Product Review: HD Polish (vs. Meguiars M205)

[ko1234]

Product Review: HD Polish as it compares to Meguiars M205



Acknowledgements



Thanks to Tunch Goren at 3D Car Care for standing behind his products and offering to send out a free sample in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks to Dave Fermani at Autopia.org for organizing this exchange.



About the Reviewer



I’m a hobbyist detailer, so take my review for what it’s worth. I make a decent living as an engineer. I started detailing vehicles for money on weekends so I could subsidize my detailing product budget. I’m not interested in making detailing a career at this point.



This was my first time using HD Polish. I have used M205 on several different cars and in various weather conditions. Seeing as I am an amateur, if you read this review and have any comments on my technique, please feel free to share your thoughts with me.



Background



When I first got back into detailing last year, I purchased a 32-ounce bottle of Meguiars M205 because I read so many rave reviews for it. After my M205 purchase, I started reading a lot of positive reviews for HD Polish. I’m not unhappy with M205 at all, but like many other detailers out there, I am usually willing to try a new, similar product to see how it compares to what I’m currently using, in hopes of finding a better product.



The Test Car



A friend recently asked me to detail her metallic gray 2006 Scion TC. Notice the rock chips, light scratches, and water etching on her hood in the photo below. After going over the condition of her paint, her plans for the car, what she wanted to pay, and what she expected from the detail, we agreed a one-step polish was best. I told her I needed to review HD Polish, so I would 2-step her hood for free. I didn’t expect finishing polish to get rid of all of the imperfections in the paint, but I figured the hood was a great test area to see how much correction these two finishing polishes are capable of.







Products Used

• HD Polish (16 oz. bottle, free sample)
  
• Meguiars M205 finishing polish (32 oz. bottle)
  
• Porter Cable 7424xp dual action polisher w/ 5-inch backing plate
  
• Two 5.5â€� white Lake Country CCS polishing pads
  
• Pinnacle XMT pad conditioning spray - not pictured
  
• Two blue 1100 gsm microfiber buffing towels
  
• Two Costco/Kirkland microfiber towels (for cleaning the polishing pads “on the flyâ€�) - not pictured
  

My Process



I taped the hood down the middle and applied HD Polish on the driver (camera right) side of the hood. I applied M205 to the passenger (camera left) side of the hood. I used separate polishing pads, separate “on the fly� cleaning towels, and separate buffing towels for each polish, so as not to cross-contaminate the products.







For each polish, I did the following:

1. Primed the pad with product (first section only)
   
2. One spray of XMT pad conditioner on the pad after each “on the fly� cleaning
   
3. Added 3 pea-sized drops of polish to the pad (each section)
   
4. Spread product over an 18� x 18� section with the machine off
   
5. 4 section passes on speed 6 with moderate pressure on the machine
   
6. 2 section passes on speed 5 with no additional pressure (just the weight of the machine)
   
7. Buff product off
   
8. Clean polishing pad on the fly after every other section
   

Packaging & Product Aroma



The first thing I liked about HD Polish is the packaging. It comes in an unassuming black plastic bottle with nice looking graphics and a quick pull top. The cap makes opening and closing the bottle a breeze with one hand. In contrast, the Griot’s Garage One-Step Sealant I used on the rest of the car is a pain to open, especially with one hand.



M205 is packaged in a beige-colored bottle with plain graphics. The cap is easy to operate with one hand.



I enjoy the scent of HD Polish much more than M205. M205 smells astringent. HD Polish has a sweet, fruity smell (like a grape Jolly Rancher perhaps).



HD Polish (1)

M205 (0)





Working Time & Dusting



HD Polish says right on the bottle, “No dust.� M205 occasionally dusts on me, depending on the environment (usually in hot, dry weather). In this application, HD Polish created more dust than M205. Apparently I worked HD Polish for too long (see my process above – 6 total passes for each product). This means that M205 has a longer working time.



HD Polish dusting on windshield





HD Polish (1)

M205 (1)





Cut/Correction



On this particular vehicle, M205 appeared to cut the imperfections a tad better than HD Polish. More of the water etching marks remained on the HD Polish side.



HD Polish (1)

M205 (2)





Finish



To my eyes, HD Polish finished out a little nicer than M205. There was a bit more gloss on the HD Polish side, but both produced a great finish in my opinion.



Tape line visible:





HD Polish (2)

M205 (2)





Polishing Oils



M205 is notorious for leaving behind a good bit of polishing oil. HD Polish is said to be much less oily than M205. To test this, I took photos before and after an isopropyl alcohol wipedown. It’s not as noticeable in the photos as it was in person, but the HD Polish side of the hood looked about the same after the IPA wipedown as before, indicating that it doesn’t leave much oil behind. The M205 side seemed to lose a slight amount of gloss after the IPA treatment.



HD Polish (3)

M205 (2)





Price



I realize these two polishes can be had for varying prices from different vendors. For comparison purposes, Amazon prices for a 32 oz bottle of each polish:



HD Polish - $29.99 + 7.55 shipping

M205 - $27.99 shipped



HD Polish (3)

M205 (3)





All done. I went over the tape line with HD Polish.







