I was just reading through the thread in Polishing, comparing 85RD to 3M Ultrafine, and got to thinking about my "top ten list" of detailing products. Which made me curious what yours are. Your all time favorites. I'll start, in no particular order: 10. Super Fly Towels from TheRagShack.com. My favorite microfiber towels by a wide margin. They're soft enough to use on paint, but they're not needlessly thick and plush, either. They're 16x24, a great size. And they last forever. 9. Duragloss Aquawax. There's no better way to make a maintenance wash stand out than to use this product. It's a great QD as well. 8. Vinylex. Every time I try a new vinyl and rubber protectant, I eventually come back to Vinylex. It's like buying 303 for 2/3 the price and being able to find it at Pep Boys. Not too shiny, but it leaves behind just enough of a "look" that you know you've done something, especially the way it darkens up black plastic. It's even a great tire dressing - try it sometime. 7. Majestic Solutions Super Green Stuff APC. Easily the product I use more than anything else. I've now started experimenting with it on interiors, and it does a great job there, as well as anywhere else you'd use a good, strong APC. 6. Bilt Hamber clay. It works just like any other good clay, so no surprises there. The big value add with BH clay is that it uses straight water as a lube. It's a nice time saver. 5. Menzerna Power Finish PO203S. This product has made most of my other polishing compounds obsolete. 4. Detailer's Domain "Uber" green polishing pads. In my opinion, they're every bit as good as my former favorite, the yellow 3M UK pad. The Ubers are cheaper and easier to get in the US. 3. Majestic Solutions Extraction Plus carpet cleaner. I thought about putting Ultra Gloss on the list. But Extraction Plus is so superior to every other carpet cleaner I've used, that I couldn't leave it off. 2. 3M General Purpose Adhesive Remover. Not really a detailing specific product, but it may as well be. From years-old tree sap, to old house paint, to sealant from an asphalt parking lot. If this stuff won't get it off, it's probably on there for good. 1. Rubbish Boy's Original Edition. Without a doubt, the best looking LSP I've ever used. I've never seen any color that it doesn't look sensational on.
(in no particular order) 1. Foam Cannon Makes washing fun, makes for quick clean up on lightly soiled cars, aids in paint prep for polishing 2. Gloss-It backing plates Cheaper than 3M UK, softer foam for better control, and, oh yeah, 40% cheaper than 3M 3. 3M UK Pads It's a simple 3-pad system. No need for 7 different pads with these. Using different speeds, pressures, and machines I can manipulate these three pads to almost any situation short of wool correcting 4. 3M UK Polishes FC+ Cuts just as much as M105, dusts less, and works longer. Ultrafina leaves an astounding finish. Can't wait to try my EFC! 5. Swissvax Wheel Brush Never leave the house for a detail without it. They are extremely versatile little brushes that work! 6. Blackfire AFPP Bought this stuff about 4 months ago and it's by FAR the best sealant I've ever used. Flake pop? Insane. Depth? Incredible. Clarity? Top notch. Price? Fair. 7. Brinkman It spots things my LED light can't and it's rechargeable to boot! 8. Pressure Washer Makes for excellent foaming action with foam cannon. Aids tremendously in breaking up loose dirt/dust both pre and post polishing 9. DD Boars Hair Wheel Brush Just like the swissvax, I never leave without it. Suds up ANY wheel gel and cleans extremely well. Well worth the price 10. Carnuba Waxes The day I bought my first tub (DP Maxx Wax) it was never the same. No REAL favorite right now..
