Is wolfgang the way to go?

Thanks for the info guys! And just when I had basically switched my thinking towards menzerna products :S

I was thinking of getting a line up like:

PG1000
PF2500
SF4500
SW-Protect (sealing wax)

It sounds like wolfgang is a great product, but how do these compare? I'm at the point where I just to stop jumping around and make a decision and live with it haha.
 
SVTstang46 said:
It is a 2003 Mustang Cobra. I want to keep it pristine inside and out. I will be doing other family cars and friends cars as well but nothing big here. I just want the amount of products to do the job and after reading this thread it brought upon some question to my list. Am I getting too much? Not enough?
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I'd skip the tsr kit and get you some Menzerna PO85RD. The M105 and 205 will work great and then later on down the road you can clean down the paint with the Menzerna. I'd also get a nice quality carnuba wax.
 
magna_power said:
Thanks for the info guys! And just when I had basically switched my thinking towards menzerna products :S

I was thinking of getting a line up like:

PG1000
PF2500
SF4500
SW-Protect (sealing wax)

It sounds like wolfgang is a great product, but how do these compare? I'm at the point where I just to stop jumping around and make a decision and live with it haha.
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From what I understand Wolfgang polishes are formulated by Menzerna exclusively for AG. So either way it goes, you're going to get great results with either brand.
 
magna_power said:
Thanks for the info guys! And just when I had basically switched my thinking towards menzerna products :S

I was thinking of getting a line up like:

PG1000
PF2500
SF4500
SW-Protect (sealing wax)

It sounds like wolfgang is a great product, but how do these compare? I'm at the point where I just to stop jumping around and make a decision and live with it haha.
Click to expand...

While the WG polishes are made by Menzerna they are formulated to WG specs. I find the WG polishes nicer to use with lest dusting.

IMO There is a substantially steeper learning curve for the 105/205 combo. I think the WG polishes are a much better choice for the home/beginner user. That is only my opinion and has no scientific value!:dunno:
 
A few things to keep in mind...

First, remember that Wolfgang is a house brand. It's part of PBMG - the parent company of AG. So the brand gets lots of promo. That doesn't mean that it's the best. It just means that it gets lots of buzz.

Second, many of the people who rave about any product have never had any experience with any other premium-grade product. So they blather on about how great a product is, but that's all they've tried or they only have experience with some OTC garbage from their local auto parts store. (You can get some decent stuff at auto parts stores IF you know what to look for.).

Third, do NOT buy brand; buy individual products! Almost all companies in ANY industry make their name with one or a few good products. Then they invest their profits in brand-expansion products. For example...

Zaino started with very good sealants. Then they added a polish, clay, leather treatment, tire dressing, plastic cleaners, etc. Are these new products unique and great? IMO, no. They are good products, but there are other brands of these addon products that are as good or better. I use Menzerna polishes, CarPro PERL, and UTTG, which are better than their Zaino counterparts, IMO. And I'm testing Zaino Z5/Z2 Pro against UPGP and 4*UPP; results are mixed so far.

The bottom line is that your list needs work. IMO, a good starting point is Corey's (Ceedog) Best Of list: Best Of - AUTO DETAILING AND CAR CARE PRODUCT SPECIALIST. You may change your mind in the future as you gain more experience, but that list is a GREAT starting point.

Good luck with your choices.

Regards,

Dan.
 
BookemDano said:
A few things to keep in mind...

First, remember that Wolfgang is a house brand. It's part of PBMG - the parent company of AG. So the brand gets lots of promo. That doesn't mean that it's the best. It just means that it gets lots of buzz.

Second, many of the people who rave about any product have never had any experience with any other premium-grade product. So they blather on about how great a product is, but that's all they've tried or they only have experience with some OTC garbage from their local auto parts store. (You can get some decent stuff at auto parts stores IF you know what to look for.).

Third, do NOT buy brand; buy individual products! Almost all companies in ANY industry make their name with one or a few good products. Then they invest their profits in brand-expansion products. For example...

