Angle grinders are meant to be used at, well, an angle. That pesky lock nut that holds the blade on prevents you from grinding with the wheel flat against the workpiece, should your application require it. More importantly, the lock nut is time-consuming to remove/re-attach and requires you keep the wrench handy.

To solve this, Bosch is rolling out their new X-Lock system, which allows the user to change accessories quickly and tool-free. Bosch's engineers have attacked the problem with characteristically German rigor, ensuring the locking system will not be compromised by dust nor repeated drops of the tool on a concrete floor. They also added the ergonomic touch of using steel-reinforced plastic for the locking lever; the steel is for strength, the plastic is so that heat generated by the tool will not burn your fingers at the point of contact.

Here's the promotional video, narrated with an awesome German accent:

If you want a better look at the system, or if you're a real tool geek who wants to see cutaways of the mechanism in action, here's a longer vid:

Bosch just announced the system yesterday, but has not provided a release date.

lack of backward compatibility with regular grinder blades, wheels, and discs is the biggest problem I see with this.  the cost to replace all of my stuff that goes with the grinder would exceed the cost of the tool...

Whether or not the arbor protrudes beyond the grinding surface is dictated by the wheel you put on the grinder. Thin cutoff wheels are not supposed to be used for grinding in the first place.

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.

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