Compound Comparo - 5 Two-Step Compounds/Polishes

[JustJesus]

THIS IS NOT A THOROUGH REVIEW OR COMPARISON

(Just a brief summary of my thoughts and/or experience with five 2-step combos)


Objective: Trying out products! When I first started, late 2014, I started with Meguiar`s Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish. Soon thereafter, I learned about and used the ever popular M105/M205 combo. Then I learned about other 2 step combos, aka Twins, such as the Blackfire SRC Twins, the HD Cut/Polish Combo, etc. Well, over the course of just over a year, I wanted to get my hands on as many samples as I could get. Why? Because there came a time when my go-to combo (M105/205) didn`t work on my most important job! I picked up Menzerna FG400, and it worked. I also picked up Megs D300 and MF Cut Discs, and I was in awe.

Anyway, I`ve read reviews, seen videos, and I wondered if I was missing something. So when chances come up to get sample sized products (Thank you Poorboy`s World for making just about everything in the line-up avail in sample sizes!), I did.

ON TO THE TESTING!





The Players:
- Chemical Guys V series. V32, V38
- Meguiar`s M105, M205
- Wolfgang Uber Compound, Finishing Glaze 3.0
- Poorboy`s World Master Cut, SSR2*
- 3D AAT Rubbing Compound, Finishing Polish
- HD Cut, HD Polish**

Note: In some cases, such as the CG V Series, I had multiple choices of polish to use, but I tried to align all the products as best as I could. For example, I used the heaviest cuts, based on the chart on Autopia. For the polishes, this was a bit harder to do, but I tried my best to keep it "even"

*For Poorboy`s, I was initially going to use either the Pro Polish, or Pro Polish 2. As noted above, I tried to keep it "even" so I went with the SSR2 as it was more in line with the others.

**As much as I would have loved to have included HD Cut/Polish, the panel I was working with didn`t have enough space on it! Otherwise, I had a few other combos to throw into the mix.

Tools:
- Meguiar`s MT300
-- Used for the first four combos
- Flex PE14
-- Used for the last one, the 3D AAT combo

Note: I switched to the Flex, as my research indicated that the AAT products were designed with the bodyshops in mind, and it seems, also, they were designed to be used with rotaries and wool pads for compound. I did similar with the other combos, and I couldn`t find anything that would tell me I should use a certain tool/pad combo for the other products.





Pads:
- Meguiar`s MF Cut Discs
- Buff N Shine Wool Cut Pad (only used with the 3d Compound)
- Lake Country Flat Foam White Polish Pad
- Chemical Guys HexLogic White Polish Pad (only used with the V38)
- Buff N Shine Yellow Foam Polish Pad (only used with the 3D Polish)

Note: All pads were the 3" variety, with only the HexLogic being a 4". Okay, I THINK the wool pad is considered a 3" pad.





The Test Panel:
- 1991 (give or take a year) Honda Civic Hatchback. Light blue in color, with clear coat.

Note: Not sure what happened with the lower half of the panel. That is how I got it. It looks like either clear coat failure of some sort, or maybe prior owner tried sanding it? Not sure

Surface Prep:
- Cleaned with degreaser. It was downright nasty. Been sitting for a long time before I bought it years ago. Then it sat some more.
- Washed with (oops, forgot)
- Clay`d with Poorboy`s World Clay, Lube. (Love this stuff. I really was tempted to taste it this time around!)
- SANDED
- I wanted to test for cutting ability as well as finishing with the compounds, so I did some wet sanding. Oh, I also wanted to get some more sanding practice AND try out a new-to-me product: Mirka Abralon
- Started with Abralon 1000, followed up with 2000. Wasn`t trying to level it flat, just to clean it up a bit



After damp sanding with the 2000. Reflection is pretty much gone!



Close up of the panel after damp sanding. Pretty uniform sanding marks left behind.



How the panel was broken down




Compounding completed




In the sunlight (lousy panel to test on!)



Close ups. Chemical Guys



Close ups. Meguiar`s



Close ups. Wolfgang



Close ups. Poorboy`s World



Close ups. 3D AAT



Results after the 2nd step, polishing
-Chemical Guys
- Meguiar`s
- either Wolfgang or Poorboys (I deleted one of the pics)
- 3D AAt

[JustJesus]

Some of my notes







UPDATE 08/01/16 - 1:39pm PST - Have a meeting in about 20 min. See how much I can add right now....

MY NOTES and OBSERVATIONS:

Scent:
- I started with CG. First thing I noticed, is that it has a typical industrial chemical scent. If you`ve used Menzerna products, then you know what I`m talking about.
- Wolfgang Uber was right about the same
- Megs...nothing really. Scent-free? I doubt it. But i can`t really say there was much there
- Poorboy`s. You know I love me their scents. Though, can`t say Master Cut had much of anything special.
- 3D AAT. Whoa. This stuff...toxic. Sorry 3D, but damn this stuff stinks. I took a whiff of an open 8 oz bottle, and couldn`t rid myself of that scent for like a day. It come and go, but it lingered with me. Bad, man. Just bad.

