Lake Country Hydro Pads

[sullysdetailing]

I have to say these are definitely my new favorite pads. The first once I got a while back the back of the padwould come off the pad when removing them. It seems the Lake Country has fixed the problem because I have for of these pads in total and they do not have the problem anymore. These pads give you a great cutting ability and finish really nice. If you are using Lake Country CCS Orange/White or Flat Orange/White. You really need to try these pads out you will love them.

[loudog2]

The only down side I have is that they cake up pretty quick. Maybe because they are designed not to absorb product. A couple brushes with the pad brush helped that. Other than that, they work great.

[DLB]

I agree, these pads work the product very well. Priming them and using them with 105/205 is a great combo.

However, I have a tangerine one that I bought not too long ago that I used on 1 project and the foam is splitting on the back side around the velcro. The quality issues seem to be pretty hit and miss with these. I want more flat pads, but don't know if I will pick these or not because it's hard to gain trust for a product when it fails so quickly.

DLB

[matt@autogeek.net]

Once they get the backing issues figured out, they will be our best all around pads IMO. As long as you're careful removing them, they're fine, but I was careless a few times and managed to destroy 1 of mine (velcro backing came right off). If they can use the thicker black velcro backing like on the CCS pads, I think they'll be perfect.

I do notice they have about the same amount of cut (Cyan = ~yellow, Tangerine = ~orange), but finish WAYYYY better.

*edited for misinformation.

[O.C.Detailing]

They actually have more cut than yellow CCS (Cyan) and Orange CCS (Tangerine) but finish better than either.

I will buy more HT pads once they fix the backing issues, but they'd have to fix the adhesive AND cover the entire back of the pad with the backing and not leave a small, uncovered lip around the entire edge of the pad before I'd even consider them again.

I've had 2 full orders of HT pads fail from either the backing coming off of them or the pad tearing itself apart around the edge where it's not covered by velcro backing.

[The Pad Man]

Hey Fellas, I havent posted in a while. I see there is some discussion about the Hydro pads. I will start by saying this, the loop is laminated to the foam using a special urethane adhesive. This adhesive is the strongest from of glue to be used when doing any type of pad on a DA type machine. When using a DA, or FLEX or similar, the machine is moving in 2 directions. While this is not a problem, when top much pressure is added, the heat being developed cannot dissipate normally, so the heat goes up through the foam towards the loop. With the pressure it also creates a tearing type action on the adhesive bond, causing it to delaminate. Every foam has different characteristics so heat and pressure affect each one differently. We do stand behind our products. The Hydor pads are of a closed cell type, so air cannot pass through them and keep them cool. This alone with to much pressure may be the problem. I hope this makes sense and helps. If there are any questions at all, I can be contacted at the factory at any time. Thanks again.

Eric

[The Pad Man]

Also, Forgot to mention. Since we are a more of a "Custom" manufacturer, we can design/build any type of pad.

[loudog2]

So what is a remedy for this? Or is it a "just deal with it" situation? Should people not buy them then, in fear of wasting money?

[The Pad Man]

In our testing, we have had no problem. The remedy would be to not use a ton of pressure on the DA. It does have its limitations on what it can do. Out of the 5000+ Hydro pads we have sold, I personally have heard of only 3 problems.

[O.C.Detailing]

Unfortunately, I've had the backing failure on 5 of the 14 hydro-tech pads I've purchased, all within 2-3 uses and I don't use too much pressure. I clean my pads the same way everytime and I've never had a problem with the CCS pads failing, just the Hydro-tech pads.

My pads aren't getting too hot and then separating. There are times where my pads are fine after I use them, but the next time I go to put it on my DA, the backing just falls off. I pull the pads off by the backing and not the foam and no matter what product I use to clean them, they still do it. This isn't an issue with heat or pressure. It's an issue with the design of the pad or the way the backing is being applied to the pad itself. Also, the tearing apart of the pat, I assume, is because the backing doesn't cover the entire back of the pad allowing the backing plate of the polisher to "eat" through the uncovered edge of the pad.