We show you several ways of how to change an angle grinder wheel. You can do this in any number of ways—even if you’ve lost your spanner wrench. Don’t worry, all hope is not lost!

Note: Want to see a video of how to change an angle grinder wheel using these same methods? Check out our YouTube tutorial!

How to Change an Angle Grinder Wheel with a Spanner Wrench

What you need:

• Your angle grinder
• The spanner wrench that came with your angle grinder (different models use different sizes, so another may or may not work)
• A grinder wheel you want to install

Here’s how to change a grinder wheel with a spanner wrench:

1. Locate the wheel lock button (usually on the top). Press it down and rotate the wheel until you feel it lock into position.
2. With the button held down, place the two knobs of your spanner wrench into two opposite holes on the flange holding the wheel in place (the flange is the round nut-looking piece that holds the wheel in place.
3. While pressing down the wheel lock button, turn the spanner wrench counter-clockwise until you feel the flange loosen.
4. Hand thread the flange off.
5. Slip your new angle grinder wheel on, and reverse the process.

How to Replace an Angle Grinder Wheel Without a Spanner Wrench

Sometimes you misplace your spanner wrench – it happens a lot unless the wrench stores on the tool the way Skil’s PWRCore 20 angle grinder does.

What you need:

• Your angle grinder
• A pair of gloves
• A grinder wheel you want to install

Here’s how to change an angle grinder wheel without a spanner wrench:

1. Hold down the wheel lock button and turn the wheel until it locks in place.
2. With gloves on, grab the wheel and turn it counterclockwise until you feel the flange release.
3. Hand thread the flange off.
4. Swap the wheel and reverse the process.

This method works, but there are a couple of considerations. First, I’m not as confident in tightening the wheel by hand, so I always use a spanner wrench to make sure it’s tight enough.

Second, thin abrasive cutting wheels are more prone to breaking or weakening with this method, so we don’t recommend you try it with those. You could inadvertently create a situation where your cutting wheel fails with dangerous consequences.

Many Pros do another take on this by running the wheel against concrete to loosen it rather than by hand. Either way works and carries the same warnings. I personally find loosening by hand easier.

The Easiest Way to Replace a Grinder Wheel

My favorite way to replace an angle grinder wheel involves switching out the stock flange with a Hilti Kwik-Lock flange. We originally used on Hilti’s 36V grinder and find it an excellent upgrade for any model that has the same 5/8-inch arbor.

The genius of it is a design that allows you to hand thread and tighten/loosen with just your bare hand. It’s perfectly secure and super-simple.

In the event your grinder wheel helps tighten it down too much, two holes let you get a spanner wrench in to work it back off.

Here’s what you need:

• Your angle grinder
• A Hilti Kwik Lock flange
• A grinder wheel you want to install

Here’s the easiest way to change an angle grinder wheel:

• Hold the wheel lock button down and turn the wheel until it locks.
• Turn the Kwik Lock flange counterclockwise by hand until it loosens. You’ll feel some spring tension movement first before it breaks free.
• Hand thread the flange off.
• Swap the wheel and reverse the process.

The downside is that these flanges cost a little more than $50 each. That might be too steep for a DIYer. Having a couple of these on hand for Pros that use grinders often can make life easier, though.

The post How to Change an Angle Grinder Wheel appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

Sand Any Edge or Angle with Precision

Coming in October, Festool has a solution to maximize your precision and efficiency with sanding projects. The Festool Edge Sanding Guide attaches to Festool corded and cordless sanders to provide woodworkers, trim carpenters, and painters control over sanding surface edges and angles.

Sand Edges with Confidence

The Festool Edge Sanding Guide works with both the corded 5-inch Festool ETS 125 REQ random orbit sander and Festool ETSC 125 cordless sander to provide consistent pressure and contact to any surface edges. It doesn’t matter if the edge is straight, curved, square, angled, painted, or unfinished, the attachment reduces tipping and excess sanding for consistent finishes.

The Festool Edge Sanding Guide replaces the standard sanding block to work with edges on small and large workpieces. You can quickly and tool-lessly adjust and lock the attachment to work with edges from 3/16″ to 2-3/8″, and angles between 43° and 92°.

