Is there an unbiased or overly biased review?

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<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
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Hey Scott,

Have you tried Charismas or Wamsutta towels? [/b]</blockquote>
Never even heard of them. I usually just buy 5 pounds worth of bath towel blems from my distributer for $25.
 
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<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Scottwax [/i]
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Never even heard of them. I usually just buy 5 pounds worth of bath towel blems from my distributer for $25. [/b]</blockquote>

I get Charisma's cheaper than that at the Fieldcrest outlet locally.
 
Scottwax - Do you have a Ross or another first to second-quality store that gets overstock or slight blems from larger department stores? Check them out, Charisma and Wamsutta towels can be had for $4-6 a piece there. Very high quality towels.



Do you use hand towels, cut up bath towels or what?
 
I've got a bunch of those del sol yellow MF towels. They are ok and don't seem to scratch. But if you get them, wash them a couple of times before first use.



(Disclosure: current favorite MF is neatitems blue)
 
I didn't see any cleaners/waxes that I typlically use, but I did find a neat 5 gal bucket, folding crate with a matching carry caddy that fits perfectly in the crate. They also came in cool colors. I got the silver to match my metallic silver 911. Trunk space is limited in the porsche so these items make it real easy to take my detailing essentials with me at all times.

In case you didn't guess - show and tell was my favorite subject in school.
;)

RiccoDesign@aol.com
02 Porsche Carrera 4S, 00 Porsche Boxster "S", 00 GMC Denali
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Scottwax - Do you have a Ross or another first to second-quality store that gets overstock or slight blems from larger department stores? Check them out, Charisma and Wamsutta towels can be had for $4-6 a piece there. Very high quality towels.

Do you use hand towels, cut up bath towels or what? [/b]</blockquote>
The blems I get are high quality bath towels-they last at least a year without serious linting, and they get washed probably 3-4 times a week.

The new detailer towels at Target are terry cloth, but much softer than their regular terry cloth towels, and the ends are hemmed so they don't shred the way the towels I buy from my distributer do, because I have to cut them down since they are full sized bathroom towels.
 
Scott,

Dont know if these are near you, but you'll get way better towels at better prices...



Fieldcrest Cannon, Tanger Factory Outlet Center, 4015 I H 35 South, Suite 221, San Marcos, TX 78666, 512-392-8144



Fieldcrest Cannon, VF Factory Outlet, 614 Radio Rd., Sulphur Springs, TX 75482, 903-885-1194
 
RH.. I have a Fieldcrest Cannon Outlet at a Vanity Fair Outlet near me. What is a good price that I should pay for the 100% cotton towels?
 
Royal Velvets are awesome! They are so soft and plush, but I only use them for drying. I use MFs for buffing. The Royal Velvets were $6 for a huge, soft, white towel at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
 
Do you all think most reviews are too biased or promoting spamming especially on forums to be a bad (invalid) review?

There are enthusiast for every brand so some can get very promotive. I know one poster on autopia was taken to task by some self-appointed forum policeman for this and called him spammer. I do not think he was but this person had his own definition of spam. He just was enthusiastic about his results.

Do you think people say positive things when they ignore negative aspects?

Where is the line between enthusiast and spammer?

Even on sponsored forums like this one, AG, Meguiars, DD. etc, I see negative reviews about their products so I do not see a complete whitewash. I do not see the forum owners taking these down and some get challenged but sometimes these threads usually fall apart "I am a better detailer than you" or "you are a hack". This is especially true about polishes.

I read most of the reviews and obviously the ones that compare products usually provide the most information but I have not see many that were just wrong.

I get the impression that some believe spamming is rampant. Yes, you do see someone post (usually new to forum) about some miracle sealant but these are few and far between.

But even on some sponsored sites, I do not see wholesale misrepresentation..yes they get visibility in threads.
 
I think almost anyone is a natural born promoter weather they know it or not. When it comes to trying a new product and reviewing it most people IMO tend to give rave reviews, simply because they have tried something that many others have not AND a lot of guys want to be the first one to start the next flavor of the month or trend in detailing.

