PC pads wear out

[gav'spurplez]

I can tell that my yellow CMA pad for my IP has "slimmed down" since new. do these pads wear out ?? obviously they are not going to last forever but how often do you guys buy new pads ?? how many cars/applications can you get out of them. will the "cutting" pads wear more/ faster than a finishing pad ??



thanks

[Aurora]

Good question as I notice mine flaking when I hit the higher speeds.

[gav'spurplez]

yeah, when i first got it, i did not want to go nuts and kept it at 3-4. now i have been at 5-6 and the yellow pad flakes :confused:

[Aurora]

Doesn`t sound like a horrible thing though as you get newer surface to work with. Or is that am idiotic thought?

[gav'spurplez]

i would not say idiotic, makes sense. just did not know it was going to wear out :(



oh well, more money to be spent :o

[a.k.a. Patrick]

And i thought it was just the Megs pads......I have the same problem with the polishing pad, when i get up to 6 it tends to flake on me......

[gav'spurplez]

so i take it the pad will continue to flake until it is too thin to use. how tin is too thin ??? c`mon guys some ones got to have some more input ;)

[paco]

How old and how many times have you used it? I haven`t seen that with the Meguiar`s one`s I have.



I typically see the foam breakdown / tear after a lot of use but never general wearing of the bad.

[gav'spurplez]

i have used my yellow cma pad on about 7 cars. the first few i was only using 3-4 setting. the last 4 or so i have been using 5-6.



just got my pc and pads in may :(

[paco]

7 times only. Wow. They should last much longer than that.



Are you washing your pads. I`ve found that washing does decrease life of a pad significantly. Meguiar`s actually doesn`t recommend washing.



Use only 1 product per pad. Use a nylon brush to clean them.

[Accumulator]

Consider that the cutting pads get the most aggressive use with the most aggressive products. I`ve found that they always break down faster than my other pads, and that they lose some "bite" even before they`re really broken down. This has held true with Lake, Meg`s, and Cyclo pads, so I figure it`s just the nature of the pads and the way we use them.

[Sveta]

Is everyone talking about the "working" surface of the pad breaking down or the contact side on the pad?

[gav'spurplez]

yes the "working" surface. i use my yellow cma with IP and at 6 so this might be the reason. i rinse my pads with the hose and get all the product off after each session. whether i re-use it or not. i do not use soap. should i start ??

[Sveta]

I have always taken care to wash my pads with laundry soap and white vinegar rinse. From what I can tell so far washing hasn`t hurt my pads. If there is a negative to washing them I am not aware of it. Not too much help, I know. Only used a PC for 6 months, maybe 18-24 uses of the pads. Just had a cutting problem on the top side of Orange pad, which I solved and posted pictures of my "protection" ring a week or so ago.