The Festool Edge Sanding Guide features both a Hard and a Soft mode to tackle both curves in contour and the edges of inner corners. The Hard Mode keeps the sander in a fixed position while the Soft Mode adapts to the angle of the workpiece.

The guide is easy to attach and comfortable to use with its multiple gripping positions. It allows for rapid paper changes, and with replaceable base runner pads, you won’t have to worry about inadvertently damaging sensitive workpieces. By Festool’s estimation, the Edge Sanding Guide lets Pros complete jobs in about half the time it would normally take.

This product seems to come full circle. For the entry-level user, it could mean the difference between accuracy and frustration when sanding lots of edges. Pros may feel they already have a technique that works. The Edge Sanding Guide might, however, improve productivity for Pros who can use the tool to speed up these tasks. In some of the shops we work with, several tools will stay configured for particular jobs so no reconfiguring is needed to accomplish a particular project step. We could see a Festool ETS 125 REQ dedicated to edge-sanding.

Price and Availability

Expect the Festool Edge Sanding Guide to hit stores in early October. The kit comes with base runners and a hex key, and it will retail for $99.

For more information about the attachment, visit Festool by clicking here.

Festool Edge Sanding Guide Specs

• Model: Festool 205316
• Product Type: Sander accessory
• Angle Adjustment: 43° – 92°
• Edge Height: 3/16 in. – 2-3/8 in. (5-60mm)
• Works With: Festool ETS/ETSC 125 sanders
• Price: $99

The post Festool Edge Sanding Guide appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

The frustrating search for your spanner wrench is coming to an end with the new Bosch X-Lock grinder and wheel system. It looks like a wheel attachment system that will change the grinder game the same way Starlock did for multi-tools. I got my hands on the new 10-amp paddle switch grinder and a handful of accessories to try out.

What is the Bosch X-Lock Interface?

What makes this interface tough is that you have to secure a wheel that’s spinning 10,000 RPM or more and deals with a lot of force. So far, there hasn’t been much straying away from the classic flange nut, so the idea of a tool-free option is really appealing.

From the grinder, the X-Lock mechanism slips inside the wheel similar to any normal grinder and wheel combination. What’s different is that there’s a unique shape that has to line up before it can lock.

To set the wheel, rotate it around until its pattern matches the flange, then push it down until it clicks. That extends the two pieces out that hold the wheel against the spindle.

There’s an audible click when your wheel connects properly. When it’s time to change wheels, a lever in the front releases the lock and ejects the wheel in place of using a wheel lock and spanner wrench.

By creating a system that prevents free spinning on the arbor and holds the wheel tight against the spindle, it doesn’t require the surface area and tension of a traditional grinder flange.

Does it Really Hold as Well?

I didn’t have any questions about the capability of this 4-1/2″, 10-amp grinder. What I really want to know was whether the cutting and grinding experience is the same under load.

The cutting and grinding disks I used didn’t slip at all under even a heavy load. I didn’t feel any abnormal flex, either. That’s not a surprise, though. If you take a close look at the interface, the way it fits ensures that the wheel can’t slip unless you happen to install it incorrectly, which I haven’t found a way to do.

The only install user failure I’ve seen is not getting the accessory to fully click into place. Even then, it just falls right off before you start the grinder up.

Can I Use Bosch X-Lock Accessories on Standard Grinders?

On the accessories side, Bosch tells us that most will be backward compatible with standard 7/8″ mount grinders. That’s good news for any shop that wants to stock one brand of wheels and has both X-Lock and standard grinders.

Where you run into incompatibility is on something like the cup brush that isn’t threaded and doesn’t let your spanner wrench get deep enough to install.

You can’t use standard accessories on an X-Lock grinder at all.

What X-Lock Grinders Are Available?

Currently, you have three basic classes of Bosch X-Lock grinders: 10-amp, 13-amp, and 18V cordless. The corded models have a couple of options each.

