Chemicals..Input Needed on Brands

P

Premiere Auto

New member
After days of reading on here I'm getting pretty much all my questions answered. Pretty much know what I need for equipment and chemicals.

I've always been a person who buys the best when it comes to tools...and to me...chemicals fall into that same catergory.

I'm sure to get a different answer from everyone but here we go!!!

Sooooo.....



Here are a few loaded questions.....


Who makes the best car detailing chemicals (price need not be considered)?

Is their any one brand that covers all you detailing needs...or do most detailers use different chemicals from various manufacturers?

The chemical end has be in a head spin...hope someone can help shed a little more light on it for me!



Thanks!

Tom
 
Premiere Auto said:
I'm sure to get a different answer from everyone but here we go!!!

Sooooo.....



Here are a few loaded questions.....


Who makes the best car detailing chemicals (price need not be considered)?

Tom you're right, you'll get as many answers as there are members on the site. Ultimately the best answer is the one that meets your needs. Try several that are mentioned frequently and then see which ones work for you. There are of course many safe answers here as well. There is no doubt you will find great results with the 3M, Optimum, Wolfgang, AutoGlym, Zymol, Meguiars, Zaino, Mothers, SwissVax, Pinnacle lines and more. There are literally dozens of quality brands. Of course one of the site favorites has to be PoorBoys (as a site moderator I must tell you that I have no affiliation to PB's but use their products and like them) Seriously check the site sponsors, they may ultimately not be the source you choose but they can certainly give you an idea of what's out there.

One of our site sponsors, AutoGeek, literally sells just about anything you could possibly want to try from a brand perspective. Some of the brands I've mentioned might be prohibitive from a commercial value perspective but are some of the finest products available. many of the brands mentioned carry both a consumer and commercial line, you'll probably be best off with the detailer or commercial line over the consumer line. There are starter packs available from AutoGeek, Chemical Guys etc. that come with a buffer, towels, mitts, brushes and such that can get you well on your way. You're probably going to want to try something like this before you start buying product in volume. As a mobile detailer one thing you will want to take into consideration is whether or not the product can be used in direct sunlight.

Is their any one brand that covers all you detailing needs...or do most detailers use different chemicals from various manufacturers?

See above, most of the major manufacturers carry a product for every step of the detailing process.

The chemical end has be in a head spin...hope someone can help shed a little more light on it for me!



Thanks!

Tom
Click to expand...

I know this is probably not the definitive answer you've wanted to hear but it really is true.
 
Once again Gearhead hit a home run.
Only thing I can think to add is that for you to better understand why their are so many people that like a different product is that some want Durability while others don't mind spending half their waking hours waxing their car.

Some keep their car in a garage other leave their car in the elements 24/7

Also when it comes to appearance different people see the same thing differently and some let price guide them to what they buy.

While you can outline what is most important to you and we can give you some general guidelines the final decision will have to be yours and that will only come after you have tried all of them and decide what YOU LIKE.
 
GearHead head sums it up pretty well. What's best for me may not be best for you and vice versa. Just keep in mind, there a few products that are as great as their strongest proponent nor as terrible as their loudest critic and you will be neither disappointed or surprised.

There is a pretty strong sentiment amongst the members of this forum that technique trumps product. Quality tools, now there's something you can discuss.
 
So much depends on what you are wanting to achieve, what surface and condition you are working on. You can't say the most expensive is the best. Again, it depends on many factors including personal taste.
 
OK...Fair enough...everything stated makes sense.

I strive for perfection so I sometimes loose track!! LOL!!

Ok...what CHEMICAL manufacturers are out there that supply the detailing community?? I've done my learning with products from Meguiars and Griots and some misc "over the counter" products...I see on this forum POOR BOY seems to be well supported as well as Pinnacle products.....I like to see what other choises that may be out there so I can do some self research!

Thanks!

Tom
 
Meguiars line is deep. 3M is also deep. 3M acquired Meguiars but I haven't seen exact duplication of product.
 
Premiere Auto said:
OK...Fair enough...everything stated makes sense.

I strive for perfection so I sometimes loose track!! LOL!!

Ok...what CHEMICAL manufacturers are out there that supply the detailing community?? I've done my learning with products from Meguiars and Griots and some misc "over the counter" products...I see on this forum POOR BOY seems to be well supported as well as Pinnacle products.....I like to see what other choises that may be out there so I can do some self research!

Thanks!

Tom
Click to expand...
Best car Wax - Car Care Products - meguiars car care, 3m products, best show car wax , mothers car care, car buffers, p21s wax
 
I've neither used nor do I remember reading anything about that brand's product.

I looked at their site. For me it did not inspire confidence, in fact it sucked big time. Here's one of their statements that left me with the "what's up" feeling.

Production has products with quality second to none. Even if service is not up to par, you can always rely on the product being number one in high quality and reliability. We are committed to continually improving our service to match product quality.
Click to expand...

Sounded like they readily admit they don't have the ability to take care of the customer at this point. You can do better.

Many of you are aware that I have an interest in firearms and have watched that industry quite closely since the new administration has been in Washington. People got scared and a buying rush on firearms, parts, accessories etc. went into effect. A year ago it was not uncommon to see people who had been waiting from 6 months to a year for something they had ordered. The surprising thing to me was that this was so common place people not only began to expect it but accept it.

Manufacturers have caught up with the demand of that rush. If you shop around you can get virtually anything you want in a reasonable time. That said, the tolerance to wait for things still seems to be prevalent. I don't understand why successful/quality companies can't adjust to meet consumer demands and further have no idea why customers put up with it.

I haven't seen this attitude to any real degree in the Detailing market but it sure seems like this company has a similar attitude, "we make a good product, it will be worth the wait." Anyway that's the feeling I had while viewing their site.
 
Another thought here. Many of the manufacturers mentioned earlier in this post have some type of value/commercial pricing when buying in bulk. You may not see it posted but a phone call will get you that info.
 
Caught a bunch of YOU-TUBE stuff on their products.....thought I would ask!!!

I'm kinda leaning towards 3M's line...going to order up a few things from them, PB and Pinnacle this weekend....I'll start with that and expand (or contract :) ) from there!
 
Premiere Auto said:
Caught a bunch of YOU-TUBE stuff on their products.....thought I would ask!!!

I'm kinda leaning towards 3M's line...going to order up a few things from them, PB and Pinnacle this weekend....I'll start with that and expand (or contract :) ) from there!
Click to expand...


You'll be more than happy with PB's products :)
 
I use alot of 3M products and have for years. If your planning on doing alot of compounding you need them. 3M makes the best compound out there imo. Their Ultrafine polish is very good too but its too expensive for my taste.
 
3M makes some good products but the majority of them have a real chemical/solvent smell. I've said this a bunch of times sorry if you're getting tired of reading it. If I can work with a product that does the job equally well and smells pleasant at the same time it just makes the job that much more enjoyable.
 
I've used quite a few things and with that said I was not a big fan of poorboys polishes. but everything else man it's the bees knees. With that being said it didn't sit well with Steve he went and made his polishes better and now i'm more then happy with them and have to say now i you work with anything in his line and Know it will do what it says and more.. Like I said before give a call to steve you will help you out
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top