re: Buff & Shine pads

[builthatch]

i read that B&S makes the Cyclo pads.

i have some Cyclo pads from 2008 or so because at the time, there were no lowish profile 4" flat white pads available from LC. (interesting that it's impossible to get low profile flat 4" and 3" pads from LC nowadays even though they are active SKUs on the LC website lol)

ANYWAY, those Cyclo pads have a hard adhesive that is pretty obvious under the velcro. it is hard and yellow. the backing is pretty stiff because of this.

are Buff & Shine pads like that?? or is the velcro higher quality and more pliable like other pads on the market, like LC?

[EVOlved]

The B&S Velcro on all of my foam pads is very pliable and I haven't noticed any adhesive showing. Mind you I have only been using them for a year.

[builthatch]

i think that i just have old Cyclo pads.

obviously my silly mind then wonders if the Cyclo pads are still like that if the B&S aren't.

haha, oh well, doesn't matter - i'm glad you confirmed that the B&S are fine.

i think i'll make the jump. thanks!

[VISITOR]

you'll be fine, i had some cyclo pads that were the same way. not one ever came apart (velcro), nor did the foam have any ill effects as well...

[builthatch]

OK, thanks guys.

I am going to make the switch from LC to B&S but it's slightly confusing for a few reasons.

They have different colors for the 4" vs. the 5.5".

I looked at their chart and a rough cross is the 4" are in their "US" foam and the 5.5" are "euro"...but not exactly.

I am reading online that some people are saying the yellow finishes better than the orange and softer from a tactile standpoint...but orange is listed in both foams as being less aggressive. That is confusing!

So, while I could just order everything and get a feel for myself, I don't want to waste money on pads I won't use - I have done that before and they just sit around. It's throwing money away.

I want to simplify things and get a compound pad, polish pad and finishing pad for both 5.5" and 4".

In LC, I tend to use orange flat in both sizes, white/green flat (LC didn't have a green 4" when I bought my initial pads back in the day) and gray flat.

Any tips for me with ordering?

[EVOlved]

If I were to pick 3 I would go Orange (yellow pad is extremely stiff although I want to try richy's method of soaking them first), Green (my favorite and I have yet to try white which may be good for one steps although I think the orange with a polish can handle that as well), and Blue or Black (both are very soft).

[builthatch]

If I were to pick 3 I would go Orange (yellow pad is extremely stiff although I want to try richy's method of soaking them first), Green (my favorite and I have yet to try white which may be good for one steps although I think the orange with a polish can handle that as well), and Blue or Black (both are very soft).

ok thanks. now, is that in 5.5" or 4"? because like i said, the color/scale appear to be different between the two sizes. it's the weirdest thing.

i have a note in to the manufacturer, hopefully they can straighten things out for me hahaha.

[EVOlved]

That was 5.5" for 4" I have yet to use them but have orange, green, and white I think??

[builthatch]

That was 5.5" for 4" I have yet to use them but have orange, green, and white I think??

yeah i ended up getting almost the exact mix as you, orange/green/black for 5.5" and the same colors for 4". even though they are apparently different types of foam (5.5" are "euro", 4" are "US"), they still subscribe to the same basic breakdown that you and i are looking for, which is cut/polish/finish polish.

i also noticed 3" diameter 7/8" thick CCS pads available but didn't get them. it was tempting though because the only 3" pads i use are Griot's and Megs MF. but i'm really trying to get out of all of my CCS stuff because i don't think it's compatible with the products i'm using at this stage.

anyway, thanks for your help. i'll let you know how they work out.

[builthatch]

update:

i received my B&S pads. they are really nice. in particular, the backing and the step down gap between the edge of the pad and the backing edge. i noticed a pin hole or two on the face of some of the pads but nothing to worry about.

my guess about the euro vs. US thing and the sizes was wrong, so, i'm still confused but whatever. on the bag, my 5.5" orange says Euro but the 5.5 green says US, lol. whatever.

the most interesting thing is that the only yellow pad i got was in 4", since in six years i never used my bigger yellow pads in LC, but there have been a few cases here and there where i whipped out a smaller yellow, so i got two smaller yellows. well, the B&S yellow 4" is softer than the orange! it feels as if the pads should be switched in the aggressiveness chart but i spoke with a tech at the factory and he said the foam itself works to a specific spec so even though it feels a certain way, it still cuts more than the firmer orange pad.

weird, but whatever. he wouldn't lie to me and i definitely made sure he understood what i was saying.

but yeah, overall, i'm SUPER impressed with the apparent quality of these pads!