Ask the Detailer

Clay is not designed for water spot removal also wax and polish will not do anything but seal in the water spots. Use polisher and get a very minor swirl water spot remover and pad.

 

I put some of this on the fender and door I corrected the other day. I don’t know how it will hold up or perform, but reviews are great, and it has to be the easiest to apply product I’ve ever used. Seriously pretty cool to work with.

Meguiar's G18309 Ultimate Fast Finish, 8.5 oz

$25 Meguiar's G18309 Ultimate Fast Finish, 8.5 oz

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WP6PXT7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_plClDbVT2JVD3

 

wow first time I've seen this, if it works as good as their ultimate spray wax, i'm game!!

 

I’ve watched a few videos on it, and it does seem pretty good and versatile. DPC recommends it for leather seats also.

https://youtu.be/eJoqaqjzSNY

One video I watched has a very good test on this against Beadmaker. It’s pretty long, but you can skip around. He doesn’t give his opinion, but leaves it up to you to decide. My impression is that the Beadmaker held up better, but Meguair’s Fast Finish is much easier and faster to apply. It also uses much less product, but you get double the amount of Beadmaker for the same price.

https://youtu.be/LD8fyexP-M8

I’m going to give the edge to Beadmaker. Fast Finish, to me at least, does not equal Beadmaker in appearance, nor slickness. Beadmaker has a truly unique feel to it that nothing else I’ve used comes anywhere near to replicating.

That said, I really think Meguair’s Fast Finish is a great product. Ease of application is far and away the best I’ve experienced. It will take less than half the time, and very little product to do a Tundra. I did the fender and door with one small spray on an applicator pad.

The reviews I’ve read claim people are getting 20 cars out of an 8.5 ounce bottle. Just a guesstimate, but I’d say that translates to roughly 10 Tundras from a bottle. It takes a full 16 ounce bottle to do a Tundra once.

Fast Finish is around $17.00 for 8.5 ounces. Will do approximately 10 Tundras.
Beadmaker runs around the same for 16 ounces. Will do 1 Tundra.

Beadmaker wins out for performance.
Fast Finish wins out for ease and price.

Once again, I’ve barely used the Fast Finish, just going off the videos I’ve watched. I’ve used Beadmaker extensively, so I do know that product as well as anyone would.

 

16 ounces of beadmaker per use??? yikes!!!

 

Yeah, the first application does take that much. I’m a little heavy handed with it, but it’ll take most of it for sure. You don’t have to use as much on subsequent applications, but you have to flood the surface on the initial one.

I love Beadmaker, but it’s two downfalls are durability and amount of product required. It’s a trade off for the effects it provides. There’s nothing else that does what it does.
Luckily it’s not too expensive. Most of us buy it by the gallon, which runs on average $32.00.

I doubt Fast Finish will become a regular in my arsenal, but I would recommend it to others who aren’t going to put as much time into detailing as I do.

As for your original statement: I don’t know how it performs against their Ultimate Liquid Wax, but I guarantee it’s a lot faster. Even a spray wax takes a little time and effort. This stuff is wipe on, wipe off. You don’t even have to wait for it to dry or cure. You also don’t have to worry about overspray on your glass, etc.
I don’t use a ton of Meguair’s products, but they don’t make junk. Unlike some of the other big names, they haven’t sacrificed quality over the years.

 

I've watched a few youtube videos on it and seems like a lot of work for something to use as a drying aid. you said the durability isn't that great? I am kind of hesitant to try it, since I have had such good luck with the meguiars and silverwax stuff I use now.

 

It’s not great compared to other products I’ve tried like Carpro Reload, Hydro2, Gyeon Wetcoat, Jescar Powerlock, Opti-Seal, and others. Beadmaker, in my experience, tends to begin degrading at around a month if left alone. Those others hang in there at least twice that long, up to six months depending on weather and driving conditions. Beadmaker is easier to apply than Reload and Powerlock though.

None of my vehicles are garage kept. The Houston weather, air quality, and frequency of my washes tend to keep me on the low end of any product durability. People who aren’t in that situation are going to get better longevity. I’d bet that it lasts a good bit longer in Canada than it does in Texas.

It’s also not mainly a drying aid. It can be used as one, but at least the first application needs to be done on dry paint, just like Meguair’s Wax. Once you have the first application done, you can use a couple of sprays per panel as a drying aid in future washes. That will keep it in good shape indefinitely. It’s only on the first use that you have to use a ton.

