Thread: Thin cutoff discs - any difference between brands

Just to buck the trend
For a while I have stocked up with smith & arrow brand cut discs
They do sell on eBay but direct website sale gets a better price
Buying by the hundred gets them delivered for under a buck a spin

Honestly after trialling numerous 1mm discs burn times are pretty similar and the smith& arrow for me are the best blend of cost vs wear

Note their flap discs are probably borderline on the cost vs quality continuum but I still use them to have s single supplier

Their last batch of linishing belts have been **** and I would be careful their

I think it depends how many you are burning - if you are looking for packs of ten then may as well buy top of the pops ... if I'm ordering a couple hundred cutters a hundred flappers then cost vs quality runs to tighter ratios? ? ?

I'm trying to source some new style double sided abrasive polishing wheels made for 316 filet weld grinding/ finishing

Steve

Abrasive grain and bonding materials they use play a lot to do with it.
Aluminium oxide is the cheaper stuff, then zirconia grade, then ceramic.
The high end ceramic gains self sharpen with use, which is pertty neat. The high end 3M discs (around 19 bucks a wheel) leave the work piece completely cool after grinding, while all the heat is ejected with the swarf.

Hardness of the grain can also be a hinderance, when grinding, the disc can become clogged and lead to poor performance and skate across the material, bluing the work piece with too much heat from friction. Too soft an abrasive, and you'll forever be changing discs.

TL;DR
Stick with a known brand, and what works for you. You can pay big money for specialty abrasives, but most of the savings at that end of town are in production costs in a factory environment (Less wheel changes and faster cut = more widgets out the door at the end of the day).
For a home gamer most 'average' wheels will do the job fine for general fab.