Pad usage per car

jbrown287

jbrown287

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I am wondering about how many pads you need to do a vehicle? Not a semi just an average size 4 door car. I am planning on ordering a few (2-3 of each) LC orange, gray, white, green. Would you all suggest any others or more of these?
 
On corrections I tend to use 4 of each Orange, white, black...
 
To be honest I haven't really figured out my average yet. I've been trying so many new products that I'm constantly switching pad. I hate cleaning pads, its my least favorite part about detailing lol
 
I use the same pads multiple times. If I do a 3-step on a sedan...I use one orange or yellow (depends), one white, then a finishing pad with my rotary.

I never go through a pad on just one car. I'll use it on multiple vehicles before I toss it. I've read about some people going through multiple pads to do one vehicle...and I don't understand that at all. One pad should last quite a while unless it separates or gets compromised somehow.
 
Kristopher1129 said:
I use the same pads multiple times. If I do a 3-step on a sedan...I use one orange or yellow (depends), one white, then a finishing pad with my rotary.

I never go through a pad on just one car. I'll use it on multiple vehicles before I toss it. I've read about some people going through multiple pads to do one vehicle...and I don't understand that at all. One pad should last quite a while unless it separates or gets compromised somehow.
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How many pads do you use for a car. 2 oranges, 2 white....... There is no way I would be tossing pads after one car. I will use them till they fall apart.
 
I use 4-6 of each pad depending on size of vehicle. I clean on the fly after each pass.

When I start polishing, i get in a zone and don't like to stop and wash pads out so I keep many pads on hand so I don't have to wash.
 
I will adjust my amounts then. I want to get enough to get the job done. 4 of each sounds like it would be plenty.

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What size pads are you going to buy and are you considering the hydro-tech pads? 4 cyan and 4 tangerine can replace the orange, white and green pads. All you really need is a single red 5.5" and 4" pad to apply waxes and/or sealants. I use a single 4" crimson hydro-tech to apply waxes and sealants.
 
I am planning on buying 6.5s. I havent decided on the da yet. Probably a 3401. If I decide to go with a gg or megs then I wil go with 5.5s. I was looking at the lc ccs. Just because they come in most of the da kits. I wil have to check our the hydros.

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I can now use 1-2 for the whole car but i bought a pad washer. before that i would average around 4 CCS pads.
 
jbrown287 said:
How many pads do you use for a car. 2 oranges, 2 white....... There is no way I would be tossing pads after one car. I will use them till they fall apart.
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I guess I typically use 3. Each pad is designated to a specific product. Usually, it's orange or yellow with 105, white with 205, and a blue (Malco) finishing pad on my Makita with a fine polish of choice.

Granted, this absolutely may fluctuate or change while the work is being done. Every good detailer must be able to adapt to the situation at hand to produce the best results. This may be a change in pads, compound, polish, position, direction, pressure, etc. There's NEVER a set in stone type of pads, product, polish, etc. Every vehicle is different, and should be treated as so. IMO of course :dblthumb2:
 
I started out using one of each type (but using the "on the fly" cleaning technique) and have moved to two. Especially on my car I don't really see a need for more than two per product if I'm using the on the fly cleaning. If I had a pad washer, well then it would be 1 per product since I'd just wash it when it got really bad. Since I'm an amateur hobbyist though, pad washer = a LOT of pads so I do not have one.
 
flyinion said:
I started out using one of each type (but using the "on the fly" cleaning technique) and have moved to two. Especially on my car I don't really see a need for more than two per product if I'm using the on the fly cleaning. If I had a pad washer, well then it would be 1 per product since I'd just wash it when it got really bad. Since I'm an amateur hobbyist though, pad washer = a LOT of pads so I do not have one.
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I actually prefer the on the fly cleaning method. I feel it's the quickest method, and is more than enough of a cleaning to keep moving forward. I've really never had the desire to even have a pad cleaner. I don't see the point.

Once I go to use the pad next time, I just spray it down with some Pinnacle pad lube. Then, off to the races. Never had a problem just using on the fly. Although, I have had times where I pressure wash the pad, and let it dry off. But that was typically only on the pad I compounded with. The compound tends to harden...so I like to blast it off.
 
Here's a link to a post by Mike Phillips with the recommended 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 And this still means cleaning on the fly after every couple of sections.

Once I've finished with a pad I throw it in a bucket with Pad Cleaner until I'm done with the car then wash them all at the same time. Using multiple pads is also a way to avoid damaging the pad with too much heat.
 
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