Tell Me about Industrial Waxes : 3M

STI Jaguar · 07-18-06, 08:43

I was about to order Natty's Blue and Wolfgang Sealer online to replace my current batch of S100 and Meguiars NXT. But then a local body shop was telling me to drop by and take a look at some of their industrial strength Meguiars waxes and 3Ms and a few other carnauba waxes.

I am now drooling because imagine a shine even better than the S100 or Natty's

So why isn't everybody going and getting the 3M waxes or are they just crazy expensive. I wouldn't mind paying a bit more if this stuff works as advertised. Anybody has used these high end waxes and are they that much better than what I can get online or in Auto stores?

STI Jaguar · 07-19-06, 08:12

ok, first off, I cannot search for 3M history threads so searching doesnt work here.

It would be nice to know if anybody has ever used 3M carnuaba waxes? The lady was telling me that 3M is the best wax ever, anywhere. lol. These are sold to professionals so I am thinking that it must be good. She was a bit arrogant and really didn't want to hear any other opinions. She also said that no other sealant or combinations I need to use.

What kind of result should I expect vs S100, Natty's, Pinnacle etc.

TortoiseAWD · 07-19-06, 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by STI Jaguar

ok, first off, I cannot search for 3M history threads so searching doesnt work here.

Try searching for "3M*". The asterisk acts as a wildcard, and it gets you past the requirement for at least three characters in the search string.

Tort

BigLeegr · 07-19-06, 08:28

You could try looking at the "Review" section. (3rd square at the top.)

BigLeegr · 07-19-06, 08:50

Well, on behalf of the clerk, she'd likely be required to promote the lines the store carries. Also, not everyone is as "into" trying different waxes etc. as some on this board are, so maybe she hasn't bothered to look for anything past what the store carries.
However, 3M does sell more than just the paste wax. They have the liquid "pure" wax and the cleaner wax, that I know of.
Meg's has waxes and sealants for pros.
One thing about the "industrial" waxes is that they are made for "volume" users. This may mean that some aren't as user friendly as some boutique lines, or it may mean that they don't have as nice a look as the boutique lines. Also, some "industrial" lines are not readily available to the general public. As well, some people don't want/need to buy gallons at a time, which some "industrial" products are only available in.

Anyway, The only way to know if you like something is to try it.

STI Jaguar · 07-19-06, 08:56

Ok, looked through 16 pages of 3M, and the above reviews. I'd still like to know how 3M perfect-it carnauba wax compares with Pinnacle Souveran if anybody has used both.

Accumulator · 07-19-06, 09:56

3M makes some great products (or at least they *did* before all the VOC regs kicked in

) but they make some not-so-great ones too.

I haven't used the 3M paste since it got reformulated (and I hear the reformulation was detrimental with regard to the wax's performance), but I was one of the few people here who liked it. But then again, if I like it so much why do I leave it on the shelf and reach for #16 or Collinite instead

Longer lasting than Souveran but nothing like Meg's #16, let alone Collinite. Not as nice looking IMO as Souveran, less depth but about equal gloss (which is saying something). Quite slick but the slickness drops off. Nice beading, but again, not in the #16/Collinite range. Seemed to have a lot of silicone content (which doesn't bother me but gets some people all bent out of shape) which probably explains it's so-so durability and the other characteristics too.

All-in-all it was an OK wax but sure nothing special. It's not "industrial strength" it's just marketed primarioly towards professional shops. There are plenty of "professional" waxes and even OTC ones that're just as good. And again, I'm referring to the supposedly "better" earlier version of the 3M stuff.

blkZ28Conv · 07-19-06, 10:03

Keep in mind that 90-95% of the appearance is due to the prep prior to tha application of any LSP. Eliminate the paint flaws and you will be surprise how much better the shine is.

mblgjr · 07-19-06, 02:45

The 3M liquid show car wax is great. The paste is too. Shine is "wetter" than Natty's, but maybe not quite as reflective.

Easy on/off, durability is up there with all other good carnaubas.

The 3M buffing compounds are great as well (pre-VOC, haven't tried the newer).

EdLancer · 07-19-06, 03:38

LoL ... when they mean industrial all it means is that it is body shop safe. All body shop safe products do not contain contaminants such as silicone which can be airborne in a shop and land on other cars being painted as well as that silicone can migrated into your paint and make repainting it a nightmare.

Accumulator · 07-19-06, 04:48

Heh heh, that older version of the 3M paste wax sure wouldn't be bodyshop-safe! You'd have fisheyes for months if you let its dust get in the shop

I forget the mile-long name of the silicone in it, but it was not something you'd want near a bodyshop.

Hey, Moe! · 07-19-06, 09:59

I used the older 3M Perfect-It Wax for a few years, before I started to be a part of this forum. It was my first "upscale" wax, and it was a good product.

Now that I have had a chance to try other products, I would agree that Collinite is better, let alone anything on the "boutique" side.

I do think that Accumulator's "mini-review" is on-target.

Gee, will that silicone-based, long-named ingredient become a spelling-bee word? Maybe it oughta ; )