well i ordered some "foam pads" from topoftheline.com for fairly cheap (6 for $3). and brought some pads from target, they were Vroom terry pads. 4 pads for 3 dollars. a few days ago i recieved a free pad from Poorboys World after ordering from them (a free hot rod calender too!). the PB was a MF pad i beleive. let start off with a group pic shall we?
first up. the poorboys world pad. as you can see it seems very smoothe w/o any sharp edges that seems like it could scratch or mar a cd/paint. it feels very very soft and delicate too. its very plush. so i tried scratch a CD with it. the cd didnt scratch at all but if you use the edge to rub the cd with force it will create some fine (almost unnoticable) lines on the cd, but very few. i go on and tried topping anotehr layer of ex-p on the qx4 (which was fully detailed on saturday and exp'ed on monday). fyi the qx4 was washed. the pad slides very easily with little force and effort and it doesnt seem to stick on the paint. it provides an even spread of ex-p on the areas it has passed, and caking up isnt an issue.
here are the prices/info on poorboysworlds site
"Super Smooth and Soft Microfiber/Sponge Applicators
These applicators are the best and easiest way to hand apply a thin even layer of waxes and sealants. They are a thin 70/30 microfiber covering a soft foam and do not absorb much of the product being applied.
***one is also included FREE with each purchase of Natty's, Natty's blue, EX, & EX-P***
$2.95 each
5 for $12.50
10 for $19.95"
next is the Vroom Terry Pad. now this one i had a little trouble with. you can see that the edges are badly sewn and there is a lot of string and foam exposed all around the edges. the surface itself doesnt seem as dense, thick, and plush like the PB pad. when you feel the surface it doesnt feel as soft as the PB pad, in fact its not anywhere close tot he soft plushy feel of the PB. the edges feels rough and seems like it can mar the paint so i would avoid touching the paint with the edges. you can also see that there that little tag sticking out and ofcourse it can mar a cd/paint if youre not careful, so i would try pulling the tag off. suprisingly it did ok on the cd test. no mars on the cd when you rub the surface area of the pad on it, but the edges scratched like crazy. you didnt even have to push the edges down to scratch it, you can simply let the edges slide on the cd to scratch it. next test is to apply ex-p using the vroom pad (again on the same clean surface). first it was a pain in the arse to hold the pad trying to spread the ex-p on the surface and trying to avoid the edges form touching the paint. it takes a bit more effort to actually slide the pad on the surface compared to the PB pad. but after a while when the pad started getting damp with ex-p it was easier to grip and it was easier to slide on the paint. distribution was OK but could be better since there were some spots where it shouldve covered when you moved it over the paint but it didnt so you have to go around a few times to make sure you have full coverage. no problems with caking on this pad.
next is the topoftheline.com foam pad. surface looks and feels a bit rough. the edges are somewhat sharp since it seems like a piece of plastic was stamped creating a pointy sharp edge (like a knife lol). the foam pad surface did not scratch the surface of the cd at all but ofcourse as we all expect, the edges scratches since its rough and sharp. on tot he ex-p test... first when moving the pad on the surface it seems like its not willing to move around but after the pad is covered with ex-p (~ after 1-2 panels) it slides with ease. keep the edge away from the paint was easy but you still have to be aware of the edge. caking wasnt a problem either.
PB mf pad
Construction: 9/10
Pad Design: 8/10
Value: 10/10 (it was free ofcourse!)
value when you buy it: 6/10 (i find it a bit expensive for a pad..)
Vroom Terry Pad
Construction: 3/10
Pad Design: 4/10
Value: 6/10
Top of the line foam pad
Construction: 5/10
Pad Design: 5/10
Value: 8/10
so the poorboys world mf pad wins in this comparison. i really liked its nice contruction and its quality. it feels and looks like its a great pad and performs like a good pad also, but the price is a little high if you buy it other wise if you get it for free than thats awesome! the vroom's pad was lacking quality and because of its poor construction i say it has to be last place. the TOTL foam pad is 2nd place because of its value and its 5/10 construction and design but what i dont like about it is when you first use the clean pad it seems rough but after you apply and let the pad absorb some of the sealant/wax youre using, it slides quite well (the sealant/wax lubes it up a bit ofcourse), but what turned me off are the edges! THE ROUGH EDGES!!
heres another groupy pic!
Linear Mode
