Cleaning Pads with the Flex 3401 and the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer

[Mike Phillips]

Cleaning Pads with the Flex 3401 and the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer


Someone asked me if the Flex 3401 could be used with a pad washer to clean pads. We were doing some testing today in the garage and while I was out their cleaning up after the testing it's protocol to clean the pads so I snapped some pictures showing the results.

The GGUPW worked great with the Flex 3401 to clean the new Hydro Foam Pads. The



New, clean pad


Used, dirty pad



After about a minute in the pad washer on speed 1-2 on the Flex 3401



Clean as a whistle!



Close-up



After cleaning the pad, to remove the water simply lift the polisher up while the pad is still in the bucket with the snap ring lid closed and bringing the speed up to sling out the excess water.

Next, open the lid and lift the pad out of the bucket and close the snap lid. Then place the face of the foam pad on the mini Grit Guard Extension and again bring the speed of the polisher up while pushing downward and you'll remove the majority of the remaining water in the pad.




The Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer worked great with the Flex 3401. The pad is now drying and will be ready for use tomorrow.

The pad wash is works so well at cleaning pads that once you use it one time as you start any complete buff-out you'll wonder how you lived without it. When trying to create a good finish or a show car finish it's vital to work clean and that means cleaning your pads often.

While there are work-arounds for getting caked-on residue off the face of your buffing pads, nothing comes close to the cleaning ability of a quality pad washer. This is especially important if you're doing compounding work as compounding tends to remove a lot of paint of the car as compared to light polishing and your choice of compound will always work better if your pad is clean.

[DonMTV]

Hi Mike, thanks for the quick review of this Pad Washer. I have been debating whether or not to buy it. Back in the early Spring it was a VIP special, but I didn't have any money to purchase it.

I have DP Polishing Pad Rejuvenator powder to soak my pads in, but I have seen Pinnacle XMT Polishing Pad Cleaner spray. What is the difference? Does one work better then the other?

What did you use for cleaner in the Pad Washer?

I have some older pads that I have cleaned, but haven't gotten rid of the polish color out of the pad, and thought of getting the GGUPW to help me clean the pads.

Thank you so much,
Don

[Pats300zx]

I bought one a while back on the VIP special. I need to try it out one of these days lol

[Buckskincolt]

My birthday is coming up quick.......I need one of these for sure.

[Rsurfer]

Nice review on the pad washer, but how did the Hydro pad work out?

[Phalcon51]

I'm curious what you think of the Flex 3401. How about an in-depth review?

[Steven C]

Have both 3401 & pad washer .The are awesome the pad washer is the best thing I purchased I saves so much time after & during the detail . If you clog up a wool pad 3 or 4 sprays in put in clean and keep going same thing with foam . Real time saver I Love my 3401 . I use the XMT spray to clean my pads.

[Jimmie]

Saw it in action at DFIII. It was an impressive demo. Wish I had one and will someday pull the trigger to buy it.

[Meghan]

Pad Washer will pay for itself after a few uses. You can really extend the life of your pads by properly cleaning them. Mike used this pad washer this past Saturday while detailing the Bel Air and it made a huge difference in the amount of time it saved.

[2003 GMC Denali]

May I see one of these Pad Washers all taken apart ?

If I had an AG Pail with 4 Grit Guards in it... all stacked up in it... and maybe a little chunk of Foam cut in a round shape, placed somewhere in the middle of all 4 Grit Guards to provide the springy feeling, could I duplicate the cleaning action of the AG Pad Washer ?