Accessories

Works great with Dewalt grinding wheels!
This reallly is a great tool. It grinds down concrete with little to no mess. This tool works very well for cleaning paint, thinset, drywall mud and splattered concrete off of slabs. It is also great for smoothing joints or cracks and for making minor slope adjustments in concrete to eliminate standing water. I am amazed at the number of uses I am finding for this tool!

I do have a few tips. Dewalt makes a grinding wheel that fits this machine, part number DW4774. It costs about half what the Bosch wheels costs and lasts more than twice as long. It is available at most Lowes (usually only one per store) for about $60. It is slightly smaller in diameter (4.5in vs. 5in) so it does not get as close to the edge of the shroud. You will also have to use a spacer on the grinder shaft towards the end of the DW4774's life (use one clamping nuts that come with the grinder).

The tool _must_ be on its own 20A branch circuit. Do not run your vacuum on the same branch circuit! I have had no trouble with breaker tripping, but the tool does peg my current meter at 18.5A.

I docked one star mostly due to price. There are a few other minor issues. There needs to be a way to secure the vacuum hose in place other than friction. You don't want the vacuum hose to come off, even for a second! A high-power, low-power switch to reduce current and prevent breaker tripping would be nice. I would love to see a wet/dry version of this tool. I would also like to see a larger version (may have to be 240VAC).

Great grinder
I'm using this tool to remove old paint, mortar, and cement defects from my basement's floor. This tool works great!!! No dust whatsoever. However, my Rigid wet'n'dry vac needs to have the filter cleaned every few minutes. I've order the Bosh shop vac, but I haven't got yet. It's supposed to clean its filter by itself.

The grinder performs great, and seems to be built very strong.

The best at one thing
This tool is amazing. I purchased it to level/grade a concrete slab beneath what was later to be a tiled floor. The slab was more than a year old, and filled with aggregate - very hard. I had to remove about an inch and a half at the thickest point, tapering down to nothing over a 2 by 4 foot area. I researched online and asked around, and settled on this Bosch product. I have owed other Bosch products, and other highly respected brands as well, having no particular loyalty other than to quality and value.

This grinder was impressive. Solidly built, easy to use, professional results. I followed the set-up suggestions, particularly those pertaining to the shop vac filter connections, and finished the entire job in about two hours. Virtually no clean-up, no dust escaped the well-designed skirt and grinder head assembly. My GC stopped by to help, stuck around for about an hour to try out the new tool, then left, concluding I had no need for his assistance. He was impressed as much as I (which is a rare thing as he is a perfectionist with 27 yrs experience and an impressive array of both old-school and modern-technology construction and power tools).

It's so much better for concrete leveling/planing than an open-skirt angle grinder (which we used for cutting some drainage slots). It sits flat on the floor and does its thing, leaving behind a smooth level surface with no ambient dust. I didn't have problems with overheating, though I could see how one might if applying excessive pressure for long periods (hours) at a time. To those who complained about it not being a general purpose tool, I agree, it is great for leveling and not at all useable for slots, tight detail work, or general purpose grinding. But then again, don't buy a race horse if you want milk - buy a cow!

Good, small grinder
Nice machine -- small and hand-held; not the best solution for large floors. The grinding disk that comes with the machine is very aggressive, and it is easy to tilt the machine slightly, gouging the surface you are grinding. Less aggressive disks are available. Another relatively minor gripe is that the vacuum hose regularly slips out of the connector, sending dust and particles everywhere. You'll need knee pads for grinding on floors, and it's tough on the lower back. Excellent for small/medium jobs, with plenty of power.

Concrete grinding machine that allows you to perform miracles
I have had this Bosch 1773AK for about 6 months now. It has allowed me to work concrete as if it were hard wood. This tool is a modern miracle, imo. It "planes" down cured concrete, block, masonry, thinset with ease. It is relatively lightweight, totally reliable, safe and easy to use and is modestly priced. It leaves a smooth uniform finish.

It has a dust port which I recommend using with a hose since it aggressively cuts concrete and converts it into a fine dust in prodgeous amounts. This baby really works! You will recover the purchase cost in just the first two or three jobs in time savings alone. Amazon delivered mine in short order.