Cutting Disc Locks

Don't cheap out on grinders if you're buying one. I got a battery powered dewalt over 7 years ago and it's still going strong. I've had to use lower end brands and having them over heat or seize up a few seconds into a disc lock is very frustrating. The biggest thing that I've seen when teaching people to cut locks with a grinder that slows them down is the fear of something going wrong and they barely press into it. Hold some steady pressure on the lock as you are going so you actually dig in to the metal as it cuts and not just grazing against it. Disc locks if you have access to the left hand side of the lock you can actually cut into the casing and completely miss the shackle and get a lock off with a lot less wear and tear on a blade since it's not the hardened steel you're cutting. Padlocks me personally I just grab it with one hand and hold it up while I use a grinder on the shackle *not advising anyone to be unsafe so please don't do something if you're not comfortable*. Something I also bought years ago for auction lock cut days when i'm doing lock after lock is Kevlar sleeves as I got tired of picking metal shavings out of my arms afterwards.

I gave up on battery grinders that lost power too quickly and now use a Black&Decker corded grinder.  Maintains the power to cut through those #*&% disc locks.  Try and cut between 2-3 o'clock (keyhole facing you).  Also, I think it is much faster to use a thinner wheel rather than a thick one.  They wear out faster but get the job done more efficiently.  Lastly, don't forget, don't pick up the bloody thing without letting it cool down first.