Product Review: HD Polish as it compares to Meguiars M205 Acknowledgements Thanks to Tunch Goren at 3D Car Care for standing behind his products and offering to send out a free sample in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks to Dave Fermani at Autopia.org for organizing this exchange. About the Reviewer I’m a hobbyist detailer, so take my review for what it’s worth. I make a decent living as an engineer. I started detailing vehicles for money on weekends so I could subsidize my detailing product budget. I’m not interested in making detailing a career at this point. This was my first time using HD Polish. I have used M205 on several different cars and in various weather conditions. Seeing as I am an amateur, if you read this review and have any comments on my technique, please feel free to share your thoughts with me. Background When I first got back into detailing last year, I purchased a 32-ounce bottle of Meguiars M205 because I read so many rave reviews for it. After my M205 purchase, I started reading a lot of positive reviews for HD Polish. I’m not unhappy with M205 at all, but like many other detailers out there, I am usually willing to try a new, similar product to see how it compares to what I’m currently using, in hopes of finding a better product. The Test Car A friend recently asked me to detail her metallic gray 2006 Scion TC. Notice the rock chips, light scratches, and water etching on her hood in the photo below. After going over the condition of her paint, her plans for the car, what she wanted to pay, and what she expected from the detail, we agreed a one-step polish was best. I told her I needed to review HD Polish, so I would 2-step her hood for free. I didn’t expect finishing polish to get rid of all of the imperfections in the paint, but I figured the hood was a great test area to see how much correction these two finishing polishes are capable of. Products Used HD Polish (16 oz. bottle, free sample) Meguiars M205 finishing polish (32 oz. bottle) Porter Cable 7424xp dual action polisher w/ 5-inch backing plate Two 5.5” white Lake Country CCS polishing pads Pinnacle XMT pad conditioning spray - not pictured Two blue 1100 gsm microfiber buffing towels Two Costco/Kirkland microfiber towels (for cleaning the polishing pads “on the fly”) - not pictured My Process I taped the hood down the middle and applied HD Polish on the driver (camera right) side of the hood. I applied M205 to the passenger (camera left) side of the hood. I used separate polishing pads, separate “on the fly” cleaning towels, and separate buffing towels for each polish, so as not to cross-contaminate the products. For each polish, I did the following: Primed the pad with product (first section only) One spray of XMT pad conditioner on the pad after each “on the fly” cleaning Added 3 pea-sized drops of polish to the pad (each section) Spread product over an 18” x 18” section with the machine off 4 section passes on speed 6 with moderate pressure on the machine 2 section passes on speed 5 with no additional pressure (just the weight of the machine) Buff product off Clean polishing pad on the fly after every other section Packaging & Product Aroma The first thing I liked about HD Polish is the packaging. It comes in an unassuming black plastic bottle with nice looking graphics and a quick pull top. The cap makes opening and closing the bottle a breeze with one hand. In contrast, the Griot’s Garage One-Step Sealant I used on the rest of the car is a pain to open, especially with one hand. M205 is packaged in a beige-colored bottle with plain graphics. The cap is easy to operate with one hand. I enjoy the scent of HD Polish much more than M205. M205 smells astringent. HD Polish has a sweet, fruity smell (like a grape Jolly Rancher perhaps). HD Polish (1) M205 (0) Working Time & Dusting HD Polish says right on the bottle, “No dust.” M205 occasionally dusts on me, depending on the environment (usually in hot, dry weather). In this application, HD Polish created more dust than M205. Apparently I worked HD Polish for too long (see my process above – 6 total passes for each product). This means that M205 has a longer working time. HD Polish dusting on windshield HD Polish (1) M205 (1) UPDATE: I have since learned that I over-primed the pad and worked the polish for too long. I'll refine my process and try again next time. Cut/Correction On this particular vehicle, M205 appeared to cut the imperfections a tad better than HD Polish. More of the water etching marks remained on the HD Polish side. HD Polish (1) M205 (2) Finish To my eyes, HD Polish finished out a little nicer than M205. There was a bit more gloss on the HD Polish side, but both produced a great finish in my opinion. Tape line visible: HD Polish (2) M205 (2) Polishing Oils M205 is notorious for leaving behind a good bit of polishing oil. HD Polish is said to be much less oily than M205. To test this, I took photos before and after an isopropyl alcohol wipedown. It’s not as noticeable in the photos as it was in person, but the HD Polish side of the hood looked about the same after the IPA wipedown as before, indicating that it doesn’t leave much oil behind. The M205 side seemed to lose a slight amount of gloss after the IPA treatment. HD Polish (3) M205 (2) Price I realize these two polishes can be had for varying prices from different vendors. For comparison purposes, Amazon prices for a 32 oz bottle of each polish: HD Polish - $29.99 + 7.55 shipping M205 - $27.99 shipped HD Polish (3) M205 (3) Prices vary and most vendors don't carry both M205 and HD Polish, so take this one with a grain of salt. All done. I went over the tape line with HD Polish. Conclusion After reading other reviews, it’s obvious HD Polish can produce better results in more capable hands. I still consider myself a beginner with a machine polisher. I plan to try HD Polish a few more times before I finalize my opinion on it. Even after one use, I can see why so many people love it. I would like to have HD Polish and M205 in my arsenal, because both are great products.
I actually just got this in as well and put it up against Opt Hyper Polish. i got similar dusting but what did you learn about priming and working time? Thanks.
