I also have XMT #2 and should I switch to that if still seeing swirls after using #1? Should I skip the Black Hole? Should I apply the black hole and 180 with pads or by
The XMT #1 is pretty light for a swirl mark remover but the idea is to always,
"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"
You won't know what the least aggressive product is until you go out into your garage and do some testing. I alway recommend to people to apply a single strip of painter's tape onto a hood or trunk lid and then just work on one side of the tape line as you're doing your test spot and trying to find a process that works to remove the swirls on your car's paint. This will give you a very distinct snapshot of your progress.
Get some painter's tape and lay down a tape line like this,
Make sure the paint is washed or wiped clean so there's no loose surface dirt on the paint.
Then buff on only one side of the tape line using the technique shared in this video,
How to do a Section Pass using a Dual Action Polisher - Key to Removing Swirls
The above is just part of doing the entire process which you can watch here,
How to Remove Swirls and Scratches using the Porter Cable 7424XP
Test the XMT #1 with a white polishing pad on the 5.0 to 6.0 Speed setting and then inspect your results, if it's not removing the swirls and scratches fast enough or to your satisfaction then try the XMT #2 and so on.
You can also substitute a more aggressive pad like the light orange cutting pad.
If you find you have to use more aggressive products to remove the swirls then you'll have to re-polish the car using a less aggressive pad and polish to maximize clarity and gloss and then you can seal the paint.
After polishing you can apply the XMT 360 and then top with the XMT 180
