of tools with older and universal interfaces. I wonder if that will the same here, since these X-Lock grinding accessories will be compatible with standard 7/8″ mounts.
One Bosch source brought up an interesting point, about how the new interface could have implications on braking grinders, as the new design should prevent discs, wheels, and other accessories from spinning when the grinder stops. Brake the motor too slow, and it’s ineffective. Too fast, and the arbor nut can self-loosen, creating a serious safety concern. Thus, braking grinders are designed to stop accessories fast enough to provide a benefit, but not too fast so as to cause self-loosening of the arbor nut. But if there’s no arbor nut, perhaps grinder brakes can be made to work faster?
There are lots of questions to ask. How much will the accessories cost, especially compared to current/previous standard accessories.
Will X-Lock become Bosch’s standard grinder interface? How much will the new grinders cost?
Will there be standard-accessory-to-X-Lock adapters?
What other brand(s) will license the Bosch X-Lock interface to feature on their own grinders?
We’ll follow up once we know more.
What questions do you have?
Will a new Bosch X-Lock grinder and accessories be on your 2019 tool shopping list?
Bosch Promo Videos
Christie
Verbatim and I quote “Unofficially Bosch will NOT be the only supplier of X-Lock accessories.”
If anyone is wondering why, the Robert Bosch Corporation now is not held legally for any damages or any liabilities should this product fail.
This was strictly done for legal purposes and I am sure there is a gaggle of lawyers who at least in the legal frame work realize someone is going to get injured or worse down the road.
Bosch wants to the image of being innovative, but similar to all big corporations, seeks any and all legal loopholes to distance themselves from any and all responsibility.
logan
Makes sense.
Are you aware of any companies that seek to expose themselves to liability?
Do you make a point to expose yourself to liability?
I know I dont, and by my potentially faulty logic (hope you’ll enlighten me) it doesn’t seem illogical or immoral.
logan
And side note, it is just a couple keyways on the arbor.
Saying it wont be exclusive is just saying that you can get abrasives from other sources. 3M Cubitron, as one example, is full on beast mode, and some users wont even touch other abrasives.
Outside brand support is extremely important. Thered be no way to have anyone adopt this if it locked them into Bosch consumables.
Derick
Now I don’t know this guy from Adam, yet if I had a guess this person wasn’t calling Bosch hypocritical, rather they weren’t heaping praise on them. No sane individual or corporation would intentionally expose themselves to liability.
My guess and I generally stay out of social media in general this person was making the point Bosch didn’t do this to help their customers. This is solely profit driven. Nothing wrong with that, as I prefer capitalism over socialism any day of the week.
Thankfully we have freedom of speech, as even if we disagree with each other, there can be discussions. Granted, I am not carrying water for the OP or anyone for that matter. They are individuals, as such can speak for themselves.
Jim Felt
Of course this announcement happens after I bought a Hilti grinder. Of course.
Mike
My only concern would be what happens when it gets all dirty with dust and grit. Of all my tools I’d say that grinders get treated the worst. Is this really fixing a problem? The multi-tool blade styles were all over the place so a standard was much needed. I like how low profile it is.
Nathan
when I saw the first line I thought oh this is going to be STAR lock for grinders.
I wonder if it will have a larger and smaller size based on the 4 inch- 5 inch and then 6 inch 7 inch sizes.
I mostly like the idea but I see someone like Dewlat (SBD) making their own model – so as not to pay bosch royalties. And I wonder what TTI will do. hunch who knows but I don’t see the other majors agreeing to it.
Someone like Hitachi though might pick it up.
Josh
This would come out immediately after buying a new Bosch grinder (got the 5″ cordless for christmas)
Nathan
different question – how often do you guys change out your disc on your grinder?
I mean now that I think about it I do occasionally find myself swapping from cut off wheel to grind wheel while working at home. but out in the hangar years ago – I would have 2 grinders near by and just trade. And I have to say I don’t know if I did that for the ease of use or because there was always a grinder set with a cutoff wheel and another set with a grind wheel. And usually I was trading a new wheel for wear or I was swapping to a wire wheel. which was rare for me.
So does it really need to be any faster?
OMT on the other hand I trade those out often but it’s made for that.
Mike
100% more than 1 grinder. Just like drills and impacts, seems like overkill to have a few till you don’t’ have to switch bits every 45 seconds. Same with die grinders, I’ve got a right angle that just holds Roloc and then another for whatever else you might need.
Evadman
I have 3 separate grinders that in use for metal working in general. They have a wire cup, cutoff wheel, and grinding wheel respectively. All corded, the $20 version from harbor freight. I also have a pair of 20v dewalt and a single 60v dewalt, but they are not dedicated to metalwork.
I use the cheapies for metal work since I treat them very poorly.
John
If you’re using 4 1/2″ cutoff wheels continuously on hard material you can burn through half a dozen of them in an hour. A quick release would be a pretty big benefit for something like that. A grinder with a wire wheel, on the other hand, not so much.
Ray
New ideas are not always better. I used angle grinders for almost 30 years in the masonry restoration field and the spanner wrench design worked fine for me.
OhioHead
Metabo has had a “toolless” grinder for over 20 years, not sure why this important now……..
Julian Tracy
It takes all of 45 seconds to remove a grinder wheel.
Why tie yourself to having to buy inflated price accessories for the lifetime of the tool?
Blythe
I wouldn’t buy into this until I see serious support from abrasive companies and other brands. I don’t want to be locked into Bosch accessories. That said, if it comes to be an industry standard then it’s great.
