Which 2X72 belts should I use?

[Chip Griffin]

I just ordered a Grizzly and am wondering what type of belts I should use for it. What do you use and for what type of application? What about price vs endurance?

Thanks

 

[Bugs3x]

Hi Chip. Welcome to the forums!

Afraid I don't know the answer to your question. Am sure others will provide their opinions. In the meantime, you might check out the search feature at the top of the page. Be sure to not only check this forum, but to check out the Archive forum on Shop Talk.

Good luck!

 

[Bruce Bump]

Chip, Welcome to the forum. I think all the 3M belts are the best in the long run. They dont appear to be the cheapest but will cut much longer than the bargain belts.

 

[R.W.Clark]

The Regal Ceramic belts are the back bone of my belt selection. I use them in 50grt, 120grt and 220grt. The are the most exspensive but are well worth the extra cost. These things just keep going and going. On a 2hp grinder, I grind hard, hot and fast and these are the only belts that can keep up with me. Tru-Grit seems to have the best prices on them. Besides those any 3M or Norton belts are a good choice.

<A HREF="http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292475489"><IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/images/album/link/this_album_button.gif" BORDER="0"></A>

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

as you can see the vote gos to the quality belts. i like norton, 3m, and hermes you will find your own preference. for wood/micarta i find the hermes most useful and their super-flex j weight belts work great for slack belt work on blades or handles.

 

[The Zodiac]

The 3m are about the best you can get I tried a 967 3m for the first time last week and it eat steel fast and still had enough standing grit for some more grindingI have to agree with all the above statements,they cost alittle more,which in this case it does make a difference,but they are well worth it in the long run you will go through 5 belts to one 3m and that is going some.Norton hoggers are a good belts for eating steel,put the 3m is my choice.

 

[tmickley]

3M belts are great. Don't forget to try the Trizac versions for finishing.

Regal ceramics also are great as are Nortons in the bigger grits, ie 36, 60, 120. Hog out with either of these. I haven't tried Regal in smaller grits but have in the Nortons and found I have a *slight* bias for 3M.

The more expensive belts last much longer than the cheaper belts, even the '2 for price of 1'. They tend to track much better and the butt joint seam is less of a problem when using smaller grits (120 and smaller). I have found it is cheaper in the long run to use the best quality belts.

Most importantly for me, I can get a significantly better grind line using a better quality belt.

 

[Taz]

I have a grizzly and use the 3M 977 in 40, 80 and 120 grit, then 120 and 220 grit 707 from 3M. I also have hermes j flex in 400, which work nice. I have trizacts in A45 (320 grit) A 30(600grit) and A16(1200 grit). I hate the trizacts for flat grinding. I used the A30 after the blade was a clean 400 belt satin finish very lightly just to make sure I had the small scratches out before i started hand sanding, and i got deep, like 220 grit or deeper scratches and grooves all over the blades