Note: didn`t do same with polishes. At this point, I just wanted to finish up the project, so took less pics, less video, less notes.
However, the 3D AAT Polish was also a bad scent! I`m cringing at the memory (Pavlov`s Dog?).

Consistency:
The main thing here, was that 3D`s stuff was a bit more runny than the others. Maybe the heat that day? Hot summer So. Cal heat reached like 94* - The other product that stood out was the V32 from CG. I`ve heard the expression, "rocks in a bottle." I think I finally know what that means! Yes, it felt like it had some tiny rocks in it. It was similar to that Orange hand cleaner mechanics use.

Color:
Most were similar. Off white, white, etc. The standouts were Wolfgang`s polish, with a dark purpleish color, and Poorboys. They had a neat light green color. hehe... makes me smile to remember that color!

Performance (compounds):
- CG - I started seeing the difference on the 3rd pass. The sanding marks were being removed. I followed up with a 4th pass at the same pressure, then followed up with 2 lighter pressure passes. It`s the only compound that I noted as having a haze, and swirled up finish. LSP ready? Nope. (In this test, I don`t think any of them were). But this one definitely had the worst when it came to swirls. I thought at first, it was the MF Cut disc. But, the same discs (though new) were used with other products, and none came out like this

- Megs. Started seeing a difference on the 2nd pass. So already looking better than CG. Finished 4 passes and 2 more at a lighter pressure. The additional passes did little to improve the finish

- Wolfgang. Much like CG, Wolfie here took 3 passes to see a difference. Did the 4 plus 2 passes again, like the others. One MAJOR thing I noticed with this one: HEAT. It easily got the hottest of the bunch, and by a good margin.

- Poorboys. Like CG and Wolfie. 3 passes to see a difference. Did the same combo as the rest. At this point, Megs, Wolfie, and PBs are finishing off about the same, and slightly better than CG

- 3D AAT. WHOA. Again. haha. yes. Here`s why: IT"S FAST. But, there`s the double edge sword to THIS part. On one side, we have a rotary and wool pad being used for this, where the others a MF Cut Disc and MT300 were used. Sure, one could argue that this would be an advantage. Here`s the OTHER side of that sword. It was...wait for it....it was...MY FIRST TIME WITH A ROTARY.
Soooo, one could argue that I didn`t know what I was doing! Right? So there you have it. It has an advantage, which could have been negated by a disadvantage! - Okay, so this thing cut fast. On the first pass, I was seeing an improvement. I really feel that after only two section passes, I could have gone to the polish step. But, I didn`t. Instead, I did another two passes, for a total of four. The finish was the dullest of the five. You heard correctly. It was the dullest finish of the bunch. No way would I think this one as LSP ready. Granted, I used a wool pad. So that`s expected, right? Yeah, I think so. Do I think additional passes would have made it better? No. Law of diminishing returns.

Performance (polish):

Honestly, most were similar. I don`t recall anyone standing out in any one way. They all removed easily. There was no dusting. No crazy heat build up. No detailing spray needed to remove residue. etc. The final finish made it really, really hard to tell them apart...except for one. The 3D AAT combo. This one didn`t leave as nice a finish as the other combos. I believe it could have benefited from a follow up with a softer pad. The B&S Yellow Foam Polish pad seemed a bit rough, compared to the white pads used with the others. So, perhaps the Black Finishing/Polishing pad from B&S could have left a better finish? Perhaps. But, look back that the pics. The difference is not that bad. And the other four, were hard to tell them apart. If this was a blind study, I would only be able to definitively point out the 3D combo..

So, that being said, what would I prefer? Cost is a big factor. In fact, it`s exactly why I DIDN`T use Megs M101 in this test. Well, I didn`t buy it! I had bought M100 to use as well, but didn`t have room. I considered M101 at the same time, but stopped myself based solely on the price. Why? I`m not a professional turning cars daily. Not weekly, not evenly monthly. I take a job here and there. So cost is a major consideration at this point in time. In the future, it could change.

Another factor FOR ME, is the scent. I prefer to use products with nice scents (Poorboys, Megs D300, etc) over the bad ones (CG, Wolfgang, Menzerna) any day of the week. One time, I hand washed pads in the bathroom after using Menz FG400. Boy,did I regret that. That bathroom stunk for a couple of days.

Another factor: Ease of use. In this case, all were easy to use. None dusted. From experience though, I *have* had M105 and Poorboy`s MC dust on me.

