Best pads for my 3401?

Whats the difference between the hydrotech pads and the hybrid? Is it worth it for me to buy across the border for them or just stick with the CCS and hydrotech?
 
You will probably be happy with any of the Lake Country options

You will notice the greatest difference between pad brands/styles in the Compounding pads

If you want to test out a few....buy one of each of these

Meguiar's DAMF Cutting
LC Thin Purple Foamed Wool
LC Orange CCS
LC HD Orbital Cutting
LC Hybrid Cutting

Have fun experimenting
 
I'm locally limited to CCS or hydro. Maybe I will make a big purchase in the future to justify the price over the border. For now, I'll rest easy that the LC pads I have now are working as intended. I'm getting in some Menzerna next week which I'm very excited about. I'm hoping for 75% of the work I do I can cut down to just two Menzerna products. Understand, this is dealer work, not as meticulous as private shops.
 
Threadsurrection time.

Yesterday was BF/CM Order Unpacking Day! Three of my four parcels? 3401, LC Changeable BP System, and a bunch of 5" LC Hybrids.

For those with this setup along with a "beginner" DA and who've used the Meguiar's DAMF system, can I use 5" DAMF discs with the 4" BP or do I also need the optional Flex 4 3/8" BP?
 
SameGuy said:
Threadsurrection time.

Yesterday was BF/CM Order Unpacking Day! Three of my four parcels? 3401, LC Changeable BP System, and a bunch of 5" LC Hybrids.

For those with this setup along with a "beginner" DA and who've used the Meguiar's DAMF system, can I use 5" DAMF discs with the 4" BP or do I also need the optional Flex 4 3/8" BP?
Click to expand...

Advice,

If you use the LC Hybrid Orange cutting pads w/ FG400 Menzerna you will not need the DAMF products at all and hint---the pads finish it off much much much nicer. Not that you won't use a polish afterwards, you just can use a much lighter cutting pad (yellow) and something like Menzerna SF4500 and achieve higher gloss levels.

I have used a 5" MF disc (THE X-TRA CUT ones DO NOT WORK on the flex, the disc is too thin so unless the panel is totally flat they are horrible. At least IMO) on the 4 3/8 plate but don't like it. They marr the surface too much for me. I don't think honestly that its cutting any better than a fresh orange Hybrid 5" pad with the FG400.
 
Thanks for the hints!

Yeah, I'd love to try Menzerna products at some point but I'm well-stocked with Meguiars at this point (D300, 302, 301 and M100, 105 and 205 along with D151 and a whole slew of small bottles of other compounds, polishes and finishing waxes. I guess I can use my old PC and discs to finish off the car I'm in the middle of right now, then 105/205 with the LC pads for a bit. Maybe I'll take advantage of one of these "Deals of Christmas" to get the Menz twins. :)
 
Hey guys so I just got my Flex and I have hyrbids already from my GG6 which I love. But I was looking to get some wool or really aggressive pads for the flex just to have in case I have to do something that my current pads can't handle.

With the current LC pads on sale, what is a good aggressive pad for the flex? I have LC orange hybrid already.

Thanks
 
SameGuy said:
Thanks for the hints!

Yeah, I'd love to try Menzerna products at some point but I'm well-stocked with Meguiars at this point (D300, 302, 301 and M100, 105 and 205 along with D151 and a whole slew of small bottles of other compounds, polishes and finishing waxes. I guess I can use my old PC and discs to finish off the car I'm in the middle of right now, then 105/205 with the LC pads for a bit. Maybe I'll take advantage of one of these "Deals of Christmas" to get the Menz twins. :)
Click to expand...

Try mixing up a batch of 105 and 300 and see how that works out for you. Dramatically lessens the dusting of 105 and gives you longevity of buffing cycle. Nice combination that a lot of professionals on here use. The D300 is my go to in-between compound. I love it whether in a MF or on a pad. Typically use it a lot more on a pad. When testing an area to see what works, First I use SF4000 w/ White Hybrid pad. Then bump down to the D300 on a white pad, then the D300 on a orange pad (HYBRID'S), then down to the FG400. When I find what works I stop. But the D300 is definitely a product I like. D302, never used, but likely its similar to the SF4000. I am sure it works similar to the D300 for longevity, no dusting, and easy to remove so play around a little with the combinations. I tried a bunch of Pads - CCS, Hydro Tech, MF, Softbuff etc....... till I kept reading about the Hybrids. Since I had gotten numerous pads and have a stockpile I didn't want to spend a fortune to get another type. But listening to Mike, and following some others, I took the plunge and went to the 4" and Hybrids. Never go back to another. Its too perfect. Remember, more pads is great. Just did a E63 AMG in black, and used 7 orange pads for the panels and 6 white pads, and 3 black pads. Did a 3 step on it. Keep your pads clean at all costs. Just some hints. :)
 
