Angle grinder

An angle grinder (in Spanish, radial or amoladora) is a power tool that cuts or grinds metal, stone and other materials with a disc spinning at high speed. It is one of the heaviest duty tools a locksmith carries.

It is used for specific jobs: cutting a padlock or a chain when there is no key, removing a bolt or a rusted part, trimming steel sections when reinforcing a door or cutting through screws that salt air has welded in place. For openings, it is kept for when there is no less damaging approach.

It is noisy, throws sparks and leaves marks, so a professional uses it with judgement and says beforehand what is going to be cut. If you have a storeroom or a parking space with a padlock and you have lost the key, see garage and storeroom opening.