The Best of Brands Part II

In part two of this three part blog, I share with you my favourite product from a large number of brands as well as some products which I have not purchased yet but have on my product testing radar to buy in the near future. Click on the product image to be linked to a shopping site or company web page to find out more about it and buy it if you wish.

HAPPY DETAILING EVERYONE

MICROFIBER FINISHING DISC

These were introduced to the detailing industry in 2011, some nine years after I envisioned that the industry would be polishing paint with this material in 2002. Microfiber pads already existed in the OEM world and were being used by someone working in the automotive manufacturing industry. Microfiber was invented in 1970 by Dr Miyoshi Okamoto after years of trialing, A scientist at Toray Industries in Japan. The meguiars discs have a history of working extremely well and probably are still regarded as the highest cutting microfiber pads on the market. Even the finishing disc has very good cutting power.. There is still some evolution to go with microfiber and a serious new challenger to it’s crown for cleaning towel use is coming in 2026. So we shall stay tuned to see what happens.

BO6050 GEAR DRIVEN FORCED ROTATION POLISHER

Whilst this machine is not capable of performing the most aggressive paint correction unlike the Flex machines, it is probably the most balanced forced rotation polisher on the market and more versatile because it is a dual mode sander and polisher. You can sand with it in random orbital mode with it’s 5 mm orbit which is perfect for 3M Trizact and Kovax sanding discs to name just two. The pad brake in this tool prevents the sanding disc from rotating fully. It acts like an electric or pneumatic sander where the disc is only doing half a turn at most.

Unlike so many other polishers of it’s type it does not walk all over the place when you try to steer it in either a horizontal or vertical direction in forced rotation mode. Too many fight you and walk on you. However the best part about this machine is that it spins clockwise like a rotary polisher

Capable of light to medium duty corrective polishing and final finishing of paints, if you remove the side handle, the guard on the front of the machine and the vacuum attachment when doing polishing, this is quite a comfortable and enjoyable machine.

PRO TIP - Buy two extra backing plates (the white thick softer ones) and cut the urethane layer around the outside of the plate on one of them down by half so it’s smaller than the original plate then cut all of the urethane layer off of the third one. I used a bench grinder/polisher with a special steel disc and a stone disc to abrade off the urethane and then smooth it down but there could be better ways. This then gives you the ability to use 5, 5 1/2 inch, 6 inch and up to 7 inch polishing pads on the one machine whereas in standard form from Makita it’s only 6 inch.

MAXSHINE VORTEX DRYING TOWEL

Having converted to microfiber towels in 2002, I have tested many drying towels in my time and whilst I am not saying that this is absolutely the pinnacle of towels as there are many, it is absolutely my favourite now and dries my Toyota 86 and Ford AU Falcon XR6 Sedan all by itself and with one wipe the panel is completely dry and no need for a spray and wipe to make it smear free. It helps with having Titan Vulcan on the paint of the 86 too.

The towel holds an absolute tonne of liquid and is super soft. I would like to get it in the small and medium size as I only have the large one which I fold in half to dry the roof, bonnet and the boot. This is no doubt a very soft and absorbent towel and with rinseless washing

PE 15-20 RT ROTARY POLISHER

A few years ago when this polisher came out I asked Metabo to send me one as no power tool stores had it in stock and it seemed like a superior upgrade to the old PE 12-175 that they had which lacked some power. I received one via Adelaide Tools which is now known as Tool Kit Depot since the original owners had sold the company to the people who own Bunnings I believe

This tool features 600 to 1900 rpm speed range with a claimed 300 rpm starting speed but that might be via the trigger only. During my testing I found it to be quite powerful, reasonably within the typical sound range and not overly loud and it was quite ergonomic. It is still made in Germany but who knows how many if any chinese made parts are in it but for $480 dollars I think it’s worth the investment for a professional rotary user, all other European polishers are almost double that price.