• GWX18V-50PCN Cordless Connected-Ready X-Lock Grinder (18V): $199.00
• GWX13-50VSP 5″ X-Lock Variable Speed Grinder with Paddle Switch (13A): $149.00
• GWX13-50 5″ X-Lock Grinder (13A): $149.00
• GWX10-45DE 4-1/2″ X-Lock Grinder with Paddle Swtich (10A): $99.00
• GWX10-45E 4-1/2″ X-Lock Ergonomic Grinder (10A): $99.00
• GWX10-45PE 4-1/2″ X-Lock Ergonomic Grinder with Paddle Switch (10A): $99.00

What X-Lock Accessories Are Available?

There are roughly 50 Bosch X-Lock accessories at the moment, and I’m not going to try to list all of them. Here’s a list of the types you can find, though. Feel free to scroll through all of the options here.

• Cutting Wheels
• Grinding Wheels
• Flap Disks
• Segmented Diamond Wheels
• Continuous Diamond Wheels
• Brushes
• Cup Brushes

The Bottom Line

Bosch’s X-Lock system is incredibly convenient and easy to use. It locks grinder accessories down tight and doesn’t have any negative effect on the feel of your grinding. The accessories are a little more expensive than their non-X-Lock counterparts from Bosch, so take that into consideration.

Buy it if you spend a lot of time changing grinder wheels, hate forgetting where you last set your spanner wrench down, or simply like the idea of how much more convenient the interface is. Pass if you’re fine with your current system and don’t want a bump in your consumables cost.

The post Bosch X-Lock Grinder and Wheels – No More Spanner Wrenches! appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

Spyder Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel Powers Through the Daily Grind

Spyder recently released its Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel, a 4-1/2″ abrasive wheel that has no problem tearing through just about any material without losing diameter. We got our hands on it and cut through a variety of metals to see how well it performs.

Pros

• Lasts up to 100x as long as bonded abrasives
• Doesn’t lose diameter over its life
• More stable cutting
• Lower cost per cut than bonded abrasives
• Lower cost than Lenox MetalMax

Cons

• Higher initial cost than bonded abrasives ($7.50 per wheel)
• Cuts slower than abrasive wheels

Using the Spyder Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel

As the name might suggest, the Spyder Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel’s primary feature revolves around its diamond abrasive edge that makes it suitable for cutting just about any material. It can tackle concrete, masonry, aluminum, ceramic tile, stainless steel, cast iron, rebar, composite, pipe, asphalt, and any ferrous metal.

We used the cut-off wheel on metal—cutting through rebar, medium-wall pipe, and angle iron. If you’re going to tackle any concrete cutting/scoring, keep OSHA’s silica dust regulations in mind.

One of the things we really like about moving away from the bonded abrasive is how much more stable diamond wheels are. Spyder’s shatter-resistant steel core also won’t blow apart like conventional bonded abrasive wheels, making these wheels safer to use, especially when you’re training up new guys and gals.

Rather than grinding away slowly like a bonded wheel, these keep their 4-1/2″ diameter throughout the life of the wheel. And because the diamond abrasive doesn’t wear away with each cut, there’s less dust and debris while you use it.

While all of that is great, there is a trade-off to consider. Our bonded abrasives are faster cutting than this Spyder (or any other) diamond wheel. It’s the nature of the beast, but one that we’re generally willing to make.

If you do a ton of serial cutting every day, it’s something that might legitimately slow you down on a cut-by-cut basis. You’ll make some of that time back by not changing wheels as often, though.

How Much Do They Cost?

Spyder claims that their cut-off wheel cuts for less than their competitors due to their diamond abrasive lasting up to 100x longer than conventional wheels. If we do the math, it’s a pretty easy argument to make.

Looking around on Amazon, I found some inexpensive 4-1/2″ cut-off wheels for about $30 (50-pack). Moving over to a brand name wheel, Makita 4-1/2″ cut-off wheels were $45 for 30. Makita claims 2 – 3 times the life of cheap abrasives. Here’s how the cost breaks down based on using 100 bonded abrasives:

• Kseibi (100 wheels): $59.64
• Makita (40 wheels): $60
• Sypder Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel (1 wheel): $7.49

Even though your initial cost is more per wheel, you save a ton of money over the life of the wheel. You even get some significant savings over other diamond wheels. Lenox MetalMax is one that we turn to often. It runs about $15 per wheel while these Spyder wheels are about $15 for a 2-pack ($7.50 each).

