Cermic coating vs. Pro ceramic coatings

prin

prin

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So Im thinking about finally going pro. My question is what is the difference between the brands of coatings that are sold here versus the professional detailers brands. Any help would be appreciated. Also, where could I get a list of choices for pro detailers line?
 
prin said:
So Im thinking about finally going pro. My question is what is the difference between the brands of coatings that are sold here versus the professional detailers brands. Any help would be appreciated. Also, where could I get a list of choices for pro detailers line?
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What is sold here are consumer based coatings. Pro coatings are generally authorized by that particular manufacturer.

Pro coatings are touted to be more durable and last longer.

Many manufacturers have their professional line of coatings.
 
What is your current coating and what do you hope to achieve moving up to a"pro" coating?
 
I must admit I’ve been slow to move to ceramic coatings. I find it hard to believe these coatings last up to 2 years. I prefer to wax cars every 6 months and in between use spray waxes each week. That said I plan to ceramic coat 3 cars with McKeys next week. I use Mequires for most everything. I try not to buy into all the marketing hype in the industry for all these new products. I pretty much use 105/205 compound and polish, old school I guess. I find the consumer products perfectly fine. Wax, sealants and coatings all have their place.
 
itsgn said:
1000 dollars. :)
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Quite the opposite in some cases I'd imagine.

One advantage to being part an Authorized Installer program is probably significantly lower pricing on any of their products that they also offer to the public.

Using Gyeon as an example, I'd hazard a guess that an Authorized Installer isn't paying the same price as a consumer for other products in the line like Prep, Rim, Cure, etc.

For coatings specifically, I'm pretty sure that when using a Authorized Installer product that is a mid-level coating, achieving the same level of performance with a consumer-grade is likely to cost significantly more, in one case $60 for 50ml for Installer product vs $170 for similar consumer grade offering.

While the upper level, supposedly 'Top Dog' offerings an Authorized Installer has access to are probably somewhat more 'potent' than consumer, cost savings across the mfg's entire line are also a likely benefit.

Just guessing as I'm not a pro by any stretch, nor have I ever really looked into any Authorized programs but it seems logical from what I've been able to gather.
 
Even with the cost difference beteen pro and consumer product some customers do not want to pay the price and go with a consumer level coating. So you will need access to both grades if that is the way you want to go.
 
BudgetPlan1 said:
Quite the opposite in some cases I'd imagine.

One advantage to being part an Authorized Installer program is probably significantly lower pricing on any of their products that they also offer to the public.

Using Gyeon as an example, I'd hazard a guess that an Authorized Installer isn't paying the same price as a consumer for other products in the line like Prep, Rim, Cure, etc.

For coatings specifically, I'm pretty sure that when using a Authorized Installer product that is a mid-level coating, achieving the same level of performance with a consumer-grade is likely to cost significantly more, in one case $60 for 50ml for Installer product vs $170 for similar consumer grade offering.

While the upper level, supposedly 'Top Dog' offerings an Authorized Installer has access to are probably somewhat more 'potent' than consumer, cost savings across the mfg's entire line are also a likely benefit.

Just guessing as I'm not a pro by any stretch, nor have I ever really looked into any Authorized programs but it seems logical from what I've been able to gather.
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I think he meant that a consumer level coating he can do himself and a pro coating requires you to pay a pro to do it and then it’s big bucks. If one has access to pro coatings he/she should not need to ask us what the difference is or that certification wasn’t very thorough LOL.

I think the big difference is how long it will last but that to me is irrelevant since I think 2 years is the most I’d consider leaving the car unpolished so a decent consumer level coating is all I need.
 
I know some pro coating need IR curing so you have to invest in that expensive equipment.
 
BSoares said:
I think he meant that a consumer level coating he can do himself and a pro coating requires you to pay a pro to do it and then it’s big bucks. If one has access to pro coatings he/she should not need to ask us what the difference is or that certification wasn’t very thorough LOL.

I think the big difference is how long it will last but that to me is irrelevant since I think 2 years is the most I’d consider leaving the car unpolished so a decent consumer level coating is all I need.
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Perhaps, but taken in the context of the OP's statement of "So Im thinking about finally going pro." it seemed worthwhile to note that there might be some additional benefits to becoming an authorized installer beyond access to the claimed benefits of specific Pro-only coating products.

In any event, there are apparently quite a variety of "Authorized Installer" agreements, some requiring more than simply taking the class and paying the fee. Physical location requirements, monthly minimum purchases, continuing education needs...quite the array of associations to choose from.
 
Thank you all for the pm's and the replies. I will be considering all.
 
