My initial NXT review

From David Bynon's NXT follow-up review:



"After the first hand wash, a rain storm, and a run through the automatic car wash, the water beading capability of NXT Tech Wax seemed to all but disappear."



But in another part of the review states, "Here's the paint after a quick rinse with fresh water. You can see the water sheeting off on the left. There's very little beading, but the shine comes right through. The excellent sheeting action makes drying a snap."



I would tend to think that if it is now sheeting that the protection is gone. The fact that that the shine comes through is most likely due to the polishing prep work done before the vehicle was waxed/sealed and not the NXT.



My $.00002
 
I really do not know what is going on. I understand that beading is not necessarily an indication of protection, but is slickness? I mean even though the weater sheeted off (very nicely), the paint was still pretty slick when I dried it.



Honestly, I like the look and I can apply something at least once a month so I will continue to use it. NXT gives my paint the look that I like.



It is certainly interesting to see what is happening at 4 weeks though.
 
RIC - you're on the money.



From what I've learned/observed/tested/etc., fresh, new, untouched paint will bead water - and it will bead it like crazy. Take that same, brand new paint and abrade it, and the beads will become more shallow, and eventually the water will pool on the panel rather than bead. The abrasion changes the surface tension properties.



Add something hydrophobic and the beads return. But once that protection wears away, the water begins to pool and "sheet" again. I always like to test a product for beading right away so that I can observe the nature of it's "fresh" beads. I also conduct accelerated tests to try and give me a second set of comparison data.



I don't buy the whole "it beads, then it sheets" back-and-forth thing. I do believe that certain wash products have sheeting agents built into them, but other than that, I have to believe that if it starts "sheeting" after a period of beading, the protection is dwindling.
 
:nixweiss After an initial application of 2 layers of NXT (I polished first to remove AIO/UPP x 3), three weeks, 4 days of rain and one of show, my car was still beading nicely as the show melted off my car and today when I QEW washed it, plus it beaded through all the rain, despite me not washing my car since the second application of NXT three weeks ago. Decent slickness too.



I've noticed on the cars I wash on Wednesdays that I use their pressure sprayer and water deionizer (BMW 745 and Ford Expidition) that water would bead when I wet them down and after using the NXT wash, I got strong sheeting action using full force from the sprayer. I waxed the 745 4 weeks ago this coming Wednesday and the Expiditon the following week but the Expiditon was traded in last week, so I only now have the 745 to see how NXT holds up under traditional washing methods and if it continues to sheet when using the NXT wash. The wash this Wednesday will be the first time I've washed the BMW in 2 weeks since it rained last Wednesday and snowed on Saturday and I am interested in seeing not only how well (or not) it still beads, the surface slickness and the appearance. I haven't seen the new vehicle I will be cleaning now since it rained last Wednesday, but I imagine they will want me to wax it. I'm going to use the pure sealant version of Poorboy's EX on this one to see how it compares with NXT.



Using QEW (which seems to be very gentle on wax), all the cars I have applied NXT to are still beading. Since I have only been using it for less than a month, I am continuing to monitor the beading, slickness and appearance. In addition, I have asked my customers to let me know if their cars stop beading when it rains. I am also not using QD on any of them while I monitor the durability.
 
I'm guessing there's something in the QEW that promotes beading (perhaps one of the surfactants or a conditioner?), while the NXT has an additive that promotes sheeting...



Just a guess - never got into QEW, so I can't comment for certain.
 
geekysteve said:
I'm guessing there's something in the QEW that promotes beading (perhaps one of the surfactants or a conditioner?), while the NXT has an additive that promotes sheeting...
Click to expand...



I don't know, but if there is no wax protection at all, QEW lays flat on the paint, no beading at all...which is why they recommend waxing first before using QEW.
 
I almost picked this stuff up today and am glad a waited. I decided while i was in the store to hold off untill i gor reviews on it's long term use. So please keep me updated, you can even PM me.
 
"Originally posted by geekysteve"



"I'm guessing there's something in the QEW that promotes beading"



An emailed response from Patrick Huber at Protectall over a year ago: "Q & E Wash leaves a light wax coating on the surface."
 
RIC said:
"Q & E Wash leaves a light wax coating on the surface."
Click to expand...



True, but on a surface deviod of wax protection it will not bead at all. I've been using it for about 11-12 years now and you can easily tell when using QEW if the wax is dead. The water lays completely flat on the paint.
 
RIC said:
I would tend to think that if it is now sheeting that the protection is gone. The fact that that the shine comes through is most likely due to the polishing prep work done before the vehicle was waxed/sealed and not the NXT.



My $.00002
Click to expand...



I don't really agree. I'm quite certain from the look and the smoothness that there is still a protectant there. It isn't from the prep work. For one, it didn't look that good before applying the NXT. But the smoothness is really giveaway. It definitely feels like something is on the paint.