The Bottom Line

When you look at the cost per cut, Spyder has significant savings with their diamond wheel. It’s even half the cost of the diamond wheels we normally use. While it cuts slower than bonded abrasives, it’s more stable, doesn’t lose its diameter over its life, and produces less dust.

Buy it if you’re looking for extremely long life from your cut-off wheels or overall cost savings. Pass if cutting speed is your number 1 priority.

Spyder Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel Specs

• Model: Spyder 14001
• Wheel Type: Cut-Off Wheel
• Grit: Diamond Arbor
• Diameter: 4-1/2″
• Thickness: 0.045″
• Arbor Diameter: 7/8″
• For Use With: Concrete, Masonry, Aluminum, Tile, Stainless Steel, Ductile Pipe, Asphalt, Ferrous Metal
• Max Rpm: 13,000
• Warranty: 30-Day
• Price: $14.98 (2-pack) at Lowe’s

The post Spyder Diamond Edge Universal Cut-Off Wheel appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

Metabo Speed-Flex Ceramic Wheel Combines the Aggressiveness of a Grinding Wheel with the Flexibility of a Flap Disk

The new Metabo Speed-Flex Ceramic Wheel promises to give you the aggressive performance of a grinding wheel with the flexibility and relative comfort of a flap disk. It’s a design that impressed the Pro Tool Innovation Awards judging team and made it a 2019 winner.

Metabo Speed-Flex Ceramic Wheel: The Magic is in the Ceramic

At the risk of repeating ourselves, the Metabo Speed-Flex Ceramic Wheel boasts an impressive combination of aggressive performance and flexibility. It’s the ceramic abrasive connected to a fiberglass backing that makes the magic.

The result is grinding performance with a fast removal rate in a relatively lightweight wheel that runs cooler with less noise and dust than comparable abrasive wheels.

It works great on hardened metals, stainless steel, high-tensile alloys, heat-sensitive metals, and much more. Some of the common tasks you might tackle with these include removing weld seams or mill-scale and beveling, among others.

7 Flavors to Choose From

Every member of the Metabo Speed-Flex Ceramic Wheel family is a 36 grit, Type 29 wheel. The differences boil down to wheel and arbor diameters. All but the 5″ size comes with either a 7/8″ or 5/8-11 arbor. Here’s what you have to choose from:

• 4-1/2″ with 7/8″ arbor
• 4-1/2″ with 5/8-11 arbor
• 5″ with 7/8″ arbor
• 6″ with 7/8″ arbor
• 6″ with 5/8-11 arbor
• 7″ with 7/8″ arbor
• 7″ with 5/8-11 arbor

You can see more on Metabo’s website and keep your eyes open for your favorite Metabo retailer to have them in stock. While you’re clicking around, check out some of the other 2019 Pro Tool Innovation Award Winners!

The post Metabo Speed-Flex Ceramic Wheel: Aggressively Flexible appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

APRIL 1, 2018 – Looking at the new Diablo SandNet sanding pads, you’d think all possible sanding innovations have already occurred. You’d be wrong. What if you could sand wood floors standing upright without having to buy or rent one of those large drum sanders? What if you could do it with a tool you probably already own? This week we saw the introduction of the LineSand Sanding Disc System for String Trimmers. This new sanding system is designed to replace the heads on your existing string trimmers. It converts it into a stand-up sanding system for flooring or any application where some extra distance can help.

Editor’s Note: Check out our best gas string trimmer article for our top recommendations.

Redesigning the Floor Sander

For years the best way to sand a floor has been to rent or buy a walk-behind drum floor sander or orbital system. These tools are heavy, expensive, and they make a royal mess. With the new LineSand sanding disc system for string trimmers, you can convert your existing line trimmer into a sanding machine.

