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Finally purchased a DA polisher!

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  • Finally purchased a DA polisher!

    Hey everyone :waves
    I finally made the leap from grasshopper [working by hand] to DA polisher newbie!
    I bought the HF DA and now just have to decide on which pads/backing plate to buy for it. All signs point towards 5.5" with 5" pads so yea... I've heard a tidbit of talk saying LC cyan pads work well with M105 and LC Tangerine pads pair well with M205..[but I havent even looked at any pads yet, so not even close to a having any real ideas on which ones I might choose] All I know is they'll most likely be Foam pads.

    Now I keep going back & forth between whether I should purchase M105/M205 or stick to the consumer UC/UP combo. The swirls [especially on my hood where they seem deeper] are something I can't let slide and I'd like to correct them, along with the rest of the swirls & minor defects on my car once, with one product removing the majority of them and move onto polishing. [I'm hoping things turn out that way]
    So I heard some dude mention destination "shineville" and how it doesn't really matter how you get there as long as you make it safely home, everyone will pretty much end up in the same place of "shineville"
    Is that basicly true? If so, is the main difference between using M105 & UC the speed/time it takes an experienced person to achive optimum results [less passes etc] ...Or is there a Very noticable difference in depth & shine between using M105 compared to UC? And same question comparing M205 to UP. I appologize if that's a loaded question, but small tidbits of info would help me get a better idea on how to make the ideal choice/purchase.[I'm completely out of product so I'll be buying new bottles of what I need very soon]

    [I'm not looking into the Microfiber Power pack at this time because a couple of panels on my car don't have the original paint, and I don't want another thing to have to figure out:p]

    Please bare with me as I'm new to this part of the game. But if you guys could throw in a tip or two that might help a newb along I sure would appreciate it. Especially coming from the friendly and experienced people here. MOL has tons of great info thanks to the combination of friendly people who've posted for the past 10 yrs. to you!

    I'll continue to read and sift through posts in the archives.. But if you guys feel like schooling a newb, I'm all ears I'd like to hear your current thoughts and suggestions. Thanks in advance:]

  • #2
    I think I'm going with M105/M205 & Hex Logic pads.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

      Congrats on the purchase!

      UC is more user friendly than M105, and only slightly less agressive. So if you're just starting out with a DA, that might be a better choice.

      I'd go with M205 over UP, and just get the LC CCS pads (if you want LC pads, if not, the Meguiars ones are great too). I've heard mixed reviews about the Hex Logic pads.
      Originally posted by Blueline
      I own a silver vehicle and a black vehicle owns me. The black one demands attention, washing, detailing, waxing and an occasional dinner out at a nice restaurant. The silver one demands nothing and it looks just fine. I think the black vehicle is taking advantage of me, and the silver car is more my style. We can go out for a drive without her makeup and she looks fine. If I want to take the black one out, it is three or four hours in the "bathroom" to get ready.

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      • #4
        Thx Davey.
        What would be a downside for a newb using M105?
        Would you say UC can produce the same results as M105?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

          Quite a few people have experienced the following with M105:

          - Short working time;
          - The product drying out easily and becoming hard to remove;
          - Dusting.

          It's all stuff that can be fixed with adjustments to technique, but it's not something that's ideal for a newbie IMO.

          And yes, you can defintely obtain the same results with UC.
          Originally posted by Blueline
          I own a silver vehicle and a black vehicle owns me. The black one demands attention, washing, detailing, waxing and an occasional dinner out at a nice restaurant. The silver one demands nothing and it looks just fine. I think the black vehicle is taking advantage of me, and the silver car is more my style. We can go out for a drive without her makeup and she looks fine. If I want to take the black one out, it is three or four hours in the "bathroom" to get ready.

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm just wondering what "user friendly" means as opposed to the M105..
            My main thing is I want to choose a product that [assume I use it correctly] removes swirls & minor defects and leave my finish as good as it can possibly get. If there's a noticable difference between what can be achieved between pro vs. over the counter stuff, I do not want to be stuck with the over the counter results._.

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            • #7
              Looks like your reply came in as I was typing my last post..
              Thx Davey!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

                I was in your shoes at one point. I started off with UC/UP and once I got the hang of it I moved to M105/M205. I would recommend learning with UC/UP as well. UC/UP are pretty darn close to the pro line of M105/M205. You will not get over the counter results with UC/UP.

