LC 6" vs 7.5"

H

HotRodGuy

New member
I'm about to order new pads and was curious the pros and cons of each.



I tried doing a search but couldn't find anything :(
 
I'm looking at the Constant Pressure 6" vs the 7.5" advanced constant pressures. I will be ordering finishing, polishing



I'm fairly new to detailing but i've got the hang of the 6" pads. I only use a PC.





What are the pros and cons of the red finishing vs the black?





Also, I thought LC made a orange pad? How is the cutting pad, i've still yet to use it, should it be avoided w/ a PC?
 
We still do make an orange pad. Its great for lite cutting. The difference between the red and the black is that the black is great for swirl removal, it doesnt compress as easy as the red, its a more fuller bodied pad if that makes sense. It actually does a mechanical process of removing swirls. The red pad is for final finishing. Used for transferring a product to surface. (waxes, sealants) It really has no mechanical function. I hope this helps.
 
HotRodGuy said:
I'm looking at the Constant Pressure 6" vs the 7.5" advanced constant pressures. I will be ordering finishing, polishing



I'm fairly new to detailing but i've got the hang of the 6" pads. I only use a PC.



What are the pros and cons of the red finishing vs the black?



Also, I thought LC made a orange pad? How is the cutting pad, i've still yet to use it, should it be avoided w/ a PC?
Click to expand...



Neither the red nor the black have any bite to them. I have one of the red pads but haven't even used it yet since I tend to hand apply my LSP's. They say black is for glazes and red for LSP's but I've used black for LSP's in the past with good results.



http://www.properautocare.com/hi612infopaa.html



As far as the 6 vs. 7.5" pads, the 7.5" pads really allow you to work with a lot of different surfaces/angles better but you really have to have your basic PC technique down pretty good.



LC does make orange cutting pads:



http://www.properautocare.com/coprorpopa.html



As far as whether you should use cutting pads (orange or yellow), they defeinitely have their use and if you do a lot of cars, they should be part of your arsenal. That being said, I usually use them only when there are serious defects in the paint (nasty scratches, paint transfer, etc...)



As I'm sure you've seen on this forum, the general rule is use the least abrasive combo first to tackle defects. For me that's usually LC white and an appropriate polish. I do use the LC 4" orange w/ 3.5" backing plate for spot repairs fairly often though.
 
HotRodGuy said:
.....Also, I thought LC made a orange pad? How is the cutting pad, i've still yet to use it, should it be avoided w/ a PC?
Click to expand...

They do make an orange pad, but it's listed on a separate page from the other 6" pads, go figure????



http://www.properautocare.com/classic-motoring/coprorpopa.html



The orange pad is considered a cutting pad, but it is less aggressive than the yellow pads. Autopia also sells the 6.5" LC orange pad but it does not have the "Constant Pressure" blue foam like the newer styles, which I THINK are made special for CMA.



http://store.yahoo.com/autopia/lcm-76-2165vc.html



I've used the orange pad with DACP and haven't had any problems with it hazing, but I usually follow up with a polish pad anyway. I haven't had a need for the yellow pads, but there are users here who do use them on a PC.



LC has thrown a wrench into the works with the addition of those new pads as far as my pad chart goes. The red pad is the softest of the bunch and geared for final wax, where the black pad is not quite as soft and made for glazes. If I only had the choice of one finish pad I'd probably go with the black, but since I use mostly Meg's polish and finishing 6.5" pads (I like 'em flat) I couldn't say if you'd notice a visual difference or not.



I think my next pad trial will be with the Sonus because Autopia sells them, they are flat, and I've yet to hear a negative comment about them.



It does get confusing, HTH
 
I have a full set of 6" and 7.5" LC pads from Proper Auto Care. Great pads. I much prefer the 7.5" pads. Lots more flexibility and safety than the 6". (The backing plate on the 7.5" inch pads sits in a pocket in the back of the pad.)



