XMT vs Optimum - Overall and for swirl removal...

J

Joe Link

New member
I think I might have made a mistake. I ordered the XMT PC 7424 kit from autogeeks yesterday (December 11th) and I'm thinking I probably should've gone with the Optimum kit instead. I think what really sold me was the video on autogeeks of the XMT removing the scratches and swirls. The swirls I need to remove are pretty bad and it looked like it'd do the trick, but Optimum seems like the better overall product for all my cars. One thing the PC 7424 kit doesn't come with is the Hyper Compound, but I can purchase a bottle of that if you guys think I should. I bet if I catch them early tomorrow morning I can change my order before it ships.



How well does Optimum remove scratches and swirls compared to XMT?
 
I love the XMT line. They are both very similar. XMT and Optimum both have low dusting, good cut, and work well in heat and sun. I love Poli-Seal and am hoping that XMT will be having an All In One very soon.



Try the XMT. You saw the videos and they are very real. XMT#3 and a light cutting pad is very good for heavy swirls. The finishing glaze is in a class by itself. I can't and won't live without it.



Btw, the new Hyper is really meant for a rotary only.
 
I tried the XMT #3 on a wool pad with a PC to get out some really bad scratches in a 325i. It almost worked, they looked better, but I ended up going to Meg's #84 to do it and even with that, it took a loooooong time. Now, these scratches were not so deep as to catch your fingernail on them, they looked like someone used a brillo pad to clean spots off the car. Older and wiser now, and the owner of a rotary, I'll say, use the XMT, when it runs out try something else, you've ordered a good product and unless you're detailing on the side, you'll be fine.
 
I really like the Optimum line of polishes. Now dusting,easy to use, and can be worked in longer without drying. The Polish and Compound is all you should need. They HyperCompound is pretty aggressive.
 
I think you'll do fine with XMT. They dont seem to have too much cut, so you may have to break out the cutting pads. I did a review a while back on them. I've got the whole line. The glaze looks great. They're all pretty easy to use, but the sprayers on my bottle of pad cleaner and pad conditioner arent the greatest. On my bottle of pad cleaner, you can pump it and nothing comes out.



I have Optimum polish as well. I dont have a direct comparison as I used the XMT line by PC and have only used Optimum via rotory. Knowing that, I will say that Optimum has a longer working time (even by rotory) and when mixed with Hi Temp Extreme cut can do some serious cutting. My review of the XMT line can be found at: http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-...promised-autogeek.html?highlight=XMT+Autogeek
 
i use both xmt and optimum, I am more comfortable with the xmt, i am very familiar with it and absolutely love it. optimums are great as well but you can't go wrong either way.
 
Will the Optimum get scratches and swirls out as well as the XMT? I cancelled my order last night and I'm going to re-order today. I really like the idea of Poli-seal.
 
Joey Link said:
Will the Optimum get scratches and swirls out as well as the XMT? I cancelled my order last night and I'm going to re-order today. I really like the idea of Poli-seal.
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I've personally found the Optimum to be a more effective polish, although people have had good results with either. There is a big advantage to optimum though - it's far cheaper. 32oz of Optimum goes for around $15, vs 12oz of XMT for about $13 last I checked.
 
justin30513 said:
I love the XMT line. They are both very similar. XMT and Optimum both have low dusting, good cut, and work well in heat and sun. I love Poli-Seal and am hoping that XMT will be having an All In One very soon.



Try the XMT. You saw the videos and they are very real. XMT#3 and a light cutting pad is very good for heavy swirls. The finishing glaze is in a class by itself. I can't and won't live without it.



Btw, the new Hyper is really meant for a rotary only.
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I have had some negative expieriences with XMT. My biggest complaint was the significant dusting that occured while using the products, followed by the poor results I obtained. Pads were preped, primed and well lubed and brushed throughout the process, on realatively soft paint. Under the same conditions on the same panal with the same, freshly cleaned pads, the Optimum and Hi Temp products I used were dust free, and ripped through defects like i was using a rotary.