Conclusion:
I think stokdgs once said something to the effect of taking all the variables. It can all change depending on the paint you`re working on, the tools you`re using, the pads, the polish, the location, and the temp. Something like that. I tried looking for what he said. Point is, so many variables involved, that picking out just ONE combo is a near impossible task. At least for me, since I`m mobile and work in different cities where temps can vary as much as 20*

Also, Mike P. Doesn`t he say, "Find a product you like, and use it often."

I`m definitely going to be playing more with the rotary and wool pads, various foam pads, and 3D AAT. It`s a fast process, and sometimes I need speed. I would have liked to compare that with M101 and even M100 on wool. Another time, perhaps.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. It ran MUCH longer than I had planned. I wrote far more than I had planned to. I also had some raw video footage that I was going to edit down and upload, but, there`s not much more that would help out. Video shows pretty much what the pics show. It`s just more "live" so to speak.

And sorry for taking up so much of your time.

Hopefully this helps out some of the guys and gals that are new to detailing. I`m sure the seasoned guys and pros have already been there and done that!

Cheers.

[RaysWay]

Awesome! Looking forward to reading your results

Subscribed!

[Pats300zx]

Awesome !!! Subscribed.

[TheMeanGreen]

Nice Job!! M205 is proving why it`s the industry benchmark. I am going to share with you, a little hint that many have to learn with the Meg`s combo, M101 is superior to M105. M101 will work for the same amount of time as M205, M101 creates a little more dust than M205, and M101 will work in just about any climate condition, and will work in every climate condition that M105 will not work in. I am not sure if you have used M105 long enough, but it can be an absolute bear to deal with. When someone is shopping Meg`s compounds and polishes, they always come across the one-two punch of M105/M205, which in the correct condition is a good combo, but M101/M205 in every condition is a great combo. I`ve used the M101/M205 with such success on paints from soft Honda`s to hard BMW`s, of course with pad and technique variations, that I find myself not having to look at different product manufacturers simply because the M101/M205 combo works and always delivers.

Meg`s cut combo`s:

M101. ************************************************LC CCS Orange
M101/M205 mix. ***************************************LC CCS White
M205. ************************************************LC CCS Green
M205/H20 mix. ****************************************LC CCS Black
************************************************** *LC CCS Blue

Pick and choose any combo^ for any vehicle^, excellent results guaranteed. I didn`t even add in the combo`s with UP/UC or Meg`s #1/#9.

(Don`t pay attention to the asterisk`s, I used them to space out the pads and the products, simply think of them as empty space)

[The Guz]

Nice Job!! M205 is proving why it`s the industry benchmark. I am going to share with you, a little hint that many have to learn with the Meg`s combo, M101 is superior to M105. M101 will work for the same amount of time as M205, M101 creates a little more dust than M205, and M101 will work in just about any climate condition, and will work in every climate condition that M105 will not work in. I am not sure if you have used M105 long enough, but it can be an absolute bear to deal with. When someone is shopping Meg`s compounds and polishes, they always come across the one-two punch of M105/M205, which in the correct condition is a good combo, but M101/M205 in every condition is a great combo. I`ve used the M101/M205 with such success on paints from soft Honda`s to hard BMW`s, of course with pad and technique variations, that I find myself not having to look at different product manufacturers simply because the M101/M205 combo works and always delivers.

Meg`s cut combo`s:

M101. ************************************************LC CCS Orange
M101/M205 mix. ***************************************LC CCS White
M205. ************************************************LC CCS Green
M205/H20 mix. ****************************************LC CCS Black
************************************************** *LC CCS Blue

Pick and choose any combo^ for any vehicle^, excellent results guaranteed. I didn`t even add in the combo`s with UP/UC or Meg`s #1/#9.

(Don`t pay attention to the asterisk`s, I used them to space out the pads and the products, simply think of them as empty space)

Nicely written. I agree with it all. M205 is still my go to.

[JustJesus]

Nice Job!! M205 is proving why it`s the industry benchmark. I am going to share with you, a little hint that many have to learn with the Meg`s combo, M101 is superior to M105. ...


(Don`t pay attention to the asterisk`s, I used them to space out the pads and the products, simply think of them as empty space)

Thank you! I heard and spoke to some about M101. It was on my cart at one point, but the cost made me remove it! In the future, as I get low on other products, I`ll reconsider.

I agree that M101/105/205 is a great combo. But it was a job, in which m105/205 fell short, that led me to look into other products.

Nicely written. I agree with it all. M205 is still my go to.

M205 is a good polish. I can honestly say it`s still my go-to for polishing. However, I feel I get a better finish with HD Polish, plus it`s easier for me to work with. That said, I have much more M205 than HD Polish, so HD stays on reserve for my "special" jobs


OHHH. Sorry. Post #2 has been updated with some pics (dumb pics, of some of my notes, haha) and my ramblings of my experience.

