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VOLVOS60
04-27-2010, 07:15 PM
I'm a big user of Meguiars products. But recently I feel as if the are making too many products where as years past they focused on the pro detailers and the serious enthusiast (concours quality). I feel that if you make a good wax and stand behind it, why make 3,4,5, or more different waxes (except for a synthetic and a pure carnuba). I just joined this forum and I am interested in the products here.

My question is what is the major difference between DP, Pinacle, and Wolfgang Lines. If I interpret the descriptions correctly, DP is more of a professional line (entry), Pinacle would be a step up for the enthusiast, and Wofgang would be the high end boutique line.

I am looking at purchasing a new car and it will probably be black. If the way I interpret the lines is correct, than I would be interested in the Wolfgang line. So would the polish enhancer be used before a complete detail (after the clay bar but before the swirl remover), or only after a wash when you plan on waxing or sealing. Next, when would you apply the fuzion estate wax, on top of the paint sealant or in place of the sealant.

Lastly, I've been reading rave reviews about autoglym HD. How does that compare to the Wolfgang paint sealant or estate wax?

Sorry if this was long and these questions have been answered elsewhere (I just couldn't find them). I have 5 different paint cleaners and I'm not a pro detailer. I am just very anal with my cars and I'm looking for high end products to deliver amazing results and streamline the amount of products I have. Thanks for any advice.

zigaroo
04-27-2010, 07:42 PM
Howdy,

I just want to say I can't tell you the difference between the three... I'm still new here too.

But, you want to wash, clay, remove swirls, polish, then either seal or wax, or do both: seal then wax. I believe sealing or waxing (or to do both) can be color dependent and what your expectations are.

Through the reading I've done you can bring a nice gloss to your cars paint by applying WG Fuzion wax on top of the WG Deep Gloss sealant. It's what I'll be doing once my other products arrive.

I'm still new to the world of car detailing myself and have quickly learned it can be quite overwhelming. What I've been doing is going to the Show-N-Shine section and looking at the products people have been using with the color paint they're working on. It's been quite helpful in seeing which products seem to work and it's helped me save some money in the mean time so I don't end up going straight to the most expensive product.

I'm sure others will chime in with some actual knowledge, but I hope I've helped a little. :) I figure if I start applying this knowledge I'll begin to develop a knack for this... though the acronyms kill me.

Dubbin1
04-27-2010, 07:45 PM
I wouldn't be so quick to give up on the Meg products, they still make VERY good stuff and most is easy to find.

5.4 Shelby
04-27-2010, 08:37 PM
I wouldn't be so quick to give up on the Meg products, they still make VERY good stuff and most is easy to find.
Agreed. I kinda got away from Megs until I started hanging out here. 105 and 205 are my go to polishes. I often recommend Ultimate Compound and SwirlX to beginners (and use it myself). I love #26 liquid on Reds and medium colors.

C. Charles Hahn
04-27-2010, 09:14 PM
I'm a big user of Meguiars products. But recently I feel as if the are making too many products where as years past they focused on the pro detailers and the serious enthusiast (concours quality). I feel that if you make a good wax and stand behind it, why make 3,4,5, or more different waxes (except for a synthetic and a pure carnuba). I just joined this forum and I am interested in the products here.

I honestly don't think I've ever heard a worse reason to stop using products from a manufacturer.

The reason Meguiar's makes the variety of products it does is because different formulations work better in different situations. Granted it can be confusing sometimes what to use when, but I actually prefer having that kind of variety all from one line of products.

That's not to say other suppliers don't make good products that in some cases are better than Meguiar's offerings, but for the most part they're a good supplier to stick to for consistent results and quality.

Shane731
04-27-2010, 09:45 PM
I'm a big user of Meguiars products. But recently I feel as if the are making too many products where as years past they focused on the pro detailers and the serious enthusiast (concours quality). I feel that if you make a good wax and stand behind it, why make 3,4,5, or more different waxes (except for a synthetic and a pure carnuba).