Zaino started with very good sealants. Then they added a polish, clay, leather treatment, tire dressing, plastic cleaners, etc. Are these new products unique and great? IMO, no. They are good products, but there are other brands of these addon products that are as good or better. I use Menzerna polishes, CarPro PERL, and UTTG, which are better than their Zaino counterparts, IMO. And I'm testing Zaino Z5/Z2 Pro against UPGP and 4*UPP; results are mixed so far.

The bottom line is that your list needs work. IMO, a good starting point is Corey's (Ceedog) Best Of list: Best Of - AUTO DETAILING AND CAR CARE PRODUCT SPECIALIST. You may change your mind in the future as you gain more experience, but that list is a GREAT starting point.

Good luck with your choices.

Regards,

Dan.
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So you are saying most of the forum members say WG products are good because they are a house brand? Guess we are all paid bloggers for AG? Sorry I don't find it that way at all, there is plenty of non favorable feedback on house products here.

Then you state the only reason people like products is because they have never used anything but OTC products ..... Really?

Is any one product line "the best"? Doubtful but most of the WG products are top shelf, house brand or not.

"The Best" is all relative. What works great in hot humid weather in Florida might not be what works best for cold wet in Oregon or hot dry in Arizona. Also ones experience and tools used will have major effects on the results of any product. Mike says it best, " find something YOU like and use it often".

I find most of the people here give honest reviews of the experiences they have with tools and products both good and bad, some are house products and some are not. Each person will find what they like and are comfortable using, that doesn't make their choice for "best" right or wrong and what is "best" for them might not be best for me.

The fun part about all this is the search to find that "best" for you products!:buffing:
 
Buckskincolt said:
So you are saying most of the forum members say WG products are good because they are a house brand? Guess we are all paid bloggers for AG? Sorry I don't find it that way at all, there is plenty of non favorable feedback on house products here.

Then you state the only reason people like products is because they have never used anything but OTC products ..... Really?

Is any one product line "the best"? Doubtful but most of the WG products are top shelf, house brand or not.

"The Best" is all relative. What works great in hot humid weather in Florida might not be what works best for cold wet in Oregon or hot dry in Arizona. Also ones experience and tools used will have major effects on the results of any product. Mike says it best, " find something YOU like and use it often".

I find most of the people here give honest reviews of the experiences they have with tools and products both good and bad, some are house products and some are not. Each person will find what they like and are comfortable using, that doesn't make their choice for "best" right or wrong and what is "best" for them might not be best for me.

The fun part about all this is the search to find that "best" for you products!:buffing:
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Hmmm... Perhaps English is not your first language, so I'll cut you some slack.

Except for my general comment about how companies start out, where have I used the words "all" or even "most"? I suggest you start reading more closely before throwing accusations at someone.

Regarding Wolfgang products, I've tried a couple and found them to be good but not exceptional, and they are pricey. It's MY preference not tobuy them.

Mostly, I'm bothered by the constant hype of PBMG products. Some people buy into the brand name because of the hype and not because they are the best products in a category. Frankly I doubt that most people here understand that that AG is not just a retailer of those products, but are part of an overall company the MAKES the products. Which means that the promotion is not necessarily because the product is "hot" and is more likely because it's a company product.

If someone likes Wolfgang products, more power too them. But I, like others here, want to make them aware that there some other products available that may be better for them.

So are you try to shut down discussion of these other products simply because you like Wolfgang?

Dan.
 
BookemDano said:
Hmmm... Perhaps English is not your first language, so I'll cut you some slack.

Except for my general comment about how companies start out, where have I used the words "all" or even "most"? I suggest you start reading more closely before throwing accusations at someone.

Regarding Wolfgang products, I've tried a couple and found them to be good but not exceptional, and they are pricey. It's MY preference not tobuy them.

