tell me your pads/polishes

D

domsz4

Veteran
I got a nice DAS6 Pro given to me for christmas and now i need to buy some pads and polish etc. i have no idea which to get so any help is welcome.

the polisher came with a 5" and 6" plate with velcro on it

i was thinking i could buy a set that would cover all jobs but the choices seem endless.... maybe i was being hopeful

can anyone give a quick overview of cutting/polishing/buffing etc pads?
 
I get all mine from cleanyourcar.co.uk they have everything you need to get started. I use three pads one is a cutting pad, ones a polishing pad and then a fine glaze pad for the wax. I find the waffle pads work really well. As for the polish I use Meguiars ultimate compound for cutting the swirl out if not to deep and then a stage 2 Meguiars polish. As for wax it depends on the colour of your car. My last car was dark blue and I used DoDo juice blue velvet and it gave a really deep wet look. Now I have a grey z so use high definition wax. But its one of them things you play until you find what works for you.
 
The 3m trio of compounds coupled with their matching pads pretty much cover the whole spectrum. I have the cleanyourcar pads too and they're very good aswell.
 
To a detail enthusiast, you could write a book on pads & polishes. But, I'll try to make some good recommendations. It all depends what your trying to achieve and what the surface is like you are working on.

My advice? Try to stick to one brand of polishes. There are two basic types of polishes today: DAT (Diminishing Abrasive Technology) and SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive Technology). Neither is "better", and both have their advantages - there is also DAT/SMAT combination polishes now as well.

So, you want to you use polishes with top quality abrasive technology. You also want to use polishes that are friendly for a Dual Action Polisher (DA). While there are many great brands, my personal recommendations are based on my experience and what I use.

If the paint is pretty bad, I would stick to Menzerna (DAT) polishes. I say this because the polishes are fairly forgiving and have long work times. They use top notch abrasive technology. The only "issue" with Menzerna is they have so many polishes and compounds choosing the correct ones can be overwhelming if your inexperienced. Going with Menzerna, there isn't much that can't be fixed (defects) with FG400 and SF4000.

If the paint isn't too bad, I would go with Optimum Polishes (SMAT). They aren't as aggressive as Menz polishes, but they are top notch. The work times are long and they are fairly forgiving. The thing with Optimum is you have to use them sparingly. More is less. Using too much of any polish will make removal difficult. Optimum makes 3 conventional polishes, I would pick up all 3 because they aren't too expensive.

For the type of machine you have, I would recommend Buff N Shine pads. All their pads are very high quality (better than Lake Country) and they make a pad for every use. Exactly what pads you will need is impossible to say without seeing what you are working on.
 
Ill 2nd Sim_Simma, 3M pads with the 3m polish (all colour coded)
The green is cutting compound and removes scratches with ease (even by hand)
The yellow is less aggressive and removes lighter marks /scratches and gives paint a deep shine
The Blue is quite oily, very high gloss finish and removes "holograms and swirls".

Cost around £30 each and around £3 per pad but nice big bottle that last AGES as you don't need to use much.

Let us know what you choose

My car was in Very good condition when I had it so I quick pass with the 3m blue pad and polish and here is the result:
image.jpg
 
I got the sonus kit with my DA, various grades of compounds and pads. It's worked Well so far, having said that I do need to give it a right good going over in the near future.
 
welsh_Z said:
Ill 2nd Sim_Simma, 3M pads with the 3m polish (all colour coded)
The green is cutting compound and removes scratches with ease (even by hand)
The yellow is less aggressive and removes lighter marks /scratches and gives paint a deep shine
The Blue is quite oily, very high gloss finish and removes "holograms and swirls".

Cost around £30 each and around £3 per pad but nice big bottle that last AGES as you don't need to use much.

Let us know what you choose

My car was in Very good condition when I had it so I quick pass with the 3m blue pad and polish and here is the result:
image.jpg
Click to expand...

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=59289
 
Argh that's better! :P

Out of curiosity, why did you have a white door!?[/quote]

I bought the car crashed :)
20130814_175341_zpsb15600f6.jpg[/quote]

Wow! Great effort getting her looking sharp again!

More balls than me! :D
 
chrisba said:
Argh that's better! :P

Out of curiosity, why did you have a white door!?
Click to expand...

I bought the car crashed :)
20130814_175341_zpsb15600f6.jpg
[/quote]

Wow! Great effort getting her looking sharp again!

More balls than me! :D[/quote]
Thank you :lol: she's on the road now but still plenty to do before she's finished :)
And plenty of polishing with the 3m trio (just to keep on topic, sort of) :poke:
 
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