[JustJesus]

Nice Job!! ...

Meg`s cut combo`s:

M101. ************************************************LC CCS Orange
M101/M205 mix. ***************************************LC CCS White
M205. ************************************************LC CCS Green
M205/H20 mix. ****************************************LC CCS Black
************************************************** *LC CCS Blue

Pick and choose any combo^ for any vehicle^, excellent results guaranteed. I didn`t even add in the combo`s with UP/UC or Meg`s #1/#9.

(Don`t pay attention to the asterisk`s, I used them to space out the pads and the products, simply think of them as empty space)

Just read this post again. This time carefully. Thank you for this post. It`s going to my notes! And something else I`ll be trying out!
Thank you, MeanGreen.

(and yeah, i gathered that about the asterisks)

[ShaneB]

Great test and write up. It really is splitting hairs trying to decide which i`s better (which is why so many people get too wrapped up in it) and your test seems to show that all of these combos can work just about the same.

I do feel that you really should of used the same machine for the 3d combo as well though. It was designed for body shops yes, but I`ve had some excellent results with the finishing polish using a DA. I also noticed that the polish and compound work very fast. 2-3 passes is all you need

[rlmccarty2000]

Thanks for the round up. As you said, there are so many variables..., but it sure is fun to see what someone experiences when they use product A with pad B on paint C in temperature D on polisher E. This is why it is good to have multiple compounds/polishes and pads. Very good review!

[The Guz]

M205 is a good polish. I can honestly say it`s still my go-to for polishing. However, I feel I get a better finish with HD Polish, plus it`s easier for me to work with. That said, I have much more M205 than HD Polish, so HD stays on reserve for my "special" jobs .

Don`t get me started on HD Polish. I will leave it at that.

[TheMeanGreen]

Just read this post again. This time carefully. Thank you for this post. It`s going to my notes! And something else I`ll be trying out!
Thank you, MeanGreen.

(and yeah, i gathered that about the asterisks)

@JustJesus: You`re welcome!! As far as the price of M101 is concerned, I barely have to use it, that`s why I could justify the price. The only other way I could justify the price was if I was doing Heavy correction daily, and had client`s to charge. I`ve gotten great results with Orange LC CCS pads on the GG6, I can`t even imagine how efficient this product would be with MF pads and a Rupes type machine.

[Migue]

Thanks for the reviews/tests ,pretty neat. I`ve been planning on trying PB stuff next for correction work. After that will be Menzerna and M101 for added back up.

[JustJesus]

Great test and write up. It really is splitting hairs trying to decide which i`s better (which is why so many people get too wrapped up in it) and your test seems to show that all of these combos can work just about the same.

I do feel that you really should of used the same machine for the 3d combo as well though. It was designed for body shops yes, but I`ve had some excellent results with the finishing polish using a DA. I also noticed that the polish and compound work very fast. 2-3 passes is all you need

Thank you. And with so many products, it`s why I tried to get sample sizes bottles! And trust me, I plan on doing just that with the 3D combo. Vega posted some pics and he achieved some very nice results.

Thanks for the round up. As you said, there are so many variables..., but it sure is fun to see what someone experiences when they use product A with pad B on paint C in temperature D on polisher E. This is why it is good to have multiple compounds/polishes and pads. Very good review!

Thank you, and you`re welcome!

Don`t get me started on HD Polish. I will leave it at that.

LOL - It must be one of those !YMMV! deals But let`s not get you started !

@JustJesus: You`re welcome!! As far as the price of M101 is concerned, I barely have to use it, that`s why I could justify the price. The only other way I could justify the price was if I was doing Heavy correction daily, and had client`s to charge. I`ve gotten great results with Orange LC CCS pads on the GG6, I can`t even imagine how efficient this product would be with MF pads and a Rupes type machine.

haha... i second that! I wonder how well it would work with MF pads. Someday, I might find out for myself.

Thanks for the reviews/tests ,pretty neat. I`ve been planning on trying PB stuff next for correction work. After that will be Menzerna and M101 for added back up.

You`re welcome, and thanks. So far, I`m really digging PBs stuff. Haven`t used it THAT much, but what little I have, it`s been good. Their Polish With EXP (if I said that right) might be my go-to for an AIO. I`m trying that out on Sunday. Having sun-friendly products is a plus for me, as I do just about all my work outside. It can get pretty hot out! If you haven`t seen my thread where I used like 5-6 PB`s products...check it out!

I`ve used Menzerna FG400 on MF Cut Disc, and it finished off really well. The owner came by and asked, "so next step is the wax?"

[Mary B]

JustJesus:
Thanks for the GREAT comparison review.
The rotary part was really good, makes me want one to go with my MINI.