Nov. 2011 "Consumer Reports" results on best car wax

[Ron Ketcham]

With Mequiar's, most are the same products, with a few exceptions, that are labeled and marketed to different end users, with a different marketing program.

3M also has different "marketing" programs.

Not as many products "cross over" though.

Example is very obivious in the "marine" line, which are standard automotive products, just different labeling and instructions.

Every major company in this business do this.

If it were possible for you to do a "reverse" tracking of many of the less available products your shops uses, you would discover that many are products that are marketed by other companies under a different brand name.

Just so many good, quality blenders out there, they produce a ton of private label products for hundreds of companies.

 

[Dan]

You may find 3M or Meguiars at Wesco Auto Body Supply, but thats pretty much it. None of the other products are available in any auto parts store here in Wa.





Plus most ultra high quality product makers do not want to sell to your average consumer. They want to sell to professional detailers only. That is why we are in business. We purchase the product & incorporate it into our services. We also resell it here at our store.

That's strange, is that a very remote area?



Walmarts now carry most of the Meguiars line, including the DA machine.



3M - Any auto parts store can usually get the entire line, many stock the most common polishes and LSPs



Collinte - Available at Advance Auto



Autoglym Products - Pep Boys



Sonax, oddly enough, Ollie's carries some of their items on occasion

 

[autosalonleschi]

No Seattle Wa is not a remote area. Well you only mentioned 6 out of the 17 products I mentioned. Thats to bad these companies are selling

some of these products to the public. What will they sell next? Exotic Cars?



If a consumer wants a great product they can get it in store or online. Spending a few days detailing their vehicle is another story. Most do not have the time or skill level. Leave it to the Professionals.

 

[Accumulator]

..Thats to bad these companies are selling

some of these products to the public... Most do not have the time or skill level. Leave it to the Professionals.

I don't want to sound all :argue but I don't see anything wrong with selling most Pro stuff to the general public. Most of the non-detailing-enthusiast "regular people" I know do just fine with Pro stuff; plenty of folks find detailing intuitively obvious. "Read the instructions, apply common sense" can work fine for people who approach detailing with the proper mindset (e.g., my lady accountant pal who borrowed my Pro stuff and had zero problems doing her Lexus despite no training or prior experience).



Maybe I just know some, uhm....unusual people :think: When Pros here talk about the nutty things customers say ("can't you just wax those scratches away?" etc.) I'm utterly astounded that *anybody* could be so clueless :nixweiss

 

[Ron Ketcham]

Like I said, along the way, the difference between most "consumer" and "pro" products is in the labeling and the marketing approach.

 

[Accumulator]

Like I said, along the way, the difference between most "consumer" and "pro" products is in the labeling and the marketing approach.

That's true too. Products like Meg's Wheel Brightener excepted...but even then I'd think the instructions pretty well explain everything in these days of CYA/liability/etc.

 

[Junebug]

With the internet, forums such as this and a few clicks - ANYBODY can buy any product, I know there are a few definitions of what a "Pro" detailer is and I will smack down ANY comments concerning that - if anyone wants to open that can of worms, do it on detailing bliss or AG!

That said, price is no measure of quality nor effectiveness. The new detailer can get M105/D300 & some MF pads, a PC and any decent wax/sealer and have an arsenal far better than what I started with. Let's not get too full of ourselves gentlemen, this aint friggin rocket science.

BTW - I got a hell of a deal on Autoglym HD at WalMart, 15 bucks!

 

[Dan]

If a consumer wants a great product they can get it in store or online. Spending a few days detailing their vehicle is another story. Most do not have the time or skill level. Leave it to the Professionals.

Yep, you can find good stuff locally if you look around. I agree, getting people to spend a bit of time on their car is near impossible. I've got car guy friends that can't even be bothered. Its not that they don't have time, its that they don't want to. They'd rather sit on the couch.

 

[DaGonz]

A couple of years ago. my wife insisted that we buy a certain brand of vacuum cleaner because Consumer Reports gave it the highest rating among floor vacs tested...



Well, the damn thing chewed up the beater bar drive belts like there was no tomorrow... and you couldn't just buy that belt, you had to buy the entire kit, which was about $12 a pop. We junked that vacuum within a year. I have little or no faith in Consumer Reports.

 

[jmsc]

I find CR 50-50.



They were right on the 2012 Honda Civic interior redesign forcing Honda to re-design the re-design correctly with the 2013 Civic.



They were wrong with my Whirlpool washer/dryer giving it lower rankings when it should of been higher.



They usually are right with LCD TV's giving SONY's a higher mark.



The car wax report is generally worthless by my estimation compared to the more comprehensive GURU testing of several years ago.



MOO.