Mostly, I'm bothered by the constant hype of PBMG products. Some people buy into the brand name because of the hype and not because they are the best products in a category. Frankly I doubt that most people here understand that that AG is not just a retailer of those products, but are part of an overall company the MAKES the products. Which means that the promotion is not necessarily because the product is "hot" and is more likely because it's a company product.

If someone likes Wolfgang products, more power too them. But I, like others here, want to make them aware that there some other products available that may be better for them.

So are you try to shut down discussion of these other products simply because you like Wolfgang?

Dan.
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No, Im in no way trying to shut down anything. Where did I try to shut down any product? You were the one trying to shut down WG products. And where did I quote you using all or most? But I can quote you using the word "many". So you try a "couple" of Wolfgang products and now don't like the entire line and it's over hyped?

Just to make it clear, I do not just use Wolfgang products and I do not just use PBMG group products. Fact is the majority of products I use are not "house brands". Does this mean they (house brands) are not any good or on some level inferior? NO just means I prefer something else.

you assume because "Many" people here use and like house brands it's because of some sort of planted hype not because they like them. This is a Public Forum so how does PBMG controll the HYPE and positive reviews of their products over the other products available?

Maybe you are the one who has not grasp the english language, WHAT MAKES A PRODUCT BEST? To me it's what the individual likes to use.

I can tell you this for sure, there are lots of products here that aren't manufactured by, or owned by PBMG that get over hyped! There are also tons of products not owned by or manufactured by PBMG that get great reviews over their own house lines.

The OP ask if WG products were a good choice!

From the OP,
"They seem to have a good line up of products and people on the forum don't ever seem to be disappointed with them. I don't mind too much if some of their products "perform no better than blah", or are "no better value for money than blah", the main thing is do they work, and are people happy with the results."

So if you are a master of the English Language as implied above you might want address his question not go on a WG product line bash based on the things he said he doesn't care about. You slam people because they haven't tried things then admit you only tried a couple of WG products.

Personally I have not found any WG products that were not quality. Are they the "best" probably not, are they the best value? I doubt it. Are they quality absolutely! Should anyone eliminate trying other brands and trying new products because they like the WG line? Absolutely not!

Peace Man!:buffing:
Yale
 
alko said:
I'd skip the tsr kit and get you some Menzerna PO85RD. The M105 and 205 will work great and then later on down the road you can clean down the paint with the Menzerna. I'd also get a nice quality carnuba wax.
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Why Menzerna over TSR? and I am curious what you recommend for a carnuba wax? I will be purchasing Optimum Car Wax, do I need more?
 
SVTstang46 said:
Why Menzerna over TSR? and I am curious what you recommend for a carnuba wax? I will be purchasing Optimum Car Wax, do I need more?
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TSR is alittle more aggressive than the PO85RD. PO85RD is an ultra fine finishing polish that, if used right, can clear up fine swirls. I suggested that because initially the m105/205 will clear up any deeper swirls. All you'll need after that is some kind of follow up polish for future jobs. I'd look into the XMT 360 spray wax they got on BOGO right now. I like that better than Optimum car wax. Optimum edges out XMT but for overall application I like it better. There are tons of Nuba waxes out, and the only two I have experience with is collinite 915 and swissvax concorso.
 
I don't know why, but my threads seem to start wars :S

BookemDano and Buckskincult I'd like to say thank you for both YOUR opinions, they are yours and you are both entitled to them, as you are lucky enough to live in a country with free speech.

Here is what I took away from both of your posts:

1. Wolfgang is an in-house brand (I knew this but only after I'd done some research, so thanks for pointing it out for others)
2. Dano thinks it's a much better idea to buy products from different lines (although I indicated I did not want to do this it does seem the advice of most members, maybe I'm making a mistake, so thanks)
3. Buck thinks the WG series are a bit easier to use, and would be good for a noob like me (important info and pretty much exacty what I asked at the start of the post, so thanks)

One final point, WG is given a lot of press on autogeek, it's their brand so why wouldn't they use it in their videos (which are free to watch and extremely helpful!). Any owner of a shop gives out info but actaully does it to make money (harsh but true). AG knows if they are the ones with the best advice their customers will be pleased and will buy from them, it's called win-win :)

Some people may buy WG not knowing it's a house brand, which is a shame, but the info is all over this forum so if they really did some research they would know. AG is good enough to let us all discuss these things on here and doesn't chime in every time some asks about a home brand product, which they could easily do if they wanted.

