Well, according to Meg's in older threads, D302 Polish has some minor abrasives, but they are super fine and light compared to other polishes, so the effect is that it can often be essentially non-abrasive. It was designed to help remove potential D300 haze, be a true polish step, and also work with the more aggressive MF pads, but so does the D301 Finishing Wax.
I've used D302 with Cutting and Finishing MF Discs for some very effective polishing on hard paint, and it wasn't just spreading oils. I've also tested D302 alongside UP (based on M205) on the same pads and saw little real difference in "cut", but D302 seems to have a, well...a less oily?...collection of polishing oils than UP, somehow. It's just a lighter, finer polish, if you will. In fact, all three D30x liquids seem lighter and finer, and maybe that's why they are so easy to use. They are meant to work together, but also allow for branching off to other approaches.
D301 is a cleaner-wax with both synthetic and carnauba finishing results. Really an amazing wax, and such a payoff after a long correction, but I'll admit it's not as durable even as Gold Class. So, a sealant like UW/NXT/M21 could follow D301, if I were to use one, but I don't care for "topping", and would not inject a sealant between D302 and D301, or between UP and Gold Class for that matter. Now, though, I've discovered the life-changing UWWA/D115, and that works a bit like a spray sealant, but also with carnauba. So, what happens now is I finish a correction or quick re-waxing with D301, and then depending on weather, start up with UWWA and GCQW right away during my day-to-day cleaning.
As for the pads getting dirty, I gave up on foam because, among other reasons, foam gets soppy with too much product, the foam can get chewed up, you can't really clean them on-the-fly, etc. Maybe the thin foams are different (but it's still foam, right?). The MF pads are tough, and as I said, easy to keep clean with a simple brush during my correction work, which then uses less product and saves me time and effort, all else equal. Thin foam may be trendy and slightly newer, but DAMF is not to be minimized. After all, it's a professional and complete pads and liquids system Meg's has worked out for us, and takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation. IMO, there's nothing better for a DA.
Beyond all that, I think you have to get out there, do some tests, see what you like, etc. Don't over-think products
. I know that microfiber pads are a little more on the aggressive side which is why I wasn't eager to get those first. Most people here drive cars that are either a late model meaning the clear coats are thin as can be, or they drive messed up beaters with clear coat failure, so when I bought the pads I thought microfiber might be too aggressive for my needs. I figured I'd invest in those at a later time. Like I said I work in the sun so M105 is NOT for me I guess until I can work in the ideal place. Like you said you never know what you need, which is why when people ask me how much I will charge to detail their car I can never just say $200 for sedans and 300 for mini vans or something like that. Everybody wants to spend a certain amount, everybody isn't as picky, everybody's paint has a different hardness or level of damage, and I never quote over the phone. Thanks soooo much for the responses, you guys have helped a lot, and even though a lot of the things you told me, I knew, you confirmed it for me (more confidence yay), and you answered my million noobish questions lol. I called customer service about my paint protect dilemma, and I figured I'd post this here for anybody who happens to stumble across this thread. The build up on the bottom of the bottle is common, and it will not affect the performance of the product so go ahead and use it. Thanks again! Hopefully that first sentence is my last question lol.
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