 

[Bunky]

I find the reviews generally accurate for how they test. Where I usually disagree is how they end up ranking by weighting of attributes especially cars.

 

[Accumulator]

.. I know there are a few definitions of what a "Pro" detailer is and I will smack down ANY comments concerning that - if anyone wants to open that can of worms...

Heh heh heh :chuckle: :xyxthumbs



(I think regulars here know why I relate to that....)

 

[autosalonleschi]

I don't want to sound all :argue but I don't see anything wrong with selling most Pro stuff to the general public. Most of the non-detailing-enthusiast "regular people" I know do just fine with Pro stuff; plenty of folks find detailing intuitively obvious. "Read the instructions, apply common sense" can work fine for people who approach detailing with the proper mindset (e.g., my lady accountant pal who borrowed my Pro stuff and had zero problems doing her Lexus despite no training or prior experience).



Maybe I just know some, uhm....unusual people :think: When Pros here talk about the nutty things customers say ("can't you just wax those scratches away?" etc.) I'm utterly astounded that *anybody* could be so clueless :nixweiss

Professional Auto Detailing is a trade. We take the utmost pride in our work and consider it an art form. We clean places in your vehicle that most don't even know exist.



Yes anyone can attempt to polish or wax a car, but will the final result compare to a Professional's results? Unlikely.



The art of safe, modern and proper polishing techniques is what separates the True Professional detailer from all the rest and is a skill set that is mastered by very few. Paint correction covers all areas above and beyond general degradation. This includes removal of all imperfections including deep scratches, swirl marks, etching, paint overspray, run lines, orange peel, hologramming and most surface damage.



Most of these issues can be resolved using advanced wet sanding and polishing techniques. If everyone had the time, equipment, tools, product, skill, and the facility to perform this level of detailing then there would be no need for Professional detail shops. Sure there are automobile enthusiasts out there and that is great, but they are far and few between.



How many average people perform mechanic work on there european car at home? Not many. They take it to a specialist.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Professional Auto Detailing is a trade. We take the utmost pride in our work and consider it an art form. We clean places in your vehicle that most don't even know exist. Yes

anyone can attempt to polish or wax a car, but will the final result compare to a Professional's results? Unlikely.



The art of safe, modern and proper polishing techniques is what separates the True Professional detailer from all the rest and is a skill set that is mastered by very few. Paint correction cover all areas above and beyond general degradation. This includes removal of all imperfections including deep scratches, swirl marks, etching, paint overspray, run lines, orange peel, hologramming and most surface damage.



Most of these issues can be resolved using advanced wet sanding and polishing techniques. If everyone had the time, equipment, tools, product, skill, and the facility to perform this level of detailing then there would be no need for Professional detail shops. Sure there are automobile enthusiasts out there and that is great, but they are far and few between.



How many average people perform mechanic work on there european car at home? Not many. They take it to a specialist.

That's all well and good, but it has nothing to do with whether professional grade products and supplies should or shouldn't be sold to the consumer public. The bottom line is that there are very few, if any products in this industry that have specialized training as a purchasing/usage prerequisite and as such there is no compelling reason not to sell them to general consumers. Sure, some might not get the same results with those products (no different than I own a DSLR camera, but I can't shoot great pictures as consistently and competently as a professional photographer) but that doesn't mean they can't still work with them.

 

[Dan]

So I'll share a little story about a young detailing newbie and his use of a (still) highly regarded detailing product.



It was the mid 90's, I had a few cars of my own, though I was hot stuff as I had a nice Wen Random orbital with some sweet terry pads from Pep boys. I really wanted to step up my game. I kept seeing some stuff from the Meguiars professional line called "High Tech Yellow Wax." At the time the Medallion was the highest consumer line product but I had to have the PRO product.



I remember applying it for the first time. I used LOTS as I wanted it to work well. It streaked like crazy, I had rainbows everywhere. It was very grabby on my paint, so naturally I used more. It did nothing to make my dull paint more glossy (was oxidized, but I didn't know it). Since it was grabby, I figured maybe I need more, or to shake it up better. What a mess. I ended up cursing the stuff and throwing it away.



I look back at that incident whenever we have newbies show up here who have never heard of clay, think their paint looks great, just needs some more shine. They want the best product. Well meaning people here will point them to the flavor of the day or a good staple product, all along assuming the person's paint is in "good shape."



Meguiars (3M) and TW know their customers. There is absolutely a reason for consumer products. If Megs could sell a dedicated, non-cleaning, sealant, they would. Imagine what would happen if you put a premium LSP with a narrow application tolerance on the shelf of Walmart. Imagine what would happen if KSG or Zaino ended up on the shelves!