Well I haven't used a lot of products, but these are my top ten: 1. Collinite 845- This is by far my favorite "all-around" wax. I have used it on all colors and it looks fantastic for the price. I love the fact that it lasts a while and it looks awesome on metallics. If I had to pick only one wax, this would be it ... perfect for the DDs. 2. OCW- Great wax booster ... I use it on top of 845 to keep it nice. It's fairly cheap and easy to use. I don't like the fact that is too sensitive to humidity. 3. ONR- This product simply amazes me every time I use it ... I don't need to explain anything here. 4. Zaino Z-10- The perfect gloss for tires ... I just wish it was a little cheaper. 5. CWC- I love this wash!! 6. CG's EZ-Creme- This add amazing gloss even to swirled surfaces. 7. Vinylex- I turned to this product after failed attempts to find 303 locally. It's so similar to 303 that sometimes I have a hard time telling which one is which ... great price. 8. Folex- This stuff is truly amazing ... I have yet to encounter a stain that folex won't remove or diminish. 9. LG Bissell- This machine is great for maintain well-kept interiors. It's also a must for pet-owners. 10. Ardex Citrus Clean- This is my favorite smell-good spray. It's fairly strong (smell is still present after 3-4 weeks), but it's doesn't make you want to puke.
Aaron - Yeah, I had the 3M UK pads on my list too; I took them off because they're hard to get. GDAL - Colli 845 is another great pick.
No particular order, just as I could think of them: 1. DoDo Red Mist - Smells great, use so little, gives a great shine and is crazy easy to use, slick as well. 2. Opt Car Wash - Very gentile shampoo but still gets the work done cutting through road film, foams up great on a foam gun, and smells good as well in the bucket 3. OID - Uber amazing slickness after it is used 4. RBOE - Great all around wax, nice depth and wetness and has that robust feeling because of how hard it is 5. HD Protect - Great dressing for vinyl and leather, nice lasting smell and gives a great matte look that darkens up black 6. MS SGS - All around best APC I have used, works great on tires, wheels, bugs, anything I throw at it 7. TC Citrus Wash - Nice LSP stripper, bug remover, and pad cleaner 8. BH AB - Gives the depth and wetness of a nuba but has crazy durability of a sealant 9. SV Wheel Brush - Nice brush to clean badges and areas you cant get a sponge into 10. Uber Sponge - Love this sponge, holds so much soap it in, nice and soft so it can mold to body curves, and pretty durable
OID and the Uber sponge are also my favorites Agpatel ... I just wish Optimum products were less sensitive to humidity. OID looks to me like a carnuba wax.
1. Proline grout sponge... I like this sponge better than the uber, sorry Phil... I need to try the Zymol sponge though. 2. Megs #40, I LOVE this stuff... so damn much. 3. Lusso Oro I love the smell, and now that I have my technique down I like it even more. 4. Jetseal 109 If the durability was better I wouldn't use anything else. 5. Klasse use it on so many surfaces and have never been let down 6. SV wheel brushes just about perfect, just got the RG brushes though... need to do a comparison. 7. Uber wax apps, the big red ones... great apps, very comfortable to use. 8. Makita 9227, great buffer, feels really comfortable in my hands. 9. RB backing plates, great job on these Ben! 10. Uber pads, thanks for these Phil, love using them!
-Makita 9227C (feels like an old friend) -RB backing plates (mcuh cheaper then 3M) -Uber Yellow pad (love the way it cuts, yet finishes down nearly LSP ready) -Blackfire Wet Diamond/Midnight Sun (simply love this stunning combo!) -JetSeal 109 (awesome look, and can be topped with 'nuba almost immediately) -Raceglaze brushes (love different sizes, and XL wheel brush) -Tropi-Care white pearl (SV pneu look and durability, at a fraction of the cost) -Pressure washer/foam cannon (there is no need for one if you don't have another) -Zymol sponge (no matter what I use, I always come back to it) -Zaino Z-2/Z5 (depending on the color of the vehicle) ZFX'ed
1. 1Z deep plastic cleaner. 'Nuff Said. 2. Detailer's Pride Clay. This stuff came through in a clucth where 4 other clays failed!! 3. Tropi-Care Drying Towels. Tha Bomb! 4. Werkstat AJT. Stupid easy to use, unbelievably slick, and a great shine. 5. Meguiar's Wheel Brightener. My favorite wheel cleaner. 6. SV detail/wheel brushes. Very handy. 7. Zymol Glasur. My favorite wax (for now) 8. Uber Pads. To me, the best pads out there. 9. Chemical Guys Luber. My favorite Clay Lube. 10. Tropi-care Pearls. Both Versions. My favorite tire dressing.