The APR1-002 LineSand disc system comes with several interfaces to make it work with just about any string trimmer sold on the market. Of course, if your favorite string trimmer is something like the ECHO SRM-280T string trimmer you may want to make sure you have plenty of ventilation before using it.

And that brings us to what sets apart the LineSand Sanding Disc System from other options. Its lightweight design allows you to make quick work of floors. You just replace the head on your 15″ trimmer, install the LineSand head, and slap on one of the 14-inch sanding pads. Pads are available from 60 grit down to 220.

LineSand has told us that they’ll soon have a model that includes a dust collection port on the shroud. As such, these kick up quite a bit of sawdust as they run.

LineSand Sanding Disc System for String Trimmers Features

• Compatible with most gas and battery-powered string trimmers
• Installs in less than 60 minutes
• Available sanding grits: 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220
• Sanding pad diameter: 14-inches

Closing Thoughts

While the system claims to be universally compatible with all string trimmers, users will find a mix of results when using high torque (2:1 gear ratio) gas line trimmers and models that don’t have the same amount of torque. On the other side, battery-powered models will be much more healthy for indoor use than gas models. In fact, we’re pretty certain it may be illegal to use gas trimmers in enclosed spaces without full respiratory equipment.

Early feedback from users has been mixed. Some say they were able to use it for light sanding duty as well as impromptu indoor “speed hockey” games. Others complained that they passed out too many times when using gas trimmers. As such, your mileage may vary.

For more information, click here.

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How many times have you been in the middle of cutting angle or tubing, to then have to stop and replace your abrasive cutoff wheel? Hand-raised – I know that I have many times. The Lenox MetalMax cutoff wheel may drastically change the rate at which you make these wheel changes. Lenox claims to get up to 30x longer life from their MetalMax wheels, compared to typical abrasives.

We did our best here at Shop Tool Reviews to give this new MetalMax cutoff wheel a good shakedown. Even though Lenox makes the MetalMax wheels from 1″ – 14″, we only had access to the 4-1/2″ cutoff wheel.

Making the most of it, we used our trusty DeWalt FlexVolt 60V grinder for all our testing. Also, we ensured there was a full battery between wheel changes to confirm equal testing. Our conclusion is that performance was equal, but safety and durability was nothing of the same.

Lenox MetalMax Cutoff Wheel Features

• MetalMax delivers 1,000 or more cuts
• Longer Life – Advanced diamond technology provides extreme durability in metal cutting applications
• Diameter retention – because LENOX MetalMax is made with diamonds, it doesn’t get smaller
• Less dust residue – less odor and dust residue as the wheel does not wear down like bonded abrasives
• One wheel, multiple materials – including steel, sheet metal, stainless steel, rebar, cast iron, aluminum**(with cutting wax) and non-ferrous metals.
• Same use – use in the same power tools as bonded abrasive wheels, at the same RPMs and feed forces.

MetalMax Cutoff Wheel Specifications

• Product Number: 1972921
• Diameter: 4-1/2″
• Thickness: .050″
• Arbor: 7/8″
• Power Tool Type: Angle Grinder
• RPM Max: 12,200
• Price: $11.99

Final Cut

Performance of the MetalMax wheel compared to our well-known branded abrasive wheel were very equal, with the edge leaning toward the abrasive – in the beginning. Once the abrasive wheel wore down, after 10 or 15 cuts, the Lenox didn’t change; therefore, the performance edge leaned to the Lenox MetalMax. Durability, Longevity, and Safety has to go to the MetalMax. If these latter three are of any importance, the Lenox MetalMax is a great option for a 4-1/2″ cutoff wheel.

The post Lenox MetalMax Cutoff Wheel Video Review appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

Cut off wheels are one of the wonders of the world, or at least of the shop. Whether it’s cutting on a body panel or cutting the head off a fastener, cut off wheels prove their value many times over. The new Lenox MetalMax abrasive wheels are made to perform better and last longer. If this holds true, then you may want to purchase MetalMax wheels for your die grinder, angle grinder, and chop saw.

