Bonnets and Pads

[dennison17]

Can folks weigh in on the topic of Bonnets and Pads for their machines? Do you use them? What's your opinion?

I just got the new Flex machine (with a few pads) and notice that there are also terry-cloth & micro fiber bonnets and pads available. It appears these "covers" could prolong the life of a pad.... but wouldn't that approach take away for the effectiveness of the various pad make ups? Isn’t each pad color designed for different uses? If you put covers on them how can the pads do their thing?

[lyzing]

The bonnets are used just for removing wax/sealants although most of us prefer to remove them by hand. You do not cover your pad with a bonnet for polishing or compounding.

[A4 1.8tqm]

I have a few bonnets that I got for use with my Flex, never used them for anything...

[CEE DOG]

What do you guys think about using an mf bonnet to apply thin sealants on low speed? I haven't tried the bonnets myself.

[BobbyG]

What do you guys think about using an mf bonnet to apply thin sealants on low speed? I haven't tried the bonnets myself.

Hmmm, that's an interesting question. To apply thin sealants or waxes I've been using my Porter Cable polisher with a blue or red pad speed setting 3. This allows me to see and control the amount of product I use to ensure adequate even coverage.

[lyzing]

What do you guys think about using an mf bonnet to apply thin sealants on low speed? I haven't tried the bonnets myself.
Sounds like a fine idea to me, maybe it would waste less product by preventing it from soaking into the pad a little bit more. It seems like it'd be easy to squeeze the excess sealant out of a bonnet and onto the paint rather than having it soak into the pad to be wasted when you clean your pad out... Try it out and let us know how it goes :xyxthumbs: