I've started my project of removing my floor I spent 2 days about 2 years ago laying it but I realized I made some mistakes (posted about it in the Yikes section).

Short story- I knocked down 2 walls and needed to extend the existing hardwood floor. I plan to go all the way into the next room so I never quite "finished" the project. Before I dove too far into it, I'm going to correct the problems.

1) The planks are just a bit wider then what's already there so the end of my weave started bunching up.

2) I realized now I bought flat sawn wood rather than rift and quartered, like the rest of the house. I realize the floor would never match perfectly but the pattern is so far off it bothers me.

Sooo, I've been pretty successful removing the planks with a WonderBar and rubber hammer. I used Bostitch cleats driven in with a pneumatic nailer. I plan to still use the existing wood in less critical areas (under the cabinets and fridge).

How do you get the cleats out of the boards? Ive tried hammering them out but they like to bend. It's very time consuming to do so. Can I just cut them off with a cut off wheel? Any thoughts?

Takes time. They have to be straightened first then backed out gingerly with a hammer. I don't see why cutting them off would pose any problems. Just make sure they're out of sight.