Your favorite polishing pads and why?

[Todd@RUPES]

I was thinking about this after reading a post today. Which are my favorite polishing pads and why? Do I favor a specific style? Ultimately it comes down to a lot of variables such as paint type (what is reacting the best in that moment), machine type, and goals.

As a small prologue, when I first started using a rotary, my first pads where the 7.5 inch curved edge CCS pads. This eventually led me to contacting Eric Dunn from Lake Country who has been an instrumental figure in shaping my career. I had the pleasure of testing a lot of new pads for Lake Country through out the years and my collection grew to over 300. I can safely say, with absolute pleasure, that Lake Country Mfg. is my favorite pad manufacturer for several reasons:

They are always introducing new technology to the market place. In 6 years they have released more innovative technologies then anybody I am aware of.

They actually manufacturer their pads. I have had the pleasure of visiting their facility several years ago and saw first hand how much time is invested in research and how first-class their facility is.

Their pads flat out work. Period.

So, in general, here are my favorite pads when using different machines for different purposes. These are not the only pads that I use, by any stretch, but they are mostly commonly the first I will grab for.

Random Orbital Dual Action Polishers (Griot`s 6 inch, Meguiar`s G110v2, Porter Cable 7424 XP)

Heavy Correction: Surbuf 6.5 inch pad or Meguiar`s 5 inch cutting discs
Moderate Correction: Lake Country 5.5 Inch low profile Orange "Power Pad" Light Cutting pad
Polishing/Finishing: Lake Country 5.5 inch low profile White Polishing Pad
Pure Finishing: Lake Country Hydro-tech 5.5 Inch Crimson Pad


Forced Rotation Style Dual-Action Polishers (FLEX 3401 and Makita Two-Mode BO6040)

Heavy Correction: Lake Hybrid Wool Pad (similar to purple foam wool) or Lake Country Hybrid Hybrid Orange Heavy Cutting Pad
Moderate Correction: Lake Country Hybrid Blue Power Finish Pad
Polishing/Finishing: Lake Country Hybrid White Power Finish Pad
Pure Finishing: Lake Country Hybrid Black Finishing Pad


Rotary Style Polishers (Makita 9227c, DeWalt X849, FLEX PE)

Heavy Correction: Meguiar`s So1o Heavy Cut Wool Pad or Lake Country Purple Foamed Wool Pad
Moderate Correction: Lake Country Hi-Gloss 6.5 Inch Orange Light Cutting Pad
Polishing: Lake Country Hi-Gloss 6.5 Inch White Polishing Foam Pad
Finishing: Lake Country Hi-Gloss 6.5 Inch Black Finishing Pad
Jeweling: Lake Country Hi-Gloss 6.5 Inch Red Ultra Soft Pad or Lake Country Hi-Gloss 6.5 Inch Black Finishing Pad

[Bunky]

Todd, why do you like the hybrid pads on the Flex 3401 about all else?

[BobbyG]

Porter Cable 7424 Dual Action - 5 1/2" pads and smaller

Moderate Correction: Lake Country 5 1/2" flat Orange Light Cutting pad
Polishing: Lake Country 5 1/2" flat White Polishing Pad
Finishing: Lake Country 5 1/2" flat Gray Finishing Pad
Pure Finishing: Lake Country Hydro-tech 5 1/2" Crimson Pad

FLEX 3401 Forced Rotation - 6 1/2" pads and smaller

Heavy Correction: Lake Country 6 1/2" Foam Wool Pad
Lake Country 6 1/2" Yellow CCS foam pad
Moderate Correction: Lake Country 6 1/2" Orange CCS foam pad
Polishing/Finishing: Uber 6 1/2" Green foam pad
Pure Finishing: Uber 6 1/2" Black foam pad

Makita 9227, FLEX PE14-2 Rotary - 7" pads and smaller

Heavy Correction: Meguiar`s Solo 7 inch Wool Heavy Cutting Pad
or Lake Country 6 1/2" Purple Foamed/Wool Pad
Moderate Correction: Lake Country 6 1/2" Kompressor Orange Light Cutting Pad, Lake Country 6 1/2" Orange CCS foam pad
Polishing: Lake Country 6 1/2" Kompressor White Pad, Lake Country 6 1/2" White CCS foam pad
Finishing: Meguiar`s 6 1/2" Softbuff Finishing Pad, Lake Country 6 1/2" CCS Gray foam pad
Jeweling: Lake Country 6 1/2" CCS Red Ultra Soft Pad

Why?

