Shoutout to the guy who told me to stop buying cheap sanding discs

I used to grab the bargain bin packs from the big box store, thinking I was saving cash. Went through a whole 50 pack on one quarter panel repair last month, they just loaded up and died instantly. That was about $15 down the drain and an extra hour of work. A veteran painter at a supply shop in Tacoma finally convinced me to try a mid-grade brand. The difference is insane, they last three times longer and cut way better. What other 'cheap' supplies have you guys found are actually costing more?

4 comments

4 Comments

willowg881mo ago

Honestly, that "saving cash" idea is such a trap. Tbh, calling a 50-pack for $15 a bargain is where the problem starts. Ngl, even a mid-grade disc costs more than that per piece, so you're comparing totally different things. The cheap ones are basically just paper with grit glued on. You really have to see the price per disc that actually works, not the price per pack of stuff that falls apart.

lily571mo agoMost Upvoted

Actually, I've had some of those cheap discs last through a whole car. They just wear out faster, which is fine if you're doing light work.

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the_brian1mo ago

You ever try those cheap discs from Harbor Freight? Honestly, I grabbed a pack once for a quick job on my old Civic and they held up okay for light sanding. But as soon as I hit any real rust or thicker paint, yeah they just fell apart like paper mache. I ended up burning through the whole pack way faster than I expected. For me, the mid-range ones from the auto parts store wound up costing less in the long run because I wasn't swapping them out every five minutes.

ward.jamie1mo ago

Yeah, that's a fair point about light use. My old beater truck was similar. Found the bargain discs just turned to dust if you leaned into them at all, though. Ended up going through way more of them on one real project than a few good ones would have used. The time spent changing them constantly got old fast, honestly.