LC orange pads losing stiffness?

[spazzz]

I'm relatively new to machine polishing and out of my five orange LC flat pads I have two that I've used the most on my Griot's G9. Granted I've only done one full car, and I've done a single hood, and a motorcycle tank as practice. After I did the first full car today I'm cleaning my pads out and I notice that two of my five orange pads are much softer and more pliable than the others. In fact they're on a "squishiness" level of a green pad. Do these orange pads still have the same amount of cut or are they toast? How did I kill them so quickly?

I noticed this when I bought 6 white and 6 orange LC 5.5" Force Hybrids.
They are no where near the same feel as the others, wet or dry. More like 3 soft and 3 firm in each batch.
I didn't want to be a rebel rouser and post so thank you.

I wrote it off as 2 different batch runs and didn't want to admit to myself I once again had bad luck making a purchase.

Everyone can call bull, but they are different. For all I know they cut and polish the same, but the softies are always used last on less mission critical areas.
What a bummer , eh??

 

[Bruno Soares]

I noticed this when I bought 6 white and 6 orange LC 5.5" Force Hybrids.
They are no where near the same feel as the others, wet or dry. More like 3 soft and 3 firm in each batch.
I didn't want to be a rebel rouser and post so thank you.

I wrote it off as 2 different batch runs and didn't want to admit to myself I once again had bad luck making a purchase.

Everyone can call bull, but they are different. For all I know they cut and polish the same, but the softies are always used last on less mission critical areas.
What a bummer , eh??

Send Lake Country a message. I once had some issues and not only did they replace my pads, they threw in a couple extra pads in the same package. Very customer friendly.

 

[spazzz]

Good idea.

Better than the one I had where I just bought 4 more of each to pique my curiosity.
Oh well I need more anyway

 

[PaulMys]

Send Lake Country a message. I once had some issues and not only did they replace my pads, they threw in a couple extra pads in the same package. Very customer friendly.

^^^This^^^

I had one batch of LC flats that had a funky velcro deformity on the edges of the pads. Not all the way around, but just in 1-2 spots.

Called them, and they said the pads should be fine to use, but they were sending me a new batch, and to keep the originals. (Which worked just fine).

When I polish with my GG polisher and LC pads, I feel like both companies are completely there for me if I have any issues.

 

[spazzz]

I emailed LC so we will get to the bottom of this.
Thanks for the nudge Bruno

 

[PaulMys]

I emailed LC so we will get to the bottom of this.
Thanks for the nudge Bruno

Keep us posted, spazzz-o-matic!

 

[ebrammer252]

Spazzz, did LC take care of you?

 

[spazzz]

In the process. Dave got back to me.
I need to go through my cleaning process so I am able to feel the definite difference.
The whites are noticeable when dry but I need to step through what I normally do to label them.
He wants to check them out.

 

[spazzz]

I sent my 6 orange Force 5.5s and 6 white Force 5.5s to Dave at Lake Country to take a look at.
I ordered more from store X and store Y after this.
I let Dave know I was just looking for some kind of answer/explanation to ease my mind and didn't want anything but maybe the old pads back.

After he had a chance to look at them he said they were still usable and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, some used and a little softer.
He said he felt the best thing was to send me replacements.

I explained all pads were about the same new.
He also said there is some tolerances in foam. There are many variables to how long they last. His experience has seen guys getting more than 15 cars and some guys getting less than 10.

What satisfied my question, gripe was the simple ...some tolerances in foam. Okay, I am all good with that and can move on. They cut the same so issue resolved.

I will use softer pads for contours and (my perception) stiffer pads for flat work.
Now I definitely will have enough pads for awhile. I am in pad nirvana with 16 each of the white and orange Force 5.5s. With the greys, blacks, reds,hybrid wool, tufbuf, microfiber pads,rayon glass for the Flex3401 I am in my comfort zone. When I get help I set someone up with my 7424 and Lake Country 5.5 flat pads

Indirectly this helped me over a little bump of wanting more whites and oranges because 6 of each isn't enough. 10 of each is a more realistic number for convenience for a hobbyist.

Dave Patterson from Lake Country Manufacturing is a gentleman and a scholar.