If you’re happy with what you’re using, that’s great. The best thing about detailing is that there are a lot of great options, and I don’t knock Meguair’s at all. They definitely know what they’re doing. Myself and a lot of other guys here have used a lot of stuff and have settled into our favorites. I don’t think any of us would claim our way is definitively the best, and none of us do exactly the same thing. It’s personal preference.
Beadmaker is just unique, with it’s own pros and cons. I’ll say I think everyone here who has tried has been pretty impressed though. It’s something you have to experience first hand. If you’re curious, order a bottle and check it out. We’d love to see your thoughts on how it compares to what you use now.
I’d also like to see another opinion on Fast Finish, if you want to check that out.

 

I might give it a try..

 

I have played with it a little and I think it's a really nice product. Very easy to use, pretty much just rub it on and you're done, no excess buffing it off. I am not sure what kind of longevity it gives but I have read it lasts several months. A little goes a long way, that's for sure, it only takes a couple sprays per panel to get them fully covered. It leaves a pretty slick finish and great gloss, not as much so as beadmaker but its easier to apply, you use much less of it, and it lasts much longer. Its definitely something to consider as a full time sealant

 

have you tried the meguiars hyrbid ceramic spray wax? heard its pretty legit. as for the ultimate fast wax, I think my lawn tractor will be the guinea pig for that one!! lol!!!

 

I have, and it’s also really good. I believe I got about six weeks out of it before it started wearing off. There are a lot of really good options out there. It’s all up to personal preference.

I need to detail my lawn mower also....

 

It is very easy to apply. It’s only been two days, and I only did a couple of panels. I don’t know yet how it’ll hold up.

 

It’s another pretty good one. A bit expensive at $30.00 for 8 ounces, but does go a long way.

 

I’ve never heard of that one, but the reviews are good and the price isn’t bad.

 

gotta keep em clean!!

 

Daughter bought an 18 Crosstrek yesterday. Washed with CarPro reset and toped it with some Beadmaker. Will iron x and clay this fall when the weather cools off. Also used some waxaddict Tyre feeder on the tires.

 

Thanks. I'm definitely far from a professional but detailing is relaxing for me. First Subaru at our house so hopefully it's a good car.

 

Very nice. That car is very similar to my daughter’s Honda.

 

I put a coat of hydro2 on my truck today, as a topper to the DPC shield I did last week. I assume it was too hot out, because I had tons of streaks and spots yet again with the hydro2 at 6:1. I ended up having to go over it with the reload/ech2o elixir to get all the spots out. Oh well, it looks unreal now so I'm happy. Thunderstorm came as I was finishing up so no pics I'll get sole tomorrow. Next layer will be beadmaker after the next wash. It will be so slick and glossy I'll need sunglasses just to look at it lol.

 

Quick garage pic, I did drive it in the rain about 2 hrs after I finished, had no choice, still looks so shiny. I really think it's the carpro essence that gives it that extra shine.

 

Lovely as always Sean.

 

Many hours lol. I decided to upgrade to a griots GG6 after battleing with the harbor freight unit. I can't wait to try that one. Should really cut polishing time down

 

Definitely. Even on the minimal correction I’ve done, I can tell a huge difference. That Torq one I got was barely better than the HF.
That begs the question: Why the hell do I have three polishers?

 

Time to sell one lol. I will definitely keep my HF as a back up, or maybe throw a small 3" backing plate on it for small areas. I did a lot of research and the GG6 seemed far and away the best value. I'm not ready to spend $400+

 

You can not go wrong with the GG6...plenty of power and a lifetime warranty, even if you pick up a used one. Griots customer service is top notch, too. Put the 3" backing plate on the HF, and you're good to go. Pick up the 5" conversion kit for the GG6, and then some 5.5" BOSS pads, and you'll never look back.

 

I have the lake country 5" backing plate and a bunch of LC pads for it en route. I am really looking forward to using it. I read a great article on megs 205 the other day and how I can use it to cut heavily with an orange pad, was in detailedimage. Great info. I also have 105 and a wool heavy cut pad and some MF cutting pads. Will be restoring a 95 Chevy 1500 paint next week

 

looking forward to the pics

 

@driverdog @SouthBoundSteve did the Waxaddict USA site get closed? Unless I have the url wrong, it’s not working.

 

I had to try out my new GG6 polisher today so I did my windshield. Washed, clayed, and polished with megs 205 and an orange pad, it came out much better than I expected.
The griots polisher is a dream to use compared to my HF unit. Its heavier but less vibrating and noise and well balanced. I'm so glad I got it. It runs like a dream with the 5" backing plate, I was worried I'd have to swap out the counterbalance weight but no need.