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Microfiber pads - your experience?
I'm in the market for a couple new pads. I've always used Lake Country flat foam pads but I've read a lot of good things about Uro Fiber pads. I haven't been able to find an exact answer, but to those who have used both, how would you compare a Uro Fiber to say a Lake Country orange or yellow?
I'm mainly looking for something that will work well as a one step on hard light paint (an Alpine White BMW, specifically). In the past I have used Sonax Cut and Finish or Tac Refinish Ultra with an orange or yellow pad with decent results. For this type of paint, would I stand to gain anything from going with a microfiber pad? If so, is Uro Fiber the way to go??
Also, I've read a lot about the 3D One + Uro Fiber combo. Would it be worth picking up a bottle or would it be unnecessary given the two products I already have? Again, this is for a one step on hard white paint.
Oh and I have a Dewalt polisher (cordless, free spinning, 15mm throw) if that makes a difference.
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Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
I can't answer your exact question but I can give you a corollary.
I have used the Uro Tec coarse blue pads as well as the Rupes coarse blue wool pads. The Rupes actually has as much or more correction capability as the Uro Tec coarse and polishes up nicer. It still needs a follow up polishing step but the Rupes coarse blue wool pads polish out better than the Uro Tec coarse blue pad. The end result would be Rupes coarse blue wool would save time compounding and polishing. By the way, my testing was with Menzerna 400, Griot's Fast Correcting Cream, CutMax, and Rupes coarse (blue) polish. Results were similar with all compounds used.
So I'd say the Uro Fiber pads would work well but you could also check out the Rupes coarse blue wool pads.
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Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
I use the micro fiber pads on almost all my light color 1 steps, they cut faster and finish out good enough for a one step. I don’t use the 3D One anymore because sometimes the wipe off is frustrating, I like Megs D300, Sonax Cut and Finish and Optimum Polish or Compound. Just make sure to brush or use an air compressor to fluff up the fibers or you’ll see a drop off in cutting.
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Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
Griots Fast Finishing MF pads work great as a light cut pad with a mild polish.
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Super Member
Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
Consider the rupes yellow wool pads. They are versatile for harder paints and finish out surprising well even with a compound. You don't need 3D One considering what you have. Most products can be used for a one step.
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Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
Thanks for the input everyone. I'll be honest, I've always thought of wool as something you would only use for serious correction, so I find it interesting there is a supposed "medium" wool pad. The Rupes wool pads do seem to be well received.
I know the only way to get a straight answer would be to buy all these pad and do a test spot with each of them, but would anyone be able to give me a general approximation of how these pads compare to one another? Uro Fiber, Rupes blue, and Rupes yellow....how do they compare in terms cutting and finishing to a Lake Country orange or yellow foam pad? Sorry, Lake Country is the only brand I've worked with, so they're my only frame of reference!
Also, for the wool and microfiber pads, how many should I expect to use per car? Assuming you clean the pad with a brush after every panel or so, can you go around the whole car using the same pad? I'd be buying 2 at the very least. One for my 5" polisher, and one for my 3".
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Super Member
Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
Originally Posted by 986DTM
Also, for the wool and microfiber pads, how many should I expect to use per car? Assuming you clean the pad with a brush after every panel or so, can you go around the whole car using the same pad? I'd be buying 2 at the very least. One for my 5" polisher, and one for my 3".
You’re going to need way more than 1 microfiber pad.. MF pads tend to need replacing faster than foam pads, unless you’re using compressed air to clean them, and even then they need to be replaced sooner than later.
I’d say expect to have at least 4 large microfiber pads to get through a car and that’s on a good day. It’s possible to breeze by with less, but those occasions seem to be kind of rare.
Bare minimum pick up four 5” pads and two 3” microfiber pads.
The LC Flat Foam Orange pad is sweet. So sweet I’m probably going to pick some more up soon. They’re just flat out impressive pads.
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Super Member
Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
I've mainly been using Meguiars 3" MF Cutting Discs and have, for the most part, enjoyed its ability to correct and finish very well. Only annoying part is you constantly have to blow out the pads after every pass because the fibers get matted down quickly. You'll need plenty of them to go around the vehicle as I like to swap out for a fresh new one after a couple panels.
I tried the Uro Fiber and it didn't do nearly as well as the Meguiars for me. The strands are a little longer than the Megs and sometimes it felt like the pads were way more grabby at times. It took longer, for me, to correct and finish down a section with the Uro Fiber. In my opinion, the Meguiars is much easier to work with and better performing.
I used 3D One and Griots CC interchangeably as my polish on a Maxshine 8" DA and old PC DA.
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Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
I am with Guz on recommending the Rupes yellow wool - great pads.
I have been using MF pads since Meg's brought out their MF cutting and finishing pads + the matching polishes. I spoke with Mike Pennington at a Detail Fest, and he recommended using 2 dots of M105 + 1 dot of D301(?) on a cutting pad and I was amazed at how well that corrected the paint on our Civic that foam pads would not touch.
When I work with MF pads I keep 2 pads in rotation - polish, clean pad, swap to a 2nd cleaned pad (to let the other one cool off), and repeat. I melted the backing plate on my Rupes 15 MK11 being lazy and overheating an MF pad.
Fast forward 10 years, I have switched to the wool pads and they work great. The wool pads run cooler, which allows for a larger work area, and less passes for the same results.
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Re: Microfiber pads - your experience?
Appreciate the info guys. Have to say, you've got me leaning towards the wool now! I guess my question is what exactly is gained or lost going from foam to wool? Again, no specific issues with what I've used in the past, but like most of us, I'm always looking for an easier way to get better results.
Thinking I might try out both the Rupes blue and yellow wool pads? Or is the blue a little too much for what I am going for? Again, not really sure exactly where these two fit in relative to what I am used to. Would I be correct in assuming Rupes yellow wool = LC orange foam, Rupes blue wool = LC yellow foam?
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