Long Term Test: 4 Popular Waxes

[WaxAddict]

The bags on my Kawasaki Concours were in need of a light polish. These bags are out in the wind and take a lot of bugs as well as boot scrapes. I thought the size of these bags would make nice panels to do a long term LSP test, regardless of them being for a motorcycle, so here we go.

I`m going to test four waxes, and in the end (whenever that is) I`ll compare them to the baseline - Collinite 845, which was on the bike. The picture shown below is after 3 months with 845. Not bad I`d say. We`ll see if this new gang of four (described later) can do as well.




After checking the state of beads on the existing LSP, I striped it down with Dawn and 20% IPA. This did a good job, as shown below. I did another IPA wipedown after drying.




I then polished the bags, as was my initial intent. I used Sonus Paintwork Cleanser first. Remaining love marks were obliterated by the mighty SF4000. I used a 4" white CCS pad. Kind of a crappy picture, but look at that metal flake! The Sonus product works great and is cost-effective. It`s mild and works forever, and is along the lines of Blackfire GEP. I like P21 Paintwork Cleanser better than either, but Sonus is cheaper and 95% as good IMO.




The polishing exceeded my expectations. The bags looked new. They`ve been out in the wind and scorching sun for three years and 12k miles.




So on the the waxes. Of the eight LSP`s I had "in stock", I tried to choose a wide span of price, without getting expensive, avoiding pure sealants in favor of Carnaubas, and products us Autopians might actually buy.

Here`s the waxes and the price rundown, from least to most expensive:
Adam`s Buttery Wax: $19.99/16oz = $1.25 per ounce
Poorboy`s World Natty`s Blue: $21.99/8oz = $2.75 per ounce
Collinite 915: $34.99/12oz = $2.92 per ounce
Lusso Oro: $39.95/8oz = $4.99 per ounce (although I`ve seen this a cheap as $30)

For each wax, I applied manually with a red CCS foam pad cut in half, and applied two coats. However, these pics were taken after one coat. Without further ado, here are the waxed bags and the matrix:





Here`s the Luso and Adams bag by itself:



Here`s the 915 and NB bag:



Night fell before I could get initial beading pics, so I`ll get those up ASAP.

My thoughts:

Adam`s Buttery is better than even Adam`s gives it credit for. I had a bottle of the old formula, liked it, went through about half of it, and traded it on a whim. About a year later, I got this New Formula, also as a trade. This stuff rocks. You know how a good QD makes your car so slick? This wax does the same, and the optics look "expensive". At this price point, it`s a winner in the looks department. This thick liquid wax tends to drag and skip on the first coat (waxy, not oily), and I kept reaching for more product. The second coat was like... butter. I hope the longevity doesn`t disappoint.

Natty`s Blue is a favorite of mine and many. It looks amazing as a topper to sealants. It gives dark painted curved metal that liquid look we all love. Not glassy or too shiny, but deep and warm. It`s one of those waxes where, if you`re like me and switch around a lot for fun, you think "why do I use anything else?" Longevity is also good. My only caveat is the jar, which isn`t wide enough when you get down to the last 50%, and the consistency can vary with temperature and within the jar. I`m on my second tub, and on both, NB gets softer as you get toward the center, to the point where the center of the tub feels oily and the outer part is pasty. This could be how I use it, or my environment, but Lusso and 915 and DoDos don`t do this. With that said, it doesn`t seem to matter much, it still works great.

Collinite 915 is a juggernaut of a wax. It has sealant-like longevity, and looks like a beauty wax. I love the way it spreads. It seems to melt onto the applicator, then spreads like wild fire. It`s also easy-off, IF you do it in less than 5 minutes after application. Look out for missed spots, and you`ll be fine. As good as 915 is, it isn`t a playful aromatic hippie wax. It demands your attention and smells like solvent. I love the big metal tub. For reasons I can`t quite explain, I like 915 on metal more so than plastic (bumpers).

Lusso Oro is the most pleasing wax to use ever! The way it smells, spreads, comes off, and looks. All top notch. And speaking of removal, the instructions say to do it in 60 seconds! Note that this isn`t because it dries hard (it doesn`t), rather, it just doesn`t need to cure much. The trick here is thin layers. You`d think it would remove oily and smear, but nope. I quick wipe and it dazzles. For whatever reason, Lusso looks better a day after application. When I first used Lusso, I was knocked out how good it looked after the first wash. Oddly, Lusso isn`t the slickest wax in this bunch. I also have the same issue with the jar size as NB.

According to this test so far, going on looks and joy of use, and taking value into consideration, I think Natty`s is the star.

Stay tuned for beading pics.

All of these waxes look great. We`ll see how these do in a long term test!

[SYMAWD]

Excited to see the results.

[Pats300zx]

Subscribed for results

[Ronkh]

Subscribed

[Accumulator]

WaxAddict- That`s some very attractive paint, just strikes me as really nice.

I`m just a little surprised that the IPA/Dawn was so effective in stripping the 845.

[WaxAddict]

WaxAddict- That`s some very attractive paint, just strikes me as really nice.

I`m just a little surprised that the IPA/Dawn was so effective in stripping the 845.

Accum, it was a strong mixture using warm water. Like an ounce of Dawn to quart or so of water. I`d let the Dawn foam settle as I sprayed IPA, then wiped. Repeated 3X. Also remember, it WAS 3-month-old 845.

[RaysWay]

WaxAddict- That`s some very attractive paint, just strikes me as really nice.

Agreed. I love that color/metallic combo.

[Accumulator]

..remember, it WAS 3-month-old 845.

Ah, yeah...and here I`m the guy who`s always saying 845 isn`t all that durable.

