Reviews

Porter Cable 7424 XP – Product Review

The Porter Cable 7424 XP is the real deal when it comes to high speed buffing and polishing. This is a professional grade machine that we’ve been using at Five Star Detailing to achieve stellar detailing results. This model is an upgrade to the original Porter Cable 7424 providing 4.5 amps and 6,800 OPM’s.

This new model is ergonomically designed as they’ve placed the speed dial and the on/off switch on the top of the machine to allow changing speeds without removing the polishing pad off surfaces. Coupled with a solid backing plate (we recommend Lake Country) the possibilities are endless as pads are interchangeable making this the most versatile orbit buffer on the market.

Porter Cable has done it again providing and upgrade to an industry standard that provides a paint safe, reliable, and effective detailing solution for a variety of applications. Additionally, this machine is economical as it will break down product as high speeds where the need to use excess products is a thing of the past.

The Porter Cable 7424 XP is 13% faster than its previous model on top speeds. The machine handles smooth and counter weights strategically placed in the machine make it easy to use, even for beginners.

We recommend this product for professionals, enthusiasts, and even beginners as it will provide incredible results when used properly and is rugged enough to last years, even if it is used daily.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Tweet This Post Digg This Post Facebook MySpace Ping This Post

Star Brite Black Streak Remover – Product Review

We have been using a black streak remover by Star brite for a variety of detailing applications. Star brite’s black streak remover is great for removing dark water marks, dried on dirt, and mineral stains without the use of a harsh chemicals. The spray bottle is our choice as even applications can be applied to fiberglass surfaces on boats and RV’s.

When detailing boats we’ve found that removing black streaks and stains from the hull is quite easy using this product. We’ve been faced on a few occasions with dirty hulls with years of grime built up. When spot treating a hull (or any fiberglass area on a boat) Star brite’s black streak remover breaks down dirt and mineral deposits from water run-off easily from fiberglass and gel coated surfaces.

We’ve also found this product to be handy when detailing the exterior of an RV. Specifically, around drains there tends to be a lot of dark water marks that are set in by the sun. With minimal effort (no hard scrubbing!) Star brite’s black streak remover goes to work breaking down the stain and is easily removed using a terry cloth towel. We found this product to be helpful also when cleaning small areas of fiberglass between decals, stickers, and lettering, where a strong chemical may damage or cause premature aging of vinyl.

Five Star Detailing highly recommends Star brite’s black streak remover for its ability to remove the most difficult black streaks, water marks, and dried in grime from fiberglass surfaces. The Star brite website also claims that there are 100’s of applications for black streak remover including cleaning bathroom showers and tubs. Having a versatile product like Star brite’s black streak remover is necessary for marine and RV detailing.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tweet This Post Digg This Post Facebook MySpace Ping This Post

Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner – Product Review

When it comes to “All Purpose Cleaners” for auto detailing we usually are skeptical as many solutions that claim to “do it all” fall short of our expectations. Meguiar’s new All Purpose Cleaner is the “best of breed” when it comes to a solution that is suitable for cleaning all interior surfaces of a vehicle including seats, carpets, upholstery, leather, and vinyl.

This product comes from Meguiars professional detailer line and is recommended for commercial use. We purchased a highly concentrated 1 gallon jug to be mixed with water and create a customized strength. We also purchased a 36 oz. detailing spray bottle to mix the correct ratios of product and water. We found this solution to be economical as one jug (1 gallon) makes up to 10 gallons of cleaner. As recommended by Meguiar’s, we diluted ¼ solution into the water mixture in the spray bottle.

We had much success removing stains and revitalizing carpets with the spray solution. A light mist goes a long way. As the product is agitated it acts as a shampoo and lifts the dirt to the surface of the carpet. The product can be wiped off with a towel or vacuumed if you have a powerful shop vac. We favor the shop vac method for removable carpets as we can extract all the water and dirt from carpeted surfaces.

