Buff and Shine vs Optimum MF Polishing - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

CamaroDreams07 · 07-11-2013, 09:34 PM

Ever since my recent dealings with Corey at CarPro-US.com, I've been trying lots of their stuff to see if I can support them when I can. Now, people that know me know that my number one priority with ANY detailing product is effectiveness. I will NEVER endorse a product for monetary gain or because I like the guy selling it. If I happen to think a product is best and it just so happens to be sold by a super nice guy or company, that's just a bonus.

People know that I'm a huge, huge proponent of microfiber polishing systems on a DA polisher. I feel they cut through swirls much faster and finish excellently on all but the softest of paints. I have long believed they are the future, and with the number of companies making the transition to Microfiber lately (Adam's, Lake Country, Meguiars, Optimum and Buff and Shine all have lines now), it appears I am not alone in this belief.

My current go-to system is the Optimum Microfiber system. These pads cut through swirls very nicely and, with practice, are capable of an extremely good finish

Pros:
-Ease of use
-Speed of cut
-Finishing capability
-Machine Washable
-Don't clog like foam pads

Cons:
-Become matted quickly, need fluffing after each section
-Sometimes sketchy construction. Microfiber sometimes separates from foam backing
-So-so velcro attachment

So recently I've been working with the Buff and Shine Microfiber pads. Same idea, different company. Here's a side by side, white is Optimum

As you can see, the Buff and Shine is much, much thicker. It has a lot more foam between the polisher and the paint, and the layer of microfiber is thicker as well.

For comparison, here's a BnS next to a traditional foam pad

It's nearly as thick as foam, which is unusual in the microfiber disc market.

Let's take an up-close look at the differences

You can see right off the bat, the BnS is beefier in every regard. It's got a big mop of "hair" on top, whereas the Optimum goes with shorter fibers. The foam is obviously much different in the two. I can tell you that the Optimum foam is much firmer than is the BnS.

So let's look at the "business end" of each and compare

Again, you can see the BnS is much denser and longer fibers. Running your fingers through that is like shag carpeting vs the Optimum. Both are very soft, so no concerns there. The Buff and Shine also just feels more durable in the hand. You can twist the pads, pull on the fibers and you never feel like you need to worry about doing damage. The Optimum is good, but definitely not on par with the level of construction. Even the velcro is so good that you have to put in some effort to remove it from the backing plate.

So in terms of performance, how do the two stack up? In my testing, I've found that the BnS cuts a bit more effectively. The finishing disc of BnS cuts nearly as well as the cutting disc of Optimum. That being said, I believe the Optimum finishes slightly better, but the difference is extremely minor and will likely be rectified as I put in more hours of practice with the new pads. The best thing about these pads is that they don't gum up and become matted down as easily as the Optimum. When I use Optimum discs, I know I have to run a brush through them after each panel to fluff the fibers back up. The thicker, plusher fibers of the BnS can easily go 2, maybe 3 sections without becoming matted at all. Even when they do get a little gummy, it's nothing like the Optimum pads do. That's a huge plus for me.

So in conclusion, both pads will get you where you want to go. They're both very capable of doing the same job. I have to give the nod to Buff and Shine here because of the cutting speed, the ease of use, and the construction.

Let me know if you have any questions at all.

camaro2ssblack · 07-11-2013, 10:25 PM

Interesting. Adams pads are exactly like buff n shine from what I can tell. I am surprised the thicker pad cuts better but I assume that's the difference in the fibers. What about product usage? Some of the guys over at Adams are commenting on how much more polish these things eat up...

ec1990 · 07-11-2013, 10:28 PM

Have you tried Meg's pads in comparison?

ihaveacamaro · 07-11-2013, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaro2ssblack

Interesting. Adams pads are exactly like buff n shine from what I can tell. I am surprised the thicker pad cuts better but I assume that's the difference in the fibers. What about product usage? Some of the guys over at Adams are commenting on how much more polish these things eat up...

mf pads always use more than foam in my opinion.

CamaroDreams07 · 07-11-2013, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaro2ssblack

Interesting. Adams pads are exactly like buff n shine from what I can tell. I am surprised the thicker pad cuts better but I assume that's the difference in the fibers. What about product usage? Some of the guys over at Adams are commenting on how much more polish these things eat up...

What i did is primed the pad then used about 3 drops per section. I havent noticed excessive polish use with either MF system Ive tried.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ec1990

Have you tried Meg's pads in comparison?

No I haven't. Still need to try those and the LC

camaro2ssblack · 07-11-2013, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ihaveacamaro

mf pads always use more than foam in my opinion.

