The 9 wax showdown!

[Wolf-Strong]

For a while now, I have been stressing to people the importance of prepping the surface prior to waxing, and that it isn't the wax that makes the look, rather how well the surface is prepped. Basically, my idea is that waxes can only do so little for a clear coated car considering we are talking about a layer LSP that is considerably smaller than the already thin clear coat. I want this to be a real world demonstration for those who are using their cars as an every day driver, and not the garage queen that is going around with a flawless finish and zero orange peal. This is for you guys! I want to show everyone how good your paint can look if you just take the time to care for it.

I will be looking for how they compare to not only themselves, but also unwaxed paint in looks, water beading, water sheeting, slickness, ease of application and removal, smell, price, its ability to protect against water spotting, and any other unique things I discover about the wax.

Here is a picture of what I started with. A typical swirled up every day driver. This is a 93' BMW Jet Black paint with factory clear coat.


I then polished the paint out with my Harbor Freight rotary, Meguiar's So1o Polishing pad (yellow), and M83.


After this, I finished up with So1o Finishing pad and M9.


I have to say after using these tools right now that I have mixed feelings about them, and realize I still have a bit to learn in using them. The Harbor Freight rotary is far from a great machine, but it works, and for most others I would recommending saving the extra money for a good machine and maybe keep this as a backup (you can't go wrong with $25). As for the So1o pads, I have only the regular Meguiar's pads to compare them to and what I have discovered about these is that for one, I absolutely love the backing plate on this system, and that they don't tend to heat the paint up as fast. They are very forgiving pads, and great to start out on. With that said though, I do like the feel of the regular pads as well. It isn't that they are better or worse, just different. They aren't as forgiving, but they have a good solid feeling. M83 I felt splattered a lot and dried fairly quickly when not used properly, while M9 was much more forgiving. I know they are different types of polishes, but I would like to see M83 a little more user friendly like M9, which I believe was able to do this with its heavy oil concentration. Overall, I do love this combination of M83 and M9 and am just being nit-picky.

After I finished that up, I then went head and taped off the sections with thick blue painters tape to leave some of the polished area for comparison for when after the waxes are applied. As you can see, this is actually two images PChopped together, but you get the idea what I am doing here:


When it was time to apply the waxes, it was getting to be night, but I still had some ok lighting in my garage with a work light to see the paint with. It was 62° F outside, and it just finished raining this morning, so it wasn't too damp or too dry; just right! I also have to stress to everyone about proper wax application. Some call for a damp or moistened applicator, which I simply used Pinnacle XMT pad conditioner to do. Another important factor is to apply waxes THIN! For the ones where this is very important, I have went ahead and noted it in the review of that product, but here is a picture of the entire hood waxed without removal (except Souveran, which I will explain later):



For comparison purposes, here is a list of prices for the waxes I used:

$9.99 11 oz Paste Eagle One NanoWax® Paste
$7.91 9.5 oz Paste Turtle Wax Classic
$16.50 8 oz Paste ICE Polish
$12.99 9 oz Paste Collnite 476
$79.99 8 oz Paste Pinnacle Souveran
$11.99 11 oz Paste Meguiar's Gold Class
$14.99 8 oz Liquid Liquid Glass Auto Polish/Finish
$12.99 16 oz Liquid Meguiar's #26
$17.99 18 oz Liquid Meguiar's NXT 2.0

Meguiar's Gold Class
My first impression with this wax is that it is meant to compete with the high end waxes. The smell of it is really clean and pleasant; it is hard to describe but I enjoy it. Applicator was included inside in a nicely packaged tin which by far, is my favorite design. Nicely sized opening for the pad as well for easy access. The wax goes on very easily which I guess is due to the high oil concentration it seems. After I applied all 9 waxes, I went back to it and it was dry, so the drying time is well under 15 minutes which is a very good thing. When I went to remove it, I took a very light pass, and imediatly, it completely took it off! I was absolutely breath taken on how easily this stuff came off! To say it was effortless would be an understatement.

Meguiar's #26 Hi-Tech Yellow Wax
This wax has an interesting smell. It is without a doubt, a waxy smell, with maybe a hint of a buttery scent. It is one of those scents where you don't mind it, but it isn't something that you would enjoy or look forward to smelling. For application, I applied a small bead to a foam pad since this was a liquid. Application was very easy as it just glided on the surface, very simular to Gold Class, though it didn't seem to have as much oil in it. Drying time was quick and under 15 minutes and removal as just effortless. Like Gold Class, it completely came off with virtually no pressure, which in my eyes means less chance of swirls. I have used this wax plenty of times before, and one thing I would like to comment on is that it can be a bit dusty when doing large sections like the entire hood, which is why I always stress the importance of using a good quality microfiber to absorb as much of that as possible and doing thin coats. In my demonstration, I taped off the jams and trim pieces so I didn't have any problem with this, but it may be a concern for some.