Hokie335i said:
Hey guys so I just got my Flex and I have hyrbids already from my GG6 which I love. But I was looking to get some wool or really aggressive pads for the flex just to have in case I have to do something that my current pads can't handle.

With the current LC pads on sale, what is a good aggressive pad for the flex? I have LC orange hybrid already.

Thanks
Click to expand...

For that added bite over the Hybrid foam pads, grab the Hybrid wool. This pad offers more correction over the foam pad while finishing up very well considering its wool. Paired with FG400 you should be able to tackle anything that comes your way.

SF4000 on the white pad has enough pull in it to finish out whatever was left behind from FG400/Wool.

If even more correction is needed, then a twisted wool pad will be needed. Now this will give you the utmost level of cut although will leave the surface extremely hazy and Halogramed.
 
Hokie335i said:
Hey guys so I just got my Flex and I have hyrbids already from my GG6 which I love. But I was looking to get some wool or really aggressive pads for the flex just to have in case I have to do something that my current pads can't handle.

With the current LC pads on sale, what is a good aggressive pad for the flex? I have LC orange hybrid already.

Thanks
Click to expand...


Here's the one I use for heavy cutting with the Flex 3401. Same pad I use with the Flex PE14



Large Wool Cutting Pad

Technically the pad I'm recommending is a "finishing" pad not a "cutting" pad but here's the deal.

First - Fiber pad cut more aggressively than foam pads because each of the individual fibers that make up a wool pad are a type of abrasive in and of themselves and each fiber can and will cut the paint. So the fiber itself is a type of abrasive and this is why guys that finish out with only wool pads on rotary buffers leave holograms in their customer's paint.


Second - The difference between a wool cutting pad and a wool finishing pad is the degree of aggressiveness. In the BIG PICTURE when comparing wool pads to foam pads and in the context of using these pads on a rotary buffer, either type cutting or finishing is going to do a GREAT job of abrading or cutting the surface compared to any foam pad. This is key to doing the correction step in the fastest and most effective way.

If you work in a body shop and have to cut new paint jobs all day long every day then by all means get a wool cutting pad.

If you're detailing cars and thus not normally wetsanding the paint first, then simply by using a wool finishing pad for any heavy or major correction job, this will put you miles ahead time-wise versus using a foam cutting pad.

Plus wool pads cut cooler than foam cutting pads and this is important because it's not good to heat up clearcoat paints. Even though you might read someone on another forum say something like,

You need to heat the clearcoat up in order break down the abrasives

or

You need to heat the clearcoat up in order to re-flow the paint


Both of these statements and practices are wrong and this is called destructive paint polishing.

(See page 124 of The Complete Guide to a Show Car Finish)


So if you're mostly doing reconditioning work aka detailing cars, then you'll do fine and be safer plus be able to do any follow up polishing steps faster by sticking with the pad I recommend below instead of a full-on, hardcore wool cutting pad.


Flex recommends using 8" wool pads and smaller with the Flex PE14 so the below wool pad is perfect at 7.5" and is called the Lake Country 7.5" Electrified Sheepskin Final Polishing Pad.


Electrified?
The word electrified means Lake Country has taken the extra step to electrify the wool which removes the natural sharp barbs found in wool creating a pad that cuts fast but finishes with less scouring of the paint. This is a real benefit when buffing thin, scratch-sensitive clearcoat finishes.

Note: I see a few guys come to this forum and recommend using a brand of black wool pads so just to note, these pads have the barbs.


Link to 7.5" Electrified Wool Finishing Pad

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The above is from this article,

My recommended buffing pads for the Flex PE14


And... you can use the factory backing plate....


:xyxthumbs:
 
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