Hoya ND8 filter...good? Bad?

Hi guys,

I've been shooting with Light Craft Workshop's variable ND filters for years, but I'm thinking about switching it up and seeing how I like a straight up ND filter. I found one locally for about 31 bucks, which is pretty decent for a high-quality, multi-coated filter.

Question is...are they any good? (I'm thinking mostly about colour cast, loss of sharpness/contrast, etc).

I'm mostly happy with the LCW filter, but since I use them on UWAs, they do tend to have the cross-hatch effect when I stop it down too much, so I don't think it's the most efficient option. I have to leave it only about halfway closed (maybe ND4-6 equivalent?) to get even exposure across the frame in a lot of situations.

Also...is ND8 good enough for waterfalls, fountains, etc during the day?

Thanks,
T