In no order: 1. CG CWC 2. CG Maxi Suds II 3. CG EZ Glaze 4. CG M-Seal 5. CG Grime Reaper 6. CG Synthetic QD 7. CG Fabric Clean 8. CG Diablo Wheel Gel 9. EZ Detail Brush 10. Dodo Juice RR and BV ..yes im a CG whore
in no order 1/ sonus sfx series stage 1,2 & 3 2/sonus sfx pads 3/valentines concours wax 4/malco brake off wheel cleaner 5/cobra guzzler drying towels 6/neilsens low foam interiorcleaner & shampoo 7/spagard paint sealant 8/autosmart tar& glue remover 9/Meguiar's interior plastic polish 10/spagard wheel protector
In no specific order: Uber Pads Blackfire Wet Diamond Swissvax Onyx (its literally a pleasure from opening the tub and smelling the citrus, all the way through to removal) PowerFinish/SIP PO85RD 1Z Deep Plastic Cleaner My Makita SV Pneu BH Soft Clay AG Custom Wheel Cleaner I have a bunch of new stuff to try and it was hard enough narrowing it down to ten favorite products. I need at least a top 50. I don't keep anything I get unless I really like it or love it.
In no order, and this list always changes: 1.Makita rotary 2.foam bp's (3m and the smaller rb ones) 3.rotary extension mandrel. good bye hard to reach areas 4.Menz PO203 (SIP is awesome too, 203 has a longer work time, seems more lubricated) 5.BH Clay 6.CG CWG 7.ONR 8.Surf City Beyond Black Tire Pro. Stupid easy application, perfect sheen. Not ver good durability, but what do you expect from a tire dressing? Plus, it takes maybe 2 minutes to apply another coat to all 4 tires. 9DG501/105/AW combo- I love this sealant for glass, head/tail lamps, and wheels. Excellent look, and great durability. 10. Meg's Super Degreaser. This stuff eats through the grime on wheel wells. The only thing left is road tar. Huh, not even room for a high end wax.
AG Custom Wheel Cleaner Raceglaze wheel brush (like swisswax only better) AM Blue clay CG liquid extreme shine AM 777 werkstat AJT werkstat Acrylic AIO EZ detail brush 3m adhesive remover tarminator honorable metion for GI pads and backing plates
I did a list of just detailing products and another one for detailing tools since if I included tools a lot of my favorite products would have to be left off. Since there are so many good products out now, I compiled the product list on the basis of I wouldn't use a substitute fro any of my top 10. They are mainstays and irreplaceable to me. Alright here's mine in no paticular order: Majestic Solutions Super Green Stuff - The absolute BEST APC I have ever used and won't ever use anything else. Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner - My favorite wheel cleaner and safe for everything. Jeffs Werkstatt AJT - Just looks too damn good and too stupid easy to use to not be included. Majestic Solutions Ultragloss - There are so many products you can use for LSP stripping that I figured as far as soaps go Ultragloss is the only one unmatched for maint. washes. Like I've said before it's like washing your car with a QD! Scholl Concepts Polishes - To me these are unmatched for performance. TropiCare Pearls Tire Dressing - I guess that's what mine is called because I got it before it had a name! I think it has the best look of any tire dressing on the market save Swissvax Pneu. It looks identical to Pneu and is a mere fraction of the cost. Majestic Solutions Extraction Plus - As krshultz told me just pure witchcraft in a bottle! CGs Jetseal - Still the best looking sealant to me and nothing looks better under a nuba than Jetseal. Bilt Hamber Clay - Wouldn't use any other clay and love the fact that water is the lube. Rubbish Boys OE - Last but not least this is the best wax on the market for the money. The look of very very high end waxes with the cost of mid tier waxes. Now for detailing tools: Raceglaze wheel brushes Metabo High end electric pressure washer Foam cannon CR Spotless Demin system Highline Paint gauge Brinkman Zymol Sponges 3M backing plate Swissvax brush
