The AGC 18 accepts any brand of 4-1/2″ diameter discs with its standard 5/8″ arbor, and the quick-action, tool-less 5/8″-11 locking nut and lockable spindle provide fast and easy disc changes. Tool-free guard change, guard positioning and removal are fast and easy.

The powerful, maintenance-free EC-TEC brushless motor is enclosed and the cast electronics are safely protected against dust from the harshest environments. The motor and housing are decoupled and along with the VibraStop handle (located on the left or right side of the grinder), the result is a smooth oper­ating grinder with minimal vibration; it’s comfortable to use all day. The easy to change, adjustable speed range from 4500–8500 RPM allows the user to dial in the correct speed for various applications and this grinder doesn’t bog down under load.

The AGC18 has the power of any one of my six corded grind­ers with its long-lasting, powerful 5.2 lithium-ion batteries. Soft start-up, electronic overload protection, motor brake and restart protection are additional built-in features that make this grinder a pleasure to use, and the AGC18 is compatible with the battery packs and chargers in the Festool 18-volt system. Although the bare tool (EB-Basic) is available if you’re already on the Festool platform, I tested the 5.2 EBI-Plus, which includes the charger and two batteries.

Pick up the AGC18 and you’ll see that it’s extremely well bal­anced. Designed to fit comfortably in your hand, this 2.7kg cordless grinder, with the battery installed, is easy and comfortable to oper­ate even while wearing gloves. The AGC18 unique battery position has been designed for cut-off operations and allows access to tighter locations. The BP 18 Li 5,2 AS-ASI battery pack communi­cates with the Bluetooth module on the mobile dust extractor and ensures this cordless grinder will start the mobile dust extractor automatically when switched on. The integrated LED display on the battery pack provides you with the charge status at all times.
The AGC18 comes equipped with a protective cover that protects the operator against flying sparks and debris when working with flap wheels or grinding discs. This cover easily rotates around the 13 snap-in points for maximum protection during use.

I use a lot of Type-1 abrasive cut-off discs to cut steel, so I ordered the optional, protective cover TSH-AGC 18-115, which provides a higher level of protection than the standard cover when using abrasive cut-off discs.

How does the AGC18 perform? In a single word, flawlessly. I had high expectations for the AGC18 and I wasn’t disappointed. It met and easily exceeded all my expectations. I challenged this grinder to do what all of my corded grinders were capable of doing and the AGC18 surpassed all of those challenges without breaking a sweat.

Whether it was cutting, polishing and grinding steel, or cut­ting porcelain tile, stone or brick, removing rust with a wire brush, or grinding welds, the AGC18 was equal to all of these tasks and more.

Festool designed and built the AGC 18 cordless angle grinder with the end user in mind. With all the built-in features listed above, this cordless grinder is everything you could want and more in a powerful cordless grinder that’s a pleasure to use all day long. The more I use the AGC 18, the more I appreciate all this grinder has to offer. Fully covered by Festool’s comprehensive 3-2-1 Service Plan that includes a three-year wear-and-tear warranty, the AGC18 cordless is now my grinder of choice for all my grinder needs.