Frito Bandito
09-18-2009, 08:11 PM
I tried my bottle of HD Free yesterday and thought I would post my review. I`ve been detailing for about 3 years now. I mostly work on my own vehicles but I`ve done a few dozen cars on the side over the last 3 years. For the last 2 years or so ONR has been my primary method of washing my vehicles. I will be giving my impressions of HD Free vs ONR and Poorboys S&W.
I used HD Free on my single cab 2002 Silverado. It was moderately dirty with a little bit of a grime film from recent rain. The temps were in the 70s and the paint was cool to the touch.
Initial Impressions:
When I opened the box I was a little surprised to find an eco-friendly product nestled in a box full of styrofoam packing peanuts. The packaging looks professional and the sprayer is of good quality. The product has what I would describe as a light, clean scent.
Use
I moved around the truck working one panel at a time. I sprayed HD Free on the panel liberally and allowed it to sit a few seconds to break up the grime before using a plush MF to wipe very lightly in one direction to remove the dirt. After removing the dirt I used a seperate, clean MF to lightly buff the residue off. I switched towels frequently.
Results
HD Free is very to use and left a fairly slick shine. Free was easy to buff off and I didn`t have any problems with streaks. The cleaning power was susprisingly good, even on wheels and tires. My truck needs a light polishing, so some light swirls were already present but I didn`t notice any additional swirls after using HD Free.
HD Free VS S&W and ONR
I`ll say right up front that I think ONR is better than HD Free, but it isn`t entirely a fair comparison. I only make the comparison because ONR is my primary wash and it`s often mentioned in the same breath as ONR. Plus Free is the closest thing HD has a car wash. I feel Free may have better cleaning power than ONR, but ONR feels as though it has much more lubrication and seems like it would be safer. IMO I would feel much better/safer cleaning a dirty vehicle with ONR than HD Free. IMO Free and ONR both leave a very nice looking finish behind. I feel HD Free betters S&W in most ways. It has similar cleaning power and is easier to use than S&W. Oddly enough, HD Free cleans wheels and tires better than S&W. It`s also easier to achieve a streak free finish with HD Free.
Overall HD Free is a nice product and I can see it having a place in my detailing arsenal. I probably won`t use it to clean a dirty vehicle, but it would be nice to use after a wash for any water spots and some extra shine.
I used HD Free on my single cab 2002 Silverado. It was moderately dirty with a little bit of a grime film from recent rain. The temps were in the 70s and the paint was cool to the touch.
Initial Impressions:
When I opened the box I was a little surprised to find an eco-friendly product nestled in a box full of styrofoam packing peanuts. The packaging looks professional and the sprayer is of good quality. The product has what I would describe as a light, clean scent.
Use
I moved around the truck working one panel at a time. I sprayed HD Free on the panel liberally and allowed it to sit a few seconds to break up the grime before using a plush MF to wipe very lightly in one direction to remove the dirt. After removing the dirt I used a seperate, clean MF to lightly buff the residue off. I switched towels frequently.
Results
HD Free is very to use and left a fairly slick shine. Free was easy to buff off and I didn`t have any problems with streaks. The cleaning power was susprisingly good, even on wheels and tires. My truck needs a light polishing, so some light swirls were already present but I didn`t notice any additional swirls after using HD Free.
HD Free VS S&W and ONR
I`ll say right up front that I think ONR is better than HD Free, but it isn`t entirely a fair comparison. I only make the comparison because ONR is my primary wash and it`s often mentioned in the same breath as ONR. Plus Free is the closest thing HD has a car wash. I feel Free may have better cleaning power than ONR, but ONR feels as though it has much more lubrication and seems like it would be safer. IMO I would feel much better/safer cleaning a dirty vehicle with ONR than HD Free. IMO Free and ONR both leave a very nice looking finish behind. I feel HD Free betters S&W in most ways. It has similar cleaning power and is easier to use than S&W. Oddly enough, HD Free cleans wheels and tires better than S&W. It`s also easier to achieve a streak free finish with HD Free.
Overall HD Free is a nice product and I can see it having a place in my detailing arsenal. I probably won`t use it to clean a dirty vehicle, but it would be nice to use after a wash for any water spots and some extra shine.