Craftsman RP Angle Grinder Review: Strong Power, One Missing Feature

Introduction

Going through the Craftsman RP lineup, the results are a mixed bag: roughly half the tools feel average and half are genuinely great. This brushless cordless angle grinder was hoped to land in the second group, and after real cutting and grinding work, it mostly does. At $119, expectations leaned toward a DIY-grade tool, but the power on display tells a more interesting story.

Design and Handling

The grip looks huge at first glance, but wrap your hand around it and it is surprisingly slim at the end where the paddle switch sits. Paddle switches are a welcome choice here and easy to operate one-handed. An auxiliary handle is included and stores neatly inside the handle itself; there is also a wrench tucked away if you need one. The auxiliary handle mounts in three different positions, so you can set it up for the job at hand.

The arbor lock sits on top where you would expect it. The standout detail is the tool-free blade guard: it locks into place solidly, its tension is adjustable if it feels too loose or too tight, and removal is a matter of lining up two arrows and pulling it off. Rubber over-molding covers the grip zones, and there are four vents at the back. In practice your hands will cover some of them; the design expects you to leave at least one open.

Cutting Performance

Testing started with a 2 amp-hour battery and a DeWalt Elite Series cutting blade. The grinder works, but it bogs a little under pressure and the experience was not especially impressive. Moving up to a 5 amp-hour battery changed the picture entirely: the cutting experience was dramatically better, and the blade simply went in and did its job.

With a 9 amp-hour, 3P pack fitted, the story got even better. The grinder is rated at 8,000 RPM no-load, and the larger pack helped it hold RPM under load in a way that could be felt in every cut. If you buy this tool with only a small battery, you are getting a fraction of what it can really do.

Battery Choice Matters

Amp hours alone do not equal power, but the cell configuration inside the pack absolutely does. The 2P and 3P packs deliver higher voltage under load, and the proof showed up in temperature. After heavy abuse, the 2 amp-hour battery climbed to around 114 degrees and was visibly hot, which is not healthy for long-term battery life.

The 9 amp-hour 3P pack barely registered as warm after the same work, and the 5 amp-hour performed well too. The practical takeaway: get larger batteries, ideally on sale, and the tool will both perform better and last longer. Craftsman bundles frequently offer the grinder with a battery and charger plus a free tool, which brings the cost down considerably if you pick a worthwhile second tool from the RP lineup.

Grinding and Thermal Endurance

Switching to a DeWalt grinding disc, the same pattern held. The 2 amp-hour pack works, the 5 amp-hour pack feels substantially stronger, and the 9 amp-hour pack is another clear step up. During grinding there was one thermal cutout, though it appeared to trigger for little obvious reason.

With a flap disc mounted and a fully charged 5 amp-hour pack, the grinder was pushed deliberately hard to provoke a cutout. It could be stalled, but only by pushing well beyond reasonable use, visibly burning the metal in the process. With the 9 amp-hour pack, it ran a long, long time deep into the bog range before finally shutting off thermally. For a brushless motor to take that kind of misuse and keep going is genuinely impressive, even if the flap disc itself took a beating from the abuse.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The one significant omission is an electric brake. Without it, the wheel takes a long time to spin down after the switch is released, which is a real annoyance and a safety consideration. If it had a brake, this would be a fully rounded, unreserved professional recommendation.

Worth noting too: this is a powerful tool, and that power is not something to hand to an inexperienced user. It belongs in the hands of someone who knows how to control an angle grinder.

Buying Advice

At $119, the value proposition is strong, especially when bundled with a battery, charger, and a free RP tool on sale. Those sales are not always easy to find, so it is worth spending some time hunting them down. With larger 2P and 3P batteries, the feel approaches that of Milwaukee Fuel or DeWalt FlexVolt tools. It is not fully on their level, but it is reasonably close. Runtime is decent rather than exceptional, but more than workable for real shop work.

Conclusion

This Craftsman RP angle grinder earns a place in the shop. The tool-free guard, comfortable slim grip, three-position auxiliary handle, and genuinely strong brushless motor with good thermal endurance add up to a tool that can serve professional use with the right batteries. The missing brake keeps it from being perfect, but the overall package impresses at this price.