Thread: Chinese cutting disks not equal to Flexovit

I use SMITH AND ARROW disks found on Ebay and find them better that any other disk I have used, Including flexovit..And no I have nothing to do with them exept being a happy customer..

Originally Posted by matthew_g

I use SMITH AND ARROW disks found on Ebay and find them better that any other disk I have used, Including flexovit..And no I have nothing to do with them exept being a happy customer..

Haven't used Smith and Arrow myself, but I got hold of a heap of Fischer brand discs, and they last about 5 times as long as the Flexovits. Believe the price is around the same as the Flexovit ones, not sure where to actually get them retail though (bought through a rep in my trade).

Originally Posted by Jekyll and Hyde

Haven't used Smith and Arrow myself, but I got hold of a heap of Fischer brand discs, and they last about 5 times as long as the Flexovits. Believe the price is around the same as the Flexovit ones, not sure where to actually get them retail though (bought through a rep in my trade).

These ones ?
Metal Cutting Discs, 4Inch, Pack Of 10 | eBay
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Metal-Cut...-/120574776249

I have been using some bunnings brand and they weren't so good found a couple of Flexovites in the bottom of my toolbox and they last so much longer but if those are the ones your talking about J&H I may order some as I am on my last flexi disk and I dont want to go back to what I was using.

Originally Posted by matthew_g

I use SMITH AND ARROW disks found on Ebay and find them better that any other disk I have used, Including flexovit..And no I have nothing to do with them exept being a happy customer..

Hi Mathew,
Ben from Smith and Arrow joined here a while back and offered our member LordBug a pack of 25 x 180mm x 1.6mm INOX grade Cutting wheels for free, but he never reported back.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/private.php?do=showpm&pmid=338013

http://www.smithandarrow.com.au/splash-page.html

I inquired about them via PM and he offered to send me a box of 10 x 230mm x 2mm INOX cutting wheels, which I thought was a generous offer, but I suppose if you have a good product you want the word out their.

All he asked (in his words) was that if I felt comfortable that I could offer a fair and balanced perspective taking into account value for money verses the quality of the product to put my thoughts on the forum.

I am a bit late with everything that has gone on this year, but my reports are all good and will be using these in the future when my other size stocks run out.
They turned up within 3 days and where in there own cardboard box and the disc's where shrink plastic wrapped together inside.

I found they are just as good as the more expensive ones I have been using for years and last just as long, (maybe longer). Some of the Flexovit ones I have been getting just seem to disappear after a few cuts.

So this is another vote for Smith and Arrow INOX disc's.

Usual disclaimer, I don't have anything to do with the company other than being asked to try them and give my opinion. If they where bad I would say so, as I am not going to mislead you guys into buying rubbish. From looking at the website these guys are setup world wide.

I often see those 1mm thick Chinese disc's for around a $1 or less each at the local markets and cheap shops, but have never tried them because of fear of explosion. I don't usually use a guard on the smaller 4-5inch machines because of the awkwardness and like my fingers. LOL

Dave

Originally Posted by WillyInBris

These ones ?
Metal Cutting Discs, 4Inch, Pack Of 10 | eBay
Metal Cutting Discs, 5Inch, Pack Of 25 | eBay

I have been using some bunnings brand and they weren't so good found a couple of Flexovites in the bottom of my toolbox and they last so much longer but if those are the ones your talking about J&H I may order some as I am on my last flexi disk and I dont want to go back to what I was using.

Not quite the same as mine... Picture below (you think I could find the bloody things online anywhere?). Mine make mention of stainless steel on them, might have something to do with the way they last?

Good find Dave, and shamefully I've been shockingly, well, shocking with getting my opinion on the discs down. Much like too many of my projects embarrassingly

Simple opinion on the 180mm discs though, brilliant. I couldn't track down anything similar, so my comparison group wasn't all that fantastic, but they work and last better than what I did manage to compare them against.
There have been a few times where they've been pinched between the metal I've been cutting, and once or twice the cut ended sooner than I expected and I hit what was behind with a bit of force, but the discs didn't explode much to my surprise (And thankfulness!), only a small piece would crumble off gently.

I also subsequently purchased a pack of 100mm discs, and their performance for the price has been stellar. Life feels equal to more expensive discs, if not better (I haven't used a Flexovit in a long time now), and because of that and having a large pack I feel more comfortable using them a tad rougher. I find they do a much better job of getting paint off surfaces prior to welding than a grinding disc or stripper disc (For so much less!)