Yes for sure. What I meant was does the buff n shine use noticably more polish than the optimum pad due to the fiber density. Not that it would matter for a weekend warrior...

ihaveacamaro · 07-11-2013, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaro2ssblack

Yes for sure. What I meant was does the buff n shine use noticably more polish than the optimum pad due to the fiber density. Not that it would matter for a weekend warrior...

oh gotcha! sorry

in understanding on my part

Adam's Polishes · 07-12-2013, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaro2ssblack

Yes for sure. What I meant was does the buff n shine use noticably more polish than the optimum pad due to the fiber density. Not that it would matter for a weekend warrior...

As a blanket answer for all pads in the MF category - yes.

Because of the pile of the fibers we found in all our testing that the longer the fibers got, the more polish you seemed to burn thru. The tradeoff being that the denser/longer pile seemed to work much better though.

Gotta figure as the length of the individual strands gets longer the depth the polish can work its way into the pad is greater, so it can retreat pretty deep in there.

The foam thickness, from a polish use standpoint, has no impact. The glue membrane between the MF surface and the foam prevents pretty much any polish from getting thru to the foam, so its stopped at the base of the MF and can't go any further.

07-11-2013, 09:34 PM	#1
CamaroDreams07 Drives: Slow V6 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: East Lansing, MI Posts: 9,361 View My Garage	Buff and Shine vs Optimum MF Polishing Ever since my recent dealings with Corey at CarPro-US.com, I've been trying lots of their stuff to see if I can support them when I can. Now, people that know me know that my number one priority with ANY detailing product is effectiveness. I will NEVER endorse a product for monetary gain or because I like the guy selling it. If I happen to think a product is best and it just so happens to be sold by a super nice guy or company, that's just a bonus. People know that I'm a huge, huge proponent of microfiber polishing systems on a DA polisher. I feel they cut through swirls much faster and finish excellently on all but the softest of paints. I have long believed they are the future, and with the number of companies making the transition to Microfiber lately (Adam's, Lake Country, Meguiars, Optimum and Buff and Shine all have lines now), it appears I am not alone in this belief. My current go-to system is the Optimum Microfiber system. These pads cut through swirls very nicely and, with practice, are capable of an extremely good finish Pros: -Ease of use -Speed of cut -Finishing capability -Machine Washable -Don't clog like foam pads Cons: -Become matted quickly, need fluffing after each section -Sometimes sketchy construction. Microfiber sometimes separates from foam backing -So-so velcro attachment So recently I've been working with the Buff and Shine Microfiber pads. Same idea, different company. Here's a side by side, white is Optimum As you can see, the Buff and Shine is much, much thicker. It has a lot more foam between the polisher and the paint, and the layer of microfiber is thicker as well. For comparison, here's a BnS next to a traditional foam pad It's nearly as thick as foam, which is unusual in the microfiber disc market. Let's take an up-close look at the differences You can see right off the bat, the BnS is beefier in every regard. It's got a big mop of "hair" on top, whereas the Optimum goes with shorter fibers. The foam is obviously much different in the two. I can tell you that the Optimum foam is much firmer than is the BnS. So let's look at the "business end" of each and compare Again, you can see the BnS is much denser and longer fibers. Running your fingers through that is like shag carpeting vs the Optimum. Both are very soft, so no concerns there. The Buff and Shine also just feels more durable in the hand. You can twist the pads, pull on the fibers and you never feel like you need to worry about doing damage. The Optimum is good, but definitely not on par with the level of construction. Even the velcro is so good that you have to put in some effort to remove it from the backing plate. So in terms of performance, how do the two stack up? In my testing, I've found that the BnS cuts a bit more effectively. The finishing disc of BnS cuts nearly as well as the cutting disc of Optimum. That being said, I believe the Optimum finishes slightly better, but the difference is extremely minor and will likely be rectified as I put in more hours of practice with the new pads. The best thing about these pads is that they don't gum up and become matted down as easily as the Optimum. When I use Optimum discs, I know I have to run a brush through them after each panel to fluff the fibers back up. The thicker, plusher fibers of the BnS can easily go 2, maybe 3 sections without becoming matted at all. Even when they do get a little gummy, it's nothing like the Optimum pads do. That's a huge plus for me. So in conclusion, both pads will get you where you want to go. They're both very capable of doing the same job. I have to give the nod to Buff and Shine here because of the cutting speed, the ease of use, and the construction. Let me know if you have any questions at all. __________________ [B]

07-11-2013, 10:25 PM	#2
camaro2ssblack Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS - Black on Black Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Jackson, TN Posts: 731	Interesting. Adams pads are exactly like buff n shine from what I can tell. I am surprised the thicker pad cuts better but I assume that's the difference in the fibers. What about product usage? Some of the guys over at Adams are commenting on how much more polish these things eat up... __________________

07-11-2013, 10:28 PM	#3
ec1990 Drives: 2012 AGM SS Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 1,407	Have you tried Meg's pads in comparison? __________________ Check out my blog for product reviews on detailing products!