[Swanicyouth]

Dawn leaves film on whatever you use it on that mimics sheeting (less/no beading); so IMHO the illusion is it stripped the 845. Doesn`t matter anyway, since the OP polished after.

Nice test.

Subbed as well.

[WaxAddict]

As promised, beads! ...

Lusso Oro and Adam`s Buttery



Collinite 915 and Poorboy`s Natty`s Blue



Results:
Beads: (1) Collinite by a hair, (2,3,4 tie) all the rest.
Sheeting: (1) Collinite 915, (2) Adam`s Buttery, (3,4 tie) Natty`s and Lusso.
Optics: (1) Lusso, with a caveat explained below, (2,3,4 tie) all the rest

Optics testing was done first with just a causal observation, in the evening sun, and I was taken aback that the Lusso/Adams bag looked better than the 915/Natty`s after the beads had been dried off. The Adams was dynamite.

Optics testing round two was done with my Coast LED flashlight indoors. I scanned the surfaces and watched for blurring, smearing, and the quality of the reflection (watching the dust on the flashlight lens). I did the Lusso/Adams bag first, and it looked great. On to the other bag, and an epiphany. The 915/Natty`s bag had considerable fog and wipe residue. A closer look showed that I did not do the best job removing these waxes. Both 915 and Natty`s can tend to dry hard, and they ARE just plain harder to remove than the other two. Obviously, it`s more work than I thought to get the the optics pure on these harder paste waxes. Was it the water that activated this previously unseen layer of smear? A spit shine was due, so I used Spray & Wipe 1:1 with DI Water. I wiped a given section a few times. There`s the look! All sides of all bags looked great now, with Lusso having the most pure spread of light and sharpest reflections, but with a caveat. Lusso held lint. My towel was a Blue Kona, and the other three waxed sides had no problem with it. The Lusso side wanted to take some of that towel with it. I simply switched to the low nap side of a DMT, and it started to behave. Recall, I noticed that Lusso wasn`t the slickest wax - a bit tacky. The look is great, but you might have to watch the lint and maybe even dust accumulation.

So I`ve learned something: Spit shine after paste wax, or maybe a grabbier towel, or both. I also have a new appreciation of ease-of-use.

Now a bit more facts and less opinion on the waxes...

Adam`s Buttery
Carnauba and Polymers
Fillers: yes
--------------------------
Natty`s
Carnauba *
Fillers: Likely *
--------------------------
Collinite 915
Carnauba and Polymers
Fillers: No. Intended for "meticulously maintained finishes"
--------------------------
Lusso
Carnauba and 2 different Montan waxes and micro-crystaline wax
Fillers: not sure, but with all the ingredients, I`d think some filling is taking place

*I`ve asked PB if NB has polymers or fillers. The internet is all over the place.


Well this tall-boy Miller Lite isn`t going to replace itself. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Commence long term test.

[Ronkh]

First rain after wax I could understand the "fog".

Lets see it after a "wash"

[WaxAddict]

Welp, I`m here with a follow-up after 5 weeks.

The results today were surprising to me, because just two weeks ago, I sprayed the bags with water, and they looked so much like the beginning pictures above, I didn`t bother to take photos. But the last two weeks have been harsh, as I intentionally left the bags outside.

During the past 5 weeks, the motorcycle has seen several long rides in high heat. They`ve seen 4 or 5 hard rainstorms, and brutal heat and humidity. They`ve received one wash with Optimum Car Wash, and maybe two waterless washes with PB S&W.

So today, I tested them.

First up, my Golden tested the water for proper PH, mineral content, and flavor. It passed with flying colors.



Here`s the bag with Lusso Oro on one side, and Adam`s Buttery Wax on the other. Yes folks, that bag is completely wet.



Here`s the bag with Collinite 915 and Poorboy`s Natty`s Blue.



The results are somewhat obvious. After taking the photos, I proceeded to do various spray patterns, trying to get a good handle on beading and shedding behavior. The interesting part for me, during the test, was that I had forgotten which waxes were where, so as I was testing, I had no personal bias. After testing, I grabbed my key to open the bags, where markings on tape reminded me who is who.

Rank and Findings:

1) Collinite 915: 40% failure

2) PB Natty`s Blue: 50% failure

3) Lusso Oro: 85% failure

4) Adam`s Buttery: 95% failure

But they all get a B+ to A in my book. How? As most Autopians know, these are four very different waxes, on a slightly different mission. Seeing as two weeks ago, they all looked great, the Adam`s lived up to it`s claim as an easy-to-use wax with the least claim to longevity. CHECK. I`m not sure about the Lusso`s claim for longevity. To me and most folks, it`s more of a beauty wax that is pleasurable to use. CHECK.

They all excel at what they do, and live up to the manufacturer`s claims. But, this was a beauty + longevity test.
Collinite 915 for the win.

My personal favorite of the bunch is Natty`s, because it`s almost-as-good-as-915, but is more pleasurable to use. As a WaxAddict, I love `em all.

[Ronkh]

[Swanicyouth]

I found Natty`s surprisingly durable and a pretty good beader as well. I think your results came out pretty great - exactly what I would have predicted. Only thing you can really improve with Nattys is the container - it sux.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PPLd]

I found Natty`s surprisingly durable and a pretty good beader as well. I think your results came out pretty great - exactly what I would have predicted. Only thing you can really improve with Nattys is the container - it sux.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I am a regular user of Nattys paste waxes, and I completely agree with this.
The soft plastic jar is too narrow and get damaged easily if you are not careful handling it.
I usually transfer it into a wider glass jar that is normally meant for food storage.

By the way, I normally let Nattys to slightly haze.
Is it better to WOWO with their waxes?