Are Shimano 4-piston MT-420 and M7120 the same brakes with different paint?

[tomato paste]

We have MT-420 4-piston brakes and were considering upgrading to M7120, but I can't find any technical specification that differentiates the two. As far as I can tell, these might be the same things with different paint jobs. Anyone know for certain if there's a meaningful difference?

The grips seems to be meaningfully different, so if they are the same, we might see if we can run the M7100 grips with the MT-420 brakes?

 

[Mcharza]

We have MT-420 4-piston brakes and were considering upgrading to M7120, but I can't find any technical specification that differentiates the two. As far as I can tell, these might be the same things with different paint jobs. Anyone know for certain if there's a meaningful difference?

The grips seems to be meaningfully different, so if they are the same, we might see if we can run the M7100 grips with the MT-420 brakes?

Have you checked this Shimano site?
MT-420 BR-MT420
SLX BR-M7120

 

[tomato paste]

Have you checked this Shimano site?
MT-420 BR-MT420
SLX BR-M7120

I have, strangely Shimano doesn't provide any performance metrics other than % change (in some cases, not all). So a direct comparison isn't possible. This kind of data presentation leads me to the conclusion that Shimano is likely concealing data from the public, maybe because the performance of the brakes is so similar. But, I don't know that with any certainty, I was hoping a mechanic here might know a definitive answer.

I have XT Deore 8020 4-piston brakes on my bike and XT Deore grips, and my wife has the MT-420 4-piston brakes with matching grips--and the difference is night and day. So, I don't know why my brakes feel like a shark bite while my wife's feel like a half dead minnow--something is wildly different, but I'm wondering if it's the grips rather than the brakes, ironically enough.

 

[Mcharza]

I have, strangely Shimano doesn't provide any performance metrics other than % change (in some cases, not all). So a direct comparison isn't possible. This kind of data presentation leads me to the conclusion that Shimano is likely concealing data from the public, maybe because the performance of the brakes is so similar. But, I don't know that with any certainty, I was hoping a mechanic here might know a definitive answer.

I have XT Deore 8020 4-piston brakes on my bike and XT Deore grips, and my wife has the MT-420 4-piston brakes with matching grips--and the difference is night and day. So, I don't know why my brakes feel like a shark bite while my wife's feel like a half dead minnow--something is wildly different, but I'm wondering if it's the grips rather than the brakes, ironically enough.

Have you bleeded both brakes, because that makes huge different. Also changing the oil.

 

[tomato paste]

Have you bleeded both brakes, because that makes huge different. Also changing the oil.

It's a new bike, that would be a bit strange wouldn't it?

 

[tomato paste]

Assuming you have the same pads and rotors?

200 vs 180, and likely different pads.

 

[Mcharza]

It's a new bike, that would be a bit strange wouldn't it?

I agree with the oil, but I wouldn’t swear it’s bleeded right at the factory. Do they have the same brake pads?

 

[knut7]

New brakes can feel pretty bad at first, they need some bedding-in.

 

[Jackware]

If they're the same pads can you swap them over to see if the braking changes?

It may be as others have said different pad materials used as well as how you and your wife bedded them in?