We’ve also found that this formula works great as a pre-wash on the exterior of vehicles. A lighter concentration (1/8 solution to water) will yield a solution that foams up gently when agitated with a sponge and water. Before washing a vehicle we’ve been spraying this mild solution to break down old wax and grime off the entire vehicle. The results have exceeded our expectations as the paint is clean after rinsing. We’ve been “flooding” areas of the car (hood, roofs) to prevent beading and water spots. Using Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner for carpeted areas and a light exterior pre-wash has been an economical way to achieve desired results with a commercial grade product.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tweet This Post Digg This Post Facebook MySpace Ping This Post

Vinylex by Lexol – Product Review

A product that we’ve been using to separate ourselves from the competition when it comes to high quality interior car detailing is Vinylex by Lexol. Vinylex cleans and protects all plastic and molding trim while leaving a brilliant shine. Many interior products need to be worked into cracked and faded plastic while Vinylex is absorbed immediately. (after spray applications) The result is a high quality shine that penetrates below the surface of plastic and rubber.

This is a one-step formula that nourishes vinyl, rubber, and plastic surfaces. Vinylex contains DH-60 UV sunscreen to block color fading ultra-violet rays. We use and highly recommend this product for dashboard surfaces and vinyl and leather seats. What we love most about Vinylex is that is never leaves a greasy residue or shows overspray spots. As many products need to be worked into surfaces, Vinylex absorption rate is fantastic, and the product truly goes a long way with just a few sprays.

Vinylex is also known for its scent which is reminiscent of new plastic and vinyl surfaces. Interior surfaces are nourished and revitalized after just one application. Exterior trim also comes out looking new. Vinylex has worked wonders on plastic bumpers, rubber trim on doors, and plastic pieces while detailing a vehicles exterior. Additionally, Vinylex is great for the trim on boats and RV’s. We’ve found Vinylex to work great on treating the rub rail (hard rubber) on boats as it can penetrate deep into the surface. Vinylex works great on RV trim as well around fenders and bumpers.

Vinylex offers the best results for non-silicone based protection, clean feeling surfaces that are not greasy to the touch, (no slipping off the steering wheel!) and repelling dust after applications on dashboards. Our customers have always been pleased with the results of Vinylex by Lexol and we will continue using this product on future vehicles.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Tweet This Post Digg This Post Facebook MySpace Ping This Post

Star Brite Chrome and Stainless Steel Polish – Product Review

Star brite’s chrome and stainless steel polish works wonders when restoring chrome and stainless steel accessories when detailing cars, boats, and RV’s. We’ve found this product to be especially helpful for marine applications when cleaning, polishing, and protecting boat cleats, railings, steering wheels, and chrome pieces. For cars we’ve used this product on rims, chrome bumpers, stainless steel, and polished pieces. What separates this product from others in its class is its ability to restore the original luster without having to rub the product on/off excessively.

There are special polymers in this product that bond to metal surfaces that prevent against pitting, discoloration, or rust. When it comes to marine detailing one must take into consideration the damaging effects of salt water spray on chrome and stainless steel fixtures. Purchasing new chrome fixtures can be expensive, so maintaining them with a quality product to clean, polish, and protect is recommended.

Star brite’s chrome and stainless steel polish cleans and shines in one easy step. This saves time, energy, and money spent on applying additional products. We also have found this product useful when treating aluminum surfaces as well. This is a great all-around high quality metal polish.

We’ve removed hard water stains from stainless steel railings, heavy oxidation from boat cleats, tarnish from chrome steering wheels and instrument gauges, aluminum exhaust tips, and chrome gas caps. We have not used this product for home applications, but we are confident that the same results would be delivered. For a great all around chrome and stainless steel polish we recommend the Star brite solution as we’ve found to be the best formula to prevent against pitting, discoloration, and rust, while leaving a high quality shine.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Tweet This Post Digg This Post Facebook MySpace Ping This Post