Can we talk about how different my sandpaper pile looks after switching to a random brand?

I been using the same box of 3M sandpaper for like 2 years, 80 to 220 grit. Then I grabbed a cheap pack of something called 'Turbo Grit' at a hardware store in Toledo last month because I was out. After one cabinet door I saw the difference - the Turbo stuff loaded up with dust in 20 seconds flat. The 3M stuff would still cut clean after a whole drawer. I ended up tossing the Turbo roll after 3 doors. Has anyone else tried a no-name brand that just flat out wastes your time?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan_king361mo ago

Ngl you probably got the wrong kind of abrasive for what you're doing. Cheap sandpaper usually skimps on the bonding resin but if you're blasting through a cabinet door that fast maybe the issue is you're pressing too hard. I've used random hardware store brand rolls for years and they cut just as long as 3M if you let the grit do the work. Turbo Grit might be a bad batch but plenty of no-name brands actually hold up better than the big names because they use coarser grains that don't clog as easy. Honestly sounds like operator error more than the paper.

lunah121mo ago

@morgan_king36 might have a point about technique but for me it's about trusting the brand. There's a bigger pattern here where the little stuff you buy everyday either works with you or against you, and cheap sandpaper is just one of those things that can kill your whole vibe. Save yourself the headache and stick with what works.

the_parker1mo ago

Nah, cheap sandpaper's just garbage most of the time... life's too short to fight with it.