NEXDIAG PTG

This is a fantastic gauge which I paid $260 AUD delivered via the company in Poland via their Amazon.com listing for the Advanced model. So I saved about one hundred dollars on it by buying it that way. This is a brilliant gauge for the money. The only downside I would say though is that if your internet isn’t working on your phone then your up shit creek without a paddle as there is no display on the gauge itself, it uses an app on your smartphone. But internet is pretty reliable so you should rarely have an issue. This gauge comes with Maxell brand batteries pre installed and you also get two spare batteries in the case. Maxell were well known in the 1980’s and 1990’s with their high quality VHS blank tapes including their Super VHS black magnetite range (I had many of them) so their a good brand

To get not just two but four batteries included is a great deal. You will know whether any panel on a vehicle has been repainted (colour changes from green to yellow), can measure the thickness of chrome bumpers and tells you if the panel has been zinc plated, is a respray, original and the ability to save all your readings and take photos too and send your customer a report with all the paint thickness readings. If your just starting out in detailing and you want a gauge, for the money this is a no brainer.

Yes there probably are better ones but your paying thousands for one that can read multiple layers and according to Jason Rose whom I know well and have met, they are still about six percent inaccurate.

PRO TIP - If you also want a gloss meter make sure their 20 degree not just 60 degree

DA YELLOW WOOL

This pad has become a staple of the detailing industry and I am pretty certain that it features cutting edge technology deburred wool where a laser treatment process has removed the barbs or burrs as their also called from the wool so that the pad material does not scour, haze or marr paint finishes like traditional twisted and untwisted natural wool pads did for so long.

The barbs or burrs within the wool structure were the reason for most of the haze, buff marks and marring that detailers and enthusiasts would get when polishing with traditional wools. This wool is produced in Korea but from what country of origin the wool actually comes from and what grade wool it is I am unsure. My guess is that it would be at least “Super Fine Grade Wool” which is between 15 and 18 .5 micron. Micron is the method used to grade wools. This pad has so much versatility and the level of finish that it creates with so many different compounds and polishes is quite staggering.

Whilst some have claimed to suffer from warping and velcro failures with this pad, the only thing I’ve suffered with is freying of some fibers near the centre hole and on the outside edge of the pad. The key here is residue control and using proper technique and not too much pressure, just a little.

Use these pads for a one step gloss enhancement on light coloured hard paints, the first of a two step with medium to semi heavy paint defects on most paints and even using with super light polishes or All in One polishes with protection inbuilt with certain paints.

PRO TIP - Using Jewelling polishes like RUPES UNO PURE and others with wool on plastic painted bumpers can work wonders. I know they won’t correct like using a compound but watch how much better it makes the wool work and feel after you use it and wash it once finished - it should be super fluffy.

PERFECT FINISH 04-06

The Sonax brand is one that I have known about for decades but was never convinced that it was as good as it probably claimed to be. The Profiline range which another Germany company claim that Sonax stole from the name of their range but which I took with a grain of salt and doubt is truth is a quality line and the perfect finish polish is a very capable product. Although it was designed initially for rotary use, many detailers worldwide have used it with random orbital and forced rotation polishers to great effect. it is probably one of the best diminishing abrasive polishes and my advice is to buy the five litre if your a high production detail shop owner and are doing alot of gloss enhancements or paint corrections for car dealerships or private clientel but even if your a pro detailer working for yourself.

The savings that can be made with a trade account and buying the five litre are quite significant. My only wish with the SONAX profiline polishes to see them be made even better is a slightly better lubrication system and that the company would make one or two of their products with a combination of new alpha ceramic alumina or other non diminishing abrasive technology and their diminishing abrasive technology as well. Diminishing abrasives are great but non diminishing is certainly the latest and allows for very short cycle times and no need to stress over “underworking or overworking the abrasives”

A combination of both non dimishing and diminishing abrasives has been successfully done with my mentor’s polishes and maybe a few in Japan for decades so I don’t see why they can’t do it.

I am sure they will make them even better in time

TRIM PAINT

This product I actually got to see used live when at Bill Baker’s shop - The Detail Market in Tullamarine the day before the Rupes training in Melbourne last August on some rear mud flaps and on an interior door panel trim. This seems like a very unique product and along with my SIO4 silica and ultra fine abrasive plus chemical cleaner based Trim Polishing system plus Solution Finish and Trim specific coatings, this is a fantastic option for long term exterior trim restoration.