My boss at the fabrication shop I work for part time is of the mindset that multiple cheaper grinders all set up with different wheels is the way to go. Grinders are basically a consumable in a shop environment. The best place x-lock makes sense is in the field where you likely only have one grinder
dust
I think for most people in a shop, multiple grinders is a reality this won’t change that. But for people in the feild, or mobile techs, those that work at heights– this is going to be invaluable.
John S
I am curious do manufactures have to pay a license fee and/or is the connection patented in a way that prevents anyone from making a compatible disk for this system?
Diplomatic Immunity
Fine if you are limited to owning or using only one grinder. I would imagine the trades where grinders are in heavy use, tradesmen probably just have multiple grinders with different disks on them and just swap grinders rather than swapping disks. Going back and forth swapping different disks takes longer than just picking up a different grinder with that’s set up with a specific wheel.
Chris
Meh. It doesn’t take me that long to change the wheel on my grinder that has a tool-less arbor nut.
Mark
I own a fabrication shop. I have a closet full of grinders. They are basically a consumable around here just like the discs. I dont see a good use for this. Im sure some people will.
ca
I’ve never had to use a tool to change a grinder wheel.
Jeremiah D
I generally dont use a tool either. I use the spindle lock and grab the outer edge of the wheel itself (mechanical advantage)to tighten or loosen. Sometimes I’ll use channellocks to loosen the nut if stubborn. I usually dont know where the spanner is. This method can be hard with thin (fragile) cutoff wheels. And would be hard with wire cups or wheels, but I don’t use those much.
Rory
systems like this with quick change discs have been launched by Bosch in the past.
They didn’t work then and wont work now – the cost of abrasives is too high and industry will not buy them and likely DIYers will not justify the price either.
Most people already own an angle grinder, do they want to keep two different types of abrasive on hand chances is; NO.
Bosch need to work harder on developing more cordless tools to at least keep up with the market… then they can start innovating.
Mattd
I would love to see someone come out with a standard 5/8 threaded shaft with the xlock on the back so that you could convert the xlock back. I know it would defeat the purpose but it would make me more prone to buy one. So I can guarentee access to all generic abrasives.
Eric
It doesn’t take me very long to swap out a disc it’d work if I had to keep switching back and fourth from a cutoff to a grinding disc or wire wheel but what for whatever reason the part that annoys me the most is having to take the battery out or unplugging the cord every time I gotta change the wheel and I don’t trust the switch locks when I’m fumbling around with the grinder getting the new wheel on
Nick
I don’t use the spanner. No need. In fact my most recent DeWalt grinder didn’t even include one in the box.
Just hand tighten. Doesn’t take that long to swap. If you’re really concerned about it just get a second grinder it will probably work itself out cost-wise over the life of the tool (versus this new format which I do think is innovative)
John
I have 5 angle grinders for now and keep specific cutting wheels, flap discs, sanding discs for whatever is needed for normal work. That works for me just fine. If you only have one grinder or on-site work then I can see the X-lock being more useful, but look at any average welding shop and you will see infinite angle grinders all setup for specific tasks for efficiency for a reason.
Jerry
I don’t know what to think about the Bosch system. I kind of have my doubts it will be the next big thing Metabo had tool free disk changes for years, and use standard disks. I think that type of setup is better.
The What?
As long as you have a grinder with a spindle lock, then you own a tool free angle grinder. In all my years of using an angle grinder made by just about every brand you can think of, I’ve never used the pin wrench or a hex key to tighten the arbor nut to secure a disc. And I’ve never had the arbor nut loosen or a disc come loose by using the spindle lock and grabbing the disc and hand tightening it prior to using it. Once you feel it grab tight and give it a good turn, you’re good to go. Unless of course you don’t know which direction the arbor nut goes according to the disc you are using to sandwich it on properly. It takes me 10 seconds or less to change a disc every time with this method and hasn’t failed me in almost 20 years. And I don’t see it doing so anytime soon either. With that said, I don’t buy what Bosch is selling about this quick change apparatus that is supposed to make changing a grinder disc quicker than the way I do it. And knowing how proud Bosch is of their grinders, I’m sure it ain’t cheap. If it can beat 10 seconds or less I’ll be impressed.
Adam
Milwaukee’s fuel model that has the brake, 2783-20, is tool-less as well. Hopefully some other benefits come with the x-lock. I know the star-lock interface transfers more energy, but not sure that would apply with a grinder
John
I was going to say it’s a “Solution in search of a problem” but then I remembered back a couple of months when my neighbour got a new unit in a box with Chinglish instructions and he didn’t know how to put the safety shield on or the disk till I showed him how. So, the fact is Bosch is working to tool up the lowest common denominatorin the none trade market! 😉
Indt
This is useless for professionals, because changing the cutting/grinding/wire brush is fast. Even faster with aeg/milwaukee quick nut ( been using them on 125mm and 230v grinders almost 20 years. Many brands sells / uses those milwaukee quick flange nuts in old world, example Fein, Metabo, Wurth etc , AEG hobby brand today. many more.
Bosch tryed to make their own quick flange but it became too thick and
not so simble and robust.
Bosch xlock angle grindes has more wear parts also.
Bosch needs to direct these resources to designing new professional tools.
The What?
They should have directed those resources into making an adjustable dial variable speed angle grinder or some other feature that has more usefulness than this.
glenn
No thanks. A $15.00 Fixtec nut is cheaper than a new grinder and offers quick and easy disc changes. Quick enough for me anyhow.
That said, the one linked below will only fit 115mm/4-1/5 inch and 125mm/5 inch grinders.
https://www.milwaukeetools.com.au/accessories/miscellaneous/4932352473