Please help me choose pads

[Harry Da Hamster]

Lake Country has an enormous selection of pads; Flat, Hydrotech, Waffle, CSS, Hybrid...

I will be pulling the trigger soon on a Rupes 15 and a cheap and used traditional DA (PC, Meg, HF) with 3" pads. I currently have Menzerna SF4500 and FG400. I have Meguiars M101 on the way. And i'll probably be buying Sonax Perfect Finish 4/6 and Meguiars M205 soon.

Please help me choose a pad for each step of the process and why you recommend it. Cutting, heavy oxidation, polishing, finish polishing, glazing, wax application.

Thank you

 

[parttimer]

Well, as far as pads go, I am just getting into this, I have orange, pink, white, gray, blue and red. I just got the pinks so I haven't tested them. I used the orange with Wolfgangs Total Swirl Remover, its what came with the kit and recommended. I followed that with finishing glaze on a white pad, polish enhancer on a blue pad and Fuzion with a red for my SRT. Was very happy with the results but I am still learning. The orange pad and swirl remover got rid of most of the small hairline scratches, I did find a few that need me to go over it again, someones dog with muddy paws jumped on the driver door. I almost cried.
I did an online chat with the folks here at AG and they recommended the pad choice. Just ask them, i'm sure they will help you spend your money!
I used the CCS pads, Junkman recommends the hex logic pads. I don't have those so I can't comment.
I used the red for fuzion as its the softest and has not cutting, just applies the polish.
Orange obviously for cutting, its the big gun, although I see a yellow out there that is probably more abrasive.
White and gray may be interchangeable, I think white has a bit more cut to it, its definately more firm than gray.
I think more cut to the pad more aggressive product then work your way up, softer pad, less abrasive product.

 

[Rival]

CCS or lake county pads here.

6.5 for roatary and 5.5 & 4inch for the old porter cable


id only get 1 yellow (DA or rotary) 3-6 orange, 2-4 white, 2-4 gray, 1-2 blue, 1 red and maybe a yellow jeweling pad.

 

[Evan.J]

If your going with the Rupes then I highly recommend the hydrotech pads. I have been using the hydrotech pads with no issues.

 

[Radarryan]

I have used CCSpads and Hydrotech pads from Lake Country. Personally, I did not like the CCS on my PC. The good reviews for CCS pads usually come from those who use it on their rotary polishers, not DAs.

I really like the Hydrotech pads. They are like the flat (which I have not used) but use a different foam (European, I believe). I believe that Mike Phillips says that flat pads (so either LC flat or HT) are the easiest to use. The benefit to the HT over flat would be there are only 3, rather than a full line of pads. You know, with the HT, that cyan for compounding, tangerine for polishing, and crimson for finishing rather than orange, white, black, blue, etc.

Honesty, I don't think you can go wrong with flat or Hydrotech. I know I enjoy the HT, and I did a lot of research before settling on them. If you have soft paint, Hydrotech are the way to go, in my opinion. Hope this helps...

Happy detailing!

 

[umi000]

Get the Meguiar's MF pads for cutting, then the Tangerine and Crimson Hydrotech pads for polishing and finishing.