They've got my support too, so I really need to do a better write up on them.


No affiliation, just received a free packet of 180mm discs to test out some time back.

Don't worry your not the only one, I got my disc's around the same time as you and am only now saying something about them when this thread came up.
I was always going to get around to doing a right up and have even kept the PM from him all this time to quote it.
It's good to hear a few peoples thoughts on them, so it's not just me thinking/saying they are good.

I should have said earlier, Thanks Ben.

Dave

Nice of you guys to reccomend better disks now that I've finished cutting . Good thing there is always more metal to cut.

I think these are the same as the chinese disks I got from bunnings
Rocket 10pk Thin Cutting Discs Metal 100x1x16mm 100mm | eBay

I note that it works out cheaper to buy Smith & Arrow from ebay ($55 free postage) than their online shop ($52.25 + post).

I use the Smith and Arrow 125mm x1mm discs exclusively now (previously I would buy Flexovit). I have never done any testing back to back with flexovit but I would be willing to bet they perform just as well, and they are around 1/4 of the price.

I have recently bought a box of the smith and arrow flappers too which im keen to try.

Im pretty sure the Smith and Arrow stuff is made in China...can anyone confirm or deny this?

Originally Posted by LordBug

and I hit what was behind with a bit of force, but the discs didn't explode much to my surprise (And thankfulness!)

Originally Posted by LordBug

I also subsequently purchased a pack of 100mm discs, and their performance for the price has been stellar.

I was wondering if these were any good. I've got some 100mm INOX disks. I was pretty happy with them but not having done a proper comparison I always wonder. I doubt I could get over 2m of cut through 10mm steel in just a few disks though!

I shattered one the other day (operator error) but found the majority of the disk remained attached. So happy enough on that front too. Cheers - Mick

Originally Posted by WelderMick

I was wondering if these were any good. I've got some 100mm INOX disks. I was pretty happy with them but not having done a proper comparison I always wonder. I doubt I could get over 2m of cut through 10mm steel in just a few disks though!

I shattered one the other day (operator error) but found the majority of the disk remained attached. So happy enough on that front too. Cheers - Mick

Was that a 1mm disc that shatered?

Dave

Yep 1mm. Caught the side on a sharp edge and took a quarter segment off the disk. Cheers - Mick

ive come across the tool name brand disks when purchasing a grinder like makita or hitachti or even makita and you get a few free disks (absoluts waste of space they are), personally only ever used flexovit disc's, proven in fabrication industry as a superior product.

as for disc's shattering, yes it it operator error and in the hands of an unskilled user can prove to be extremely hazardous.

had one shatter on me a while ago, a skinny cutting disc, was cutting a door out of 10mm wall thikness pipe and on the final cut the pipe grabbed the disk and shattered it spraying me with fine particles of disc, left me standing there feeling for wounds and blood, fortunatly i got away with it but, i learnedmy lesson there and then, tack it in place before you make the final cut if you dan't want a peice if disc lodged in your head.

Here is a bit of a story about a grinder when I was young.

When I was around 17, a mate that lived across the road and 3 houses down came over and asked me to help finish cutting his old Datsun car in half to get rid of it, as his other mate (Greg) had left half way through. He wasn't real good with tools and wouldn't use the grinder, a orbital sander was about his limit.LOL

No problems I said and headed over their. He gave me the 9 inch grinder which was plugged in ready to go and I noticed strait away it had a piece of wooden dowel with some eleco tap around it as a handle. His father had passed away and left him his tools but it had no handle on it, so he thought the tight fitting slip in dowel was good enough for a handle.
So I went and had a look what needed to be done which was the tunnel. When I was looking I noticed what looked like blood on the floor, and I asked about it he said, yea Greg was cutting and it grabbed, the handle came out and the grinder hit him in the mouth. I asked where he was and he said he was up the hospital.

Of course I didn't do the job and I couldn't believe he was now asking me to do it., A few hours latter Greg came back with 9 stitches in his lips and nose and it had ground half of tooth.
All this was because the cutting disk had jambed on the tunnel when the car started to collapse inward because it was supported on each end, then the bodgy wooden handle came out as he had the handle on the underside of the grinder when he was cutting.
He is lucky it didn't do more damage.

The car ended up going as it was because no one would use that grinder.

Dave