Help with picking pads

[Whipped500]

I can use some help picking out 5.5" pads for PC DA. I am new to the DA (only had an orbital before) so I have no idea what to get? At first I bought the deluxe 6.5 ccs package but have been told I don't want a pad that big, that I really want 5.5" pad with 5" backing plate. So then I thought maybe just a compound, a polish and a wax pad. Then reading more, it sound like the more the better (to switch out). I kind of have it narrowed down to LC flat (because of $$) and the LC thin. I want to be able to play around with my cars and my family's when I have time (which isn't much at all). For a beginner to have a variety is a 6 pack enough to play with and if so, which combination? If not 6, but 12, what combination as well? Also, which particular pad? I was leaning towards flat over thin because of price (would like to keep it as low as possible in case it just gets thrown on a shelf) but if the thin is that much better then that's what I will get. Also, is there 5.5" besides LC that I should be looking at?

Basically wanting a good variety to play with and the best bang for the $.
Thanks in advance!!!

[JustJesus]

price is a factor for me as well. never mind that i spend countless dollars on stuff i don't really need.

You can't go wrong with either LC option. i'm still using the flats quite a bit, to be honest with you. I have thins, but not nearly as many as regular flats.

As far as how many, that's tougher for ME to answer. I'd say go with 12, but then your cost just doubled. Some would say a TOTAL of 6 pads will not be enough for 3 steps of polishing/finishing.

Here is ONE approach, given your desire to keep costs at a minimum, AS WELL as your lack of time.
- Get the 6 pack
- Get two of cut, polish, and finishing (only if you plan to finish (wax/sealant) by machine. If not, then do 3 and 3 of cut and polish pads
- Do only a couple of sections at a time. For example, one day, just do the hood. Another day, do the trunk. Immediately after doing that one section, wash and dry your pads for the next time.

This method will help keep you from taking on too much at one time. Both in money and in time.

Orange and White would be my colors of choice, as I like to hand apply waxes.

Hope that helps some

[WillSports3]

I try to be as frugal as I can with pads, and I too don't bother with too many finishing pads. Just enough that I can use them if I need to if I'm finishing up on certain paints. I use 4 Microfiber cutting pads, 5 foam cutting pads, 6 polishing pads and 4 finishing pads. However, I also made sure to get the pad brush and I have a little trick that keeps my pads clean. Since I do use ONR, I dip the pads in ONR first and wring them out so that they're damp. After each section, I wash the pads out in ONR since I'm not concerned about the oils from the leveling liquids but more about paint residue and ONR gets that out just fine. Then I wring it out again so it's damp and re-use it. Any rinseless type wash will be fine really, I just use ONR since I have a massive jug of it. Get more pads, having a clean pad is what makes compounding and polishing work better.

[Whipped500]

After looking a while last night, I am leaning towards the 12 pack of LC flat pads. 4 of each, orange, white and black. I'm thinking this so I have enough to do a vehicle halfway nice all at once, I'll have what I need. I don't have time to do a panel at a time.
Does that combo sound good? I can tell you that with the little time I have I would mostly be doing a swirl remover or a cleaner then a coat of wax with the black (shoulder can't do it anymore by hand). Then, if I have even less time, I would do an AIO/cleaner wax (white pad?).
This a good combo or should I be less/more something for how I'm mostly going to use it?
Thanks

[Desertnate]

The Flats should serve your well. I started out with them and over time built up a good inventory. I'm now slowly transitioning over to the Thin Pro pads since I have found I like them much better.

As far as how many of which color, I think that depends on the vehicles you'll be working on and their condition. For me, most of my cars are in good shape and 2 of the three have paint that is on the softer side. Those conditions drove me to go heavy on white pads, a few orange for stubborn spots needing extra correction, and a couple of black/blue for wax application.

[brettS4]

You'll be happier with the LC ThinPro pads. The LC Flat pads are good, but thin pads work much better on a PC.

You really don't need 4 black pads. You can easily do a whole vehicle with 1 black since that's pretty much just for spreading wax (regardless of what the AGO description says).

DesertNate pretty much nailed my thoughts.

[Whipped500]

2 of my cars sit in the garage. One does not see rain unless it comes out of nowhere! The other usually doesn't see rain either but not a big deal if it does. Then there are 2 that see the weather. The last one is my Boat that I would want to only wax it with the DA.
I do have a trashed work vehicle but I don't want any of these pads to touch it...I'll get some cheap ones off eBay if I really want to do it. Paint is chipping off in some spots and a bad repair job done so I don't care.

Sounds like maybe one less orange and one more white?
What color for swirl remover or cleaner? I assumed orange for that. I also assumed white if I was using an AIO or cleaner wax?

[Whipped500]

Also, I would love to get the LC thin but I don't want to invest the extra money when they might not get used very often. I'm​getting these pads to make my life easier for when I do have time to clean and wax a vehicle. Shoulder can't do it anymore...can't even hand was 1 car anymore.
Also to wax the boat.

[Desertnate]

2 of my cars sit in the garage. One does not see rain unless it comes out of nowhere! The other usually doesn't see rain either but not a big deal if it does. Then there are 2 that see the weather. The last one is my Boat that I would want to only wax it with the DA.
I do have a trashed work vehicle but I don't want any of these pads to touch it...I'll get some cheap ones off eBay if I really want to do it. Paint is chipping off in some spots and a bad repair job done so I don't care.

I would caution against using cheap pads. They might not work very well and most likely aren't that durable. I had the same thoughts when I started out and used the cheap Harbor Freight pads. They didn't correct very well and would self destruct by the time I finished a vehicle. I wasted a lot of money replacing cheap pads vs good pads that last years.

Sounds like maybe one less orange and one more white?
What color for swirl remover or cleaner? I assumed orange for that. I also assumed white if I was using an AIO or cleaner wax?

Not always. Even on my hard VW paint I've found a mild compound/swirl remover works very well on white. I am also able to use white with a regular polish to clean up mild swirls on soft Toyota paint. For regular maintenance polishing each year I use white pads almost exclusively. The only time I break out the orange pads is on a bad scuff or other defect that requires it.

There are many people who tend to go straight for the compounds and heavy cutting pads/MF pads. I tend to be a little more cautious since I own vehicles for long periods of time and only go aggressive when absolutely nessicary and even then only on the offending spot/area.

Also, I would love to get the LC thin but I don't want to invest the extra money when they might not get used very often. I'm​getting these pads to make my life easier for when I do have time to clean and wax a vehicle. Shoulder can't do it anymore...can't even hand was 1 car anymore.
Also to wax the boat.

I found the thin pads to work much faster which led to fewer passes and less time polishing than with flat pads. Go with what you budget can tolerate. I can't go a full inventory of thin pads either, but will get a couple at a time as my flat pads wear out.

[Eldorado2k]

I think you'll be more than happy with the flat pads over the thins... I have both and the flat pads are more comfortable to use. They work pretty great to boot.