Collinite 845 Surprise Winner in Auto Express Car Wheel Wax Test

[h=2]Collinite 845 Surprise Winner in Auto Express Car Wheel Wax Test[/h]
Author: Rob Mobberley
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Anyone with alloy wheels will be well aware of the time and effort required to keep them gleaming and the corrosive effect that brake dust and other muck & grime can have on them. In order to help solve this problem a wide range for wheel waxes and wheel sealants have sprung onto the market in recent years.
All aimed at keeping your wheels looking good for longer and protecting them from these corrosive elements. In a recent test Auto Express put 12 of the most popular wheel waxes through their paces with a surprise winner – Collinite No. 845. So which ones were test, what were the results and why was the winner such a surprise?
The test was conducted over a period of a month and looked at a range of benefits including; ease of application, beading on application, how clean they remained and beading at the end of the month. Price and amount needed to be applied were also factors used in the judging.
In many Auto Express tests that we see the difference between the top spots may only come down to a small difference in price if there is little else to separate the products. However on this occasion the top spot Best Buy Award went to one of the most expensive products on test and one that is double that of the number two spot winner. This is clearly testament to the quality of the product.
Indeed the Auto Express judges state “Look past the price, because the Colinite is a brilliant product for your wheels”. The collinite 845 is a bit of a strange brew compared to most waxes/sealants with either tend to be a paste or a liquid. The Collinite however has a consistency between the two which makes it easier to apply and work with, especially in the corners of spoked wheels. Not only were the judges impressed by the ease of application but commented that it “provided the beading of a paste” and “the shine it left was brilliant”.

Collinite No. 845 "is a brilliant product for your alloys"
The reason it was a surprise winner is that Collinite No. 845 unlike all of the others tested was not originally designed as a wheel wax. We actually recommend it alongside its sibling 476S as a winter wax due to is impressive durability providing excellent protection from harsh winter elements (see our Guide to Winter Car Care). No. 845 is also used in some industries to prevent flash-over between electricity cables! So when you think about it when you combine the ease of use with the durability and quality of shine it makes perfect sense that it would work extremely well on your wheels both in summer and certainly in winter.
The second place spot went to Mer Wheel Wax, a previous winner of this award, losing out to the winner on the results of the final hose down which showed the durability did not match that of the Collinite. It was still judged as easy to use and repelled water well throughout most of the test. In third place was Angelwax Protective Wheel Sealant which dropped one place from the last time it was tested. Although the third most expensive judges did comment this was not an issue as being a paste “you hardly need any to do the job”. However it does also mention that although you have to wait 10 minutes between application and buffing the “results are worth it”.
The big surprise of the test were that two of the most popular products Poorboys World Wheel Sealant and Smartwax Rimwax did not make it into the top 3. From the feedback of our own customers over the years the Poorboys product has always been extremely highly rated often getting five stars in the customer reviews.
The other products tested included:
Simoniz Brake Dust Repellent – 4 stars
Bromaco Wheel Guard – 4 stars
Swissvax Autobahn – 4 stars
Poorboy’s World Wheel Sealant – 3 stars
Smartwax Rimwax – 3 stars
Halfords Alloy Wheel Protector - 2 stars
Turtle Wax Extreme Wax for Wheels – 3 stars
Wonder Wheels Wheel Seal – 2 stars
Spautopia PureX Wheels – 2 stars
If you don’t already use a wheel wax or wheel sealant I would heartedly recommend you consider applying one to your alloy wheels. Not only will it provide added protection and help your wheels last longer but you will also find that when it comes to regular cleaning things get a lot easier and quicker with dirt and brake dust becoming a breeze to simply hose and wipe off.

 

It wouldnt surprise me that Collinite would do so well. It says it can be used for high voltage power lines... im sure it can tackle some brake dust lol. Its a great product

 

Have used this for years on wheels year round because I suspected nothing beat it, thanks for a more complete test.

 

Have used it in the past with great results om wheels. it lasts a long time and is easy to apply and remove. nice to see it gets some credit that is it long overdue.

 

good to know. ive been using 845 and wanted to try something else for comparison. now i dont have to!

 

This is good to hear!

 

Been doing 845 topped with 476 on wheels for a while and don't plan on using anything else.

 

This changes nothing for me. I will continue to use PB wheel sealant as I find it gives a nicer look to painted wheels. Durability is still pretty good, leaving aside the fact that I re-apply it every month or so to keep it up to par.

 

You can honestly see a big difference?

 

On painted wheels yes. There's just something about the 845 that "kills" the metallic on wheels. The shine and clarity from the PBWS is noticeable. (or I'm crazy and mind is playing tricks on me, lol)

 

Try 476s on wheels and see if the same thing occurs. 476s made the metal flake on my 12 Fusion and 11 Highlander wheels really pop.

 

How is the durability of Collinite with wheel cleaners such as Autoglym, P21S and Sonax? I know this stuff is pretty resiliant, but will these wheel cleaners and agitation with a brush remove it easily?

 

476 is the worst wax I've ever worked with. Not only because it doesn't produce a nice enough look compared to other waxes, but because of how hard it is to apply and remove. I'd much rather use the 845.

I haven't ever had a problem with AG removing the 845/PBWS on wheels. In fact, it makes them last longer. I can't speak for the other wheel cleaners though.

 

IDK, never had a problem removing or applying. I have used as an LSP on several details and felt it gave a really nice gloss and shine.

 

I may have gotten a bad batch. I know that my results are not fictive. I really didn't get anything good out of it.

 

Like I said in one of my previous threads, I applied 845 a month before and then used wheel brightener, and it still beaded afterwards. That stuff is like Liam Neeson of LSP's.

 

Been using 845 on my wheels for a couple of years now & been satisfied with it.

 

I've been using 845 for rims for years with great results, but I decided to try something different last week during a tire rotation. I used Malco's Brake Off to clean them (awesome stuff) and then I sealed them with Wolf's Rim Shield. It hasn't rained since then, so I can't comment on sheeting/durability. As far as looks go, the gloss is really noticeable. Even my wife noticed it ... she thought I painted the rims.