FYI, this is from Meguiar's FAQ's (http://www.meguiars.com/faq/index.cfm?faqCat=General%20Questions):

1. Why does Meguiar's have so many products?

For a number of different reasons.
Here are a few:
Different markets require different packaging and more importantly, different formulas matched to their specific needs. A good example is Meguiar's Detailer line of products (http://www.meguiars.com/estore/). Most of the products in the Detailer line are available in:


1 gallon
5 gallon
30 gallon
and even 55 gallon drums


http://www.meguiars.com/faq/washnwax.jpg
We offer that incredible range of sizes because a successful detailing business goes through a lot of product very quickly and the owner knows the best return on his investment comes when he purchases his supplies in volume, which justifies the availability of high-use products in 55-gallon drums. (Can you imagine a 55-gallon drum of Glass Cleaner in your garage? Now that’s car crazy!)
Another example is our Professional line of products (http://www.meguiars.com/estore/). Many of the products in our professional line are Body Shop Safe. This means they contain no ingredients that will negatively affect surface adhesion when spraying fresh paint, or - just as important - that contaminate the paint shop environment. This is important because introducing some waxes, silicones and polymers into body shop environments can cause both surface adhesion problems (instances where the paint doesn’t stick to the panel like it’s supposed too), or cause the dreaded Fish Eyes problem.
Another example would be our Marine line of products (http://www.meguiars.com/estore/). Boats and other types of watercraft, including things like Jet Ski's, surf boards, canoes, etc., are constantly exposed to water whether they are being used, or even out of the water as they are still exposed to high humidity climates. In some areas, the water contains salt, which is highly corrosive under the proper circumstances. To help fight corrosion, Meguiar's can include anti-corrosion agents, which dramatically help to protect the surface from corrosive attack and deterioration.
The materials and surface coatings used for boats, marine craft and even many RV's are very different from the clear coat paints common to modern car manufacturing. Meguiar's chemists take all of these factors into consideration when formulating products for the Marine and RV market. Contrary to common misconception, the Meguiar's Marine line of products is NOT simply Meguiar's automotive products packaged into blue bottles. They are distinctly different formulas. Attempting to use Meguiar's Marine Line of products on an automotive clear coat could be detrimental to the finish.
Just as a master mechanic's tool chest holds many tools each designed to accomplish a specific task, some of which are only subtly different, Meguiar's products should be thought of in much the same way.
For example an open ended 9/16th wrench is very similar to a 9/16th 6-point closed-end wrench but the 6-point closed end wrench is far better suited for removing extremely tight and even stuck nuts and bolts than is an open-ended wrench of the same size.
In the same way, products like Meguiar's Consumer Cleaner/Wax (http://www.meguiars.com/?paste-car-waxes/Cleaner-Wax-Paste), work exceptionally well on clear and non-clear coated automotive finishes, however it's cleaning action is not as aggressive as Meguiar's One-Step Cleaner/Wax (http://www.meguiars.com/?/One-Step-Cleaner-Wax) featured in the Marine line. That's because many marine finishes are harder and more prone to oxidizing. This requires a more aggressive cleaner to remove the oxidation and restore the original color, gloss, and shine. While these two Meguiar's products are very similar, they are formulated for very different situations.
Unlike most manufactures in the broad category of "Surface Care Products", Meguiar's is one of the few companies that provides a comprehensive range of products to optimally satisfy every surface care need. This includes all types of current automotive paints:


Traditional Urethane and Polyurethane clear and non-clear coat finishes
High Solids paint finishes
Traditional Acrylic Lacquers and Enamels
Older, antique finishes like Nitrocellulose Lacquers
Epoxy paints like Imron Polyurethane
Linear Polyester paints
Powder coats

As well as future paint technologies like:


UV-Cured clear coats
Ceramic paints

Meguiar's also manufactures professional quality products for cleaning, conditioning, and protecting:


Vinyl
Rubber
Fiberglass Gel coat finishes
Epoxy and Polyester resin molds
Fabrics and Upholstery
Glass
All finished metal surfaces, such as chrome, aluminum, brass, stainless, etc.
Finished wood furniture and components
Un-finished wood furniture and wood components
Musical instruments
Model Cars
Deodorizers – For removing unwanted odors
Specialty products like Quick Detailers, Water Spot Removers, Bilge Cleaners, Black streak and non-skid surface cleaners, etc.
All types of plastics

This includes clear flexible plastic windows, rigid plastic windows, and colored plastic trim and components such as the cladding on a lot of the popular new cars, trucks, and S.U.V.'s.



This list is always growing because even as your reading this right now, chances are very good that Meguiar's chemists are busy developing new formulas for materials and surface coatings that are not currently available or in use… but soon will be!

