Here is where I find my time savings:
Actual detailing of the vehicles: When I used sealants I would clay/polish the vehicle every 6 months. That`s about 8~10 hours per car or 16~20 hours per year. With a coating I can do the job in about 12 hours, so that`s 12 hours every two years. Since the coatings last so long, I can spread out our 2~3 household vehicles and never really do more than 1~2 a year vs doing 3 cars 2x a year.
Washing:
- I do find I don`t have to wash as often. With sealants I`d have to wash every 1~2 weeks. In the spring due to pollen, I`d often wash weekly and even then my car would still be pretty dirty. With a coating the pollen and dust doesn`t seem to accumulate as much and a good rain will rinse it right off. I can now go 2~3 weeks between washing. Not only am I washing less, but I have more flexibility in scheduling the family vehicles because they aren`t getting as dirty as quickly.
- Actual washing is faster. Here the savings are in minutes, but it adds up over time. The coated vehicles are much faster to wash in general and things like bugs and other random road grime is far easier to remove. Drying is faster because most coatings sheet so well I can dry them with a flood rinse and then just go an gently dry of the few remaining water drops.
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Playing devils advocate here... so bear with me...
Why do you need to polish every 6 months without a coating? Is whatever wax/sealant you are using degrading to to the point you are getting paint damage?
Same with the washes, are you comparing side by side sealant vs coating? I too wanted to believe the "magic" but I did a few panels on a car and had to look at my notes to see what parts were coated vs a sealant.
Do you find you are not needing to clay at all with a coating?
For me, if I`m being honest with myself, the biggest time savings is regular washing and using a great spray wax. I did that for four years on my Wrangler, it looked better the day I sold it than it did new. With a good spray wax/sealant, nothing sticks and washes are easy. There is no heavy prep required and the spray wax/sealants do a nice job of hiding swirls/marring that come from day to day life.
The value in coatings for me personally is a layer of something to scratch before you get to the clear. I don`t get any maintenance induced swirls, so that`s not a big help, but when people/things brush against my paint, its somewhat of a relief that they`re mainly brushing against a replenishable coating.
Just want to say I`m not picking on anyone, just pointing out my thought process and experience.
I was polishing every six months with a sealant simply to remove what bit of sealant remained at that point and start with a fresh surface. There were a few times when I skipped the fall polishing and simply applied another coating of sealant, but that didn`t happen very often.
I have done side-by-side with regards to washing (not on the same car though) and bug removal alone is far easier as is general washing and especially drying when there is very little water left on the car.
I still clay my coated vehicles, but only every two years before polishing and applying a new coating. Even then, I`ve noticed very little material in the clay compared to when I used sealants.
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Some sorta-ramdom additional comments follow:
Note that many of us simply *cannot* correct our vehicles for one reason or another. Even leaving aside time/effort/ability, there`s only so much paint to work with, and most of our vehicles simply don`t have enough left for more abrasion.
In the YMMV! category, I`m somehow *so lucky* with regard to pollen as it`s simply not an issue for me. Blows/washes/rinses right off, like "from yellowish-green back to silver" with no real effort.
And/but, under different circumstances !oh man! would I be all about some of the marring-resistant coatings. I do honestly wish they were right for me, and if I ever start paying somebody to do this stuff for me, that`s absolutely the way I`d want it done.
Post Thanks / Like - 2 Likes, 2 Thanks, 0 DislikesOlder, William_Wallace thanked for this post
Havent they been around long enough that they arent considered a BANDWAGON anymore? Just cause you dont like them means anyone who does is "On the bandwagon" wow.
Coatings have their purpose and when a coating is right for a particular customer I will do them. Otherwise I use sealant. 2 of my 3 cars are coated and I have been very happy with them. A little "pain" as you call it, getting it right and you are good for 2-5 years seems WELL worth it.
Don
1989 Formula 350
2004 Saturn Ion QuadcoupePost Thanks / Like - 4 Likes, 1 Thanks, 0 DislikesStokdgs thanked for this post
I sometimes let a toe off the bandwagon for duragloss or Fusso
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I`m probably the wrong person to start this thread. Hell I just ordered a fresh batch of Zaino because I like using it for nostalgia`s sake.
Like I said, I completely understand the benefits of a coating and I`m happy with the finish I got on my Acura RDX using Adam`s Graphene. I have the time to spend as many hours as I need or want getting it perfect before, during and after application. I absolutely had some high spots and those were easily fixed. It`s a bit more of an issue when you have a paying customer call three days later and ask what these weird dark spots are on the door that won`t wipe off.
I agree that spray coatings are a nice compromise, but there we`re really starting to blur the lines between which is better... quality sealant or spray coating. I would argue the spray coatings are actually easier to use in my experience and probably offer better protection than a sealant... maybe?? One thing about the sealant is I`m not throwing applicator pads and towels away after use.
Tgate:
You ask a good question about a very touchy detailing product subject.
Those Autopians who have transitioned to true coatings (not the spray-on "imitations") have good reasons for doing so, as mentioned above.
Then there are those of us who are still using "the old school" sealants and waxes. I will say that a vehicle that is freshly waxed in Pinnacle Soveran or Wolfgang Fuzion or even my favorite, less-expensive show car wax Collinite #915 Marque D`Elegance has a very "unique" and deep gloss carnauba-glow look. But they do not have the characteristics of a true coating, and yes, they do indeed require more frequent applications to keep up that look, so the question becomes, WHY do you continue to use it?
My three reasons:
1) As mentioned, THE carnauba look, even if it requires frequent application
2) Easy of application
3) Cost (if you consider #915 "cheap". Soveran and Fusion are not "cheap". Chances are though, that a 8-ounce tin of Soveran will wax MANY vehicles, where a quality, higher-end true coating you MIGHT get two vehicles out of it for the same money spent. I am guessing on this.)
Here`s the analogy:
Those detailers who continue to use sealants and waxes instead of coatings are like the COVID anti-vaxers; you`re are adhering to old methods that are detrimental to the art of detailing. At least, that is the way some ardent coating aficionados make us wax-and-sealant users feel like, AND in some ways, they are partially true.
With the advent of the "imitation" coating ceramic sprays, it may relegate those waxes to the back of detailing supply shelf and become dust collectors, only to be brought out on rare occasions for remembrance sake or use on an older car. But man, what a look!!!
GB detailerPost Thanks / Like - 1 Likes, 0 Thanks, 0 DislikesTGates liked this post
That`s rich man. What are you talking about? lolHere`s the analogy:Those detailers who continue to use sealants and waxes instead of coatings are like the COVID anti-vaxers;
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I use coatings because I have transitioned to full front and roof ppf. Ppf and waxes don’t mix, therefore if I’m already coating the ppf I might as well coat the rest of the car.
Also, coatings are so easy to apply and have significantly more durability than waxes and sealants.
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