What is a Concrete Grinder?

The Ultimate Guide to Concrete Grinders: Best Picks and Buying Tips for 2025. Concrete grinders are powerful tools designed to smooth, level, and polish concrete surfaces. Whether you’re preparing a floor for a new coat of paint, removing old coatings, or achieving a polished, glossy finish, a concrete grinder is the tool of choice for getting the job done with the desired outcome.

In this guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about concrete grinders in 2025—from the different types to the best models available. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a professional contractor, we’ve got you covered!

Why You Need a Concrete Grinder: Key Benefits

Concrete grinders serve a multitude of purposes, making them a must-have tool for anyone working with concrete surfaces. Here are some of the top benefits:

1. Smooths and Levels Concrete
   Concrete grinders are excellent for smoothing out rough, uneven surfaces, making them ideal for prepping floors before applying coatings or tiles.
2. Removes Paint and Coatings
   If you’re working with old floors that have paint, epoxy, or other coatings, a concrete grinder can efficiently remove these layers, leaving the surface clean and ready for the next step.
3. Polishes for a Glossy Finish
   For those looking to achieve a polished, high-gloss concrete floor, concrete grinders with polishing capabilities can give you a smooth, beautiful finish.

Dust Collection
Many modern concrete grinders come with dust collection systems, minimizing mess and improving air quality during use.

Types of Concrete Grinders: Which One is Right for You?

When it comes to choosing a concrete grinder, it’s essential to understand the different types of grinders available. Here are the main categories:

• 1. Walk-Behind Concrete Grinders

Walk-behind grinders are ideal for larger projects. These grinders are typically more powerful, allowing you to cover larger areas efficiently. They’re great for removing a thick layers of coating, levelling concrete or just applying a key to a too smooth floor to enable a flooring product to bond to the surface.

There are two distinct categories: single speed for surface preparation and variable speed for concrete polishing. There’s two power options: single phase 110-volts and 3-phase 415 volts. Single phase is suitable for domestic homes, small shops and offices. 3-phase is much more powerful, giving a superior outcome in a fraction of the time and can take on jobs that are quite unsuitable for 110-volt machines.

• 2. Handheld Concrete Grinders

Handheld grinders are perfect for small, detailed work such as edge grinding, corners, and hard-to-reach areas. They’re lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, making them suitable for DIY projects and smaller jobs.

• 3. Planetary Concrete Grinders

Planetary grinders are heavy-duty, multi-purpose machines that use three or more rotating discs to provide a uniform finish. They’re commonly used for polishing concrete surfaces and achieving a high-gloss finish. These grinders are often found in professional environments due to their efficiency and versatility.  They are also the ideal choice when applying thinner coatings like epoxy paint where swirl marks are a no no.

• 4. Surface Preparation Grinders

These grinders are specifically designed for surface preparation, such as removing glue, adhesives, or coatings from concrete floors. They offer powerful motors and effective dust control systems to handle tough jobs. Generally, these are single speed, so reducing the purchase price as well as making a less complicated machine more reliable.

Top 5 Concrete Grinders of 2025

Here’s a list of the top concrete grinders currently available, based on their performance, reliability, and user feedback.

1. Husqvarna PG5 Floor Grinder

Best for: Commercial use and floor prep
Sale Price: £9,230.56

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 Hire Price: From £316.80

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The Husqvarna PG5 is a powerful grinder designed for floor prep in medium-sized areas. With its powerful motor and ease of use, it excels in removing coatings, levelling floors, and preparing concrete surfaces for painting. The built-in dust collection system ensures a cleaner environment while working.  The machine also features variable speed making it perfect for polishing small to medium areas of concrete.

Pros:

• Effective dust collection
• Easy to manoeuvre
• Ideal for commercial projects

Cons:

• Higher price range
• Might be heavy for small spaces

2. Hikoki 7-Inch Concrete Grinder

Best for: DIYers, edge work and smaller projects
Sale Price: £355.49

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Hire Price: From £30.72

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The Hikoki 7-Inch Concrete Grinder is a versatile handheld grinder that’s perfect for smaller jobs like grinding edges, corners, and cleaning up concrete surfaces. It’s budget-friendly and comes with a strong motor to handle light to medium-duty tasks.

Pros:

• Affordable price
• Lightweight and portable
• Great for DIY projects

Cons:

• Not suitable for large areas
• May require multiple passes for tough tasks

3. Husqvarna PG450 Concrete Grinder

Best for: Surface prep
Sale Price: £4,126.11

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Hire Price: From £112.00

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The HTC/HusqvarnaPG450 is a great choice for grinding small to medium concrete floors. With its ergonomic design and robust motor, it offers smooth operation for both residential and commercial applications. This grinder’s dust extraction system ensures minimal mess during use.  The machine has a planetary system and so perfect for preparing concrete floors for coatings like epoxy paint.

Pros:

• Perfect for grinding floors
• Ergonomic design
• Dust-low operation

Cons:

• Higher initial cost
• May need additional tooling for certain applications

4. Impact FG250 Concrete Floor Grinder

Best for: Heavy-duty grinding
Sale Price: £3,850.00

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Hire Price: From £168.00

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The Impact FG250 single disc grinder that’s ideal for heavy-duty grinding tasks. It features a powerful motor, ergonomic handles, and versatile grinding discs, making it suitable for commercial use and medium to large-scale projects.

Pros:

• Extremely durable and powerful
• Great for aggressive grinding and prep work
• Direct drive for a powerful grind and coating removal

Cons:

• Can be heavy for smaller spaces
• Leaves swirl marks in the concrete

5. Terrco 2000 Quad Head Diamond Concrete Grinder

Best for: Med to large floors
Price: From £240.00

Sale Price: £21,966.84

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Hire Price: From £451.20

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The Terrco 2000 is a heavy duty, direct drive 4 headed concrete grinder.  Ideal for surface preparation and large grinding jobs and heavy removal. It’s great for removing coatings and smoothing concrete surfaces.

Pros:

• Heavy duty concrete grinder
• Grinds large areas quickly
• Direct drive means it removes product quicker

Cons:

• Bulky and heavy
• Not as easy to manoeuvre as some other grinders its size.

How to Choose the Best Concrete Grinder for Your Project

When selecting the best concrete grinder, there are several factors to consider:

1. Project Size
   For larger commercial projects, a walk-behind grinder or planetary grinder may be best, while smaller handheld grinders are ideal for DIY projects and small areas.
2. Grinding Purpose
   If you’re prepping floors or removing coatings, you’ll need a grinder with strong performance. For polishing concrete, choose a variable speed model designed for high-gloss finishes.
3. Weight and Manoeuvrability
   Consider how easy it is to move the grinder. Lighter models are easier to handle but may lack the power needed for tougher jobs.
4. Budget
   Prices for concrete grinders vary, so determine your budget ahead of time. However, keep in mind that investing in a high-quality grinder will save you time and effort in the long run.
5. Dust control

When grinding concrete all grinder should be accompanied by the correct size concrete dust control unit or vacuum.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Concrete Grinder for You

Choosing the best concrete grinder depends on your project needs, budget, and experience level. Whether you’re looking for a small, handheld grinder for DIY tasks or a professional-grade planetary grinder for large commercial projects, the right tool can make all the difference in achieving high-quality results.

Make sure to read reviews, check specifications, and, if possible, test out the grinder before making a purchase. With the right concrete grinder in hand, your concrete projects will be completed more efficiently, leaving you with a smooth, polished surface.

Have questions about choosing the right concrete grinder? Fil in the advice tab or give us a call.  help you pick the best option for your needs! Don’t forget to share this guide with others in your industry who may find it helpful.