Best product line to purchase in bulk?

IHA Mark

IHA Mark

New member
Hello Autopians,



I am needing some advice for which product line is the best to purchase in bulk. I am currently getting things together for a large enclosed trailer driven mobile operation. I am wanting products that I can get the most bang for my buck, but provide high quality results at the same time.



I have been eye balling Meguiars' Professional Grade by the gallon, and it seems to be a good value, but was wondering if there was a "step up" out there for maybe a little more money or the same.



Products I am definitely needing by the gallon/in bulk:



Car wash

Tire and interior dressing

Spray wax



For polishing products I am going to just make it easy and go with the HD system. I have been using UNO for some time now and it really can't be beat for quality/speed. Can't wait to try Speed.



For wax/sealants I am going to be using HD poxy, Mothers %100 pure, and possible some Pinnacle souveran (sorry for the misspell) liquid wax for premium wax upgrades.



Any advice/critiques are appreciated!
 
When you say bulk, are you referring to 5 gallon or 55 gallons?



Regardless, 3D offers a nice (and economical) car wash soap(wash n wax), dressing(ultra protectant) and spray wax (express wax).
 
I should have specified a little more.



By bulk I am meaning 1 gallon concentrate and bigger options.



Is 3D comparable to the Meguiars' Professional line? I have never purchased any 3D products although they do seem economical.
 
IHA Mark said:
I have never purchased any 3D products although they do seem economical.
Click to expand...



3D is the maker of HD products. They offer some great products. Please note that I have not yet used their Express Wax so I cannot comment on it beyond their offering of it.



As to the business side of this. I always tended to deal with companies that offered a complete line of products. Back when I operated a high volume shop I used mostly Auto Magic products. I felt it was better to keep things simple by doing business with 1 vendor, rather then with several. If I could rewind back to those days, I would have hands down picked 3D/HD over Auto Magic because their line if very good and I know they try to stay ahead of the trend with their products. Maybe you'll see it that way too seeing that you already stated that you currently use and like their products.
 
3D is the way to go great products for a great price and majority of their products are Biodegradable/Green Products in case you have to worry about that around you.
 
So far you guys have me leaning towards 3D for my bulk products. I live in Southern Illinois and the only available vendors are Meguiars' and Car Brite.



I am wanting to go with a single sine just to save on shipping costs since I am going to be ordering 90% of the stuff I'm using.



Anyone ever used their glass cleaners? The 50-1 seems like an amazing value.
 
From my personal experience, I'd go with Optimum and Meguiars.



Optimum never disappoints in my experience.



3d/HD get RAVE reviews around here and I'm going to try them soon for myself. I suspect you can't go wrong with them.
 
The only lines I really use for polishes, compounds, waxes, tire gel and protectant is Optimum, Megs and HD/3D. These are great products and provide great results. IMO you cannot go with just one brand because sometimes I find that Optimum works better on some paints and situations than Megs, etc. As for glass cleaner I still choose Stoners Invisible Glass every time. I know how it works and used to it and it gives me great results every time. All these brand names here are great products to buy in bulk and cannot be beat for that! For the things like specialty and higher end waxes and sealants, etc, that is a whole other story.

Good luck!
 
I too agree with Stoners Invisible Glass. I have tried a lot and this one rocks the house. It cleans well and never streaks. You spray the glass, wipe it, and the stuff literally vanishes before your eyes.
 
I prefer the Meg's Detailer line. They are 100% guaranteed, have good customer support along with 800# access to support. These are capable products and a good value, IMHO. Meg's has about the widest product lineup of any manufacturer, IME.



Some of my more indispensable bulk products include:



D120 Glass Cleaner Concentrate

D111 HyperWash (amazing 400:1 dilution ratio)

D101 APC

D108 Super Degreaser

D156 Synthetic X-Press Spray Wax (a.k.a. Ultimate Quik Wax)

D157 Synthetic X-Press Wax

M135 Synthetic Spray Detailer (a.k.a. Ultimate Quik Detailer)

D155 Last Touch (use as both QD and clay lube)

D170 Hyper Dressing

D149 Meg's Quik Interior Detailer



Other Meg's bulk purchases in my arsenal include 105/205 polishes and recently the D300/D301 w/microfiber pads. I also like their spray bottles and sprayers. They make OSHA compliant, labeled bottles and their sprayers tend to work well and last.





Whatever products you choose, it is a good idea to purchase in bulk and watch for discount offers along with free shipping deals. Shipping these gallon sizes can run the cost up substantially.
 
IHA Mark:

Are you trying to start a detailing business OR are you just a hobbiest looking to get some good products at less-expensive cost per ounce?



It hardly pays to buy 5 gallons of something you may use 5 or 6 times a year that may be obsolete or updated over the lifetime that you use that product, IF you are a hobbiest, even if it is less expensive to buy in bulk.



That said, if you are going to buy quantity amounts of large volume-sizes of Optimum products, send them an email first of your order intentions. They MAY give you a price break, depending on the quantity and dollar amount.



That leads to another question about purchasing bulk products. If you are going to do volume work, like at a car dealer or as a detailing business that services car lots, you will need to consider the cost per application versus the results you get. In volume detailing, it's all about time and money. Volume detailing, while a way to make money, has gotten alot of bad reviews within this forum, basically because of the bad results produced with reduced time to do the job properly, lack of proper training or experience, lack of proper equipment or accessories, and inferior products used because they are less-expensive (AKA cheap). Concerning product choice, YOU are going to have to decide what to spend and what works for your clients.

Optimum products do work well, BUT they are more expensive. If you like the results in the time spent and feel their products represent good value, IE cost per application and the end result, then go with that. One other thing to consider is the customer and technical support you will get from a particular manufacturer. That's another reason why Megs is a leader in the care-car business. They support their customers and back their products. That's another factor you may need to take into consideration.
 
I own a part time detail business that is about to go full time mobile. I am going to be focused on "quality" volume work, if that is the right way to explain it.



Right now I am considering 3D products, they are very affordable and from the reviews I have seen are yielding good results. Optimum is great stuff but since I won't be doing a LOT of high end, I don't believe my clients will ever know the difference between the products I'm using. On some things I might not even notice the difference. If I'm not getting paid to produce a difference, I'm certainly not going to spend the money on it.



One of the reasons I'm also considering Megs is the fact that there are local distributors in my area, whereas 3D does not offer that.



Thanks for the advice though, right now I think I'm going to go ahead and do a decent 3D order (200-300 worth), and if it doesn't float my boat, will go ahead and switch to Megs.



Thanks for the advice!
 
I would give Chemical Guys a look. They sell great products by the gallon waxes, sealants, wash stuff, towels, etc. A good bang for the buck !!!
 
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