If you read the tips on using the 7.5" pads (on www.properautocare.com), you should have no problems using them given that you have some experience with the PC.



I've used the red and black pads for applying Menzerna FMJ and Zaino Z5. Z5 goes on much smoother (IMO) using the PC than by hand. Wafer thin, even coating. A breeze to wipe off.



Note that I've just learned today that the 7.5" LC pads on www.properautocare.com are DIFFERENT from the 7.5" LC pads on other sites. Better? Don't know. But definitely different!



I might buy Sonus or Edge pads to try out just because I'm curious, but not with any specific intention of replacing my LC pads.



Regards,



Dan.
 
are the pads from properautocare different? aren't they all manufactured by lake country? i know there are the constant pressure pads with the blue lining but the foam should be the same right? anyone care to comment on this?
 
disasnguy said:
are the pads from properautocare different? aren't they all manufactured by lake country? i know there are the constant pressure pads with the blue lining but the foam should be the same right? anyone care to comment on this?
Click to expand...



I wrote the post below on another forum.



It turns out that some products are only sold by certain vendors. Some products with the same name on different sites are actually different. The opposite is also true - some products with a different name are actually the same.



It's a very confusing landscape out there. When discussing a pad, I STRONGLY recommend that we be VERY specific about the pad name and the vendor that we bought it from.



For example, I use the 7.5" LC pads. It turns out that this means nothing. I need to say that I use the "Advanced, 7.5" Hi-Gloss, Constant Pressure Pads" purchased from www.properautocare.com! These are NOT the same pad as "Curved Edge Variable Contact

7.5" Foam Pads" from www.autogeek.net. However, I believe that autogeek's pads ARE the same as the "Lake Country Polisher Pads 7.5" (Variable Depth)" sold by www.topoftheline.com. Except of course that Autogeek has their 7.5" pads in four colors, while top of the line has their 7.5" pads in six colors (including blue and green).



Everyone confused? Yes? Good; I'm not alone then. :p



Regards,



Dan.



------

From another forum

------

Scott,



Your post confused me, so I did some checking. It looks like Lake Country makes multiple pads for different retailers. Based on what I can see and read, they are NOT the same pads.



CMA (www.properautocare.com) - Check out this link:

http://www.properautocare.com/mafopaloatla.html



About 1/3 of the way down is the "6-1/2 inch VC Pad with Polish Pocket". I think this is the old pad. Note that it does NOT have the blue "Constant Pressure" foam backing.



About 3/4 of the way down the page is the "6 inch Constant Pressure Pad". This is the pad that I've been referring to. Note that it DOES have the Constant Pressure backing. It has a polish pocket in the center. It only comes in yellow, orange, white, black and red. But not blue and green. (Note that the orange pad is listed separately.)



Below the 6" pads are the "7-1/2 inch, Advanced Constant Pressure Pad". This is the other pad that I've been referring to. Again, it DOES have the Constant Pressure backing and has a polish pocket. It has a contour similar to the "Variable Contour" pad (which is the older pad, I believe). It only comes in yellow, orange, white, black and red. But not blue and green.



www.topoftheline.com:

http://www.topoftheline.com/porter-cable-polisher.html



It appears that these folks are offering the LC 7.5" NON-constant pressure "variable DEPTH" pads. They do NOT have the "constant pressure" blue foam backing. These come in the yellow, orange, white, blue, green and black. But not red.



They also offer the 6.5" FLAT pads. These are NOT the same as CMA's 6" pressure pads with polish pocket. They come in orange, black and white.



At Lake Country site:



http://www.lakecountrymfg.com/foampads.html



You will find different information. You can see that the LC folks don't show the CMA pads. They do show the Premimum Auto Car pads, but refer to the 7.5" pads as the "Variable Contact" pads, not "Variable Depth" (Top of the line). These don't have the blue "constant pressure" backing of CMA pads (which are made by LC).



