Lake Country Pad Failure? or User error?

Maxima Mom

Maxima Mom

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Hey Mike its Maxima Dad, I finally got to finish my ML detail and the paint looks great now...my 9+ year old paint still has a few "deeper" swirls in some cases but overall it came up awesome...

While using my Lake Country pads however I noticed the edges coming apart and a tear forming along the edge between the velcro backing and edge of the pad...I noticed while using them the edge of the pad would "curl" over the edge of the backing plate...is this an indication of too much pressure on my part or a defect in the pads?

We only used them on the Maxima and then I used them on the ML so they are new...
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What machine are you using these with, what size are the pads, and what size is the backing plate?
 
I'll add to the questions...have those been washed? The orange pad it looks like the backing plate dug into the edge, the cyan pad looks like it's been heat damaged, or that could be washing damage. I haven't used my Hydro pads yet, but certainly others have said that the velcro doesn't seem to hold up so well on these.
 
Hey Dad,

Are you using them on a rotary or DA polisher?

They look like pretty new pads and since it's two I'm wondering if it's technique.
 
i heard when the Hydro's first came out there was an issue with the velcro not lasting but people that have recently bought them have not had this issue.
 
I have the same issue on a couple of my 5.5" Lake country flat pads from another vendor. The velcro shrunk ever so slightly after being washed and drying (I wash with warm water and simple green solution by hand and air dry so I don't get why they shrunk). This caused the backing plate to have just the slightest amount of overhang from the recessed edge velcro and it tore into the foam under pressure. In the future I'm only considering pads where the velcro covers the entire back because of this, and it worries me to buy the new Hydrotech thin pads because they have the recessed velcro.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I'll add to the questions...have those been washed? The orange pad it looks like the backing plate dug into the edge, the cyan pad looks like it's been heat damaged, or that could be washing damage. I haven't used my Hydro pads yet, but certainly others have said that the velcro doesn't seem to hold up so well on these.
Click to expand...

I've read a few such comments, but I have not had the problem myself, and I've been using the HT pads since they were first released..using them on my Flex 3401.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I'll add to the questions...have those been washed? The orange pad it looks like the backing plate dug into the edge, the cyan pad looks like it's been heat damaged, or that could be washing damage. I haven't used my Hydro pads yet, but certainly others have said that the velcro doesn't seem to hold up so well on these.
Click to expand...
I had the same problem myself and can definitely confirm its from the backing plate digging into the pads on both of them, probably because the velcro shrunk and caused the backing plate to overhang, just like mine.
 
i am also worried bout this issue cause i am in the market for new pads and the Hydro pads work so well but i can not afford to replace them if they are gonna keep coming apart
 
Ah yes the important details...they are 5.5" pads on the Griots DA polisher, backing plate is same size as white velcro area...

pads were washed in DP Pad Rejuvenator and scrubbed ever so lightly with pad brush then air dried...
 
Rob T said:
I've read a few such comments, but I have not had the problem myself, and I've been using the HT pads since they were first released..using them on my Flex 3401.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I bought the thicker 6.5 pads to use on my Flex but haven't yet.
 
Maxima, attach the pad to the backing plate and see if there is any amount of overhang at all, if there is, your velcro probably shrank like mine did. It worked fine the first time I used it, but the next time I used it I noticed that there was a slight amount of overhang and couldn't stretch it far enough to cover the entire backing plate (theres less than 1 millimeter of overhang). I used it anyway because of the recessed edge I figured it'd be fine, and then I noticed the backing plate ripping into the foam when I pressed down on the machine.

Stretched apart to show how deep failure goes.
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Goes around almost the whole length of the pad
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Another pad beginning to do the same thing.
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zliegen said:
Maxima, attach the pad to the backing plate and see if there is any amount of overhang at all, if there is, your velcro probably shrank like mine did. It worked fine the first time I used it, but the next time I used it I noticed that there was a slight amount of overhang and couldn't stretch it far enough to cover the entire backing plate (theres less than 1 millimeter of overhang). I used it anyway because of the recessed edge I figured it'd be fine, and then I noticed the backing plate ripping into the foam when I pressed down on the machine.
Click to expand...

And the verdict is...looks like shrunken velcro to me...hmmm not liking that investment..:bat:
With even the slightest downward pressure the pad edge curls up against the backing plate...
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^ You are keeping it FLAT right, not at an angle like shown in those pics?
 
Maxima Mom said:
And the verdict is...looks like shrunken velcro to me...hmmm not liking that investment..:bat:
With even the slightest downward pressure the pad edge curls up against the backing plate...
Click to expand...
Yeahhh, Its pretty lame. I'm pretty pissed considering how careful I am when I wash my pads and never get them too hot or too cold. Theres no reason the velcro should have shrank. Going to try and get reimbursed or something now that I know that it wasn't just me beind an idiot and that the product is faulty.
 
Rob T said:
^ You are keeping it FLAT right, not at an angle like shown in those pics?
Click to expand...
If you look at mine you can tell they were flat when I was using it, its torn into evenly over the entire pad, the velcro is definitely shrinking for no reason...
 
Rob T said:
^ You are keeping it FLAT right, not at an angle like shown in those pics?
Click to expand...

yup flat and even...two hands on the DA...I even remembered to turn it off before lifting!
 
zliegen said:
If you look at mine you can tell they were flat when I was using it, its torn into evenly over the entire pad, the velcro is definitely shrinking for no reason...
Click to expand...

same with mine....tear all around the circumference of the pad....
 
I guess the Hydro-Tech pads have some different velcro attachment issues due to the different type of foam, because compared to years ago, velcro issues seem to be much less in general. I wonder if this is part of the 1-Pad philosophy, to throw the pad away before there are velcro issues?
 
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