Menzera, Optimum or SSR?

B

Bonka

New member
Hey guys I went a little nuts a couple weeks back and decided to order quite a few products online. Waiting for it arrive, I wondered which combination would yield the best results in removing mild to moderate swirls, mild hazing and tons of fine scratches using a PC?



Here's what I ordered:



Menzerna

PG

IP

FP

FTG

FMJ





Optimum

OHC

OC

OCP





Poorboy

3

2.5

1



This would be for my black '98 Nissan Maxima (if that makes any difference). I have also bought the appropriate yellow, orange, black and white pads.



All I know is that I will be finishing it with RMG, FMJ and Natty's Blue. I'm a big fan in mix-matching my products however I originally had set on using the Menzerna line.



Thanks guys.
 
Optimum and SSR are both great polishes. However, I find SSR dust way too much for my liking. SSR smells great, leaves a very nice finish, but it is an absolute dustbowl. I find myself reaching for Optimum when I work in the garage, and SSR when I have to work in the sun. You can't do wrong with either one, but it is something to consider. Optimum also seems to have a longer working time. SSR seems to breakdown quicker in comparision.



I have menzerna, but have yet to use it. From what I read here, it seems menzerna is better suited for a rotatary than a RA.
 
I have absolutely no experience with the Menzerna line. I've used Optimum, and SSR2.5 however.



For the price, you really cannot beat the SSR series. SSR 2.5 tackled the nastiest of my swirls with the PC. I followed up with OP on a polishing pad, then RMG, and CMW.



I know you probably dont want to hear this, as you want a definitive answer, but you really cannot go wrong with either SSR, Optimum, or Menzerna.
 
i think your results will be determined by your skill. all 3 of those product lines have strong followings. i personally don't like poorboys too much...a lot of dusting and my results weren't so great when compared to what i achieved with the other 2 product lines. but many people have had great success with poorboys. i wouldn't use power gloss with a pc, i don't think it breaks the compound down enough.

my suggestion would be to perform a quick test to find which product corrects the paint the easiest for you first. for all you know ohc may work better for your technique than others that suggest ssr2.5. however, for finishing up, i would go with fpII :P
 
I have all three brands. I use a pc with all of them. On my black mustang and light blue Ridgeline. I saw the best results with the Menzerna po85rd polish.
 
I have tried all the three brands you mentioned and I find I get the best result with Menzerna polish, 80% of my detailing work is done with a DA machine.
 
I have tried all the three brands you mentioned and I find I get the best result with Menzerna polish, 80% of my detailing work is done with a DA machine.
 
My personal favorite, of the three choices, is the Optimum line for their ease of use, great results, and price. No dusting, long working time, lots of correction can be accomplished but finish nicely. For the ultimate look though, since youre working on a black car, FPII would be a great last step choice!
 
evenflow said:
I know you probably dont want to hear this, as you want a definitive answer, but you really cannot go wrong with either SSR, Optimum, or Menzerna.
Click to expand...



Correct. :bigups



I tend to go with Optimum most of the time though since the other two dust.
 
I too have every single product you mentioned. Like others, if I want to avoid dust, I go with Optimum. Depending on how deep your swirls are, you can either go with OC and an orange pad followed by OP and a white pad, or you may need to use OHC first with a yellow or orange pad.



On the other hand, I find myself "living" with the dust of Menzerna because I consistently get better results with these polishes than any other polish I've tried. Try IP first. If this isn't enough to tacke the swirls, go with OHC first. Then finish with FPII - this will undoubtably leave a better finish on black than any of the other polishes you mention. FPII is the best, and I get almost no dust with it.
 
evenflow said:
I know you probably dont want to hear this, as you want a definitive answer, but you really cannot go wrong with either SSR, Optimum, or Menzerna.
Click to expand...



Omit the Optimum, as I've never tried it, and that's my response as well.



Both Poorboy's and Menzerna have performed very well for me. I'm happy with both and really couldn't choose one over the other. Likely, if/when I try Optimum, I'll feel the same way about it from what I've read hear.
 
if you're just starting out polishing, I highly recommend Optimum over the two other lines. The two other lines may achieve results slightly quicker, but Optimum's products have such a long work time that its EXTREMELY user friendly. Opt also gives you a good bang for buck, 32oz for $16.
 
On cars that need a lot of work I tend to reach for Menzerna with some RMG added in to control the dust. On cars that need less work (one/two polishing steps), I almost always go with Opt Compound and polish.



I've used the SSR's but have never been able to mitigate the dust.



Like everyone else has said, all three lines can be very effective.
 
I have used SSR2.5 on a black truck with killer swirls in direct sunlight. I also use optimum which is also a great product too for swirl removal.



Here are a couple of pics from the truck...



Before



S2010002.JPG




After



S20100031.JPG
 
Thank you everyone for the replies. You certainly did not make my decision any easier!



I mostly bought all 3 since I also do detail work on friends' cars and I figure this would be a good chance to see what works well with which cars. I bought this trio for the same reasons everyone else has but I figure I'd throw a little fire in the mix as I came across some threads negatively speaking of all 3 products.



I really like the cocktail recipes that RAG has mentioned maybe mixing them together is what I'm destined for. I'll see if I can get a test panel to work on first.
 
Picus said:
On cars that need a lot of work I tend to reach for Menzerna with some RMG added in to control the dust. On cars that need less work (one/two polishing steps), I almost always go with Opt Compound and polish.



I've used the SSR's but have never been able to mitigate the dust.



Like everyone else has said, all three lines can be very effective.
Click to expand...





Bingo! . :clap:
 
Bonka said:
I mostly bought all 3 since I also do detail work on friends' cars and I figure this would be a good chance to see what works well with which cars.
Click to expand...



Good choice. :bigups



Some paints respond best to one particular polishing line so I find it best to have 2-3 different polish line-ups. For example, Optimum is great on newer clear coat paints but Meguiars is better on single stage paints at removing oxidation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top