Looking For Some Help With Pad Selection

[DP 08 GXP]

been lurking for awhile and figured i would throw this out there to see if i can get some help.

i know this topic has been beat to death because ive been searching on about 3 different forums for the last 3 days and i am in overload with the amount of info i have read

i placed an order that will be arriving today for some new polishes i want to give a try....i have tried Adams and Optimum lines and today i will be getting Megs 105, Menz Power Finish, and Menz PO85RD...my equipment that i use is a Flex PE14 for the compounding step and Flex 3401 on the polishing step...i want to get to the point where i can use the Flex PE to finish but ive only had it for a month so im not to that point yet

for the Flex PE14 i currently have 5.5" LC flat pads in orange for compounding and white for polishing

for the Flex 3401 i have 7" Adams Green for compounding, orange for polishing and white for finishing and 7" LC flat pads in orange and white

here is what i have been thinking of getting:
Purple Foamed wool pad for the M105 on the Flex PE14 on cars that are trashed or have a hard clear
Uber Orange with M105 on Flex PE14 on cars that arent as bad
Uber Green or orange for the Menz Power Finish as either a 1 step or 2nd step depending on the vehicle
Uber Blue for Menz PO85RD for finishing

does this sound right to you guys or should i look at a different pad/product combination or different pad company altogether? i was reading about the hydro pads but it sounds like they dont last very long....read a lot of good things about the Uber pads...any and all input is greatly appreciated!

[mjlinane]

Welcome to AutopiaForums!!

Have not used any of the pads mentioned. I actually go the other way: I use a DA with MF pads for correction and a rotary for finish polishing of really soft dark paints (DA otherwise).

[addysdaddy]

Though I don`t own a Flex, many members like the LC Hybrid Pad system since it was "made" for the Flex the way it`s beveled cut on the sides. Personally I`m using the LC HT pad series and really it on my DA.

[DP 08 GXP]

thanks for the info...anybody with a rotary wanna chime in?

[Todd@RUPES]

here is what i have been thinking of getting:

Purple Foamed wool pad for the M105 on the Flex PE14 on cars that are trashed or have a hard clear

This is a great combination on both the PE14 and the 3401XC for removing paint defects. When used on the 3401 the finish is actually fairly easy to follow-up polish.

Uber Orange with M105 on Flex PE14 on cars that arent as bad

I am a fan of Lake Country Pads. I would go with the Hi-Gloss CCS Orange Pads, as they have a built in Instant Rebound Foam that makes controlling them on a rotary very easy.

Uber Green or orange for the Menz Power Finish as either a 1 step or 2nd step depending on the vehicle

With what type of machine?

Uber Blue for Menz PO85RD for finishing

If you are finishing with a the 3401 I would look at something like Lake Country white pads or, on soft paint, the gray/black pads. Again I am not too familiar with the Uber/Buff & Shine foams. IF there foam is similar to the blue foam used by Lake Country, then it will be too soft to provide adequate friction to break down the abrasives in some cases.

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[DP 08 GXP]

for the Menz Power Finish it will be on the 3401

[Todd@RUPES]

for the Menz Power Finish it will be on the 3401

Then I would use either the White Lake Country Foam of polishing or the Orange for light defects.