What’s the difference between a $5 Coating and a $500 coating? In actuality very little. The pro coatings allow you to advertise you have a “special” coating that is only sold through authorized dealers. It gives the appearance that they are getting a top of the line product and you can charge more. A pro coating mars and scratches just like a $5 coating. It’s funny when I talked directly to manufacturers and asked for a “pro” type coating they had no idea what I was talking about as they only sell coatings that vary in SiO2 and other content. They don’t sell a coating for “pros”, they just sell coatings. For example CarPro buys coatings from a manufacturer, the manufacturer could care less what CarPro does with the coating. CarPro decides to call one of the coatings a “pro” only coating to give it cache so their dealers can charge more. Marketing 101 profit.
 
Maybe the "pro" coating has a higher concentration and has a smaller window of flashing so much more attention needs to be paid to for removal time, it's one thing I can think of right away. Products that are "finicky" to us mortals are probably not an issue to those who work with them day in and day out, hence the name "pro".

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A little off topic but?? I am not convinced that either coating is worth the money. I detail on the side and did two identical vehicles that were just over a year old. One had a pro coating on from the dealer and was garaged and the second was left outside. These vehicles both went through a Canadian winter so were exposed to snow and salt. During the detail I did not notice any difference. When I washed they both had the same amount of brake dust and dirt in the paint. Brake dust came off the same with not a real difference between the two. No noticeable difference in beading.I topped each off with a synthetic sealant and was pleased with both results. My 0.02$
 
Sleper said:
A little off topic but?? I am not convinced that either coating is worth the money. I detail on the side and did two identical vehicles that were just over a year old. One had a pro coating on from the dealer and was garaged and the second was left outside. These vehicles both went through a Canadian winter so were exposed to snow and salt. During the detail I did not notice any difference. When I washed they both had the same amount of brake dust and dirt in the paint. Brake dust came off the same with not a real difference between the two. No noticeable difference in beading.I topped each off with a synthetic sealant and was pleased with both results. My 0.02$
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If the "pro" product was installed by the dealership porter there's the problem right there. No offense to those who work at a dealership and clean cars but I just get the impression there's pride in their work one bit, maybe that's the "get off my lawn" guy coming out.

That said, coatings are superior to everything else out there and we're now seeing spray on coatings now. Maybe they don't last 1-3 years but if they can get an honest 6 monthes and up to a year out of these sprays it's going to put waxes out of business and sealants will be on notice.

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I agree I have not been impressed with local dealers and what they turn out. That being said it had been 16months or so since the vehicle was done. I had hoped for better results from a ceramic coating
 
Sleper said:
I agree I have not been impressed with local dealers and what they turn out. That being said it had been 16months or so since the vehicle was done. I had hoped for better results from a ceramic coating
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Just to be clear, your not happy with the coating a dealership installed?

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Sleper said:
A little off topic but?? I am not convinced that either coating is worth the money. I detail on the side and did two identical vehicles that were just over a year old. One had a pro coating on from the dealer and was garaged and the second was left outside. These vehicles both went through a Canadian winter so were exposed to snow and salt. During the detail I did not notice any difference. When I washed they both had the same amount of brake dust and dirt in the paint. Brake dust came off the same with not a real difference between the two. No noticeable difference in beading.I topped each off with a synthetic sealant and was pleased with both results. My 0.02$
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What dealer coating? Some dealers call the protection they put on a coating but in most cases it is just a sealant.

A harsh winter is going to impact anything.
 
The Guz said:
What dealer coating? Some dealers call the protection they put on a coating but in most cases it is just a sealant.
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JaxWax and Simonize both sell their version of actual coatings to dealers. Jax is local to me and it's an okay product but not one I would use. Seen it in action but I'd say both are likely just slightly better than sealants.
 
Differences usually are:

1. Much more expensive product to buy. Prices I have seen so far are about 2 to 3 times higher on pro coatings vs regular consummer ones.
2. More difficult to apply, thus needing the certification and all that. Might not be true for all brands, Optimum's pro coating don't seems any more difficult to apply than the regulard one, but for brands like Gtechniq and Ceramic Pro, they are.
3. More restrictions on application method and cure times. Again, some of those pro coatings require long cure time before the vehicle can be given back to the client, some requiring infra-red lamps to cure.
4. Most of the pro versions have some kind of warranty. That can be good and bad for you since you will be the one re-doing the job for free if the client complains. From what I understand, the companies only provide the replacement product, not the labour.

So, pro coatings will allow you to make more money upfront in most cases, but there are caviats you should not ignore when making your decision on what products to offer. In my case, since I am mobile the only pro coating I could offer would be Optimum's since they don't require special installation conditions. I haven't pulled the trigger on it because of the cost of certification (1500 US$) and the cost of the product. I am unsure my market could support 1500-2000$ installation costs.

I am doing quite well with the consummer grade products, so for now I don't see much of a need to change my offering.
 
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