LC Hyrdo-Techs or Surbuf R-Series Pad

[jbnery6465]

I have 1 LC CCS Orange that came with my PC kit and am looking for alternate pads for my Meg105. So I have several cars that have a lot of swirling and marring. Anyone have any experience using both the Hydro-Techs and the Surbuf pads? What are you thoughts betweem the 2, pros and cons? thanks in advance for any help from anyone.

[ScottB]

I believe that some have been warned the subbuf pads are quite dangerous and best left to professionals. I wish I could provide more and better insight into why ...

[2old2change]

I have both the hydo pads and the surbuf pads. I reserve the surbuf pads for removing wet sand marks with a DA instead of dragging out the rotary and a wool pad. Takes a little longer but its safer for a person like myself with limited rotaty experience. I have used the surbuf on a few pratice panels obtained from a local body shop and a few spots on friends cars with good results. Paul

[turbos17]

I have 1 LC CCS Orange that came with my PC kit and am looking for alternate pads for my Meg105. So I have several cars that have a lot of swirling and marring. Anyone have any experience using both the Hydro-Techs and the Surbuf pads? What are you thoughts betweem the 2, pros and cons? thanks in advance for any help from anyone.


I have not used either, but I would say stick with the LC CCS orange or go to a yellow pad if you need to do some more correction. The yellow CCS w/ M105 does work wonders :buffing:.

[2old2change]

In my previous reply I probably should also have said the surbuf pads are too agressive to use as your every day go to pad for swirl removal. They level paint such as a wool pad might if it was suitable for a DA. For more info from others that posted about this subject I would google surbuf . Paul

[Mike Phillips]

I have 1 LC CCS Orange that came with my PC kit and am looking for alternate pads for my Meg105. So I have several cars that have a lot of swirling and marring. Anyone have any experience using both the Hydro-Techs and the Surbuf pads? What are you thoughts betweem the 2, pros and cons? thanks in advance for any help from anyone.

Surbuf pads provide a lot more rotating power because they are thin and there's less power lost like is lost with a foam pad so on a DA polisher you can get rotary buffer correction ability while not leaving the swirls associated with a direct drive rotary buffer.

In my humble opinion they do require more skill to use safely using presently available technology for pad design and even interface pads. Interface pads do make them safer to use.

If you new to machine polishing then for what it's worth, hundreds and thousands of people have been removing swirls out of just about every type of car on the road and every type of paint system under the sun using foam pads and good technique.

Good technique is one of the most important factors when it comes to removing swirls out of modern clear coat paints because they tend to be harder than traditional single stage paints so technique ends up being very important.

You didn't list which polisher you have but assuming it's a 2nd generation DA Polisher thus has more power to keep foam pads rotating, sticking with any of the 5.5" cutting pads will give you plenty of correction ability for most paint systems.

If you do a Test Spot you'll find out right away if your pad, product and technique will get the job done.


Tips and Techniques for using the PC 7424XP Dual Action Polisher to remove Below Surface Defects (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/expert-tips/20021-tips-techniques-using-porter-cable-7424xp.html)


While this is for a Flex 3401 the same principals apply for any machine and even working by hand.


How to do a Test Spot using the Flex 3401 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-videos/20849-how-do-test-spot-using-flex-3401-a.html)



:)

[jbnery6465]

Thanks for all the replies, BTW I'm using a PC 7424XP. I think I'll give the Hydro-Techs a try, I've heard good things about them and I hope that it'll help with longer working time.

The CCS Orange did very well, the reason I was inquiring is because there are several scratches on the paint that actually look deep. And deep as in looks like grooves, even if I can't feel them with my fingernail. I've seen something similar after a friend used the rough green part of the scotch pad to clean his car. In this case, would wet sanding be the only way?

[Mike Phillips]

In this case, would wet sanding be the only way?



What are you working on?

Does it have the factory paint?

New? Used?

Buffed out before?

How important is it to you? Show car? Grocery Getter? Up for sale next week?


:)

[jbnery6465]

What are you working on?

Does it have the factory paint?

New? Used?

Buffed out before?

How important is it to you? Show car? Grocery Getter? Up for sale next week?


:)

Yes all are factory paint. Vehicles are 2000/2001 Benz and Volvo. Both have been previously buffed/detailed. i did the Volvo and this prompted my inquiry. Both are DD, the Volvo we're getting rid of soon so it was my test vehicle. But the Benz does have major swirlage and marring.

I think I might try the Hydro-Techs (cyan).

[Mike Phillips]

The reason I asked was because sanding our defects can be done as long as you're careful and it helps to have some experience with the risk involved.

I've seen people post their feelings of anger, frustration and sadness when they've attempted to do some sanding on their car's clear coat finish only to have made a mistake either during the sanding process or during the buffing process as both processes remove a little paint.

Sometimes you're better off only trying to improve a defect rather than to try to completely remove a defect -Mike Phillips


Not a great quote but something I've been typing for years... Often times you can improve a defect to the point that either you can't see it or you have to know just where to look to see it and that's usually better than a dull spot where you've burned through the clear and exposed the basecoat.


:)