Conclusion



After reading other reviews, it’s obvious HD Polish can produce better results in more capable hands. I still consider myself a beginner with a machine polisher. I plan to try HD Polish a few more times before I finalize my opinion on it. Even after one use, I can see why so many people love it. I would like to have HD Polish and M205 in my arsenal, because both are great products.

[ko1234]

Videos



1 of 5: Before

[ko1234]

2 of 5: Test Spot w/ HD Polish

[ko1234]

3 of 5: HD Polish only (passenger side unpolished)

[ko1234]

4 of 5: HD Polish & M205, M205 dusting

[ko1234]

5 of 5: HD Polish & M205, tape removed

[pwaug]

Very professional review!!! Sure can tell you put allot of work into it. As you move forward with HD Polish you might want to consider David Fermani`s tips he just posted yesterday:



**Take a fresh, clean pad of your choice. Again, if this pad hasn`t been completely cleaned prior to use, old product residue could still be in the pad and cause dust to fly everywhere. Very important to get this off on the right foot.



**(initial application/prime)Apply 4-5 small drops of product throughout the outer edges of the pad. This doesn`t mean the center and this doesn`t mean to use water, QD or anything else.



**On medium speed (speed 4 or 5 on a GG for example) work the product in a 2 by 2 foot area using slow arm speed and moderate downward pressure.



**Make 2 to 4 passes. A pass is considered 1 back and forth and 1 up and down movement.



**Wipe & inspect



**Clean pad with either a firm pad brush, compressed air and/or towel.



**For reapplication, apply 3-4 more drop on outer edge of pad.



**Swap to fresh pad after 2-3 full sized panels or when pad begins to be over-saturated with product.







NOTE:

*This product does not break down. You don`t need to work this product very long due to the non-diminishing abrasive technology. If you make too many passes, the oils will dry up and dust could result. If you don`t clean your pads after each pass session, dust could result.



*There isn`t a need, nor was this product designed to be used with water, QD or any other liquid to assist with this products performance.



*Keep your bottle closed after use. Store in a cool, dry environment.



*****IMPORTANT*****

*DO NOT overly prime pad.



When using HD Polishing compounds in sunny, outdoor or hot environments/surfaces:

1-Use a little more product

2-Work smaller sections/areas

3-Clean pads well/frequently

4-Be mindful of long work times



In addition, I seem to remember reading a number of posts which indicate that HD Polish (and HD polishing products in general) don`t work as well with the CCS dimpled pads as they do with flat pads, but I could be wrong. I find that I get a little dusting with HD Polish if I use too much product. Also, shipping would be free for the 32 oz size from Autoality.

[ko1234]

Thanks for sharing those tips, pwaug! I thought I was doing something wrong to see all that dust. I`m definitely guilty of over-priming the pad and making too many passes. I will adjust my process and try again next time.

[David Fermani]

Great job across the board Aaron! You went above and beyond!!! I`m glad you liked HD Polish.



Yes, a couple additional tips to make your life much easier and allow HD Polish to perform even better:

1. Primed the pad with product (first section only) - Nope - just put 4-6 drops around the outside edge of the pad
   
2. One spray of XMT pad conditioner on the pad after each “on the fly� cleaning - Nope - Don`t use this product
   
3. Added 3 pea-sized drops of polish to the pad (each section) - 3 or 4 is just fine
   
4. Spread product over an 18� x 18� section with the machine off - NO! Don`t spread it. Just put the pad(with product) down on the surface and buff away. This goes for all polishes and compounds. You`re unevenly smearing the abrasives around. This could pose issues. Allow them to work/spread into the pad and then transfer to the surface.
   
5. 4 section passes on speed 6 with moderate pressure on the machine - Turn the speed down a little. You don`t need alot of speed. 4 or 5 on a GG is great. Too high and the product dries (i.e dusts). Also, 2-3 slow overlapping passes with moderate pressure. Too many passes and the product starts to dry(dust)
   
6. 2 section passes on speed 5 with no additional pressure (just the weight of the machine) - Not needed. Don`t need to turn the speed down. Just use the above^^^
   
7. Buff product off
   
8. Clean polishing pad on the fly after every other section - It would help if you cleaned it after each pass.
   

Hope this helps!!!

[Marc Hufnagel]

the red.. wow it is a bit hard to read David

[The Critic]

Just finished a long polishing session with HD Polish and a Flex 3401. Used Uber Green, LC Orange and Meg Soft Buff 2.0 Yellow Polishing pads.



I had previously done a panel with M205 and in comparison to HD Polish, I think M205 has a bit more cut, but does not finish down nearly as well on my soft Toyota Winter Grey Metallic paint.



My method was to do 4 passes at Speed 5, and 2 passes at Speed 4 (but moving at a quicker rate). With pad cleaning every 2-3 panels, there seemed to be no dust. However, I am now wondering if I could have achieved the same results at a lower speed. Correction was about 80% - this combination removed all of the light swirls, but left the rids. Of the group, the Uber green pad finished the best.