ok, I'm kinda confused. I've been gathering information to put together a detail package for my truck (da, pads, polish, etc) and i've been looking at pads. I see Lake Country has six different pads (yellow, orange, green, white, gray/black, blue) and Meguiar's has two (w8006,w9006). From what I've noticed, ADS has a six pad option with either 6 (my choice) LC pads or 6 Megs pads any combo of my choice. What are the obvious differences in the two?

 

I don't know much about Meg's pads.

Lake pads on the other hand I know a little about. Each pad has a different cut to it. Yellow being the heaviest cut, and blue being the least cut (and they claim it has NO abrasive qualities.)

 

No abrasive qualities? How? Do you just spin the pad in the air and rely on gravity to pull the LSP that you're applying downward to the paint? Rubbing a pad against paint isn't abrasive?

It is the least abrasive in the mix but, I think it to be a stretch to say that it's non-abrasive.

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I'm not a cracker jack with Lake's pads but, my personal opinion has been that they seem to have a few too many pads to accomplish a task. Don't get me wrong, the same could be said about several types of products out there on the market and my opinion is likely skewed a tad by my preference for the Meguiar's pad and the non-desire to learn another system (in addition to so many polish systems out there) with regards to this polish with this pad on this speed...

All of that said, my preference is the two pad system that you noted. I've never been let down by either of those two pads and I've never went wondering what this pad will do with this product versus this pad with that product, etc. (again, it's a lack of desire on my part to learn all of that stuff -- there are just too many polish systems that I've used or regularly use to really try to learn it - call me lazy, it's fair - most people tend to stick with what they know and like to use - I'm no different).

The YELLOW Meguiar's pad is the polishing pad. It's going to be a bit more dense than that of the TAN Meguiar's pad which is used for finishing. Personally, as both a guy who does this as a side job and as a guy who is obcessive compulsive about his own vehicles, I've always found it easier to go the more simplistic route.

If I'm attempting to remove paint defects, I'll have a yellow pad on the PC. If I'm removing a VERY minor defect or finishing a vehicle with either a LSP or a pure polish (or a very very light abrasive polish with some fillers or similar), I'll be spinning a tan pad.

For future reference, if you decide to go with the Meguiar's pads:



Remember, the 8006 is the POLISHING whereas the 9006 is the FINISHING.

Both make very good pads so, it's totally up to you... Everyone's opinion will differ slightly but, after having used both pad systems, I still go with what I'm the most comfortable with and find to be the easiest system to use...

Again... it's all in an opinion. Everyone's got one. It'd be best to draw your own... but, I understand the questioning and the confusion.

-RP-

 

Well, my instinct was telling me to K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid), but OF course if the LC pads were just, maybe a better fit? I would go with those, but also for a newbie, i think maybe the Megs pads with that chart will be a good start. As I said previously, I'm just trying to absorb as much information as possible before I go and spend a couple hundred dollars on supplies. Again, Thanks for the info!

 

I'd still recommend that you try both and make your own call...

Both manufac's are highly regarded within the pad realm and, as such, I don't think you can go wrong.

Either way, I think it's one of the highest margin products in the detailing realm... I mean, it's foam. Foam is uber-cheap (trust me, I deal with a lot of it in my line of work because of air permitting for refrigerator manufacturing) and a velcro back with some glue on it really isn't all that expensive...

Bundle it all up in a plastic bag and I bet you have about ... oh... maybe a dollar in the entire product (start to finish, labor included). Sell them for $10 a pop and make bank!

 

I guess I need to include a disclaimer in my post. From one vendor or another, somebody claimed that the blue pads have no abrasive quality. I agree that makes no sense because any material is going to be abrasive to some extent.

I have never tried Meg's pads. I like Lake pads - for the time being. I plan to try Meg's pads and do a comparison to see what I like best.

Like RP said, that's the best way to do it.

 

in that case, I've got a couple old matress foam tops and some velco from wal-mart, man, I should have seen the money making potential before! Well, I still have a little time to think about the purchase because well.... its still 20 degrees out. I'm slowly developing my plan of attack.

 

Pad are like ice cream for me...I kind of like them all but each one has a different flavor.

I prefer Lake VC pads and have several sets of all 6. I know the system and know what I am going to get each time I put a product on the pad. I also have many Megs pads, I use them often. I do prefer the Diamond pads from Megs and the red cut pad is one of my favorites (another story there)

the White lake pad is considered the workhouse of the pads. Green is used often for me, orange on occasionally and yellow, well, if you need yellow, there are many things wrong with the surface and my personal opinion, yellow shouldn't be used that often on the same paint. Once you fix and correct the surface you shouldn't have a need for the yellow pad. White will do, or a Megs Yellow.

So like ice cream, its kind of your preference which ones to use. Each one yields specific results with various products so when you say "which ones to get" you'll get many different answers b.c.....well, there are many answers.

 

My thoughts were if I do megs, then 3 w8006 and 3 w9006 ... or if i went LC 2 orange, 2 white, 1 gray/black, and 1 blue... would either of those be a good "beginner" set? I was looking at the kits from ADS, however I have some of the product (the NXT stuff), so a kit doesn't suit my needs, which is why i'm putting together my own "kit."

 

For the lake stuff, I'd get two green and one orange (in fact that's what I have.)

You'll find that green should get most of your paint correction needs fixed up and orange will be overkill (unless your vehicle looks like mine used to.)

 

I use PB EXP and it is a devil to track on the paint...a blue pad used to be how i applied it...but it sucks up over half of what i am putting on the pad and i cant see it at all...therefore i apply my sealant and wax by hand...so 2 blues and one red were not good choices for me...shouldve been white!

 

I was really surprised with how easy EXP was to work though. I had used PBs polish with sealant before, and that stuff literally does disappear. The EXP seemed to be more visible and it was very obvious when it was done "setting up" I guess you could say.

Maybe my prep was different, I don't know.

 

LOL, there is a trick to useing EX-P.

Apply to pad, blot on surface, spread over 24X24 section quickly then work work in. Move to next section.

By the time you get around to the other side, you can apply less and less product each time to blot and cover the same sized sections.

my .02

 

well.... my process (and of course i know this can/will change once i start actaully detailing but as far as what i've going on in my head and what products i'm thinking about getting) is

#83 - LC Orange (or W8006)
#80 - LC Green (or W8006)
#9 - LC White (or W8006)
NXT 2.0 - LC Blue (or W9006)
Natty's Red or Megs 16 - by hand