Lenox began in 1915 with a 10 employee team and a passion for bringing customers hacksaw blades that cut faster and lasted longer. Now, more than 90 years later, the passion hasn’t changed—but their team has grown to more than 900 people who manufacture and market the LENOX products in more than 70 countries. The ISO 9001-certified facility in East Longmeadow, MA, boasts a 500,000 square ft., 11 acre space for designing, testing and manufacturing power tool accessories, hand tools & band saw blades.

In 2003, LENOX became part of Newell Rubbermaid Inc. Newell Rubbermaid Inc. is a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with sales of approximately $6 billion and a strong portfolio of brands, including Sharpie®, Paper Mate®, DYMO®, EXPO®, Waterman®, Parker®, Rolodex®, IRWIN®, LENOX®, Rubbermaid®, Graco®, Calphalon® and Goody®. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, and has approximately 23,500 employees worldwide.

Lenox MetalMax Cut Off Wheels Features

MetalMax is recommended for many types of material including sheet metal, rebar, cast iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminum and non-ferrous metals. Having one cut off wheel to do all these jobs is a real time saver. One of the differences in these Lenox MetalMax abrasive wheels is the advanced diamond technology. This provides tremendous durability, so you have less downtime and more productivity. These together create a lower cost per cut compared to the typical thin bonded abrasive cut off wheel.

In addition to better performance, the new Lenox MetalMax cut off wheels create less dust residue, and even the odor is reduced. The wheel doesn’t break down or wear down like typical abrasives, so the sparks are created from material being removed, not wheels breaking down. Also, because the Lenox MetalMax abrasive wheels are made with diamonds, the wheel doesn’t get smaller. The user gets the same cut throughout the life of the wheel, the depth doesn’t change. This enables the user to have better control, so the cuts are more precise.

Lenox MetalMax Abrasive Wheels Specifications

Wrap Up

It’s great to see new technology derive in accessories like the Lenox MetalMax cut off wheels. This means you don’t have to spend big money replacing tools. Lenox designed the MetalMax abrasive wheels to be used in the same power tools, while using the same RPMs. In addition, users can use the Lenox wheels just as they would a typical bonded abrasive wheel.

With over 1,000 more cuts delivered from the MetalMax wheels, this majorly decreases the need for wheel changes. This is 30 times longer than the typical bonded abrasive wheel. We really like the way these Lenox MetalMax wheels look, on paper. We are eager to get them on some tools here at the shop and do some cutting. We have a few on the way, and we’ll be sure to share our test results with you, soon.

You can purchase the Lenox MetalMax cut off wheels here.

The post Lenox MetalMax Abrasive Wheels appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

Sanding is one of those tasks that seems easy on the surface, until you’re doing it for hours at a time on a regular basis. You quickly realize the importance of tool, grit, and disc/paper selection, as well as proper technique. There’s not a simple guide that will lead you to the right stuff; it’s just trial and error, and experience. But finding the right combination will leave you with a swirl-free finish, minimal fatigue, and time left over to check out the latest tool reviews on protoolreviews.com. These Diablo sanding discs came in handy, and it was great to see how well they held up to my normal fare.

So far, I’ve settled on the Dynabrade random orbit sanders for my wood sanding. When I first made the switch to pneumatic sanders, I was shocked at the difference. I found they were quieter, quicker, and offered me much more control. After going through a few cheaper brands, I tried the Dynabrade and it was as big a difference as switching from electric to pneumatic in the first place—so drastic, in fact, that I literally ordered a second one from my iPhone Amazon app within an hour of use. For paper selection, I’m 85% settled on PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive) over hook and loop, but there’s a trade-off. With PSA I can’t change out the grit without trashing my current disc. But I feel that I have a better connection with the work surface so I can sand faster at higher grits, and the paper lasts longer.

Attaching the Diablo Sanding Discs

With hook and loop, I can swap out and reuse discs until they’re completely smooth, but there’s a thin cushiony layer between the backing pad and disc. When I’m sanding a lot, I find it’s very noticeable. I also find I have a tendency to apply pressure when using hook and loop to get it to work faster which is the opposite of what you should do for swirl-free results. As for brands, this is where I’m far from settled. Each time I need to order a round of discs I start by searching for something better than what I just had. When I caught wind that Diablo had recently made changes to their sanding discs and that they apparently stack up pretty well against the competition, I eagerly awaited my box of Diablo sanding discs to see how they would compare.

