HD Speed or D166 and LC ThinPros to start

steelwindmachine

steelwindmachine

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For a softer paint (Kia, Subaru), I'm wondering what set of pad colors to buy/start with for either of these two AIO's.

I was thinking a set of Blacks and Whites. The Red might not be helpful for other than applying a wax or sealant and I thought maybe the Black could be used for that anyway.

This will be my first go at machine correction. I get that I should get one pad per panel, so that's about a dozen of each color. Just not sure what colors to get.

I do understand to start with the least aggressive setup.

My Kia has mild swirling whereas my 12-year-old Subaru is worse off.

I'd be using a HF or GG6 DA with an LC 5" backing plate.
 
Thinpros run Gray --> Orange --> White --> Black --> Red



Red pads I would only use for product spreading. Sealant/wax etc.

Black pads are really soft as well. Maybe that's where you start with the Kia as the pad itself provides no cut but the product still would.

I've had great luck with white and orange thinpros both cutting well and finishing very well on a variety of paint finishes.



General knowledge seems to lean toward HD Speed's protection lasting longer than that of D166. If I can play devil's advocate, you may want to give Mckee's 360 a shot as well. Any one of the three will work great with the thinpros.
 
Yeah, I've heard that HD Speed has very good protection longevity, but maybe the D166 is still too new to say it's less than the HD?

How do you feel the MK360 fairs comparatively?

As for the pads, it seems like it would be good for me to have a mix of the black, white and orange. Maybe start with 6 of each and see how each group fairs on each vehicle. I'll be primarily using these on family vehicles of which we have the Kia, Subaru and a Honda.
 
steelwindmachine said:
Yeah, I've heard that HD Speed has very good protection longevity, but maybe the D166 is still too new to say it's less than the HD?

How do you feel the MK360 fairs comparatively?

As for the pads, it seems like it would be good for me to have a mix of the black, white and orange. Maybe start with 6 of each and see how each group fairs on each vehicle. I'll be primarily using these on family vehicles of which we have the Kia, Subaru and a Honda.
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I have multiple clients and my wife's vehicle all showing great finish and still protection after anywhere from 4-5 months after having 360 applied.

I had narrowed to 360 and Speed, and went with 360 first just because. I have a bottle of Speed sitting and waiting now that I'll be comparing to see which I like better.


Personally, I can't ever see a situation where I'd need the gray thinpro and would probably instead look toward a MF cutting pad in those cases. I think your plan is good so far. If you have compressed air available, cleaning on the fly with a blow-out will help stretch how far a single pad can go.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have compressed air, yet.

Have you found any pad staining with the MK360?
 
Yes, significant pink staining with 360. Doesn't bother me though, you can clean the pad and keep using it, or dedicate those pads to 360.
 
hmm, i wonder if peppermint soap or oxyclean would clean that out? Followed by a water-only soak/rinse.
 
Bobby, thanks! More choices for analysis paralysis! lol

After just reading some back-to-back reviews on HD Speed vs MK360, I'm starting to think they're the essentially the same stuff in the bottle.

The only pseudo-AIO's I've used were all by hand, Meg's Cleaner Wax and Optimum's Poli-seal. What I want is a decent correction, but high durability. My washes will top with Opti-seal as a drying aid, so it'll help the sealants along too.

I might also get the Jescar Compound and Polish too incase I feel a dedicated 2-step works better for me. Then I'd probably top with Opti-Seal for now until I decide to put a on a coating.
 
I've used 360, Speed and D166. As far as cut, I thought D166 was the best, followed by 360 and Speed. Longevity goes to 360 hands down. I've seen protection last 6 months with 360. As far as gloss and slickness, neither 360 nor D166 comes close to Speed.
 
Okay, seems like 360 might need to be what I try first. Longer lasting protection is a big deal for me. My cars sit outside in all four seasons here and it's a pipe dream that I'd be able to wash both of them once a week. Sometimes I can get twice a month =\

Neither vehicle has had any machine correction. The Subaru is a 12-year-old, silver Forester with unpainted plastic bumpers and side trim (bonus: less paint to correct :) ) and the Kia is a 2014 in titanium silver; essentially dark gray metallic.

Once I get each vehicle through an AIO treatment, I'll get a more intimate idea of each car's paint condition. I think I could carve out a AIO treatment twice a year and not bother with a DIY-level coating. Besides, the coating might not afford me that much longer protection, but would involve another somewhat tedious process that I'd almost definitely have to do outside since I don't have a garage.
 
