HDII How To
THE BASICS
Cut and Grind Almost Anything With One Wheel
The Bad Dog HDII uses 46 Grit Diamond embedded in a piece of Hardened Steel to cut and grind almost anything. Find the right size wheel for your tool or arbor and just start cutting and grinding. If you run into any issues, check out our FAQ section below or call us at 1.800.252.1330.
What Can I Cut & Grind?
The HDII’s surface is covered in 46 grit Diamond. It will cut almost everything you can put it up against — hard or soft, natural or synthetic. Here are some tips and guidelines on how to cut or grind specific materials.
Go crazy — the HDII will cut and grind mild steel all day long. Works especially well on rust.
Stainless is no problem for the HDII. If the wheel leaves a burr, remember it has grinding capability to clean it right up.
Works great on rebar, welds, and hardened bolts. Use the smaller wheels to cut off hardened fasteners in hard-to-reach places.
These metals are soft and gummy and have a tendency to stick to the HDII. If you can, apply cutting oil before starting. If not, run the wheel through a concrete block as a dressing stone to remove stuck-on material.
The HDII eats tile for breakfast — even porcelain. You can use water to keep the tile cool, but it isn’t necessary.
The HDII doesn’t differentiate between stones and will cut all of the above. Using water to keep the dust down is a good idea.
The HDII cuts concrete and masonry like butter — it’s SUPER FAST — but it is also VERY DUSTY. Use a fan or water to control the dust. Concrete blocks also double as a dressing stone when the blade gums up.
The HDII cuts plastic and PVC without heat building up and melting the material. It cuts very fast with a fairly clean edge considering how coarse the wheel is.
Because of its heat-insulating properties, the HDII CANNOT CUT WOOD. But it can grind and shape it. Just be aware of heat build-up or you might burn the surface.
The HDII is one of the few tools that can cut radial tires, powering through rubber and steel radials all at once. The wheel won’t get hot enough for rubber to melt to its surface, so build-up isn’t a concern.
What Can’t I Cut?
The HDII is just too aggressive to leave a nice edge when cutting glass.
Cutting wood builds up too much heat and can cause the diamond to overheat and delaminate. Even when it gets the job done, the edges end up very burned. Try our Saw Dog Blades instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
The industry standard for grinders is as follows: Rotary Tools (Dremel™) — 1/8″ | 3″ — 1/4″ | 4″ — 5/8″ | 4-1/2″, 6″, 7″ — 7/8″ arbor flange for a 5/8″ coarse arbor shaft. At Bad Dog, we find that an HDII with a 7/8″ arbor flange runs truest because it is a more precise fit. The 4-1/2″ and 6″ Flange wheels use the 5/8″ Coarse thread which is standard on ALL grinders. Call us at 800.252.1330 if you have any questions.
Wood — It will shape wood well but burns when cutting. Glass — The HDII is too aggressive and leaves a jagged edge.
Nothing lasts forever, but we guarantee the HDII for LIFE!
We’ll replace it — even if it’s your fault! See our Lifetime Guarantee page for the full details.
Sometimes when cutting softer metals like aluminum the HDII will “gum” up. If this happens, simply run your HDII through a concrete block and it will be good as new.
Built to Last. Guaranteed for Life.
The HDII is made in Bristol, Rhode Island by the same family that’s been building Bad Dog tools since 1988. Like every Bad Dog product, it’s backed by our lifetime guarantee — if it ever fails to perform, we repair or replace it. You just pay return shipping.
LESS BARK. MORE BITE.
800-252-1330 · baddogtools.com
Written by Joseph Strong on 5th May 2026 I’m JJ Strong, a mechanical engineer and third-generation tool designer at Bad Dog Tools, our American-made, family-run company built on durability and innovation. I grew up hauling booths and talking tools at trade shows before I could even drive. Now I design and build and improve our next generation of lifetime-guaranteed tools - our custom induction brazing system to our precision sharpening technology. On weekends, you’ll find me restoring my ’86 Land Rover Defender or ’54 Jaguar XK120 and seeing just how much I can build (or break) with Bad Dog Tools.