28. Now tell me again... Why does Meguiar's have so many products?

Surface care challenges vary greatly depending on everything from the type and condition of the paint, to environmental and storage conditions, to appearance goals and time available for maintenance and restoration efforts. Meguiar's has over a century of experience at perfecting formulations specifically suited for every situation. That's why our product family is so extensive and why our FREE online Car Care Rx Plus (http://www.meguiars.com/rx/rx_main.cfm) can help select a surface care solution that is ideal for you.

VOLVOS60
04-28-2010, 07:07 PM
I guess I should clarify this a bit. I'm not trashing Meguiars, and I've attended their detail class which was hosted by Mike Phillips when he worked there. Their Pro line makes complete sense, I'll just use the waxes for example. A cleaner wax, synthetic sealant, and pure carnuba wax, that's it. But in the consumer line they have the deep crystal carnuba wax, the NXT tech wax, and the Gold Class Wax (I've used all of them and have had great success with them, especially NXT 2.0 which is my current wax of choice), cleaner wax, and colorx.

I'm just looking for something that might perform better. I like the concept that Wolfgang has just one wax, they say its the best, and that's it. I'm new here and I'm exploring other options. I just detail my two cars, which are very well maintained. Since I'm looking at a new black car, I want the best products that money can buy. If it's Meguiars, then I'm already there. But since I'm new here, I would like to know what the difference is between the brands. I'm always experimenting, looking for something better,which seems like an endless, expensive quest.

Dubbin1
04-28-2010, 09:09 PM
But in the consumer line they have the deep crystal carnuba wax, the NXT tech wax, and the Gold Class Wax (I've used all of them and have had great success with them, especially NXT 2.0 which is my current wax of choice), cleaner wax, and colorx.

Gold Class is a Carnauba Paste Wax
Deep Crystal is a Liquid Carnauba Wax
NXT 2.0 is a Sealant
Cleaner wax is just that, a Cleaner wax
ColorX is made for oxidized finishes and has correcting abilities.

As you can see they are covering everything for all consumers.

Most of the "high end" products are not tailored to people that just want to go to the store and buy car wax.

Matt
04-28-2010, 10:19 PM
I wouldn't give up on Meguiar's for that reason either. They make a large number of great products.

My interpretation of the DP, Pinnacle and Wolfgang lines is that:

DP is a line of highly performing products at similar prices to other OTC products,

Pinnacle products are a more natural and "healthy" high end line, similar to the brand style of Zymol.

Wolfgang products are high tech polymer products that perform well.

Dubbin1
04-28-2010, 10:34 PM
DP is a line of highly performing products at similar prices to other OTC products,


Let me fix that for you :)

DP is a line of highly performing products that perform as well as the high dollar products at similar prices to other OTC products.

The DP line are such great products that get over looked on account of the lower price. Sad but true.

ballfan4141
04-28-2010, 10:48 PM
I really thought meguires was the best company. I got into detailing and I honestly would not buy any of their stuff from their consumer products. but I dont machine polish either and some of their professional products do get good reviews.

ramar
05-24-2010, 08:14 PM
I have a new 2010 Syber Green Camaro, have waxed it twice with the Meg NXT 2.0 wax. What would you suggest I use to keep a great wet waxed look on this car. The green is a bright/light color. I'm new to this waxing and detailing and have read all I can after messing up the paint on my 2004 Chevy SSR. I washed and waxed that car all the time but didn't do it right. I love to spend time parked under a tree with the radio on detailing my Camaro. But want to do it right and keep a great wet shine.

ballfan4141
05-24-2010, 08:32 PM
yea I messed up a cars paint before taking care of it the wrong way. ramar I am thinking maybe poorboys natty waxes. they are a decent price and you get good results with them. what else do you guys think. if you want to spend a little more maybe pinnacle.

Grizzly
05-24-2010, 08:36 PM
I have a new 2010 Syber Green Camaro, have waxed it twice with the Meg NXT 2.0 wax. What would you suggest I use to keep a great wet waxed look on this car. The green is a bright/light color. I'm new to this waxing and detailing and have read all I can after messing up the paint on my 2004 Chevy SSR. I washed and waxed that car all the time but didn't do it right. I love to spend time parked under a tree with the radio on detailing my Camaro. But want to do it right and keep a great wet shine.


Keep using Tech Wax.

Its a great product, you can get great results with a wax or sealant without having to spend over $50.

So.Cal.
05-24-2010, 08:42 PM
I love to spend time parked under a tree with the radio on detailing my Camaro. But want to do it right and keep a great wet shine.

Watch out for Tree Sap and Birds :buffing: