STADEA 5" Wet Diamond Polishing Pads Set for Concrete polishing + Rubber Backer (5/8" 11 Threaded)

Story:Well I have bought some Travertine tile that did not have a bull nose tile. We were going to originally going to use the metal edging that you can buy. We decided that we did not like the hard metal edge on the cool stone tile. So we looked for options. There was a local stone worker who would do this for $3-$3.50 per foot. But said they would break about 10% of the tiles. I did not have this much extra tile. Then I went to a stone worker store that sold a similar pad for $15 per pad and $15 for the rubber mount. They went on to tell me that this was so hard to do and not for the home renovator. They had me doubting if I could really bullnose these tiles. Good thing I did not listen. I only have about 40 linear feet of bull nose and with the risk I could ruin some very expensive 12x24" travertine tile I did not want to spend a lot to try this bull nose project. Note: I am a home owner doing renovations not a pro. This was my first time doing anything like this although I am good with the wet saw.Review:These pads work great and it is far easier than I expected. You can easily grind and polish tile to a proper finish that looks professional. It was very easy to feel the stone and find where it needed to be polished more. I was amazed at how easy the 50 grit took off the edge of the tile and how i could tell as I moved through each grit to the 800. The 800 left a very similar finish to the original tile. If you are working with a tile that is finely honed (shiny) then get the package with the higher grits. Also it was great that it only took about 10 minutes per tile to create a bull nose. I'd say that it almost took longer to measure the tile and tape off the 1/4" edge so that I knew how much to polish. I would then remove the tape for the last (800) pad.Make certain that you are using a variable speed grinder. You need to go slow. These are great pads and seem like they will last a long time. Biggest issue is now I want to do another stone project. It's kinda fun.

These pads worked well for wet grinding limestone.

I purchased these pads along with a STADEA buffer. Both are well constructed and I would recommend them. One issue is with the 5" rubber backer. The water from the buffer is delivered through the central mounting shaft such that the water exits through the central hole of the buffing pads. However, the rubber backer is solid and does not have a center hole to allow water to escape. Even when I turn the water on full pressure its unable to exit and absolutely no water comes out. I posted a question asking whether I'm supposed to drill a central exit hole in the backer, and someone named Mike responded "No". I think this is incorrect. I drilled a small central hole in the rubber backer for the water to exit through the pad hole, and it now works great.

Worked GREAT for my concrete counter tops. The courser grits do wear out faster but I was able to finish the entire job. I had exactly 20 feet of counter top (26" deep) and I would say that is about all you can expect to get out of the 50 and 100 grit pads. The 200, 400, and 800 grits could probably go up to 40-60 feet of counter top. I was a little concerned about only going up to 800 grit where other kits had up to 3000. I think anything over 800 would have been pointless on concrete.

These pads worked well. Some reviewers complain that they don't last long. No different than using sandpaper, sooner or later they wear out, depends on what you are working on and how much effort you have to put into the sanding/polishing. I used these to grinds, sand and polish concrete countertops and they worked great.

The 400 grit was warped and cracked so severely it could not be used. These pads are not even flexible enough to lay flat on a rigid aluminum backer. They even cause the rubber backer to flex and conform to their warped shape. I've used a lot of cheap pads over the years to achieve a great finish some requiring more skill and effort than others, but I wouldn't use these even if they were free.

I have used other pads in the past and these are TERRIBLE. I believe their grit is correct, and they do polish, but they don't last at all. Oddly, it was the 400 and 800 grit that were the worst. This is not my first rodeom but I guarantee it will be my last with these pads. A total waste of money!

1000 grit burns very fast and leaves a yellow resin to stain the concrete if you don't wash away right away. Velcro on the rubber backer started to come off worry its not gonna last more then just this project. Use water with all pads is recommended. for smooth results.