Pricing between Zaino and BF?

M

mDw

New member
Hi, I recently have been reading alot about zaino and bf and ppl have said great things about both products. The scenario that I am in right now is which product is more affordable. By that I mean using the whole system for an effective finish. I don't exactly have that much money to spend on detailing products at the moment. Thanks.



-brian
 
If you have a lot of time to let Z cure, then Z is cheaper. If you don't have the time or the place to let Z cure, then Blackfire is cheaper. The ZFX(a fast curing agent)is 19.95 and Z2 is 12.95. Together that is 32.90 while Blackfire which does not require a curing agent added is only 24.95.
 
I really don't get why some people think Zaino takes a long time to cure. I applied a coat on Saturday in 38 degree weather and it took an hour to cure. :confused: Wiped off effortlessly.
 
Lower initial cost: Blackfire.



Lower long-term cost: I'd probably say Zaino here. Zaino lasts much much longer than BF does, especially if you buy the whole system. If you have to keep applying BF every 6 weeks it's not all that economical . . . but do the math and figure out what's best for you.
 
I agree. Cure time is really a not a concern for me. I find that a coat dries in usually less than an hour above 50*. However, if you HAVE to leave your car outside in a dusty or adverse climate it could be a problem. But, ZFX eliminates those concerns anyway, so it's still not a problem...



I think Zaino has several advantages over BF. First and foremost, the Z shine will NOT fade away after one or two washes, like BF. Some say the BF protection polymers are still there protecting even though the shine has faded. But, what good are protection polymers if your gloss is gone? IMHO, a good polymer is supposed to provide lasting protection AND shine. Otherwise, it's no better than a carnauba to begin with. Second, Zaino has a whole range of products that work superb together. You don't have to get ALL of them at one time. After you're hooked on Z, you'll want the rest. :D Third, cost. Well, I have not figured out which is cheaper and honestly I don't care. Zaino is worth every penny. You can get everyting you need to start for under $50...easily.



I'm not saying BF is a bad product. For a daily driver, I'm still convinced that Zaino (or maybe Klasse) is the best you can get. I've yet to see any evidence that BF is superior or even as good as Z. If you have a garage queen, then BF may work very well for you. Just choose the system that meets your needs the best, and you'll be happy.
 
Is your car worth it?



I think the auto is a huge investment and you should use high quality products. But with that said do not go bankrupt either buying car detailing stuff.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Metallic Mike [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>If you have a garage queen, then BF may work very well for you.[/b]</blockquote>
As most are aware, I applied BF to my wife's friends Mercedes back in early December. When I first applied BF it had (*checking notes*) 2,335 miles on it. I did a clay, a little FI2/SMR where necessary, then used the BF system (polish x2, protectant x3, QD).

I asked her not to wash it anywhere, but rather let me know when it needs a wash. She came back in mid January with 2,501 miles on it and I was shocked at how unslick the surface was. It was slightly dusty but not very dirty. She was visiting with my wife, so I offered to wash it and evaluate it. I posted my findings and no one really said much.

So, yesterday we had some nice weather and I called Nicole and asked her to bring the car over for a wash. In my earlier post, I had mentioned that I suspected she might have taken it to an auto car wash, so I "marked" the car to see if it had been washed since my last wash. My marks were still in place, so I'm 99.9% sure she hasn't washed it since January.

When I went to wash it, the car had 2,842 miles on it. I washed it and when I went to rinse it, the water didn't even sheet off. It sort of "clung" to the panels. I broke out my brand new electric leaf blower and tried to blow the water off. It didn't even "roll" off - it's like there wasn't any protection at all on the car. I didn't blow off the roof or decklid, but went for a quick drive with it. I drove it 80mph (I live in a very rural area) and when I got home it was still wet.

I used my big blue MF to dry the rest of the car, and then went inside to apologize to her...I told her I'd re-detail the car when she wanted me to. I'm very, very, very disappointed with the protection that BF offered on this car. It's had 500 miles in 3 months put on it, and it sits garaged all of the time. The product is super easy to use and I love the look of it, but as far as I'm concerned, its durability is highly suspect!

I know that there are people who are using it and reporting long lasting results, and great compatiblity with a topper, but the reason I convinced her to use it was because BF claims to last "6 months to a year."

I dunno, perhaps it's the Mercedes, perhaps I'm cursed, but after seeing how the water "clung" to the body, I'm convinced there wasn't any protection. Sheeting water should cascade off the car, rather than stick for dear life!

Just my .02
 
I have two coats of BF on my vehicle and it still sheets off the car after a month and at least four washings. It is not slick but still smooth. I compared it to a new car that was never waxed and you can definitely tell there is still protection and shine there.
 
