help finish out my lineup....AIO battle: Menz 3-1, Mckees 360, HD Speed

[JCDetails]

Hey all,

New to the forum but not new to detailing as a whole. Spent a couple years putting myself through college detailing with nothing more than a PC and some gallon product from RightLook and other readily available items. Got the itch recently now that I have two black cars in the driveway (17 Sierra Denali and 16 Lincoln MKC) and pulled the trigger on a Megs MT300 bundle from AG. Mostly as a hobbyist but hey, everyone needs a good little side hustle, right?

I'm slowly rebuilding my arsenal after abandoning all my stuff years ago. My go-to pair for heavier defect correction is going to be Megs 105 and 205, following with #7 show car glaze, most likely Menzerna Power Lock and topping with #26 yellow wax. Obviously I can reduce as needed and go straight for the 205 and vary the pads, but I'm also thinking forward to the lighter jobs that could benefit from an AIO.

I'm a big fan of Menzerna, may even eventually try some of their 4 digit compound/polish products, and noticed their 3-1 on AG and have been seriously considering giving it a go. But at about double the price of Speed and 360, it has me wondering if I'd really be moving in the right direction. Especially after seeing the recommendation on AG for using 360 with CCS pads, which are all I have at the moment.


The most important part of a thread like this that I think gets left out a lot, is what my end goal is with the product I ultimately decide on. I'm looking to add this product to my lineup as a profit center, for the vehicles that don't need full correction or the owners who don't want to pay for full correction. It should cut down my overall detail time and be able to remove and/or fill minor defects while finishing down either as an LSP in and of itself or ready for a topping of some carnauba for that 'drown a giraffe' look. I don't expect it to remove deep stuff or work for heavily oxidized paint, and I don't expect a 100% perfect "show car" finish every time. What I do expect is that single product should work across the majority of paint systems I'll encounter (pending test spot of course) and produce sell-able results every time.

I don't do it for a living, so all I'm after is a product that saves me time but produces results that will spur the word of mouth recommendations that us weekend warriors rely on.

Thanks in advance, I'm already learning a ton and really can't wait to get back into the game.

[dlc95]

Megs M66 is awesome, especially with white or orange CCS pads.

[JCDetails]

Megs M66 is awesome, especially with white or orange CCS pads.

Never tried the M66, and man what a confusing product name for that one. I love the mirror glaze line but were it not for the 'cut guide' on the left of the label, it'd be an exercise in futility to try and understand what the hell anything is.

Seems like I can't really go wrong with either of the 3 (Speed, 360, M3-1), so i'm hoping people can let me know their experiences on each with a wide variety of paint types.

[briarpatch]

Never used Menzerna 3 in 1, but I've used Speed and 360. In my experience, Speed gave more gloss and a slicker feel, but 360's protection lasted longer, and it corrected a little better. Both products were used with BOSS 5.5" orange pads. Only con with 360 was that it permanently stained the pads.

[JCDetails]

Never used Menzerna 3 in 1, but I've used Speed and 360. In my experience, Speed gave more gloss and a slicker feel, but 360's protection lasted longer, and it corrected a little better. Both products were used with BOSS 5.5" orange pads. Only con with 360 was that it permanently stained the pads.

Did it just stain them or is there actually residue in there that might cause issues with continued usage? If it's just cosmetic staining that wouldn't bother me much, dedicated pads for that product I guess.

I'm kind of regretting the bundle I bought even though it was a good deal. It was the MT300 pro bundle with the 6.5" CCS pads though it did come with one of the Megs 7" burgundy cutting pads. Should have just bought the machine and got the pads and BPs piece-meal.

[briarpatch]

Did it just stain them or is there actually residue in there that might cause issues with continued usage? If it's just cosmetic staining that wouldn't bother me much, dedicated pads for that product I guess.

I'm kind of regretting the bundle I bought even though it was a good deal. It was the MT300 pro bundle with the 6.5" CCS pads though it did come with one of the Megs 7" burgundy cutting pads. Should have just bought the machine and got the pads and BPs piece-meal.

I think the stains are cosmetic, although I've simply dedicated those pads to 360. I bought my DA (Griots GG6), and upgraded to the smaller backing plate and pads. I've never regretted the purchase

[DETAILROOKIE]

I have used HD Speed quite a bit and love it. When I first started using it, it would dust a little, but I changed my technique a bit and no more dust. It leaves a good shine and corrects very well. It does stain the pads as well, but has not affected its performance.

I have not tried any of the others, but I might try 360 for soft paint since it is easy to take off, from what I have read.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Autogeekonline mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=87407)

[Paul A.]

First of all, welcome Jcat9! GREAT post and introduction and I say that because you gave us a brief history, your current intentions and, like you said, the end game objective.

I've used all 3 cleaner waxes...Menz 3-in-1, HD Speed and M37 360. I love all 3 BUT from a business standpoint I choose HD Speed for its cost and effectiveness. I agree with briarpatch in that M37 360 lasted a little longer as far as protection but many times the customer doesn't care as much about that and especially when they come to pick it up. I like the finish of HD Speed a little better than 360.

Finally, I LOVED Menz 3-In-1 however its much more expensive and from a cost perspective didn't yield enough of a difference than the other 2.

All 3 can give you a wide range of service by differing the pads you select from your test spots.

Best of luck with what you decide...from the Sunshine State to the Ocean State!

[JCDetails]

Finish really I think is more important in this case because I know I can always throw a quick coat of #26 over the car rather quickly, especially by machine. In my experience the #26 usually lasts pretty well. If the customer is looking for longer term protection I probably wouldn't steer toward an AIO anyway because there's no sense trying to put a good, long lasting sealant on the car after an AIO leaves behind wax or whatever.

[JCDetails]

Well after a lot of back and forth I decided to go with the McKee's first. Eventually, I'll spend the $15 and get a 16oz of Speed and compare them, but the fact that the 360 explicitly says it works best with CCS pads (which are all I have right now) pushed me over the edge.