I will say however, as evidenced by his click and brag theads and detailing expierience, that the quote by justin above is solid advice, as he has far more expierience using XMT than I do. Try it out, you just might like it. You WILL love the smell . . . Pads clean up pretty easy too . . Optimum, without question is more popular, and many would argue a better product . . . but XMT has made quite an impression on many autopians . . some love it. The finishing glaze is pretty sweet too . . . awesome shine and gloss. Just take it with an open mind, be patient, and if you end up not liking it, order some optimum when you run out. . .
 
xmt does dust up on me but not to the extent of menzernas line. it stays wet long, most of my work with it was in the mid summer in direct sunlight at times which is what made me a believer. there are learning curves to every line i think, xmt is far different from op.
 
VaSuperShine said:
xmt does dust up on me but not to the extent of menzernas line. it stays wet long, most of my work with it was in the mid summer in direct sunlight at times which is what made me a believer. there are learning curves to every line i think, xmt is far different from op.
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I agree completly . . . I have only tried XMT on 3 or 4 vehciles, and several test panals. I will be giving it another shot come summer time. I might as well sicne I have 3/4 left in my bottles. . . .



But , if i had to choose one polish and didnt have the luxury of having several other brands on hand, it would be optimum.



heres a link you might find helpful, a lot of info here . . .



http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/80351-vote-your-favorite-polish.html



:waxing:
 
I find the XMT polishes dust too much as well. I tried whatever I could to prep the pads, and try to keep it lubed but it just dusted too much for me. Rather use Optimum personally
 
MattPersman said:
I find the XMT polishes dust too much as well. I tried whatever I could to prep the pads, and try to keep it lubed but it just dusted too much for me. Rather use Optimum personally
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One key thing with XMT is not to go over #4.5-#5 settings on the PC. Like Optimum, very little is necessary to get tons of results. To much and the lubricants ride over the abrasives and you get clogging and then, dust.
 
maybe thats it, I didn't try slower speeds. I have quite a bit of XMT left, so I will have to try that. it worked decently on the defects, just dusted at high speed. I have the Dewalt DA polisher, so the speed numbers are not that same.



thanks for the tip, I just got the Poliseal, hope to try this week sometime
 
The Optimum seems to have a little more cut to me. The Polish seems to be in between the XMT 1 and 2. I think the Compound has a lot more cut than the 3.
 
MattPersman said:
maybe thats it, I didn't try slower speeds. I have quite a bit of XMT left, so I will have to try that. it worked decently on the defects, just dusted at high speed. I have the Dewalt DA polisher, so the speed numbers are not that same.



thanks for the tip, I just got the Poliseal, hope to try this week sometime
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You will love the Poli Seal. Promise. Just ask Juztang!



And Scottwax....

And Ron...

And AnthonyO....



LOL!
 
it's also important to not overload the pad with xmt. it takes very little to polish a large section. im working on the wifes new car right now (well used but new to her) with optimum, op has yet to dust but oc dusted up big time. also i think the ohc new formula finishes down cleaner than oc old formula. the oc left much haze, the ohc very very little. wonder if anyone else concurs with that statement.
 
I haven't used any Optimum polishes . . . yet. However, I have used the whole XMT line. In fact, I'm almost out of almost all my XMT products. As already mentioned, the Finishing Glaze is top notch. :bigups IMO it works better than RMG. It really darkens and deepens the paint. The polishes work very well also. They smell delicious and I always have to remind myself not to drink them. ;) I get ZERO dusting when using the XMT polishes, but I always polish at speed 5 so maybe that's why. They work a decent amount of time and then wipe right off too.



Here's one thing I've never understood. When people talk about the XMT polishes they seem to complain about the fact that they have less cut. However, If you look at the whole line of XMT polishes the range of cut is pretty much the range of abrasiveness a PC user would want. The abrasive range XMT 1-3 covers is pretty much the same range covered by Menzerna FPII & IP, Poorboy's SSR1-2.5, and Optimum Polish & Optimum Compound. IME I've never found two lines of polish which match up exactly in terms of cut. So, whenever you switch brands there's an adjustment period during which you find out which pad/polish combo does what. So, I'm not sure why this always seems to be highlighted when the XMT line is discussed.



Oh yeah . . . XMT pad cleaner is FANTASTIC. It really does a great job. As far as the XMT pad conditioner goes though I don't think it does a better job than a couple squirts of QD on the pad.
 
you guys bring some new light on the subject . . . im gonna try XMT at lower speeds next time i use it . . . . thanks mikey c, vasuper and justin . . .



joey . . . so where are you at on your decision . . ?
 
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