FK 425...hmm

I am positively in the "pro" 425 camp. It's the best I have used to date of the 1/2 dozen or so that I've tried.
 
jsatek said:
Is 425 considered a quick detailer or a last step product. To me a quick detailer is something like Pooorboys S+W. An LSP is like Zaino Z-8. Anyone see the difference?
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425 is a QD, but leaves a nice glossy shine. And yes, I see the difference. 425 does not have much durability maybe 5 days.
 
jsatek said:
Is 425 considered a quick detailer or a last step product. To me a quick detailer is something like Pooorboys S+W. An LSP is like Zaino Z-8. Anyone see the difference?
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With the common terminology around here, neither of those are necessarily accurate.



S+W is a waterless wash, and Zaino Z8 is a spray sealant.
 
I'm for 425 as well - after trying at least 15 other brands.



jsatek,



In my book, a QD is a light cleaning (daily dust), and appearance enhancing product which provides lubrication for safe dust particle removal and claying. An added protection is a welcome plus but it doesn't last more then a few days. 425 is a perfect example of this - with the little exception that it adds 1-2 weeks of protection by itself (if unmolested).



A cleaning detailer (aka a hybrid between a QD and a waterless wash) has more cleaning power, therefore it can compromise an LSP slightly more, but it is a perfect liquid tool for 2-3 days of dust/dirt accumulation (FK1 146, PB S&W?).



A sprayable booster, like Z8, Mothers FX Spray Wax or FK1 FX-100 is not yet a standalone LSP, but adds more appearance pop, long term slickness and protection than a QD would. They are more substantial products than QDs.



A dedicated sprayable LSP, like OCW can add up to 3 months of real world protection, but for this performance, I usually have to do 3-4 layers - until the finish tells me "I'm saturated.". The towels will glide more smoothly when the product *filled up* the paint properly. Maybe Aquawax would fit into this segment, but I've never tried it.



True waterless washes like QEW and ONR have their own category.



When I assess a QD, I look for

- ease of application (gliding characteristics, amount needed for a given area; with short & long nap towels)

- optical qualities during application (streaking, cloudiness, smearing)

- compatibility (also smearing, streaking but from another point of view)

- immediacy (appearance instantly after application)

- curing characteristics (next-day appearance & slickness)

- overall look (especially flat angles, DOI, jetting)

- necessary layer count (up until the point when the paint feels saturated - done on an "thirsty" 14 year old test-finish; newer paints usually need less)



I'm not really interested in cleaning ability, because I don't like to push the limits of the QDs farther and farther. I don't attempt to rub away nasty water spots with a QD, just light dust, fingerprints, etc. Based on this methodology, the FK1 425 is still the king of all QDs in my experience.
 
What we shoud all take out of this thread is:



To each his own. Some like it some dont.



I for one love this QD. It does what I want it to and I like the look/feel it leaves. I also like the antistatic aspect. Does it elimate dust? NO, but it slows down accumulation for me. I like it so much I got 5 gallons of it.



Good thread BTW, good discussion.



Greg
 
I've never been a big fan of qd's and never really used them for their intended purpose. to me, if a car were dusty, it meant I needed to wash my car. but I've been trying some products for light dust and am still a little leary about the no rinse stuff but will open the bottle soon.



so if you're following me, I'm not looking for another reason to rub a mf across my finish. still, this is a nice after wash 'treatment'. if I'm working on cars I usually do some kind of wash around end of day, and this one melts into the paint and shines in the morning. I like it. I like fx100, too.
 
Zane--I know that you have tried the 425 over Zaino and Souveran. Just throwing this out there, but the 425 might *function* better when used with the rest of the FK product system and not a mix of different manufacturer's products--much like Z6 was designed to be used with Zaino and not FK, etc.



Bence--great post. :bigups
 
chml17l said:
Zane--I know that you have tried the 425 over Zaino and Souveran. Just throwing this out there, but the 425 might *function* better when used with the rest of the FK product system--much like Z6 is designed to be used with Zaino, etc.
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That's not really the reports that I've heard/read. It's supposed to work great over anything. I have no intentions to buy any other FK product, so I won't know how it works with them.



Adam's DS, Zaino Z6, and Quik Shine all work very well on anything I've used them on.



:)
 
NHBFAN said:
Note to self: Wait at least 3 months before I whip out the old credit card and jump on the latest bandwagon. :grinno:
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I thought the latest bandwagon was Duragloss not FK... :p
 
I have found the 425 to be extremely slick. I haven't used it or some of the other mentioned "slick" QD's enough to be positive, but to me the 425 seems slicker than QS or UGE. Is it possible there is some variation in the product batch-to-batch? It seems to me when 425 became "the bandwagon" that FK was out of stock for a bit--perhaps a result of Autopians suddenly ordering a few hundred gallons...
 
ok just ordered the small bottle we'll see how it stacks up

against my bottles of Mother's FX and FK FX100. 425 for good measure too.
 
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