Totally inert, no issues.

I think the misinformation was about screening and recoating a site finished and doing a board replacement. On site finished if you have a problem its much harder to do a single board replacement and have it blend. Most times you would have to resand the entrire floor to make it look good. With factory fiished a single board could be replaced without resanding adjoining areas. Either could be screened and recoated without sanding. Comments about factory finishes scratching are sometimes due to the fact that with multi coat products the almunium oxide is left off the top coat. It tends to look milky and the idea is to make the top coat easy to repair when scratches occur so its often pure urethane with the AO below the top coat.

Everything comes down to personal preference OR site preferences (like slab on grade in Florida). Typically the TYPE OF HOME (concrete slab vs wood joists) will dictate what is optimal. In the world of hardwood flooring, the most sought after wood floor is a site finished floor. That being said, not everyone is "allowed" to have it because of where they live or the type of home they own. This is where engineered hardwood comes in. Or even some forms of factory finished solid. And for people who use Minwax and call it "professional grade material" I say "Hooey!". Minwax is DIY level. The "good" or "better" professionals will use higher grade products. And many of them will use the product of YOUR choosing. That way you can choose your finish, your colour, your chemical profile and your wearability. But the PRICE TAG for these high end finishes can and will double or even TRIPLE the cost of the finish. Yep. I said triple. I know Loba finishes (Loba 2K Supra AT) that goes for $180/gallon! Compare that to $60/gallon for Minwax (if you can find it in 'gallon' sizes....it is illegal in 11 states) and you can see why *some professionals will choose to use Minwax. Minwax MAXIMIZES their profits. Tremendously. And yes, a factory finished hardwood (solid or engineered) will normally come with Aluminum Oxide finish (be careful on this one...the "newest" and cheaper floors are out with only 2 coats of AO instead of 9 coats...cost cutting at its finest for sure). When Aluminum Oxide has 7-15 layers it is SUPER tough. When it is the cheaper finish (ahem...some factories in China are doing this now) with 2 coats of Aluminum Oxide and 7 coats of "urethane" (they will advertise it as 9 coats of durable finish and Aluminum Oxide so they do NOT run into false advertising claims/lawsuits). These "cheap" versions of Aluminum Oxide do NOT wear as well as the HIGH end version (7-15 coats of Aluminum Oxide impregnated urethane). Flooring "snobs" the world over can spot a factory finished floor in a heartbeat. These floors often come with "beveled" edges - those little valleys between each plank. That is the hallmark of factory finished. The SUPER HIGH END "eased edge" plank floors in MULTI-MILLION dollar homes that are both site finished AND have those beveled edges are VERY rare...and we can spot them (and boy are we impressed when we find them! Wooey doggy are we impressed!) It is a particular look that comes with a MASSIVE price tag. But I digress. If you can accept a site finished floor and some of the minor drawbacks, it is always the most prized hardwood. But your home's build type and location may dictate engineered hardwoods...and those are almost always (not all, but MOST) factory finished.

I prefer aluminum oxide on a hickory floor for toughness. If you want a floor that is tough (doesn't get soft) then go with solid. An engineered hardwood is made up of layers. Those layers are the top 'hardwood' layer and then multiple layers of 'plied wood'. Those plies can have small voids. If you feel that some of the current planks are 'softer' it is entirely possible. Your current floor is a veneer (the top layer) made up of many different planks. Which probably means your acacia is short leaf. The short leaf is not as hardy as the long leaf. And short leaf is known for being easier/cheaper for manufacturers.