I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers but I'll add this little bit:

I'm a complete geek (hence, my name), and I painted one of my computers with PPG Deltron 2000 Base/Clear about 2 years ago. I spent about $400 on paint, catalysts, clear, reducer, hardner, etc.

I've never waxed it (amazingly), but I do take the panels off and rinse them with water every so often. Each time I take these <em class='bbc'>unwaxed, unprepped, PPG'd panels[/i] and rinse them, the water beads and runs off like there's a ton of wax on the panels.

I find it amazing that after I use a wax/protectant that the water "clings" to the paint, when fresh paint doesn't do this. Later today I'll take off one of the panels and demonstrate via pictures.

Again, this is only my experience, but I wonder if others aren't looking at their $50 investment a little more optimistically than others.... :nixweiss
 
thanks for all of the responds. it's great to be on a board where everyone helps others in need of help. i think i will give zaino a try, and ill go from there. thanks.



-brian
 
I just like to point out that:



Zaino Cure time NOT equal to Zaino Dry time.



As soon as Zaino dry you can buff it off. It needs an ADDITIONAL 8 hours to cure before you can put on another layer.

Cure time is for the polymer to crosslink to the layer/paint underneath.



Using ZFX eliminate the cure time totally. Dry time is reduced to ~10 minutes.



If you will do one coat max per session you can get Z1+Z2 instead of ZFX+Z2 and save ($20-$9) $11 by getting Z1 instead of ZFX. That is not bad actually consider some Autopian actually prefers to wait 1 week to layer another coat.
 
You are correct, sir. I should have said "Zaino drying time = non-issue". I do my car outside almost every time. When I used carnuba wax I had to wait about as long as I do with Zaino.

I don't care if you store your car outside, inside, or under a rock. Unless you want to apply multiple layers the drying time isn't an issue. The curing time, for those who want to do several layers in one day, can be circumvented with ZFX.

Everybody knows this now, I think.
white_mf.gif
 
Drying time is not the same as curing time, we have gone over this many a time. BF dries in less than a min and cures in about 10 min. Zaino ZFX dries in about ten min and cures in abpout the same time as BF. Theese both are great cause you can layer instantly. Without ZFX, you should let zaino sit for an additional 12-24 hours like klasse. Also, BF comes in 16 oz bottles, whrere Zaino comes in 8oz (i believe). Value is dependent on reults, and my results with BF have been great. The intial shine is uneaqualed y anything else i have ever used, including klasse, which is saing alot. Also, the shine has not diminished one bit with three coats on. Slickness has diminished slightly but slicness really isnt important to me, mostly shine, and protection. Both are great products, but since I havn't used zaino, ill have to recomend BF, cause its the best stuff ive used.
 
IMO, Zaino drying time (without ZFX) may be an issue for newbies that apply too thick. Personally I have better result with Zaino in terms of durability, but honestly in my circumstances BF beats Zaino on drying time. BF is also very easy to apply and remove. Costs aside (the difference is not much, we are talking about a can of wax that will last more than a year even if you apply monthly) , if you want a "proven" product go Zaino. BF shines good, I believe nobody can argue with that, but you will be experimenting with its durability. My suggestion with BF is on initial application, put as many coats on as you can. At least 2 coats per week consecutively for 3 weeks. Seem to hold up better with more layers in my case! But then, there are others with 1-2 coats of BF without any durability problem. Again, BF is not proven yet so pls experiment and report back. :D

EDIT - BTW, what color is your car? Here's pic of my BF Trunk. Like it? ;)

BT.jpg
 
I have 4 coats of BF on now and its been almost 2 months. The surface is definitely not "slick" but it is very smooth and the water is still sheeting. Durability is a non issue to me because I haven't gone more than a month without waxing my truck:D

Ive washed my truck 4 times so far and after a QD it looks like I just applied another coat of BF..I also put a coat of Blitz on and it made the BF shine MUCH more deep and wet looking. So far I am very pleased with BF..It goes on/off easy and the price is reasonable.

If you want something that will "definitely" last 6 mths without re-applying than Klasse or Z is the better choice since durability is still a question with BF. But if you wax every month than the durability question is a non issue. Cant go wrong with any of them:p
 
If you evaluate before QD'ing how does it look and feel? Also, if you are topping with blitz, why bother with BF at all as you are really only seeing the blitz shine on the surface?
 
I agree with Brad and Lone Wolf 100%. Blackfire is the best detailing product I have ever used. I applied two coats, and after a month, and four to five washings the car still shines and sheets water. You can still feel the protection is there.
 
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