Meguiar's NXT 2.0
The long awaited NXT V2! I have used the first one plenty of times, but retired it after I had too many streaking issues which I did not have with M26. I am glad to say that after buying new cloths and using this product, I had absolutely zero streaks! Much like Gold Class, it seemed to be very oily and application was very smooth. Same old familiar NXT fruity smell that no one can seem to point out which fruits. Strangely enough, it has the same exact scent as Pepsi Summer Mix, so if you want to know what NXT tastes like...anyways! One thing I am also impressed with is that it had completely dried within 15 minutes, which again another fantastic change I see as the older one, as mentioned, never seemed to completely dry, resulting in streaks. Removal of NXT V2 was just as effortless as the other two Meguair's waxes and this being the last Meguiar's wax tested in this test, I have to commend them on making their waxes so incredibly user friendly and at such a good price!

[Wolf-Strong]

Continued:
Turtle Wax ICE Polish Paste
Just to avoid confusion, this is infact a synthetic wax. This product came with its own foam pad in an oval shape about the size of your hand. It also comes with a microfiber cloth (70/30mix), but one thing that annoyed me about it is that the tag on the microfiber can not be removed without cutting it off. Otherwise, it was very soft. I found the foam applicator a bit strange to use considering that this paste wax only had a diameter of about 2 1/2"-3"! I ended up only using the tip of the applicator to get some of the product out. Application was very strange as well as it went on rough! The foam applicator wasn't the problem, rather the wax itself! I have to say that I did actually return another one to get this one because the other was opened and looked like it was burned! This one was sealed, but I think I may of got a bad batch because it marred the surface pretty bad upon removal, and after hearing how easy this stuff was to use, I am convinced of a bad batch. I will probably be returning it for a refund and going to another store, reprepping the surface, and trying again. I will say it had a wierd smell. It was fruity, but I couldn't place it on what it smelled like. It wasn't pleasant like NXT where you randomly find yourself opening it up for a wiff, but it wasn't a bad. The product itself was a bluish color, and I will have to take a picture before I return it for anyone with experience with this product to give me information on what is going on. If I should get the liquid instead, let me know asap. Until further review, this will be taken out from the contest.

Pinnacle Souveran
After I realized that I had $60 credit and free shipping with Autogeek and they had a sale for it for $60, obviously I couldn't resist the offer! I was very impressed with the packaging of the product, outside of the cheap cardboard box. You get a piece of paper to even thank you for purchasing it right there on top with nice paper! Very professional! The microfiber had a tag which was tapped on for easy removal which I thought to be very good and I liked a lot! The wax itself is held in a plastic container with the foam applicator, perfectly sized for the wax by the way, sitting on top all in a golden bag. Now, onto the wax itself! I found that it will slide right out of the plastic tub, so be careful when using it! This can be a good thing if need be, or a very bad thing; I will let you decide. What I will say is that this is what you call a wipe on, wipe off wax; no dry time. Application reminded me much of Gold Class in that it is a very oily product and just glides right on. The provided microfiber is perfectly sized for the job and removes it with absolute easy. As far as application and removal, it was different removing it wet, and strangely it didn't make it any easier or harder than the Meguiar's products to remove. In terms of user friendliness, it is on top simply for the wipe on, wipe off factor.

Collnite #476 Super DoubleCoat
You are first welcomed by an old fashion tin that required a flathead screwdriver, coin, or key to open as the lid violently pops off...great; talk about an omen! I had tried this wax once before this test, and to say the least, I was honestly scared to apply it this time! When they say lay it on thin, they are not kidding! Last time I put it on what I thought was pretty thin, and what I realized is that where I first put the pad to the paint, I did not spread that out enough while I did the rest so the wax dried on and to say it was hard to remove would be an understatement! I ended up resulting to a paint cleaner and quick detailer to remove the excess! Simply put, MAKE SURE you lay this as thin and humanly possible! When it dries, it dries hard, as in cement hard and ends up resulting in you doing it all over again if you mess up and apply it too thick. Strangely enough, it was a breeze to remove when put on thin and application was easy, though not as buttery smooth as the heavy oil waxes like Souveran and Gold Class. On my second time I did much better applying it and only had to use quick detailer to remove the caked on parts. I can defiantly see why this wax is dubbed a heavy wax and why it is so durable! The scent wasn't pleasant at all though. It smells like petrol, and while some gearheads may find that a turn on, when it comes to detailing, I do not. It doesn't smell like gas, but it defiantly rings of the scent. Cost is reasable, and considering how little of this stuff you need to use, I would say it is a very cost effective wax, but defiantly requires a learning curve!

Liquid Glass Auto Polish/Finish
Now this was an interesting product to work with. It is very, very runny, even after shaking it up. It rings of the same scent of Collnite, though seems to smell a lot like gasoline as well. Did I mention how runny it is!? It makes application a bit difficult seeing that it runs like water, but once you get how to put a small bead on the pad, it spreads very easily. I ended up putting the pad directly against the opening, and tipping it upside-down then back. This gave it a small bead for application, and worked out pretty well. Removal of this product wasn't as easy as many others, and I would probably point this to it needing a bit more of a drying time. Overall, it isn't a bad product to work with, though just not the best. I also must be noted that this product requires certain temperture ranges to work in, and I was right in the middle of that which was good. It seems to actually like the heat, as it requires to 'bake onto' the surface by leaving the car in the sun for 4 hours, so it may not be the best choice for those winter months when you are going to be below those tempeture ranges for application and see very little sun. Strangely, it requires shade to be applied. A very interesting product.

Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell
Talk about a strange paste wax! This stuff isn't so much of a paste, as it is a gel! It seriously reminds me of pudding, only green. Overall, application was actually very easy, though due to the pudding nature of the wax, may take some getting use to if you are raised on regular paste waxes. It is defiantly easy to apply too much of this stuff if you are not careful as well. As mentioned before for some of the waxes, it requires a moist or damp pad (which it includes) to apply. Now, what is interesting is that Super Hard Shell requires FOREVER to dry! 15 minutes, and it was still only getting started on the drying process! This was applied thinly as well! Perhaps next time, I just got to think Collnite thin and have a fan blow on it with some heat or something because after awhile, I just got sick of waiting and removed it anyways with a slightly moistened cloth. Far from user friendly, especially if you are doing detailing for money, but if you have those long hours on the weekends to burn, by all means try it and let me know just how long it actually takes for this stuff to dry! The smell was also very wierd to say the least, and yet very faint. I tried very hard to smell it but it seems as though it barely has a scent at all. Strange, but at least you don't have to worry about people looking at you while you sniff you tin of wax on the weekends.

Eagle One NanoWax® Paste
I was really looking forward to using this wax after hearing very little about the brand itself from others outside of the wheel cleaner. Strangely, this stuff reminded me a LOT of NXT. The tin is shaped and designed almost exactly the same way but with just different graphics; it smells remarkably simular, though different, and applies just as easily. So far so good! It even included a foam appliator to this wide-mouthed tin which made getting paste out remarkably easy, which is one thing I love about the Meguiar's pastes. After 15 minutes of drying time, I then did a swipe test and found it to be still drying, so I waited...and waited...and waited some more. Maybe 15 minutes later, it was almost all dry, so I went to remove it. While it was easier than the Turtle Wax Super Shell, I still found it bringing back bad memories of the first NXT. It didn't really streak, rather just took a while to dry. I would venture to say that if you let it sit for a good 45 minutes to a hour, it would be well and ready under the conditions I was in, so I wouldn't take it out of the picture just yet, I just wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a short attention span.





So there you have it! Those are the 9 waxes I have tested. Now, I am sure you noticed that I have not tested the sheeting, beading, slickness, looks, or any of the other things I said I was going to look at, and the reason is that I want to see them at their best, which means letting them cure over night (12+ hours) and then letting it sit in the sun for a couple hours for Liquid Glass. By the end of tomorrow (Tuesday), I will have how they perform in all those areas, as well as how they shed of dirt/protect the paint, water spot prevention, dust prevention, and the works! Stay tuned!

[ZoranC]

Thanks! I can't find it so I have to ask: Did you do ISO wipedown after M09 and before applying waxes?

[Wolf-Strong]

Thanks! I can't find it so I have to ask: Did you do ISO wipedown after M09 and before applying waxes?

No. I have done an ISO wipedown after M9 in the past to make sure it didn't just cover stuff up, and it doesn't. What you see is what you get. I know some may be concerned about bonding issues and what-not, but I have never run across such issues with M9. Now, with M80, it does add its own bit of protection, which is why I did not use it because that could possibly interefer with bonding. And for those that complain that the oils in Souveran are not going to be able to fully take effect since M9 has oils in it, well that is just complete BS. I have put M7 which is a pure oil product over M9 and it is CLEAR on what it does even after M9. I believe this to be a very fair comparison for real world applications.

Remember, this isn't the end-all answer; what I am trying to do here is lay it out simple on how waxes compare on the average car that is probably going to be driven every day.

[daveo]

Wow this looks like a great start to a great thread.

[richy]

Thanks for taking the time to compare those. You may find that not too many people on this board use a lot of the OTC waxes. I was happy to see Collinite (a fav of mine) and P.S. included in your comparison. Have you ever tried maxwax or s100 or natty's? Thanks again for your efforts.

[Wolf-Strong]

Thanks for taking the time to compare those. You may find that not too many people on this board use a lot of the OTC waxes. I was happy to see Collinite (a fav of mine) and P.S. included in your comparison. Have you ever tried maxwax or s100 or natty's? Thanks again for your efforts.

Yeah I know all about the whole OTC fiasco. The reason for the waxes that I picked was I felt it covered a broad range of different types of waxes. Haven't tried MaxWax, S100, or Nattys, though I do want to eventually get P21S and some Nattys. From what I understand, S100 is remarkably simular to P21s, though I could be mistaken in this.

[The Skillmaster]

Nice writeup! I look forward to your conclusion.

[julian]

good reading - anxiously awaiting your next results

[justin_murphy]

Very very nice!
M09 DOES NOT hide or fill if WORKED properly and is broken down. I simply love the products you are using.

I bet they will look and last as long a move boutique products that cost 3 times of what they do.

Thank you so much for this write up. It is appreciated by me and the others that are joining the detailing market on a limited budget.