Out of the Box

A couple things to note about the Diablo sanding discs packaging and availability:

5” PSA discs

• Solid only (non-vented)
• 8 grits
• 5pk – 50pk

 5” Hook and Loop discs

• Vented only (universal pattern)
• 6 grits
• 5pk – 50pk

6” PSA discs

• Solid only (non-vented)
• 3 grits
• 5pk

6” Hook & Loop discs

• Vented only (universal pattern)
• 4 grits
• 10pk

If you use 5-inch discs, you’re in luck—whether you use PSA or hook and loop, you have many grits to choose from and several package quantities. If you use 6” discs (I do) you’re limited to fewer grit choices and smaller quantity packages. For me, this is less cost-effective, since I need to purchase 50-100 discs at a time. Regardless of size, you’re limited to hook and loop discs if you want to use dust collection. On the hugely positive side, you can buy all of these at your local Home Depot! I haven’t found another comparable disc within a week of delivery.

Sand in the Place Where You Live ♫♫…

The first thing I noticed about these Diablo sanding discs was how easy it was to get started with both the PSA and the hook and loop discs. The backing plastic peels off of the PSA discs incredibly easily and the hook and loop discs have universal vent holes so there’s no fiddling with alignment. When I first opened the PSA discs, I was disappointed not to see a starter tab for peeling back the plastic. Considering how difficult this step can be on other brands’ discs, I’d grown accustomed to the convenience of a starter tab. But I found it was a non-issue on the Diablo discs. And not having to align each vent hole on the hook and loop means you can literally put the disc on and go.

PSA vs Hook and Loop

In use, I was very impressed with the hook and loop Diablo sanding discs overall. Roughly 90% of all my wood sanding is done with 120-grit, and the Diablo options were 100 or 150. I found the 100-grit Diablo on par with the other brand 100-grit discs I’ve been using lately, and the 150-grit Diablo was surprisingly fast. I felt the 150 removed material almost as fast as the 120 I’d been using but left a smoother finish. It was very impressive!

I still prefer the feel of PSA better than hook and loop, but the Diablo sanding discs hook and loop performance was quite good. In fact, the hook and loop discs lasted as long, if not slightly longer than my others and they clogged less (I use epoxy as wood filler and the discs tend to get clogged when the friction creates too much heat).

The PSA discs I reserved for use on steel with my dual-action sanders. I’ve tested, seemingly, every disc under the sun trying to find the longest life disc for steel sanding (alumina zirconia, aluminum oxide, blue discs, red discs, white discs, oh my!), so I have a decent level of experience and can tell within the first 5 minutes of sanding whether or not the paper will hold up. With the 40- and 80-grit Diablo PSA sanding discs, I was easily going 50% longer than the best I’d found so far.

Diablo Sanding Discs Conclusion

I’d initially thought this was a strict game of durability for steel, but then I noticed how the edges on the Diablo sanding discs were holding up compared to Indasa disc edges. The Indasa discs must be more brittle, so the edges break up and the paper becomes useless on inside corners. I guess I’ve found my new steel discs!

The post Diablo Random Orbit Sanding Discs Review appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.

The RotoZip Zip Disc line includes two new 4” abrasive wheels, Medium and Coarse. They are designed to make quick work of removing coatings and imperfections from metal, wood and concrete. That might be stain from a wooden deck, or rust or paint from metal. RotoZip claims they’re tough enough to use even on concrete. What we like about them is that the discs use a metal back plate instead of the more common plastic, so you can bear down and really get to work. Both ZipDiscs are compatible with the ZipSaw Multi Saw and Spiral+ tools that use the ZipMate attachment.

RotoZip Zip Disc Pricing

Price: $7.95 Medium ZipDisc, $11.98 Coarse ZipDisc. rotozip.com

The post RotoZip Zip Disc Medium and Coarse Abrasive Discs appeared first on Pro Tool Reviews.