 

[imported_PiPUK]

That's all well and good, but it has nothing to do with whether professional grade products and supplies should or shouldn't be sold to the consumer public. The bottom line is that there are very few, if any products in this industry that have specialized training as a purchasing/usage prerequisite and as such there is no compelling reason not to sell them to general consumers. Sure, some might not get the same results with those products (no different than I own a DSLR camera, but I can't shoot great pictures as consistently and competently as a professional photographer) but that doesn't mean they can't still work with them.

I apologise but, as a chemical professional, I feel that 'trade' or 'professional' products are generally recommended far too freely on the internet. With regards to wax or polish, there isn't really a whole lot of concern. Yeah, the user may not get the best from the product but, I agree, they are highly unlikely to do much harm. My problem is with many of the vehicle cleaners and I see this frequently with several UK companies. Some points:



1) In the EU, the information provided to the user is different depending on whether they are general public or professional. This is not down to individual manufacturers, it is actually in the health and safety regulations. Professional products carry far fewer safety warnings because it is assumed that certain scenarios are not going to occur - for instance, there is no obligation to warn about dangers to children on a professional product (there shouldn't be any children there) but a hazardous consumer product will be obligate to identify this.



2) The manufacturer has specifically stated that the product is for limited use. In our case, we do not recommend some products for general public use because they are too dangerous. If, for instance, a product requires that the user needs immediate access to an eyewash station (for instance on corrosive products), we keep it for professional use. I have pressed this matter in the UK and the reality is that many consumer (and frighteningly, professional) users fail totally in this regard and this only serves to re-inforce my point.



Even from an insurance point of view, it becomes a bit grey - public user has a problem with a professional product and the insurance company could potentially tell me that they aren't covered because the product itself should have precluded them from using it. From the users point of view, have an accident and someone could potentially claim that you are negligent and have wilfully ignored obvious warnings about the product being unsuited for your use.



It is all well and good glossing over things like this but accidents and problems do happen, all the time, with chemical products. Ignoring such things tends to be the strongest case for the requirements being made even more stringent and there is the risk that, in the near future, there will be a lot more 'nannying' to remove the choice from the masses who won't follow the guidelines out of choice.

 

[Accumulator]

My view is that people should be allowed to purchase products/do things and they should accept the consequences of their actions.



E.g. Meguiar's Wheel Brightener can be a seriously dangerous product, but no more so than all sorts of stuff that can be purchased OTC for any number of purposes. No, *I* don't use it, even in the rare cases when it'd make a job easier, but if sombody else wants to, eh, not my concern.



I suppose I'd be guilty of some nasty heartless misanthropy if I mentioned "Darwinism" in this context....

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

My view is that people should be allowed to purchase products/do things and they should accept the consequences of their actions.

I would agree with this; while I can certainly understand and respect the concerns PiPUK brings up, and I fully recognize that common sense isn't always so common, I am also of the belief that more often than not the type of people who would go to the trouble of seeking out and purchasing professional grade products that do have certain safety requirements are the types who will tend to respect those requirements.



Those who don't, well, there's only so much anyone can do about them, just as there are so-called "professionals" who abuse or don't respect the tools of their trade (see used car lots filled with buffer-burned paint). We can only do so much to regulate people into forcibly staying safe.

 

[Junebug]

After watching Top Gear for years and hearing Clarkson rag on health and safety regs - well, to me, it's like if the EPA and OSHA getting their dreams come true. They'd require warning lables on baked beans for enviromental impact. Honestly, we have got to quit being such a nanny state and instill some personal responsibilty in ourselves. We are bombarded every time we turn on the boob tude with slimy trial lawyers looking to win the insuranace lotto. According to some we need warning lables on fast food, ok, how bout - look fatso, you eat 3 double whooper's with cheese and you're going get so fat your gentials will disappear, how's that? Direct, to the point, maybe cause some to think - maybe I'll just get a regular burger instead.



Ok, let's clear up some points:

Pro products -like I mentioned a few posts back, we ARE NOT going to get into what makes a detailing Pro, because, at the end of the day, there is NO requirements, no state board exams, nothing. So a guy like me can buy, use, detail for others, the same stuff that a full timer uses and the results depend on the skill of the user. And this isn't that hard and you aren't that special. It's by far easier that trying to do landscaping, and I don't mean just grass cutting.



Pro Results- I have a dentist that loves his cars, Porshe Carrera, BMW M5, and he'd ask me for advice when I came in. Only once did he have me detail a car (M-B S550) and that was because he was tired of the car and just wanted to trade it. Honestly, it was in pretty good shape. The others, looks as good as anything in the C&B's. How is that possible? The man is a dentist not a "detailer"! Yeah, being sarcastic just a bit. He got advice, used good products and has the attention to detail we have.



carry on

 

[dgyukujian]

That's hilarious!