Meguiars M101 Review -- Does it live up to the hype?

[ihaveacamaro]

Hey guys, this is a review on Meguiars M101.



If you haven't been living under a rock, you know that Meguiars M105 is considered one of the staples of any detailer's arsenal. From amateurs (like myself) to top notch pros, Meguiars M105 has come into almost everyone's hands.

Well, Meguiars has done it again and has topped M105 in every way I can think of... Welcome to the world of M101.

From the Autogeek website:

Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound is an ultra heavy cut compound that is designed to remove all types of paint defects including swirls, oxidation, sanding marks, scratches, and basically anything else that hinders the appearance of your paint. Unlike a traditional heavy cut compound, Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound is designed to be used with a foam cutting pad. This makes Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound incredibly easy to use while providing a finish that is typically expected from a polish and not a compound. Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound is body shop safe and is ideal for both the professional and the enthusiast.

Features:

• NO DUSTING!
• Long Working Time
• Quickly Removes Defects
• Designed for Foam Pads
• No fillers

How I applied it:

• Primed pad by covering entire pad in polish and working it in
• 3 drops as necessary after

Always begin with a clean AND clayed car. You can't polish a car that you have not clayed... if you polish something with above surface contaminants, then you can pick that contaminant up on the pad and drag it across the paint! Then you are doing what Mike Phillips like to call as "working backwards," via instilling swirls and scratches into the paint instead of taking them out.





Before I show you the action shots, know that I ONLY used M101, no finishing polish was used!





Anyways, let's get to the action shots (pictures have captions and explain themselves):

Perfect test subject! (I live near what you would call the hood lol... college kid budget )






















Boss status!!!








So my thoughts on it:

Every feature is spot on! I can't believe I'm saying this, but this thing cuts more than M105, and literally doesn't dust!? Say what, a Megs Compound that doesn't dust, yeah that's what I just said. Believe it!

Crazy cut and finishes to an LSP ready surface, I'm not normally this excited about a product, but this stuff can only be summarized by one word: AMAZING!







Once again, here's the before and after:









Conclusion:

This is the most fantastic compound I've ever had the pleasure to work with. Immediately, I knew how good this stuff was. Swirls and scratches literally looked like they were melting away. This is a premier compound for a premier price at $50 for 32 ounces....

So it live it up to the hype? You bet it!







Link:

Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound, meguiars compound, m101 compound, meguiars foam cut compound


P.S. I have M100 too and M100 doesn't even begin to compare to M101... using a DA. I don't have a rotary to test out the full capability of M100.

[dpscoupe]

Just when I thought my bank account was safe. AG starts carrying RUPES, & you give M101 a glowing review. I'm so glad this hobby has the ability to pay for itself!!

So just to clarify, you used only M101 & a HT Cyan & finished LSP ready?

[ihaveacamaro]

Just when I thought my bank account was safe. AG starts carrying RUPES, & you give M101 a glowing review. I'm so glad this hobby has the ability to pay for itself!!

So just to clarify, you used only M101 & a HT Cyan & finished LSP ready?

Yup, and have the pictures above to prove it! Of course, your finish will depend on the hardness of the paint you are working on... but this was a repaint and was soft paint so to say I am extremely impressed would be the understatement of the century!

Thanks for looking

[Marc08EX]

Great review, Roshan! That's an amazing turnaround. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try my M101. I just can't stand the smell lol.

[dpscoupe]

Yup, and have the pictures above to prove it! Of course, your finish will depend on the hardness of the paint you are working on... but this was a repaint and was soft paint so to say I am extremely impressed would be the understatement of the century!

Thanks for looking

I bet you're impressed! Keep on shining!

[AutowerxDetailing]

Nice review! Thanks for posting.

[Big Boi]

Great job!

[ElWichaco]

I agree the smell is quite tough.Love it though. Will love to see M101 in gallon size.

[silverfox]

For most detailers...M101 and M205 are probably the only two polishes you will ever need. One is already legendary...the other soon to be.

For REALLY soft paint, I'd throw Sonax Perfect Finish in to load the bases.

[Mike Phillips]

Nice review, pictures and write-up. I spoke with Jason Rose about the product sometime in the past and my comment was something like,

Looks like Meguiar's has another home run hit...


When it comes to compounds, polishes and even cleaner/waxes, the thing that makes or breaks any line of products or system of products is the abrasive technology. Meguiar's chemists have really been raising the bar in the field of abrasive technology.

Just for reference, you can see this product used with multiple tools and pads by users of all backgrounds by by all backgrounds I mean newbies and pros alike in this extreme makeover...

M101 Foam Cut Compound - 1999 Trans Am Extreme Makeover at Autogeek

This Thursday night we'll be showing the correction power of M101 Foam Pad Polish on Jay's swirled-out 1999 Trans Am and everyone that attends will not only get a chance to test out the new Meguiar's M101 Foam Cut-Compound.... they'll also get a chance to try it with multiple tools and pads...



A detailer's dream come true!
Playing with all types of tools and pads with Meguiar's M101 Foam Pad Compound



From left to right...
Meguiar's G110v2 with Lake Country Yellow Heavy Cut Foam Pad
Makita BO6040 with Surbuf 6.6" pad
Flex 3401 with Lake Country Ultra-Microfiber Pad




Down in front...
Griot's Garage 3" Mini Polisher with Meguiar's 3" Microfiber Cutting Disc
Meguiar's G110v2 with Meguiar's 5" Microfiber Cutting Disc




To the right side...
DeWALT 849X Rotary Buffer aka Bumblebee
Flex PE14 Rotary Polisher
Cyclo Model 5 Pro Orbital Polisher