# Sandpaper change at Home Depot



## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

I went to Home Depot the other day to get sandpaper and was surprised to see their entire sandpaper line up had changed. They usually carried Norton products like Norton 3X. Now all the Norton stuff is gone and 3M is in its place. The "brand" of sandpaper was 3M "precision pro." I've never seen it before. Though I suspect it's the same as the 3M "Sandblaster" with different colors.

Oh, and they had a couple of grits of 3M garnet sandpaper as well.

Has this happened to anyone else? Am I behind the curve? I was quite surprised. I'm trying out the 3M paper now to see what I think of it.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

HD and Lowe's are in a constant battle over who has what line of anything. Remember the clamp deal not too long ago? Kinda like WalMart. Just when ya think that ya know where somethin' is located, they reset the store.
3M just made HD a better deal than what they had from Norton.
Bill


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## Sigung (Nov 20, 2013)

All I could find yesterday at HD was Diablo sandpaper.


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## stevepeterson (Dec 17, 2009)

I suspect that they are trying their best to keep from raising prices, so they went with a cheaper supplier. I don't know what the quality is like, but I have my suspicions.


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

I was wondering if it was a price thing as well. But 3M sandpaper costs pretty much the same as Norton. And 3M does make quality stuff. Maybe 3M gave Home Depot a whack of cash to carry their products. I think having Norton stuff kicked out of Home Depot would be a rather big blow to Norton.

Lowe's appears to have an exclusive type of 3M sandpaper called Sandblaster Advanced or some such. It appears you can only get it at Lowe's. It *is* slightly different than their other stearated papers in that the backing appears to be slightly thicker.

So far I'm familiar with three brands of 3M stearated, open coat papers: Sandblaster. Which I can find at Fred Meyer and Ace Hardware (sometimes). Sandblaster Advanced, which is exclusive to Lowe's, and this new "Precision Pro" stuff at Home Depot.

I'm still not sure what the difference between the three is supposed to be. The most obvious difference is color of the papers. For example, in 60 grit, regular Sandblaster is green. The Advanced version from Lowe's is brown. The new Home Depot stuff is reddish purple. All have sticky back paper (which I love). The Advanced stuff from Lowe's lasts a little longer than the others, but not substantially.

Why in heaven's name do we need three lines of 3M sandpaper? And there are probably a dozen more in the professional market. Ideas?


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

It's very likely that the actual sandpaper is the same between Advanced and Precision Pro, but differs only in color and packaging.

The mattress industry is famous for having different labels for different retailers all for essentially the same mattress, which differs only in name and inessential things like the fabric designs. It makes comparison shopping very difficult, and allows the mattress retailers to set prices based on margins rather than competition.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Just go to Klingspor better quality & pricing


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

I've used some of the Klingspor stuff and it's fine. But if I need to snag some sheets and discs it's a lot easier to just run down to a store and snag whatever they've got.

I noticed something else today. The Home Depot near me used to carry mostly if not exclusively Irwin clamps. They also carried a small Irwin Marples Japanese style pull saw that I love. I've probably gone through a dozen of the things. That saw isn't there anymore. The closest equivalent was a DeWalt pull saw.

I wonder if they're changing suppliers for a bunch of their products. I did notice they still carry only Diablo sanding discs and belts.

I hope they don't stop carrying Titebond glue and Diablo saw blades.


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## rustfever (May 3, 2009)

Isn't it great that we are victim to 'Big-Box Bean Counters' who purchase only by price?

I will no longer subscribe to this system. I have determined I will only purchase those product that have been proven to enhance my work. I will no longer purchase just what the 'Big Box' store is trying to sell.


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## hotncold (Mar 4, 2014)

> Isn t it great that we are victim to Big-Box Bean Counters who purchase only by price?
> 
> I will no longer subscribe to this system. I have determined I will only purchase those product that have been proven to enhance my work. I will no longer purchase just what the Big Box store is trying to sell.
> 
> - rustfever


+100


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

Thankfully they didn't switch to some crap brand of sandpaper. 3M makes good stuff. I've used some truly awful sandpaper though. Harbor Freight's paper is awful (though their sanding sponges are ok). I haven't liked the red colored "Gator Grit" paper, though their garnet paper is ok.

The new 3M paper seems to clog up a bit more than Norton 3X. Though it may just be that I'm noticing it more because the sanding dust shows up more on red paper than white colored grains of the Norton papers.

The change must be a lot of stores if not all. I couldn't even find Norton or Irwin products on their web site anymore. That's got be a hell of a blow to those companies.


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

> I ve used some of the Klingspor stuff and it s fine. But if I need to snag some sheets and discs it s a lot easier to just run down to a store and snag whatever they ve got.
> 
> I noticed something else today. The Home Depot near me used to carry mostly if not exclusively Irwin clamps. They also carried a small Irwin Marples Japanese style pull saw that I love. I ve probably gone through a dozen of the things. That saw isn t there anymore. The closest equivalent was a DeWalt pull saw.
> 
> ...


