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If you want to maintain the glossy finish of your car paint or restore it to make your vehicle look new, you need buffing pads. Over time, car paint dulls due to weather, wear, and scuffs or scratches that can happen by accident. Buffing pads help to polish and clean the exterior of your car and can even help repair damage from scratches.
There are many types of buffing pads on the market at varying prices to fit any budget. To help assist your search for the right buffing pads for you, we created this guide to help you understand buffing pads and make a smart purchase decision.
What Are Buffing Pads?
Buffing pads are circular tools to polish paint and other hard materials, such as metal. They’re most commonly made of foam, wool, or microfiber. Some pads are meant for manual use while others attach to power tools. They can also be useful in applying wax or sealant.
Buffing pads are similar to fine sandpaper, in how they remove dirt and give an even, smooth finish to surfaces. If you’re applying polish or wax to a surface, it’s wise to use buffing pads because they are absorbent, flexible, and provide a protective layer between your hand and the surface and material you’re applying.
Here are benefits to using buffing pads rather than other materials:
- Removes scratches: Buffing pads are most effective in removing defects from surfaces and they are more efficient than applicators such as a towel.
- Applies product evenly: Buffing pads have a unique design to distribute wax, polish, and other finishes evenly on a surface.
- Uses less product: Unlike a towel or other applicator, a buffing pad uses less polish, which can save you money.
Types of Buffing Pads
There’s a wide variety of buffing pads to choose from. Here are some of our top picks:
Chemical Guys Buffing Kit
This buffing kit from Chemical Guys comes with different pads to fit the needs of various surfaces. This product includes a cleaning solution to wash your pads with after each use. It’s recommended for beginners to car detailing and provides a beautiful finish for your car. You can attach these buffing pads to a power tool or use your hand to apply polish.
Meguiar’s DA Polishing Power Pads
Meguiar’s DA polishing power pads are accessories for the Meguiar’s DA Power System Tool G3500 that are designed to help to remove light swirls from your car. This can restore the glossy finish of the car paint. This set includes two 4-inch diameter foam pads that allow you to reach nearly any surface of your vehicle. You can wash and re-use these pads and use them to polish or apply wax.
If you don’t have the Meguiar’s DA Power System Tool G3500, you can use these pads manually as well.
Viking Car Care Microfiber Applicator Pads
The Viking car care microfiber applicator pads consist of soft microfiber material. They’re great for applying wax, polish, and protectant evenly on surfaces. These buffing pads are safe and gentle enough to use on both the interior and exterior of your car. With only a 5-inch diameter, these pads will reach smaller surfaces of your car and are easy to hold.
Consumers report that these pads have great quality, provide a beautiful finish and they’re very inexpensive.
Chemical Guys Hex-Logic Medium-Heavy Cutting Pad
The Chemical Guys hex-logic medium-heavy cutting pad is recommended for removing scratches and other defects. This foam pad is flexible and can conform to the surface you are polishing, providing maximum contact and coverage. The structure of the buffing pads is like a honeycomb which helps absorb, then distribute a finish evenly.
The Chemical Guys hex-logic medium-heavy cutting pad is 6 inches in diameter to help cover more surface area and is more efficient than smaller pads.
Porter-Cable Lambs Wool Hook and Loop Polishing Pad
This Porter-Cable 6-inch lambs wool hook and loop polishing pad can polish a wide range of surfaces including your vehicle or headlights. You need a sander or a polisher in order to use this buffing pad. It’s compatible with most orbit sanders. The Porter-Cable polishing pad is most useful for removing scratches and buffing headlights to restore them to their original color and shine.
How to Choose the Buffing Pads
Consider these factors when purchasing buffing pads:
- Material: Buffing pads are made from various materials. Consider how the pad will be used and against what surface to decide the best material.
- Flexibility: You may need more or less flexibility in your buffing pads depending on the curves and edges of the surface you want to use the product on. A flat surface is suitable for rigid pads, but the surface of your vehicle requires a pad with flexibility.
- Cut: The cut of a pad refers to how it removes defects. Aggressive pads can remove deep scratches and imperfections in paint quickly, while a less aggressive pad requires more buffing time and leaves a smoother finish. If you use buffing pads to wax, then you need a pad with no cut so that it is not too rough on the surface.
- Surface paint: Consider the paint on the surface you’re going to be using the buffing pad against. There are different buffing pads that manufacturers recommend using for clear coats, dark paint, etc.
- Surface size: Consider the size of the surface you wish to use the buffing pads on. This can help determine the diameter of the pad you should buy. If you use a sander or polisher, the pad needs to be slightly larger to fit your tool properly.
- Buffing machine: If you already have a power tool for buffing, such as a sander, ensure that the buffing pads are compatible. It’s also important that the buffing pads come with a backing pad to attach the pads to the polisher or sander.
- Warranty: You may want a buffing pad with a warranty included by the manufacturer. This may help guarantee the quality of the buffing pads and protect you if the product is faulty.
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Source: www.caranddriver.com