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lake county 6" pads vs. 7.5" pads?
- Thread starter 03k20a2
- Start date
The pads are made the same it's just that as you move up to 7.5/8/and 9" pads you need to be real careful about what your doing.
It's easier for the rotary to get away from you and working with a larger diameter pad and it's easy to misjudge how close you are to delicate parts like trim,mirrors, etc (don't ask me how I know).
If you detailing a SUV or truck with large body panels they're great. Body lines on most cars today make using larger pads harder when trying to avoid mistakes. You also have to make sure you put down enough polish so your not buffing dry when you start.
It's easier for the rotary to get away from you and working with a larger diameter pad and it's easy to misjudge how close you are to delicate parts like trim,mirrors, etc (don't ask me how I know).
If you detailing a SUV or truck with large body panels they're great. Body lines on most cars today make using larger pads harder when trying to avoid mistakes. You also have to make sure you put down enough polish so your not buffing dry when you start.
DetailQueen
New member
I agree the large pads take on a little more degree of difficulty! I am a fan of the smaller ones!
buellwinkle
New member
You didn't say what type of buffer but for a PC, the larger pads diminishes your polishing capability by spreading the force over a larger area so it's not recomended. For a rotary, the pro's use the larger pads because they can work faster but because the edge is spinning much faster than a smaller pad they are more like to cause marring so they only time I use a larger pad is for cutting but I wouldn't use it on a clear coat as it's more like to burn through that layer.
Many have suggested that using larger pads causes a PC to become less effective at polishing since it does not have all that powerful motor to begin with, when compared to a rotary machine polisher.
So the idea is that the smaller the pad the optimum performance gained with a Radom Orbit Polisher.
I cannot speak to this directly myself, as I've never been able to come anywhere near the results I've seen by other's Post's here. So I must defer.
So the idea is that the smaller the pad the optimum performance gained with a Radom Orbit Polisher.
I cannot speak to this directly myself, as I've never been able to come anywhere near the results I've seen by other's Post's here. So I must defer.
buellwinkle
New member
PCs depend on pressure and mechanical action to do it's work, this is different than rotaries that depend on speed and the heat it generates. By using a larger pad you are spreading the pressure over a larger area diminishing it's effectiveness. So if all you are doing is using the PC to apply/remove wax then you are OK, if you are depending on it to remove swirls and defects then it's not as good as a smaller pad. Some people even use 4" pads when they need better cutting ability.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Yeah, when I need *any* real corrective ability from the PC I use 4" pads. When I try the 7.5" ones the PC bogs down far too easily. With 4" pads it doesn't bog down at all.
I'll only use the 6-6.5" ones with something mild like #80 or FP or maybe 1Z MP- products that only do very light correction. I've been utterly unsuccessful with the larger 7.5" pads for anything except glazes/LSPs and they didn't work well for those either.
Consider that the PC was designed to hold a backing plate and *one sheet* of sandpaper. A 6.5" pad (let alone a 7.5" one) with product on it weighs a *LOT* more than one sheet of sandpaper. With any applied pressure, a PC equipped with the larger pads will quit doing a true "dual action" motion and will just "jiggle".
Leave the larger pads for rotary use. And I prefer 6-6.5" pads on *that* too.
I'll only use the 6-6.5" ones with something mild like #80 or FP or maybe 1Z MP- products that only do very light correction. I've been utterly unsuccessful with the larger 7.5" pads for anything except glazes/LSPs and they didn't work well for those either.
Consider that the PC was designed to hold a backing plate and *one sheet* of sandpaper. A 6.5" pad (let alone a 7.5" one) with product on it weighs a *LOT* more than one sheet of sandpaper. With any applied pressure, a PC equipped with the larger pads will quit doing a true "dual action" motion and will just "jiggle".
Leave the larger pads for rotary use. And I prefer 6-6.5" pads on *that* too.