More fallout from the brand swapping upheaval. I would be very shocked if Home Depot stopped stocking Titebond (who would they possibly go to???) or Diablo (keeping Freud as the manufacturer…lets hope that doesn't change like with their Avanti line)


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

3M is good, Klingspor is very good, Norton is great; although Klingspor has a heavier backing paper which is nice. I keep wanting to try Abranet but haven't taken that plunge.


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## pmtottawa (Dec 20, 2012)

our local HD here in Ottawa Canada still carries the full line of Norton sandpaper and sanding blocks.

So know this, should I be stocking up before our supply changes over as well.

pMT


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

around these parts HD is stocking only the red Diablo branded sand paper for 5" disks


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

The only sanding discs I've seen at Home Depot has been the Diablo ones for a long time. I guess they're not changing that.

I don't suppose anyone knows why they've made this change? I checked the news sources and didn't see any kind of announcement from 3M or Home Depot. I would have thought 3M would be trumpeting their triumph.

After using the 3M paper more I still think it needs more stearate. Other than that, it's fine.


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## BikerDad (Jul 16, 2008)

> I would be very shocked if Home Depot stopped stocking Titebond (who would they possibly go to???) - paxorion


Elmer's. They have a comparable line of woodworking glues.


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## Blackcatbone (Sep 14, 2014)

Hey, new here, but will jump in the fray. I haven't noticed the switch yet but I really dislike the no-slip backing on the 3M paper. I mostly use 1/4 sheets on my finishing sander and if I have a lot to do I'll put two on the sander at once. Don't like how gummy it is and how it sticks to the pad and bottom sheet. Agreed with the above that Harbor Freight is crap. Not that satisfied with Diablo discs and was in HF the other day looking at their's but decided against it. I'll have to have a look around to see if I can find Norton elsewhere. Fortunately I live near a number of small hardware and more industrial type shops so someone will have to have Klingspor or Norton.


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## skatefriday (May 5, 2014)

This is what I like to call "the illusion of choice". Walk into a cavernous
store and you assume that they must have a great selection of products.
But in reality you have a mediocre selection of one brand of products
and very little choice.


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## Henndoe (Oct 22, 2012)

I used the purple 3 m stuff on a new 1/4 sheet sander I got and the sticky backing to it made it stick to the pad and would not come off at all. It ripped the pad to the sander it was on there so bad. It created some kind of heat/ friction glue bond so be careful with it.


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

I am not a fan of the Diablo brand sandpaper. HD went over to it when they started stocking the Diablo blades, love the blades, and the router bits, etc….. Can't remember what Lowes went to, but I didn't like it. I found the Norton's at McCoy's here in town, bought about 150 of each grit and be done with it for awhile.


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

I should probably specify that I only use the sticky back paper in a handing sanding block. I actually love the sticky backing because I can fold over a piece of sandpaper and use it more easily. But yeah, I could see how heat could bond it rather nastily to a power sander.

All the 3M paper I've seen now has the sticky back. I wonder if they even make sanding sheets that aren't sticky back now (at grits below 400).


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## paxorion (Oct 19, 2012)

> I would be very shocked if Home Depot stopped stocking Titebond (who would they possibly go to???) - paxorion
> 
> Elmer s. They have a comparable line of woodworking glues.
> 
> - BikerDad


They stock both Titebond, Elmers, and Gorilla Glue around my neck of the woods. I'm happy that Lowes stocks Titebond III in store. Cheapest I found for that glue.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I like the Elmer's glue a little better because it grabs fast but that means you don't have as much open time.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

One other "brand" of paper/belts at the local Lowes. Shopsmith seems to have their own line. Costs a bit more, too.


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

My local Lowe's stocks only the Sandblaster "Pro" sandpaper. I actually quite like this stuff because the paper is thicker than the others and it's slightly less prone to shedding grit than other papers.

Lowe's here also has Shop Smith sanding discs. They're actually pretty good. Probably better than Diablo.

I have to wonder if Freud contracts out their abrasives to someone else like Norton, 3M, Klingspor, etc. Their "core" business appears to be blades and bits.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

In many cases the brands a store carries may be dependent other products, from the same vendor, they want to offer to their customers.

For example "if you want to sell our adhesives, you must also sell our sandpaper"!

A very simplistic example which in some cases may go as deep as where on the shelf and which shelves their products are placed.


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## Purrmaster (Sep 1, 2012)

It does appear, at least at my Home Depot, that Norton stuff has been thrown out in favor of 3M. Not just the sandpaper sheetsbut the sanding sponges, drywall screens, emery cloth, the works.

That's a good point. Perhaps 3M twisted their arm as well as offered them a deal. Though I'd think a retailer as large as Home Depot would have suppliers over a barrel.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Probably more carrot than stick. The more of our products you sell, the better deal we give and the more golf trips we buy for your executives.


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## LaneLaser (Aug 26, 2014)

Keep checking back to home depot because I just got a large discount on some 10 packs of Norton Sand Paper sheets ($3). Needless to say I stocked up on what they had still there!


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