Pads for Flex questions...

[megacabcummins]

I am planning on buying this kit in the next couple weeks, but I have no idea what pads to get. I will mostly be detailing my truck and the paint is in pretty decent shape (will be much better once I am done with the Dr Color Chip) so I was thinking of going with the orange/gray/red pads? Should I start with something else? Thanks for any input

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

The Flex has enough power that it will rotate and oscillate any pad you place on the backing plate.

So the choice comes down to personal preference.

Open Cell foam will last longer, that would mean getting either 6.5" CCS or Flat Pads.

Closed Cell foam offers less tensile strength and will wear faster but many love how they perform.


The safe choice would be get one of the open cell varieties. Open cell also washed and dries better and faster than closed cell.

As for your actual pad choices, there is a great variety of levels of aggressiveness or non-aggressiveness in the CCS line as there's only 4 options in the flat pad selection.

Here's the link to our Lake Country Buffing Pad page where you can find all your pad options for the Flex 3401 including the new Hybrid and the PFW and BFW-Hybrid pads.


Lake Country Buffing Pads

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

One thing I did that took a lot of time when I wrote my how-to book was I included a LOT of detail, for example, I went into detail on buffing pads...




Paperback

[BookemDano]

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

The Flex has enough power that it will rotate and oscillate any pad you place on the backing plate.

So the choice comes down to personal preference.

Open Cell foam will last longer, that would mean getting either 6.5" CCS or Flat Pads.

Closed Cell foam offers less tensile strength and will wear faster but many love how they perform.


The safe choice would be get one of the open cell varieties. Open cell also washed and dries better and faster than closed cell.

As for your actual pad choices, there is a great variety of levels of aggressiveness or non-aggressiveness in the CCS line as there's only 4 options in the flat pad selection.

Here's the link to our Lake Country Buffing Pad page where you can find all your pad options for the Flex 3401 including the new Hybrid and the PFW and BFW-Hybrid pads.


Lake Country Buffing Pads

Mike,

This is a bit confusing.

I got a set of hybrid pads after reading that they are probably a better (best?) option for the 3401. And that they were significantly better than the CCS pads for the 3401.

From your post above, it looks like you're recommending the CCS pads. Also, you're recommending open cell pads, while the hybrid pads appear to be closed cell.

What gives?

Dan.

[FivePoint.0]

Lake Country Hybrid Pads.

[bigdriver4u]

Before you determine what type of pads you will need, consider diagnosing the state of your paint. Wash a panel, clay it, and see what it really looks like. If you have slight swirls or lines, then you can begin less aggressive in your pad selection with a good polish. Now in my opinion, there are two thought processes when it comes to pads. 1st. use a heavy compound/polish with a more generic pad.. IE white(light cut). This allows the product to do most of the work. 2nd. Use a lighter quaility compound/polish and change the level of pad cutting.(I like this method ) Determine your school of thought and stick with it. Remember that starting less aggressive means you can always do more section passes or heavier product if the problem area still exists. Starting heavy may induce more problems than you bargined for.

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by BookemDano

From your post above, it looks like you're recommending the CCS pads. Also, you're recommending open cell pads, while the hybrid pads appear to be closed cell.

What gives?

Dan.

My recommendation stated it was personal preference and it was targeted at a "new" machine user only working on their personal vehicles.

I firmly believe the type of foam you use is the least important factor when it comes to end-results as long as you,

• Use the right tool for the job
• Use good quality products
• Use the right technique

And that's because the quality of ALL foam pads now days is so high.


How's that?

[bigdriver4u]

Forgot to tell you that I use Lake country CCS normally. I've just migrated to the LC Hybrids and they are freaking awesome. But, I detail for a living and these pads allow me to cut faster clean up easier.

[megacabcummins]

Well when I clayed it the first time I thought the paint was "ok" (it is a truck afterall), there were swirls and quite a few light scratches. Some of that was hidden by the Z-5, but I am pretty sure they will show right back up once I strip it back down to bare paint. I have to do the color chip first, my mud tires stick out quite a ways and they ding the heck out of the paint, so all that has to get fixed. So I really wasn't sure where to start as far as the pads, but going less aggressive makes sense.

[megacabcummins]

Oh and Mike I am buying your e-book when I get home tonight, that way I can use if for reference out in the garage and still hit the forum if I need to

Driver that helps a bunch....

Oh and I don't know if it matters but this time around the truck is getting the dodo treatment, or Z-2/Z-5 with dodo over the top.