                You asked about UC and M105. UC offers more working time but one can achieve the same results as M105. With M105 you just have to work a smaller area to avoid the dusting as well as having it work for you a little longer. M205 is a must have in my book. It is such a versatile product. It offers more correcting ability and if finishes nicely. This does not take away from what UP can do. It is a great product. I still use both combos. If you are an enthusiast who likes to keep his/her cars clean then UC/UP is more than enough. If you want to broaden your horizon's give M105/M205 a shot. You can pick up 12 oz sizes of each here.

                M105

                M205


                As far as pads, I use 5.5" lake country flat pads. Orange (compounding), White (polishing), black (wax/sealant). I use a lake country 5" backing plate. I believe the meguiar's W67DA backing plate works as well.

                Pads
                Lake Country 5 1/2 Inch Flat Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice! - Build your own perfect pad kit! Select six Lake Country 5 1/2 x 7/8 inch Flat Pads in the colors of your choice. You know what pads you need better than anyone. Customize your own pad kit ...

                Backing Plate
                Dual-Action Hook & Loop Flexible Backing Plate 5" - 5 inch molded urethane backing plate for excellent flexibility and balance by Lake Country MFG. If German car makers think this backing plate is good enough to use on their top-of-the-line ...





                99 Grand Prix
                02 Camaro SS

                Comment


                • #11
                  Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

                  I'm going a different way than the above. I think you should get the DAMF system in either 5" or 6" (the HF DA has enough power for both). Easy purchase, easy to use, comes with a backing plate, and produces results!
                  Brandon
                  Custom Cleaning Concepts, LLC
                  (435) 249-4CCC (4222)
                  "When you want your ride as clean as can be, you need to call CCC!"

                  Comment


                  • #12
                    Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

                    A question for the op is what are his intentions. Is he an enthusiast or a detailer. For an enthusiast foam is usually good enough. I'm an enthusiast and I started off with foam pads. The only reason I purchased the microfiber cutting pads is because my 02 camaro and my dad's 02 camaro have such hard clear coat that the foam pads didn't correct as much as I wanted them to. It doesn't hurt to have the MF cutting pads in your arsenal.

                    If you are going into production type detailing than the DAMF system is the way to go.
                    99 Grand Prix
                    02 Camaro SS

                    Comment


                    • #13
                      I'm deciding not to go with the DAMF because I saw 1st hand [Meguairs 101 class] and plus heard reviews that it might haze OEM paint. This is the 1 area where I'm not quite interested in dipping my newb shoes into. My paint is a light metalic green, and IMO it's hard enough trying to determine it's prime shine condition. I will say that it's impressive what it can accomplish with a single pass.

                      @The Guz. I'm inspired by your words. I like how you speak about being in the same shoes once apon a time, makes alot of sense, plus is ideal for my situation and budget. Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the pad pack & backing plate. [also thx to Davey for pad advice] Which combo of pads would you recommend for my situation? I'm thinking 3 orange and 3 of the next ones below that are for applying polish after compounding. [cant remember the color ATM]
                      Or should I equip myself with 3 options of pads?
                      Note: I'll be applying my wax by hand.

                      Comment


                      • #14
                        Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

                        I'd keep it simple and get 3 orange cutting and 3 white polishing pads. The white pads can also be used for applying wax.

                        Later on if you like, you can get some red pads for the wax...


                        *EDIT* I just read that you'll be applying wax by hand - so just 3 orange & 3 white pads!
                        Originally posted by Blueline
                        I own a silver vehicle and a black vehicle owns me. The black one demands attention, washing, detailing, waxing and an occasional dinner out at a nice restaurant. The silver one demands nothing and it looks just fine. I think the black vehicle is taking advantage of me, and the silver car is more my style. We can go out for a drive without her makeup and she looks fine. If I want to take the black one out, it is three or four hours in the "bathroom" to get ready.

                        Comment


                        • #15
                          Re: Finally purchased a DA polisher!

                          Glad I could help. I have taken this up as a hobby and have learned a lot form the people on here and keep on learning new things. I think you are on the right track starting out with foam. Once you get your technique down you will have no issues moving onto MF pads if you choose to.

                          Davey have you the right pads and quantity to go with. I bought a couple black ones for applying wax.

                          Another thing you may want to consider is getting a backing plate to run 4" pads for those smaller areas. They do come in handy like on the A pillars.
                          99 Grand Prix
                          02 Camaro SS

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