Are my foam pads toast?

The Pad Man said:
I would consider that pad still good. It has lost some its ability, but should still perform
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I agree with Eric aka The Pad Man...

When machine polishing paint, the most important pad is the one you use for your last machine polishing process. It is the condition of this pad that is most important.


Working on a daily driver? Then the quality of the last pad is less important.

Working on a show car? Then the quality of the last pad used is more important.
​

Foam cutting pads loose effectiveness once they've broken in but there's no getting around that because as soon as you use it... you've broken it in, it's just part of the equation.

As pads become worn and tatty I save them and use them for grunge work like buffing out a boat trailer, etc. Get every last drop of use use out of them.


:)
 
The Pad Man said:
I would consider that pad still good. It has lost some its ability, but should still perform
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Thanks for your comment on this. Nothing like a opinion from the man that makes his living producing the product in question.:dblthumb2:
 
The Pad Man said:
I would consider that pad still good. It has lost some its ability, but should still perform
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Thanks a lot Eric!!! That helps out a lot especially coming from you!

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I agree with Eric aka The Pad Man...

When machine polishing paint, the most important pad is the one you use for your last machine polishing process. It is the condition of this pad that is most important.

Working on a daily driver? Then the quality of the last pad is less important.

Working on a show car? Then the quality of the last pad used is more important.
​
Foam cutting pads loose effectiveness once they've broken in but there's no getting around that because as soon as you use it... you've broken it in, it's just part of the equation.

As pads become worn and tatty I save them and use them for grunge work like buffing out a boat trailer, etc. Get every last drop of use use out of them.


:)
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Thank you for your input, Mike. I really appreciate your help and I really trust your advice.

2old2change said:
Thanks for your comment on this. Nothing like a opinion from the man that makes his living producing the product in question.:dblthumb2:
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I definitely agree. He specializes in pads. If he says the pads are ok then it's ok!

SpoiledMan made a good point too. Eric will happily sell you more pads but he didn't so you know it's a honest answer.
 
I have a story about using tatty pads on the "Chicken Farmer's Truck" but it's really only good with the picture of the truck. When I'm out in California this summer I'll dig up the picture and post it and then tell the story.

That was funny....


:D
 
Marc08EX said:
IMG_8653_800x600_.jpg
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No, This is toast.

toastSliceWhiteBkgd.jpg


I'm sorry...I'm very sorry...that was just too easy. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
 
Marc08EX said:
You call that math? Really? You assuming I use turtle wax just because YOU thought I was too cheap to buy new pads? Where's the math in that?

Also, you're telling me not to infer to your post? I did read your post and that's how I understood it. Maybe you should think about what you say before opening your mouth. Get the facts straight before assuming.
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Again, read what I post.

If a quarter is expensive, what are you using for product, Turtle wax ?
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That would be a question, not an assumption.

No where did I post you were too cheap to buy new pads.

Look at that, 2 inferences in just this post alone.
 
Any foam pad that is used looses it main function ability, i.e. cutting, polishing, etc. I would suggest the pad being bad if it had cuts, tears, etc.
 
Thanks for your input on this Eric! It's very much appreciated!
 
Happiness is a new pad. As a hobbyist that works on two daily drivers and a few friends' daily drivers, I always enjoy the time spent with a new pad. To me that's worth a few bucks.
 
Deep Gloss Auto Salon said:
Please do not take offense to this question:

Are you speaking from experience or what you have read on the internet? I Always test theories myself (within reason) before speaking definitevly on a topic.

Mfgs, vendors and any one with a vested interest in selling pads are going to tell you one thing while other sseem to more than likely see things differently
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I'm speaking from experience. Then again, I would never let my pad get to that point before I switched out or bought a new pad. A pad looking like that will NOT have the cutting ability of a new pad(obviously) or even a semi-used pad. Why use a pad that's going to take longer or more work to accomplish your main goal? So the pad still has SOME cut, does that make is worthwhile to use? IMO, NO. If you cannot agree that it would be worthwhile to ditch that pad for a new pad, or even semi-used pad, I don't know what to tell you.
 
Marc, Im late to the party since everything has been said but...

I would still use it for something but I might make it tire applicators by then. If it was originally an aggressive pad. It would probably be used to polish glass on the next car I did. If a finishing pad I would cut it into tire applicators.

I'm like you, I hate trashing something that still has life in it. But i also know time is money. Thus the tire applicators. Sounds like you have a 50/50 left/right brain struggle similar to my own. :laughing:

Also, I think it depends on the cars and business. For some the 5-7$ loss in pad product is worth the gain of say 20$ in time. I think that's what Mark is getting at. But I say if you just use that pad for 105 on glass or some car where you don't need the full aggressiveness the original pad offered it can be used.

Also, I would suggest that depending on the polishes and whether you use a rotary or da along with the users technique it makes a difference how useful that pad is.


The Pad Man said:
That toast is open celled, lolol
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ROFL!
 
FYI, I was only referring to using the pad in question on paint. I guess some of you guys really like to get your moneys worth as far as tire applicators and such, but I'd still toss the pad. :laughing:

To each their own everyone, I was just offering my opinion. :cheers:
 
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