I don't see why a product that is sheety and possibly oily/siliconey wouldn't bead at first from the oil/silicone, and then sheet (and probably not look quite as good, and the Regal no longer looked as good, though it still looked quite nice) when that washes away.



But really I dont' even know if that's the behavior of NXT. In my case I've never seen it bead. All I've seen it do is sheet, which I find quite unfortunate. I might try some NXT/#26 or something though on the non-Auroras to get some pop and good beading without knocking myself out. ;)
 
Just another update. I washed the car yesterday and I really think the NXT was done. Just very slow sheeting and no slickness. The car didn't feel like it had protection. I applied another coat of NXT after the wash because I wanted to apply something, so why not another coat of NXT.



As luck would have it, my wife and I went to the store later that day, and it started pouring. The NXT was beading very nicely during the rain, though it had been applied just hours earlier. I don't know if this means NXT beads and it was just beat 3 weeks later (which seems odd as the paint was still slick), or if the beading is very temporary, or what? I have no idea. But it does seem that the product in my case didn't make it 6 weeks. And the long term beading isn't great (not that this is a big deal to everyone, but it is to me).



So far I'm not sold on NXT. Don't get me wrong, it is easy to apply and is incredibly glossy. But it doesn't seem to last, and it doesn't bead for crap after a few weeks, and it doesn't seem to last particularly long in general. MPPP (and many other products) lasts quite a bit longer, and beads a little better, and is as easy to apply. I'll keep it around for those times I want to add a lot of gloss on a non-Aurora that I dont' want to spend a ton of prep on, but other than that, I doubt I'll use it much. I also hate the way it smells...



So, IMO, here are the pros:

- very glossy

- easy to use

- low cost, readily available

- smell (if you like it)



and cons:

- poor beading

- 6 week durability on my car

- smell (if you hate it)

- has some cleaning power
 
Hey,



This picture was taken on Feb 26. Nothing except for an occasional washing was done to the surface (ie. no QD's etc. were applied). The original application of NXT Tech Wax (Lab Sample E) was applied on Dec.7, some 80 days before.



When washing, I find that the water sheets which is great for drying. But when it rains, I still get beading like crazy.



6IMG_1711c_Small_.jpg




I posted a similar update on Show Car Garage for which I Moderate.



http://www.showcargarage.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=762



Tim
 
The Accord looks great after a month of NXT. It's still reasonably slick, but the beading is horrible.



I applied NXT to my mom's Stratus and after 1 wash I noticed that the slickness doesn't even begin to compare to BF II. Or the beading--initially or long term.



It's a very good product and I'm sure it's still protecting the paint, but I don't know if it's what I was expecting.
 
2hotford said:
Hey,



This picture was taken on Feb 26. Nothing except for an occasional washing was done to the surface (ie. no QD's etc. were applied). The original application of NXT Tech Wax (Lab Sample E) was applied on Dec.7, some 80 days before.



When washing, I find that the water sheets which is great for drying. But when it rains, I still get beading like crazy.



6IMG_1711c_Small_.jpg




I posted a similar update on Show Car Garage for which I Moderate.



http://www.showcargarage.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=762



Tim
Click to expand...



Yeah, but is it possible that Lab Sample E is a "ringer" sample or "spiked". I don't get that kind of beading with NXT, ESPECIALLY after 80 days:shocked . Mine is pretty much toast after 3 weeks.
 
l7avis said:
Yeah, but is it possible that Lab Sample E is a "ringer" sample or "spiked". I don't get that kind of beading with NXT, ESPECIALLY after 80 days:shocked . Mine is pretty much toast after 3 weeks.
Click to expand...



Hey,



From what I can tell, the production samples are identical to the Lab Sample E. Further, if Meguiar's did have a way of making NXT even better, would they not benefit from providing it to the public?





Tim
 
2hotford said:
Hey,



From what I can tell, the production samples are identical to the Lab Sample E. Further, if Meguiar's did have a way of making NXT even better, would they not benefit from providing it to the public?





Tim
Click to expand...



I don't know if they could make it better they indeed would. Making it better could cost more money. I am not a conspiracy theorist either, the results just don't make sense that's all. In my trials of NXT it beads great right after application, then it loses all beading and slickness rather quickly, 3 weeks.



And I also don't believe the, it beads then sheets then beads then sheets then beads stuff either, like it is some miracle formulation that is supposed to do that. IMO it beads well shortly, then it is toast.
 
l7avis said:




And I also don't believe the, it beads then sheets then beads then sheets then beads stuff either, like it is some miracle formulation that is supposed to do that. IMO it beads well shortly, then it is toast.
Click to expand...



The sheeting/beading depends on how the water hits it. Rain = beads, strong water pressure = sheets. It doesn't go back and forth between sheeting and beading in the rain, if that is what you mean.
 
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