Because these are the pads I`ve found that work best with these machines. For many 1-step product Lake Country Green foam pads work surprisingly well. I use these with my Flex 3401 and with my rotary polisher. It`s funny why green pads aren`t mentioned more....They do work!

[Todd@RUPES]

Todd, why do you like the hybrid pads on the Flex 3401 about all else?

The dense foam formulas found in the Hybrid Power Finish system do an amazing job of transferring the power of the machine to the paint with very little added pressure. It is almost like these pads are designed to work with the machine, a match made in heaven!

[addysdaddy]

Thanks so much for this list and doing the "heavy lifting" Todd - really serves as a great starting point. Been using the LC hydrotech 5.5" x 7/8" pads so I`m almost there. I just purchased the flat white LC 7/8" pad that I`m going to use for polishing as imo there`s a gap between the tangerine and crimson pads. If they could just shoe horn in one more pad, that would be perfect.

[daveinsweethome]

still love the "kompressor" pad

[Dr Oldz]

This is tough and I still can`t answer this. I have so many pads.... Guess it depends on the job and my mood. I tend to use 80% LC pads.

The LC Tufted Pads are amazing for rotary work(and a personal fav) but aren`t readily available but a few suppliers and only come in 7.5 inch. They cut fast and finish down really nice.

The LC VC pads rock and I love how they feel. I can get super intimate with delicate paints and curves with these pads.

Kompressor pads are very nice for sure.

I really like the HT pads for rotary and DA uses.

The OPT MF pads have been working really nice for me and take a beating. (I have some that have been used 15+ time with no signs of failure.)

The LC traditional Flat Pads have never let me down.

Wool, I generally stick with 3M as I have been using those for years.

There are many great pads out there and they keep improving for sure but I feel time spent with a certain style pad and learning how to use it properly is more beneficial than having the latest greatest pad on the market.

[Todd@RUPES]

This is tough and I still can`t answer this. I have so many pads.... Guess it depends on the job and my mood. I tend to use 80% LC pads.

The LC Tufted Pads are amazing for rotary work(and a personal fav) but aren`t readily available but a few suppliers and only come in 7.5 inch. They cut fast and finish down really nice.

The LC VC pads rock and I love how they feel. I can get super intimate with delicate paints and curves with these pads.

Kompressor pads are very nice for sure.

I really like the HT pads for rotary and DA uses.

The OPT MF pads have been working really nice for me and take a beating. (I have some that have been used 15+ time with no signs of failure.)

The LC traditional Flat Pads have never let me down.

Wool, I generally stick with 3M as I have been using those for years.

There are many great pads out there and they keep improving for sure but I feel time spent with a certain style pad and learning how to use it properly is more beneficial than having the latest greatest pad on the market.

Excellent point. Pads to product swirl free, high-gloss finishes have been available for a long time now. Even newer designs do not diminish the functionality of "old school" formulas. It is why Klasse AIO/SG remains one of Autopia`s best sellers.

Ultimately its what you can do with what you got more than what you got.

[RustyFinish]

My personal favorites are the Lake Country Hydro Tech pads for my GG6. why? Well the system is simple 3 pad types gets the job done, they finish Awesome, and they don`t absorb as much product and clean on the fly really well.

[jeffny09]

so far...hyrdrotech pads are my fav..tho they dust alot...

[addysdaddy]

So we`ve highlighted all these great pads. Which type/style/composition to you use if the car is in poor shape and is that a different pad then if it`s in really good condition? Do you start the correction with MF and then finish with foam? I`m not asking "cyan over tangerine", but rather foam vs MF and when is it appropriate to use what? I`ve only used foam and as yet haven`t tried the MF pads so I`m really trying to get a feel for when and where they come into play.

