Got the belts from Heleta. Originally, they only sent me the 2X72's I ordered, not the 6X48's. To their credit, A simple email furnished the 6X48 belts in a second shipment.
Here are the belts (the few to the left laying on top are Klingspor and something USA).
another shot
I'm sure Polish Avenger is correct on the Chinese origin of these belts. Nothing screams Chinese, but they do have a generic look. I was going to do a side-by-side comparison, but I realized I don't have time or money to waste proven belts for the purpose of a test only.
I did test two Heleta AO grits today during the course of normal business. A 120 grit on a big bevel grind, and a 36 grit on a hogging mission.
Both belts were undersized in width, .040-.060. The 120 grit on my glass platen tracked fine but had really bad bump. I switched to my 120 blaze pretty quick.
I used the 36 grit to hog 1/2" mild steel with a contact wheel. Because it was narrower than my wheel by just a bit, I was cautious at the edges. I didn't have any bump issues, but that makes sense considering the application. The 36 grit cut great and held up great. I would say it was a good hogger if it wasn't narrow.
I will post further experiences with these belts. For now, I'm not recommending them except to say that they seem relatively durable in an abrasive sense, but quality control is what you would expect from a $0.93-$1.06 belt.