Thanks AG, BookemDano and Buckskincult. Love not hate brothers.
 
OK, so here is where I currently stand, as it's a complex situation as I live in Australia. The Australian distributor (waxit) sells some product lines with a much smaller mark up than others. WG gets a large mark up, menzerna gets a "more reasonable" markup.

If I was to buy WG I would be buying from the US (about $200 of products and about $120 in shipping), as this actually turns out to be cheaper. If I buy menzerna I'll get free shipping from the distributor and will just pay their markup. As I'm starting out I don't want to blow a lot of cash on something I just use twice and then sit on a shelf because I'm over it or don't have the time for it.

I think the menzerna range is going to win, simply because of the cost of shipping. If I was in the US I'd already own a porter cable and the WG line up, as it sounds easy to use and gives good results. A little frustrating but oh well, such is life, Australia is awesome anyway ;)
 
magna_power,

I think it's obvious that Buckskincolt and I differ in what we think are a good combination of products. That said, I hope it's obvious that we both want what's the best for you. And that may or may not be the choices that each of us have made for ourselves.

For polishes, it looks like Menzerna is a better choice for you if only because of the shipping logistics. As far as the other products go, I hope you can get similar products locally to save on shipping. (You may have covered this issue, but I missed it.)

Good luck with your choices.

Regards,

Dan.

p.s. One point about my recommendation to look at CeeDog's list... I think that there is general conscensus that he is by far the best reviewer on detailing products. He is rigorous in his methods and clearly states his biases up front. Moreover, he lets the results take him where they want to go and doesn't forcefit results into his own viewpoint.

In that vein, I'm going to do a couple of comparative reviews - one of sealants and one about a Festool polisher. While I don't think I can meet Corey's (CeeDog's) standards, my goal is to provide a balanced viewpoint. Below is a pic of my hood with Zaino and UPGP sealants which is the start of my review.

DTC20120520190-X2.jpg
 
I get it. You're both passionate about teh topic and you both want to help, so i appreciate all the time both of you took to respond.

I'll be doing my own review on menzerna I think, my car is full (AND I MEAN FULL!!!!) of swirls from me using dirty sponges/chamois on my car (I'm guessing). So once I get my kit I'll be using it and taking photos (as my other hobby is photogrraphy hahaha).
 
I Think Dan and I are a lot closer to agreeing than he thinks (as long as he agrees with my point of view) LOL:D

Given the shipping dynamic I surly would go Menzerna. Great stuff and you will get great results. You will be able to get lots of help from this forum on the use of that line. Killerwheels comes to mind of someone that uses them a lot. The Menzerna line is pretty weak in the LSP and other products tho.

I totally agree with Dan that you should not limit yourself to one brand name, but I do understand it will be much more costly and difficult for you to obtain some other brands down under. You might see if you can find a Distributor for Meguires line, a lot of awesome products for every need. You might also drop AG a note to see if they have a distributor there for some of their stuff.

While Dan And I were having a nice debate this really is an awesome place to learn a lot, and pretty much everyone here will do their very best to try and steer you in the right direction including Dan and myself, I think our only problem was we viewed your question in a different way. :buffing:

Great looking garage Dan, mine currently looks a lot closer to your before pictures, hopefully I'll get mine in line with your after pics this summer. Take care ~~ Yale
 
How is menzerna weak in lsp? They have power lock which is one of the best sealants you can buy. Almost identical to backfire wet diamond.
 
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