Harbor freight pads

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MA5177

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Are they any good? I bought a few before finding this site and haven't used them yet.
 
IME the cutting pads are crap. The finishing pads may be better, I haven't used those yet.
 
The pads are total garbage.

I never had a polishing pad or cutting pad survive a single vehicle session before they started to fall apart. I had better luck with the finishing pads which hold up OK.

This weekend I needed to compound the hood of my Mazda3 to remove some scratches which would not polish out. Instead of loading up my trusty Lake Country pad, I found an old, unopened Harbor Freight cutting pad, so I thought I'd use it simply to get it out of my garage.

Before I finished the first spot the pad started to disintegrate. Three sections later the hood was finished, and so was the pad. There was pink foam chunks all over the car. It was separating right around the felt pad. I cheerfully tossed it in the trash and continued on polishing with my Lake Country pads.
 
You will need a 5" backing plate. It is worth the investment. The smaller pads and backing plate will allow you to get the most out of the Harbor Freight DA.
 
Years ago when I began experimenting with machine polishing, I too purchased a Harbor Freight DA along with a few pads just to test the waters with machine polishing.

To the best of my remembrance the pads weren't that bad. They got the job done for me back then, and results that I was pleased with!

They're certainly not like the new Meg's discs and LC flats I now use, but they should be fine for any weekend warrior or someone new looking to experiment.
 
AnthonyGXP said:
To the best of my remembrance the pads weren't that bad. They got the job done for me back then, and results that I was pleased with!
Click to expand...

I've never had any issues with the results. I actually still use one of their finishing pads to apply wax. My biggest problem is they fall apart after a single use.
 
Considering it's the most important thing touching your paint I'd invest in some quality LC or Buff & Shine flat pads. You can never have too many pads.

I'd have at a minimum 3 orange, 3 white for polishing and one blue or black to apply sealant.
 
Your probably going to want to replace that backing plate anyway. A couple of my neighbors bought those machines and when they spun the plate on the machine it had a wobble to it. I would recommend a Lake Country 5 inch plate and 5.5 inch pads as someone else already mentioned.
 
You'll thank yourself for upgrading your plate and pads.
 
Ok...I just started looking at backing plates and pads in the store here.

Now my head is spinning ..so many options etc. Can someone help a total noob find a 5 inch backing plate and 2 each of polishing pads and finishing pads to ne used with Meguiars ultimate polish and utimate wax on a HF DA ?

Im no pro or ever plan to be, but when I do stuff I like to do it right.

By that I realize there are so many levels of expertise, I just want to take care of my cars and I think the Meguiars stuff is ok for DIYer.

I dont need top of the line stuff, just stuff that will work for ME. This wont be used but every few months. Thanks All, hard to comprehend all the knowledge here but I am little by little.

Side note....After reading here a few days its been a real eye opener.

Waxing cars is something most people neglect or dont really think about,
Now I have a basic understanding of the difference between wax, sealant,cleaner wax, polish etc. And learned what claying does and how to do it. Thanks all again, Mike
 
MA5177 said:
Ok...I just started looking at backing plates and pads in the store here.

Now my head is spinning ..so many options etc. Can someone help a total noob find a 5 inch backing plate and 2 each of polishing pads and finishing pads to ne used with Meguiars ultimate polish and utimate wax on a HF DA ?

Im no pro or ever plan to be, but when I do stuff I like to do it right.

By that I realize there are so many levels of expertise, I just want to take care of my cars and I think the Meguiars stuff is ok for DIYer.

I dont need top of the line stuff, just stuff that will work for ME. This wont be used but every few months. Thanks All, hard to comprehend all the knowledge here but I am little by little.

Side note....After reading here a few days its been a real eye opener.

Waxing cars is something most people neglect or dont really think about,
Now I have a basic understanding of the difference between wax, sealant,cleaner wax, polish etc. And learned what claying does and how to do it. Thanks all again, Mike
Click to expand...

Check out the Tangerine and Crimson Lake Country Hydrotech pads, and the White and Grey Buff and Shine pads.

I personally like the Hydrotech, and the Green, Blue, and Red Buff and Shine pads.
 
I agree with many above. The black pad is ok for sealant application or cleansing polish, but not much else, they've lasted a while without falling apart. You can expect the other pads to shred pretty quickly.
 
MA5177 said:
Ok...I just started looking at backing plates and pads in the store here.

Now my head is spinning ..so many options etc. Can someone help a total noob find a 5 inch backing plate and 2 each of polishing pads and finishing pads to ne used with Meguiars ultimate polish and utimate wax on a HF DA ?
Click to expand...

The Lake Country 5" backing plate will work great. Follow that up with a six-pack or two of the Lake Country 5.5" pads with a handful of white, a couple orange, and a couple black or blue and you'll be golden for any situation you'll encounter on your personal vehicle fleet.

All of those items can be found here in the AG store.
 
Or you might want to consider the new Megs THIN pads and their backing plate. Since the pads are thin it will make the polisher more effective. The maroon cutting pad has been getting great reviews -- cuts well, finishes great.

Meguiars 5 Inch DA Foam Discs
 
The harbor freight around me carry 8in speedy foam brand usa made pads. They are pretty good and seem to hold up fine. I have used a few in the past. Now i just use the 3M pads that go with there polish and they work great also. I have a hand full of different pads and the operator behind the pad has more to do with the finish than who made the pad if you are using the correct PPI for what you are trying to accomplish.

It seems so many people get cough up with what is the newest greatest exclusive polish, pads, ect. It is a wonder that anyone ever got perfect paint 20 years ago with there rocks in a bottle compound and wool pads(insert whatever sarcastic smiley you want here). Yes there are products that work great and easier than others but don't write a product off because it is not in vogue on some internet forum.

PS. I have heard great things about LC pads though and there about the same price i would just go with the LC. If you need to finish a car and your last finishing pad just fell apart go pick up one of the speedy foam ones and i don't think you will notice much difference.

PPS. There 3in ones are crap though they fall apart very quick.
 
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