Foam pad life expectancy

Avgguy

Avgguy

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What is the average life expectancy of foam buffing pads. I have many LC and Hex Logic pads. I wash w APC, spin dry (w buffer) and let dry upside down always after each use. They don't seem to be losing effectiveness but I've had some of these pads for years... like 6-7.

Thanks.
 
It really depends on how they are used.

If you overuse them once they start to get saturated you could destroy a pad in a single use. OTOH, if you use some common sense and change your pad before they get to the saturation point they will last a long, long time.

Properly used, cleaned, and stored, they will last almost indefinitely. Not forever, but a long time.

If the foam isn't deteriorated, the velcro is still intact, and the pad feels generally ok - Polish on!
 
Store the pads in room temperature. I stored mine in a hot garage and they got totally trashed. That was an expensive lesson. I haven't fully replaced them all yet
 
I have several that are 5 years old, one of the benefits of using multiple pads per session is that you don’t overheat/ abuse them which is the #1 enemy to pad life
 
7 years is a lot to ask out of a pad. If it were me, before you start your next detail order some new pads in the color you are planning to use.

Check to see if the velcro is firmly attached to the foam pad. This is where I see most failures.

At 5+ years, I start to see the foam deteriorate where the velcro is attached.
 
2black1s said:
It really depends on how they are used.

If you overuse them once they start to get saturated you could destroy a pad in a single use. OTOH, if you use some common sense and change your pad before they get to the saturation point they will last a long, long time.

Properly used, cleaned, and stored, they will last almost indefinitely. Not forever, but a long time.

If the foam isn't deteriorated, the velcro is still intact, and the pad feels generally ok - Polish on!
Click to expand...

^^^This^^^

I have used 20 pads on my full-sized truck. Is that overkill? Yeah, it probably is. Could I have used 10 and produced the same result? Sure.

But..... Each of those 20 pads were barely dirty, hardly got warm, and were a breeze to clean. Therefore, they will last a very, very long time.

Am I saying everyone should use 20 pads? Of course not. But using a few more pads than you think you may need is way better than overworking too few pads. :)
 
PaulMys said:
^^^This^^^

I have used 20 pads on my full-sized truck. Is that overkill? Yeah, it probably is. Could I have used 10 and produced the same result? Sure.

But..... Each of those 20 pads were barely dirty, hardly got warm, and were a breeze to clean. Therefore, they will last a very, very long time.

Am I saying everyone should use 20 pads? Of course not. But using a few more pads than you think you may need is way better than overworking too few pads. :)
Click to expand...

Your anal!:laughing::buffing:
 
Very early on i stored my foam pads in the garage...in FL! Not good. Some turned to dust from the excessive heat. Now all my pads are kept in the air conditioned space inside.
 
That is exactly what happened to me. I now store pads and polishes in the houss
 
I've only been at this 2+ years but the way i use them they will last a very longtime. My rule of thumb: Use One 5 inch pad on 2 car doors max - i have a 3 inch for edge work or a medium sized bonnet.

Washing: I simply have a short piece of cutoff garden hose attached to my tap so when i pinch/fold the end of the hose it creates a moderate level of pressure. I usually spray APC directly in the pad, use the hose to rinse the APC with hot water for a few seconds then i will switch to warm water and hand wash. Air dry.

Very simple process, it works so i never tried doing anything else. :)
 
I'll rotate through about 5~6 pads on a job to make sure they keep cool and I'll clean them on the fly while working. I do around 2~3 cars a year and my current crop of Lake Country pads will easily last 5+ years. I'm just now starting to toss some pads I bought a very long time ago.

One thing I've noticed is pads like the Lake Country Flat white pads seem to get softer as time goes on. The velco is still in good shape and the pad is structurally sound, but the foam itself gets "squishier" and the surface feels softer and becomes more like a finishing pad.
 
Farewall said:
Foam life expectancy tends to depend on density. A high density foam will generally last longer than a lower one if used in the same way. I think 7 years is a bit much unless it's getting very light use, could be time to replace.
Click to expand...

Why the SPAM link to foam cushions? :spam4:
 
Looks like a moderator took care of them
2824f8782e0b4c22f6913a01a972a092.jpg
 
Interesting. You can delete you own posts too if needed.

I've had a couple times when posts have duplicated, or I completely missed the topic being discussed and removed a post because it had no value to the conversation. Under the "edit" button there is an option to delete your posts.
 
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