DeWalt 9 in keyless guard (Type 27 wheels)

A guard you can move with one hand sounds like a small win—until you spend a day chasing sparks around a beam web. I installed DeWalt’s 9-inch keyless guard on my big grinders and put it through steel prep, beveling, and heavy weld cleanup. By the end of the week, I wasn’t interested in going back to a screwdriver and a stiff clamp.

What it is and what it’s for

The keyless guard is a 9-inch, Type 27–only safety shroud for DeWalt’s large angle grinders. It accepts depressed-center and hubbed grinding wheels as well as 9-inch Type 27 flap discs. It’s designed to be repositioned without tools, so you can swing the guard around to deflect sparks or protect your hands as you change your stance. It’s not a universal guard, and it’s not a cutting guard. If you run Type 1 cutoff wheels, this isn’t the right accessory; get the dedicated cutting guard.

I used it primarily on a D28494N and borrowed a D28499X for a day to check hubbed wheel clearance. In both cases, the guard fit correctly and cleared the hubbed wheels without interference.

Installation and fit

Setup is straightforward. With the grinder unplugged, I loosened and removed the old guard, then slid the keyless guard over the collar. A lever-operated clamp secures it to the grinder’s neck, and a small tension screw lets you fine-tune the grip so the lever seats snugly without excessive force. That adjustability matters: factory neck tolerances, paint, and shop grime can make a guard feel either sloppy or impossible to close. With a quarter-turn tweak on the screw, the clamp locked down with a firm snap and no wobble. Once clamped, the guard indexes around the collar with enough bite to resist vibration but still lets you rotate it intentionally.

Important caveat: this guard is built for specific DeWalt collar profiles on their 7–9 inch grinders. If your grinder isn’t in the supported family, don’t assume it will fit. Collars vary, even within the same wheel size class, and being “close” isn’t good enough for something that’s supposed to be your last line of defense.

Adjustment in the real world

The charm of a keyless guard is speed and consistency. Grinding a bevel on plate, I frequently change body position to maintain a comfortable wrist angle and line of sight. With a screw-clamp guard, that means either living with sparks lashing the wrong direction or stopping to loosen, rotate, and retighten. Here, I could pop the lever, rotate the guard a notch or two, and snap it closed in seconds—gloves on, no fishing for a tool.

The rotation range is wide enough for every position I needed: horizontal passes, vertical work on columns, even overhead cleanup where you want the guard acting as a shield. The latch stayed positive; once closed, there was no creeping under vibration, and I couldn’t force the guard to rotate by hand without opening the lever. That security is non-negotiable on a 9-inch grinder, and it’s executed well here.

Coverage and compatibility with wheels

Geometry-wise, the keyless guard provides robust coverage for 9-inch Type 27 wheels. The lip height is generous without being bulky, and the sidewall depth accommodates hubbed wheels so you don’t have to swap guards for different wheel styles. I ran several flap discs as well (all Type 27) and didn’t encounter rubbing or clearance issues at normal grinding angles.

Keep in mind the Type 27 limitation. If you favor Type 29 flap discs with a steeper built-in angle and aggressive presentation, you’ll still be fine—Type 29 are often used within the same guard envelope—but the guard is engineered around the depressed-center profile. For cutoff wheels, again, use a cutting guard. Don’t try to improvise.

Build and durability

DeWalt went for a heavy-gauge steel shell, and it shows. The guard feels stout, with clean welds and a durable coating that shrugged off hot chips without blistering in my testing. The lever linkage and clamp hardware are metal, not plastic, and the mechanism didn’t loosen perceptibly over several days of on-and-off repositioning. If you habitually set your grinder down a little rough, the guard’s structure holds up to the dings and knocks that happen around plate tables and job boxes.

At 2.25 pounds, it isn’t dainty. On a 9-inch grinder that already tips the scales into the teens, the added weight is noticeable but not disruptive. The upside of that mass is stability: the tool tracks a bit calmer in heavy grinding, and the guard doesn’t ring or chatter.

Ergonomics and safety in use

The main ergonomic win is reduced downtime. Being able to swing the guard between passes helps you keep sparks moving away from your body, co-workers, and sensitive surfaces without breaking rhythm. That matters for comfort and for safety. A guard only works when it’s in the right place; the easier you make it to be in the right place, the more often it will be.

I appreciated the precise detent feel as I rotated the guard—there’s just enough resistance that you can nudge it to the exact angle you want without overshooting. The latch is glove-friendly and sits out of the main spark path, so it stayed cool enough to handle even during long grinding sessions.

Noise and vibration felt unchanged compared to the stock keyed guard. Spark containment was excellent with grinding wheels; with flap discs, coverage is as good as you can get without compromising line of sight.

Limitations and watch-outs

• Compatibility: This isn’t a universal fit. Verify your grinder model and collar style. If you’re outside DeWalt’s compatible list, don’t gamble—wrong-fit guards can rotate unintentionally or fail under load.
• Use case: Not for Type 1 cutting wheels. If cutting is a big part of your workflow, plan on owning the proper cutting guard and swapping as needed.
• Clearance: Uncommon wheel geometries or very large hub flanges could present clearance challenges. I didn’t hit any with standard DeWalt hubbed wheels and 9-inch Type 27s, but if you use third-party specialty wheels, test fit before lighting up.
• Weight: The extra mass is a net positive for stability, but if you spend hours overhead, any added ounces matter. Balance remains acceptable, though fatigue-sensitive users will notice.

Maintenance and setup tips

• Keep the grinder neck clean. Paint chips and grit can affect the clamp’s grip and rotation smoothness.
• Use the band’s tension screw to set a firm but comfortable lever action. If you need two hands to close it, it’s too tight; if you can rotate the guard with the lever down, it’s too loose.
• Inspect the latch and band periodically. Any guard is a wear item; if you see deformation from impacts or excessive play, address it before returning to service.
• Pair this guard with a shroud and vac only if your application and wheel allow it; most 9-inch grinding work doesn’t, but the guard doesn’t interfere with typical auxiliary handles or side shrouds.

Who benefits most

Fabricators, erectors, and maintenance techs who frequently shift positions or work on mixed orientations will see the biggest gain. If you grind the same joint all day on a bench, the convenience bump is smaller. On site, where you’re moving around a structure, the value is clear. I found it especially helpful during tack cleanup and weld blending on verticals—quick changes in guard angle kept sparks where they belonged without repeated stops.

The bottom line

The keyless guard delivers what it promises: fast, secure repositioning with solid coverage for 9-inch Type 27 wheels and flap discs. Build quality is high, the mechanism is confidence-inspiring, and the added weight brings stability without making the tool unwieldy. Its limitations are mostly about choosing the right tool for the job—fit it to a compatible DeWalt grinder and don’t ask it to be a cutting guard.

Recommendation: I recommend the keyless guard to anyone running a compatible DeWalt 9-inch grinder for grinding and flap-disc work. It meaningfully improves workflow and safety by making correct guard positioning effortless. If your grinder isn’t on the compatibility list or your primary need is cutoff work, look elsewhere; otherwise, this is a worthwhile upgrade that you’ll appreciate every time you flip the lever and get back to grinding.