This happens all the time, think about restaurants, movies, books... people who eat at a new restaurant on opening day and simply "like" their food and service, go on to tell their friends about how this "great new place" opened up and "you have to try it" when in fact that restaurant simply was decent, but probably no better than anywhere else in town they are used to eating at. Excitement and exaggeration are generated through ego sometimes rather than facts.

I dont think when it comes to detailing that its spamming because spamming is simply chaotic plugging without even the attempt of reasoning and its easily called out. Sure some guys spam but the majority dont try to be malicious about it, I hope :o

Another big issue, and I even wrote a thread on product reviews and my opinions on them is that people tend to favor things they just spent money on! New $200 wax? Sure its the best wax ever! (how can it not be, you just dropped a pay check on it:huh:)

When someone is doing a product review with their brand new expensive wax, after they apply it and buff it off they look at the car and again (many guys) will subconsciously think the car looks and feels better with this particular wax on it and then give a review on the forums reflecting those same perceptions. People do this because they want to justify their expense and a lot of times again they arent lying about it they simply cannot control their subconscious.

I have learned to look at products from a purely objective standpoint now and I'll tell you it makes me find and use the best products based on PERFORMANCE rather than prestige or price. Come to think of it I have never purchased a wax or sealant that costs more than $35... ever.
 
Well, I just bought an opti-mit, so I'll be giving my review on that shortly, and you can tell me whether it's biased or not ;) I'll be comparing it to the Dragon Fiber MF towels which I've been using and a $3 grout sponge from Lowes.
 
I couldn't agree more with Dave.
Very often someone will drop a lot of money on a product and then have to justify the cost, weather they realize it or not. I think we may have all done this at one time or another. There are very few products that I now say that I will never replace, or nothing can top this. You just might have to eat your words. There are always new technologies coming out and new products to surpass the old ones.

I also think that on some forums, people are afraid to tell what they really feel about a product, because that product is produced by the owners of that forum (this is not true here on TID).
 
I think that there is a few too many variables to say with 100% certainty that polish x is better than polish y. What you say - everyone "knows" M105 is king and anything else is garbage! Actually, I think very highly of M105 but it's not the best for ALL paints. Ever do GM single stage white after about 5 years of neglect and I think you'll agree.

Even if you kept the variables to a minimum - same buffer, same pads, same technique - you still could fail to show one product over the other because there are some polishes that "like" one pad over another or do better with a DA or with a rotary.

Bottom line - a guy like Mr. Helme could polish a car with spit and a craftmans buffer and look better than some with all the inventory of PAC and AG combined. Point is - the "human" element, you can't rule it out. Like James Earl Jones said in Conan," What is a sword without the hand that holds it".
 
This is a great thread and I agree with a lot of what has already been written.

I'm not sure I'd classify some of the stuff as spam, rather over hype. I'm sure I've been guilty of it as much as the next guy. To me, it comes in a few forms, some of which have been outlined. Here are some I think go on:

The Pro: Whether some of you pros know it or not, but you appeal to your profession as proof a certain product is the bomb. Even, some do it through showing exotic car details to prove "product x" is the best. Sometimes I am skeptical of what Pros say, because I feel like it is tantamount to a celebrity endorsement. I'm not sure if the product is really good or if it is just a bit of George Foreman hype!!! LOL

The Amateur: Drops a boat load of cash on a product and feels he has NO choice but to hype it.

The Follower: Uses something, can't discern whether it is good, bad or ugly and decides to join whatever the masses say about something.

The Shill: Secretly working for a company and thereby promoting it as being amazing.

The Obvious: This happens more at AG than anywhere else IMHO. They have there line of products and they openly tell you theirs are best like a rubber stamp. Other companies do it as well (yes even TID), just nobody like AG. One of the reasons I like this site is because I do feel it is more tolerant of REAL opinions.

I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I think we see most often.
 
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