Then at http://www.autogeek.net/bupo.html:



They offer the 6.5" and 7.5" "Variable Contact" pads. These do NOT have the "Constant Pressure" foam backing. The do however look like some of the other pads offered by Top of the line. But, they have different colors!



It's a confusing place out there. I was hoping to offer clarity here, but I think I've added to the confusion.



But, what I can see is that the CMA pads are 1) LC Pads and 2) curved and 3) have a blue "constant pressure" backing. Therefore, they ARE different from the LC pads offered by other vendors. Better? Maybe. (I like them) I don't really know. But they ARE different!



We havin' fun yet?



Regards,



Dan.
 
I found that the 7.5" pads cause bad vibrations due to the extra size. Surely this is because the counter weight is only made to work with 6" pads?
 
BMcN said:
I found that the 7.5" pads cause bad vibrations due to the extra size. Surely this is because the counter weight is only made to work with 6" pads?
Click to expand...



If you bought the 7424 with the smaler counterweight, then you'll have a problem with the larger pads. I have the 7336 with the larger counterweight and have NO problems with the 7.5" CMA pads.



Regards,



Dan.
 
Of the three size pads that LC makes for PC, I rate them in this order: prefer 7.5", really like the 6.5", and really don't prefer 6".



6" pad is limited to a 5" backing plate & the velcro attached to the pad seems flimsey. When washing these pads, you can easily roll them into a ball.



6.5" pad can be used with a 6" plate but that puts the plate at the adbolute edge of the velcro & you run the risk of the plate eating into the backside of the pad. The velcro seems to be better than that used on the 6" pads and the pads themselves are more substantial & I prefer the surface of the 6.5" LC pads to the LC 6".



7.5" pad should probably be used with a 6" plate 'cause this size plate fits perfectly in the recess on the backside but 5" is probably OK if centered properly. The velcro attachment is the best that LC offers (IMHO) and you can bend the pad so it looks like a taco ... but that's about it. The 7.5" pad also eliminates the possibility of the backing plate contacting a mirror, spoiler, or other exterior trim...important point not to be overlooked.



Good arguements exist for either flat pad or curved pad. The curved pads will transition from panel-to-panel easier but the flat pad offers more surface contact ... it's really personal preference.



I've never had a problem with excessive vibration 'cause I usually max-out at about 5 and I'm just do this as a hobby ... compulsively ... on family cars & a few friends that keep after routine washing & maintenance.
 
NYV6Coupe,



I believe it's more complex than that...



6" and 6.5" pads may differ between on-line retailers. And, I think that the 6.5" pads are the old ones that were replaced by the 6" pads.



CMA lists the 6.5" pads as part of their "Close-Out Specials on Discontinued Pads". Here's a link:



http://www.properautocare.com/noname2.html



I have the new 6" and 7.5" Constant Pressure pads from CMA. The 6" pads have wide velcro that's not flimsy. I much prefer the 7.5" Constant Pressure pads, but the 6" pads are quite good. I've had no problems with them.



Also, I've used CMA's 6" flexible backing plate with both the 6" and 7.5" pads. The velcro on the 6" pad is wide enough to accomodate the 6" backing plate with no problems.



When describing the pads, please list the retailer and the specific model name.



Regards,



Dan.
 
good point that I should have included.



The 6" LC cupped pads were purchased from CMA last summer, sort of a "getting started" kit.



The 6.5" LC flat pads were purchased from TOL, also last summer and these are not the new 6.5" LC Constant Pressure pads that CMA sells exclusively as their own, just very nice flat 6.5" pads.



The 7.5" LC VC pads were purchased from TOL, SMP, and CMA before the new 7.5" Constant Pressure pads were released.



The 6" backing plate is a Porter-Cable product purchased from TOL :

http://www.topoftheline.com/polisher-back-plate.html



IMHO, using this P-C backing plate with a LC 7.5" Constant Pressure pad could be the best set-up for a hobbiest seeking a very forgiving plate/pad combination.
 
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