Towels Chemical guys vs Cobra jr. vs ?

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pgp

Member
Has anyone used the Chemical Guys El Gordo towels ? If so how do you like them? I have a few here and they seem pretty good, I think they are close to the Cobra Jr. ones. I am trying to up date my microfiber collection with out breaking the bank.
 
CG's prices aren't bad but I am put off by how they don't state the GSM, polyester/polyamide ratio, or country of origin at all. Just a bunch of childish nicknames and pics of bikini clad women holding towels. The Rag Company and Microfiber Tech are my go to sources for MF hands down.
 
I have some of the el Gordo towels. Cobra jr are much better quality. For an all purpose towel that you use for paint, cobra are much better. For a comparable towel to the cobra jr, microfiber tech has really good 400, 500, and 530's. I like the 500's for paint and the 400's for interior. Rag co also has some new towels in the 420 range. Haven't bought those yet but TRG has solid products. There are much better options than gordos in similar price range.
 
How do these compared to DetailedImages towels, which are Autofiber brand? That's all I've been using, seem pretty soft. Love the edgeless ones.
 
pgp said:
Has anyone used the Chemical Guys El Gordo towels ? If so how do you like them? I have a few here and they seem pretty good, I think they are close to the Cobra Jr. ones. I am trying to up date my microfiber collection with out breaking the bank.
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I have not used the El Gordo's but I will comment on the ones I can kind of compare.

I bought some CG drying towels and another one (can't remember what ones now, didn't like them for the price.)

I wouldn't say that CG towels are bad, just not worth the money to me. I haven't had a chance to use the TRC drying towels I got today, but holy crap are they nicer. Much softer and just look better constructed. I also bought the pink CG towels for the wife (she had to have pink and those are the only ones I could find.) I would honestly say the cheap Wal-Mart ones are just about as good. After getting my Eagle Edgeless and Dry Me a River towels today I will never think about CG towels again.

As a side note, I do have a couple of CG glass towels and I do like those. I'll try to get a couple comparison photos tomorrow if I don't oversleep.
 
jeepngli said:
I've been using these for removing max. They seem pretty soft and wash extremely well. Do you think these aren't really what I should be using? Don't want to cause more damage...
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IMO if a MF works OK in your opinion then it works OK. Can't imagine the ones you linked "causing damage", I still use some pretty [crappy] ones and they don't damage anything (but I'm not using them on BMW Jet Black or anything like that either...).

If in doubt, at least do the CD-test.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, The CG towels are much cheaper cost wise. After a quick look and use the other day, The Cobra ones are nicer, but more expensive. I did get them in a kit, which was a good value. I might do that again. Time will tell how they both hold up after a few uses.
 
The el Gordos are not bad, but I use their Gold MF towels and like them a lot. I get them from Amazon with a quantity discount and shipping every three months. The price is very good and so is the towel, no linting problems at all.
 
I find it so overwhelming which towels are better for what. With the exception of glass towels, most of the MF can do the same thing but I'm curious which specific towel you use for wax/sealant/glaze removal or does it not really matter? Is any good MF towel suitable for that purpose. Some of this stuff seems like an overkill but I too don't have a black BMW so maybe I don't see it.
 
jeepngli said:
I find it so overwhelming which towels are better for what. With the exception of glass towels, most of the MF can do the same thing but I'm curious which specific towel you use for wax/sealant/glaze removal or does it not really matter? Is any good MF towel suitable for that purpose. Some of this stuff seems like an overkill but I too don't have a black BMW so maybe I don't see it.
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Any good mf towel will work. For that step, use the nicest you have. The problem with mf towels, like a lot of things in life, it's all about what you're used to. Store bought mf towels seem just fine until you buy something a little better...
 
Right- Unless you're dealing with some problematic paint (e.g., stupid-soft clear, etc.), the only thing that matters is whether *you* are satisfied with how the MF works (for whatever task you're using it on).

I remove LSPs with every kind of MF except WWs...everything from uber-plush to no-knap/suede-style. Sometimes one type works better for a certain LSP than another does, but honestly I find the diffs to be rather insignificant. But hey, that's just me and other people love/hate using certain MFs for certain tasks.

I will say that with oily glazes that are buffed off while still a bit wet, I generally prefer a plush towel that "soaks up" the excess product. But then I hardly ever use such products any more.

Now *DRYING* towels are a different matter....
 
RDKC said:
Elaborate? I learned from Larry's videos that the ratio effects absorbency but I can't remember what video or much beyond that.
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Somehow I've *never* paid any attention to the ratio! I mean...none. Couldn't begin to tell you what any of my MFs are. That said..

For effective drying I find that "regular" MFs (as for wax/polish buffing, etc.) aren't very effective, they leave too much water behind. I've never assumed that's because of the ratio but rather a result of the designe of the towels (type/length of knap, etc.).

Waffle Weave MFs ("WWMF") have long been the standard and there are some newer-design ones these days that work well. The problem has always been that over time they become less effective and finally just "move water around" instead of picking it up.

On the other side of the fence are *plush* MF drying towels. I find that I like these a bit better than the WWs in part because I believe them to be safer with regard to marring in the event that there's something abrasive on the paint. The potential issue with this type of Drying Towel is lint. All of mine eventually start to lint (just like all my MF Glass Towels) but so far the Dry Me Crazy ones have *not* linted and have quickly become my favorite Drying Towels for paint.

Drying a vehicle with a top-quality plush MF Drying Towel while using a good drying aid can be eye-opening!
 
I have been using the CG WW drying towels and just bought 4 TRC WW since they're on sale for less than half price. I do like the edging on the CGs better than the TRC towels but time will tell. Haven't had a chance to try the new ones yet.

However, I was referring to the plush drying towels I've seen. Been tempted to try some but haven't since the WW have been working great and are half the price.
 
Accumulator said:
Not broke/don't fix ;)
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Gotta say I agree. Tough to beat waffle weave's as a drying towel. If that's working for you play to your strengths and use it. That said, a plush towel for a waterless wash is typically my choice, particularly if the waterless wash leaves any type of protectant.
 
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