It's always good to have allot of pads per step, but a dozen is a little excessive. I'm usually good with 6 per step. Here's an article by Mike Phillips regarding the number of pads per step.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/88109-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

BTW--I started with a GG6 with a 5" backing plate--IMO it's worth the extra $$$ especially for a beginner as you get plenty of power/torque to keep the pad spinning as you develop your technique and you get a lifetime warranty. Also equip it with a 3" backing plate for 4" pads to take care of the small areas on the car and you're good to go.
 
360 on an orange pad will clean up minor/shallow scratching no problem.

The jescar twins are my front line correcting products currently. The compound cuts really well and finishes down stupid nice. Like LSP nice in most cases. Jescar compound on an orange thinpro has been all I’ve needed in a lot of cases, or jescar polish with a white pad for lighter stuff or softer paint.

The polish also works great on a mf towel for those finger nail scratches behind the door handle.

Test spot will be key, for sure. I’m a huge fan of this new breed of AIO (speed/360) especially for daily drivers with a requirement for easy/low maintenance.

I haven’t yet used speed, but have used 360 on no less than a dozen cars. It’s super glossy and the protection easily goes 6 months, but as mentioned it’s not as slick or glassy as others (power lock being my point of reference). It’s a little ‘grabby’ to the touch but I don’t see it as a negative.


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline
 
HD Speed leaves the best finish (by far), is easiest to use, doesn't stain trim, works the best on soft paints and is by far the most versatile. It also is the best value because unlike most cleaner waxes HD speed doesn't need to be applied "heavy" or "wet"

Also, if you are also using opti-seal I personally wouldn't worry about buying the AIO with the best durability.

For durability, it seems like the consensus is that 360 is easily the most durable.

D166 is one of the worst AIO's I've ever used. M100 finishes better than D166 and it's such a "wet" product that it immediately absorbs into foam pads which I personally don't like. I prefer products that leave an even clear film on the paint so I know where I've been. I think D166 would be a great product for production work paired with a microfiber pad. But as a professional detailer or enthusiast I don't think anyone would be happy with D166. Especially on soft dark paints.

Boss Finishing Sealant is pretty good and like Speed a little bit goes a long way. It smells great and has a little more cut than HD Speed BUT it's not as versatile and can be a little bit finicky in certain environments and on softer paints.

Blackfire One-step is AMAZING and might even be better than HD Speed. I don't have enough experience with it yet but every time I've used it I've been amazed by how easy it is to use. Also this is purely personal preference, but I prefer AIO's like this and HD Speed that don't disappear as you use it which is why I don't really like Mckee's 360 or D166.
 
I have a sample of black fire AIO coming soon. Excited to try it and speed since I already have a lot of experience with 360


Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline
 
I love a lot of Meguiar's products, but 166 isn't one of them.

I feel I get better results from M66 Quick Detailer, actually.

Not as important, but the stench of 166 is worse than that of FG400.... It literally males me sick to my stomach. It takes a lot to do that to me.

It's also really thick and gummy. Just not my bag I guess...

Duragloss 501 smashes every other AIO I've ever used. Corrects great, and protects for months. Excellent with Crimson Lake Country Hydrotech pads.
 
dlc95 said:
Not as important, but the stench of 166 is worse than that of FG400.... It literally males me sick to my stomach. It takes a lot to do that to me.
Click to expand...

That says a lot. FG400 is a great product, but that smell. Makes me regret buying the 32oz bottle.


dlc95 said:
Duragloss 501 smashes every other AIO I've ever used. Corrects great, and protects for months. Excellent with Crimson Lake Country Hydrotech pads.
Click to expand...

DG is a brand I have yet to try. Seems like they make good products, and at a good value. Thanks for that post. I'll have to try it someday.
 
Does anyone else think Megs D166 and Carpro Reload smell similar?
 
well, I had originally been leaning towards HD Speed. The Blackfire is also interesting and I have read many positive reviews on the DG501.

The MK360's durability claims is appealing, but getting a considerable gloss effect like that apparently provided by HD Speed would be nice for the aesthetic "wow" factor - especially with the wife :)

I think I'll probably start with HD Speed or the Blackfire and see how that goes. There does seem to be a bit of a price difference between the two - sale or no sale.
 
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