MF pads vs PFW pads on 3401

[Hades02]

Thanks Mike.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Thanks for the info Mike.

Sounds like the hybrid PFW pad will compliment the already steller hybrid foam pads in my collection and will give the needed cut.

[psynx]

Wanting to step up my correction ability with my 3401 and I am currently using the LC Hybrid foam pads. I do have the thicker LC ultra mf pads but I feel they are to grabby for the 3401. Vegas911 gave me a Optimum mf cutting disc and this feels much better than the thick LC mf pad.

Has anyone used the thin ultra fiber pads on the 3401?

Also I see that LC has a 6.5 hybrid PFW pad. Anyone have any experiance with this?



I am using FG400 and am happy with its abilities just looking for more cut from said pads

i own the 5 inch and the 6.5.
IMO i love the 5 inch on the 3401 and the 6.5 on my 3401 with the LC bp, idk maybe good on big flat panels but i think it was a waste of money. just too big, maybe on my rotary i will use them but i highly doubt it

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

i own the 5 inch and the 6.5.
IMO i love the 5 inch on the 3401 and the 6.5 on my 3401 with the LC bp, idk maybe good on big flat panels but i think it was a waste of money. just too big, maybe on my rotary i will use them but i highly doubt it

I too have the 5 inch hybrids and interchangeable LC plate system and think this is the best foam pad size and pad setup for the 3401.

Have you used any of the PFW pads on the 3401?

Did you mean you dont like the 6.5 0n the 3401 in red highlight? I was considering the bigger 6.5 hybrids for bigger jobs such as trucks and whatnot.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Ok, I have tried just about EVERY mf pad available on my 3401. All were a no-go. I tried every technique and trick to get a good finish with a mf pad and simply couldn't do it. Every combo of compound and mf pad produced micro-marring and not NEAR the finish of a foam pad. My conclusion was/is NO mf pads with the 3401. From now on, it's just foam for me.

You, sir, are 100% correct.

[vegas911gts]

I'm glad you liked the pads. I think you'll like the megs or buff and shine mf pads more. My only issue with mf pads is cleaning.

Since I don't have a compressor and I help out people at their houses. (I don't want the HOA goon squad fining me for working on too many different cars at my place) I have been using a regular pad brush, but it just doesn't clean as well as air so I just toss the pads along with the mf towels in the washer and the mf pads can only take so many washings in the washer. I don't know if mf pads can be used with a pad washer either.

I recently ordered a dozen bns mf pads. I probably should've gotten 4, but I wanted a bunch of them so that I would change them frequently and not have to brush them out as often. I do have a neighbor with a compressor the size of a water heater that I could go over and have him blow out the pads. I will probably keep 4 and sell off the rest of them. One of my friends said that his mf pads are getting in bad shape so he says that maybe he'll pick up some or the rest of them.

I am thinking of going back to foam for cutting. It will take longer, but at least I won't need a compressor to clean them. 4 foam cutting pads should be more than enough when I go over to someones home. And I need heavy cutting pads just about half or slightly less than half of the time. I hope that I don't run into a situation where yellow bns cutting pads can't get out a deep key scratch or other deep RIDS where mf pads can breeze through them. And there's no way that I'm going to pay 25 bucks to try the scholls spider pad.

Does anyone else think that mf pads and brush cleaning is far too inferior to cleaning with a compressor? This is the only reason keeping me back from fully committing to mf pads for heavy cutting duty. cardaddy gave me a lot of good feedback on his thoughts about mf pads needing air to clean mf pads.

[vegas911gts]

For high cut I have been using a yellow high gloss flat pad. Great at one steppers. I actually saw a true hybrid pad the other day. It had black MF on an orange pad about 3/4" thick. I dont know too much about it though.



Hadn't thought about that. Is it haze free?

The black mf and orange foam backing is the bns mf pad unless there's another company making a mf pad in the same color scheme. Did it have a beveled edge? Mine are beveled.

[Setec Astronomy]

Does anyone else think that mf pads and brush cleaning is far too inferior to cleaning with a compressor? This is the only reason keeping me back from fully committing to mf pads for heavy cutting duty. cardaddy gave me a lot of good feedback on his thoughts about mf pads needing air to clean mf pads.

Compressed air is the only way to clean them. Go to Home Depot or Harbor Freight and buy a little portable compressor; it won't cost you more than $150...you'll probably make that up in buying less pads from the sound of it.

The black mf and orange foam backing is the bns mf pad unless there's another company making a mf pad in the same color scheme. Did it have a beveled edge? Mine are beveled.

I saw those Buff n' Shine MF pads somewhere else. They looked interesting. Unlike some promises when competitors to the original Meg's MF pads came along, none seem to have a clear price advantage, some vendors bundle them, but if they have one cheaper, someone else has the other for the same cheaper price. The LC pads could theoretically reduce one's inventory of MF pads since they use a single pad for cutting/polishing, but I don't hear people using that rationale yet.

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for the info Mike.

Sounds like the hybrid PFW pad will compliment the already stellar hybrid foam pads in my collection and will give the needed cut.

If you want to remove defects with a Flex 3401 then a fiber pad will cut faster than a foam pad and last longer.

Just always know you'll want to re-polish with foam to leave a show car finish. Kind of a no-brainer.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Thank you to all for the contributions to this post with the knowledge provided.