[Todd@RUPES]

So we`ve highlighted all these great pads. Which type/style/composition to you use if the car is in poor shape and is that a different pad then if it`s in really good condition? Do you start the correction with MF and then finish with foam? I`m not asking "cyan over tangerine", but rather foam vs MF and when is it appropriate to use what? I`ve only used foam and as yet haven`t tried the MF pads so I`m really trying to get a feel for when and where they come into play.

The MF pads (when used on a DA polisher) are unique in the sense that they cut very well (large surface area) while still delivering a very nice finish. They tend to be more aggressive then foam cutting pads...

Okay, we are going to go off the deep end here... hang on to your hats... and put on your helmets....


Foam pads, for the most part, deliver cut (mechanical action) by there willingness (or resistance) to change. A stiffer foam, which doesn`t want to change shape, it generally (not always) going to be more aggressive. There are other factors of course (such as how the abrasives attach to the foam) or how the membranes that make up the pore walls squeegee the surface clean. While different foam formulas will have different abilities to remove material (cut) and leave a level surface (finish), in general, more aggressive foam pads will increase the chance of creating visible marring on the paint.

Microfiber pads, for the most part, are functionally now abrasive. The actual microfiber material is going to remove very little material by itself (as opposed to a foam cutting pad). It is when you apply polish to the microfiber pad that the magic happens. As compared to a bald head, a full head of hair has far (far far far) more surface area. The same is true with microfiber compared to foam. The abrasives attached to the microfiber and allow far more of your polish to work (in a given time) compared to foam. So the once non-abrasive material becomes hyper abrasive when used with a more aggressive style of polish.

Microfiber pads can be used from heavy cutting to fine polishing (some paints will finish better with a foam pad though) depending on the type of polish used. They are extremely sensitive to whatever polish is applied because they amplify that polishes ability.

I hope this makes sense. If not I will try to clarify better.

[Todd@RUPES]

so far...hyrdrotech pads are my fav..tho they dust alot...

They will dust somewhat more because more of the polish is kept on the surface of the pad vs. absorbing into the pad. You could, in theory, reduce the amount of polish you use by 30% (or so) and still achieve the same results (compared to an open cell pad) while reducing the level of dusting.

[jeffny09]

They will dust somewhat more because more of the polish is kept on the surface of the pad vs. absorbing into the pad. You could, in theory, reduce the amount of polish you use by 30% (or so) and still achieve the same results (compared to an open cell pad) while reducing the level of dusting.

thanks..didnt know this.

[addysdaddy]

The MF pads (when used on a DA polisher) are unique in the sense that they cut very well (large surface area) while still delivering a very nice finish. They tend to be more aggressive then foam cutting pads...

Okay, we are going to go off the deep end here... hang on to your hats... and put on your helmets....


Foam pads, for the most part, deliver cut (mechanical action) by there willingness (or resistance) to change. A stiffer foam, which doesn`t want to change shape, it generally (not always) going to be more aggressive. There are other factors of course (such as how the abrasives attach to the foam) or how the membranes that make up the pore walls squeegee the surface clean. While different foam formulas will have different abilities to remove material (cut) and leave a level surface (finish), in general, more aggressive foam pads will increase the chance of creating visible marring on the paint.

Microfiber pads, for the most part, are functionally now abrasive. The actual microfiber material is going to remove very little material by itself (as opposed to a foam cutting pad). It is when you apply polish to the microfiber pad that the magic happens. As compared to a bald head, a full head of hair has far (far far far) more surface area. The same is true with microfiber compared to foam. The abrasives attached to the microfiber and allow far more of your polish to work (in a given time) compared to foam. So the once non-abrasive material becomes hyper abrasive when used with a more aggressive style of polish.

Microfiber pads can be used from heavy cutting to fine polishing (some paints will finish better with a foam pad though) depending on the type of polish used. They are extremely sensitive to whatever polish is applied because they amplify that polishes ability.

I hope this makes sense. If not I will try to clarify better.

So to generalize, I would use MF in my initial correction/compound stage and transition to foam for the finer machine polish to finish? Based on your explanation Todd, it doesn`t seem that I should use the MF pads on paint that is very good to excellent condition, but rather reserve the MF guns for paint that`s in need of a serious correction. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule but again, I`m trying to get an overall feel.