My thoughts: Menzerna Power Lock vs Blackfire Wet Diamond Sealant

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The Critic

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I just wanted to post up my observations on these two products and would like to hear other member experiences.

To date, I have used Power Lock on seven different vehicles for wax/clay/seal jobs. In comparison, I recently received a sample of Blackfire Wet Diamond from AG during an order, and have used it on one car.

Here are my observations:

1) Menzerna Power Lock.

Pro: Very thick, which makes it application and removal a breeze. It also FILLS a lot, which makes it a great candidate for hammered finishes. Slickness is also excellent and it gives the paint a glassy appearance.

Con: Oily nature makes it a dust magnet, at least until the first wash. It does not seem to make metallic flakes "pop" as well as Blackfire.

2) Blackfire Wet Diamond Sealant.

Pro: Makes metallic flakes "pop" very well. Not as oily as Power Lock and seems to not attract as much dust.

Con: More difficult to apply than PowerLock, finish is not as slick.

Durability is TBD for both, but after 2 mo, Power Lock appears to be going strong.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts on these two products.
 
Thanks for your review. I also have both. In my opinion they're virtually the same in application, removal, and slickness but I'm probably not as critical as you. One thing to note is Menzerna Power Lock does not stain black trim like Blackfire Wet Diamond does.
 
That's good to know, I did not realize that Blackfire stained trim.
 
I get about 4-6 months out of power lock it depends on the weather really and I usually like to apply two coats if the customer can leave the car long enough. I have never used Blackfire so can't comment on it.
 
I used BFWD on my cars this past spring and topped with BFCS. No problems with durability through 6-7 months and still had some protection when I stripped down for the winter details. I did re-apply BFCS after 3 months.

Yes, it will darken black plastic trim but I actually go ahead and apply it to the black plastic mirrors and door handles on the CRV and it makes them look great.

As for the slickness, I don't know how you could possibly get any slicker than BFWD, but I've never tried PL, so I'll have to take your word for it. PL is on my wishlist, so hopefully I'll get to test it out soon.

Curious why you found BFWD difficult to apply? Is it because of how thin and nearly transparent it goes on?

Thanks for your quick review! :xyxthumbs:
 
It's all relative. PL just goes on and comes off noticeably easier than BFWD. At least it did from that one experience. YMMV

Also note that PL is about 1/2 the cost of BFWD.
 
Did my wifes car with BFWD Saturday, applied with my Rupes 15. I did the whole deal in about an hour. I had previously used Powerlock. I prefer the BFWD as far as final finish. It was also effortless to remove. We'll see how it holds up. I was not impressed the least with Powerlock, gave it away to a friend.
 
The Critic said:
It's all relative. PL just goes on and comes off noticeably easier than BFWD. At least it did from that one experience. YMMV

Also note that PL is about 1/2 the cost of BFWD.
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My guess is if you had trouble removing BFWD you used too much? I had this problem the first time I used it and found out through forum discussions that I was putting it on too thick. Just priming the pad you can do an entire hood, from there, just 2 pea size dots per panel. I use a blue CCS pad on GG6 on speed 3.
 
I felt PL was more durable than WG. I definitely agree that WG makes metallic pop more than PL.
 
BF 4 months for roof, hood, and trunk. 6 months for side panels and i park 24/7 outside in California weather. With just one layer of BFWD.
 
anonymoususer said:
One thing to note is Menzerna Power Lock does not stain black trim like Blackfire Wet Diamond does.
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With regard to the above comment...


...I would like verification of the above by AG staff members AND other long time forum members who may have experience with using each product multiple times...not just a single use.

As regards durability Menzerna Powerlock already has a reputation (at least on this forum) of lasting and lasting. Having used BFWDPS on ONE occasion certianly isn't proof that the product does, or does not have lasting ability, but I was not impressed...at all.
 
Anyone thing there is a huge difference between: WGDGPS, BFWD, & Powerlock?

I did some chemical testing a while back and found they all seem to resist chemicals equally. In fact, only thing that would strip a healthy coat was acid - and I tried many paint prep liquids (not polishes/pre-wax cleaners).
 
wdmaccord said:
My guess is if you had trouble removing BFWD you used too much? I had this problem the first time I used it and found out through forum discussions that I was putting it on too thick. Just priming the pad you can do an entire hood, from there, just 2 pea size dots per panel. I use a blue CCS pad on GG6 on speed 3.
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I had no problems removing it, I just thought PowerLock was easier to remove. During my one use of BFWD, I used about 2/3rd of an oz for a Honda Civic.
 
IME after about 2 months or so the slickness of PL dissipates, It literally felt like there was nothing on my paint. Then it rained, and saw the beading it had. It gave me some reassurance.

Anyone else have the same experience?
 
The Critic said:
I had no problems removing it, I just thought PowerLock was easier to remove. During my one use of BFWD, I used about 2/3rd of an oz for a Honda Civic.
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2/3 oz. sounds about right. I use about 2/3 - 3/4 oz. for my Accords. Maybe 3/4 - 1 oz. on the CRV due to the larger roof.
 
JHL88 said:
IME after about 2 months or so the slickness of PL dissipates, It literally felt like there was nothing on my paint. Then it rained, and saw the beading it had. It gave me some reassurance.

Anyone else have the same experience?
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BFWD is similar in this. Even topped with BFCS, the slickness did dissipate after a couple months. I did use BF Polymer Spray after every wash to re-introduce the WD polymers and bring back the slickness. Definitely still had protection there though even though it wasn't as slick.
 
wdmaccord said:
BFWD is similar in this. Even topped with BFCS, the slickness did dissipate after a couple months. I did use BF Polymer Spray after every wash to re-introduce the WD polymers and bring back the slickness. Definitely still had protection there though even though it wasn't as slick.
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Im assuming this is a characteristic of most polymer sealants? I don't have a lot of experience dealing with sealants long-term so i wouldn't know. My previous vehicles have stayed garage kept and only used waxes on them since they didn't stay outside.
 
JHL88 said:
Im assuming this is a characteristic of most polymer sealants? I don't have a lot of experience dealing with sealants long-term so i wouldn't know. My previous vehicles have stayed garage kept and only used waxes on them since they didn't stay outside.
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In my experience so far, yes. Starts out with insane slickness and beading, then as the slickness dissipates, it goes to more of a sheeting effect rather than beading. After 6 months on one car and 7 months on another, never got to the point where water sat flat on the paint. To me that says there is still some protection there even with some changes in the hydrophobic characteristics. I do top with BFCS every 3 months, which probably helps the longevity also.
 
My experiences with bfwd have been great. It gets easier to use after you do a couple cars. I am amazed at how little you use in a coat. I have done 3 cars 1 truck with just the 2 oz sample size. During the roll back sale I bought a 16oz bottle. Besides the slick finish and great looks, it doesn't attract dust. That is a huge plus in my eyes!
 
Last night, I did a 2-step correction on a car and applied Power Lock.

During the drive home, it started pouring and the car got wet. The car also stayed outside all night.

Today, I re-washed the car. During the initial rinse, the beading seemed decent. But after the wash, the beading was medicore at best.

My only guess is that the sealant needs to be kept away from water exposure for a while in order to bond properly.

I applied Blackfire Wet Diamond after the wash because it was all that I had around. I hope it bonded to any Power Lock that was still on there.
 
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