CarPro Reload vs Traditional Sealants

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On most of the cars that I "detail," the standard request is to perform a wash, de-contamination and paint sealant application.

I find that most paint sealants last between 2-4 months, with garaging and car wash frequency being the most important variables.

On a standard mid-size sedan, this job takes an average of 3 hours. Of the 3 hours, about 90 minutes of this is dedicated to the paint sealant application. This is because Blackfire Wet Diamond or Menzerna Power Lock take about 20 min to apply, 45 min to cure and 20 min to remove.

After some thought and research, I learned that CarPro Reload can last 2-3 months in many applications. It is a simple wipe-on/off application and even has some of the dirt-repelling characteristics of a paint coating. Based on my personal experience with CarPro's Hydr02 product, I expect Reload to be extremely slick and glossy (and the reviews confirm this).

Going forward, from an efficiency standpoint, I think this product makes a lot more sense. Easier application, less time and nearly as good results. I have a 1L bottle on order and will report back.


Manufacturer's site:
http://www.cquartz.com/products/113-reload

Reviews:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/60745-carpro-reload.html
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/41502-review-carpro-reload.html
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/40249-carpro-reload-perl-mini-review.html
 
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I don't see why you wouldn't use Collinite 476S in this case. For me even without garaging and maybe only a wash every 2-3 weeks I easily get at least 2 months if not the same 4 months of protection. Since I wax every season which is every 3 months I use 915 myself but a switch to 476S will up the protection and I'd confidently say on a well prepped surface 4 months is reasonable.

If you do a full claying and a simple wax with it I do know that it also looks better than those wipe on synthetic sealants.

I mean it's good to try stuff out and experiment but when it comes to maintaining profitability and saving time sometimes it is better just to stick with a tried and true product.

Collinite applies easily especially by machine you can do an entire car in about 15 minutes, cures in the time it takes to apply and looks fantastic and the durability is just as comparable to those finicky sealants you're using.
 
Originally Posted By: qwertydude
I don't see why you wouldn't use Collinite 476S in this case. For me even without garaging and maybe only a wash every 2-3 weeks I easily get at least 2 months if not the same 4 months of protection. Since I wax every season which is every 3 months I use 915 myself but a switch to 476S will up the protection and I'd confidently say on a well prepped surface 4 months is reasonable.


I've found the application of Collinite to be too finicky for my tastes. If it is applied outdoors and the sun shines on it, that stuff can become a nightmare to remove.

Yes, some of these newer products are a bit finicky, but I find them to repel dirt better, be easier to maintain and have better water beading than Collinite.

Also, for the record, I've never felt comfortable charging for my services so this is just a really expensive hobby for me.
 
It's not too bad. I find wipe on and cure sealants like Blackfire a total pain to use when you have to worry about coating thickness and high spots.

If you're having trouble with Collinite it's almost always attributable to putting it on too thick. It should pretty much look like a smeared fingerprint when properly applied. You should use a microfiber covered applicator, soak it in water and squeeze out the excess. Foam ones generally apply too much and it becomes a pain to remove and can cause streaking. The water soaked microfiber applicator definitely helps applying it.

If it's still being difficult another trick is to use a wipe on wipe off method, this method works especially well if on the off chance you are applying it in the sun. Have an applicator followed immediately with a microfiber wiping it off, but don't buff it, just wipe it off with a pass or two. It may seem like you're not doing anything but that microscopic amount left behind after the wipe off is actually all you really need. After the wipeoff stage then you let it cure onto the paint and follow with a buff with a clean microfiber to polish the waxed surface. And to really set the wax you can spray some water on the panel and buff it with a microfiber.

You can also machine apply it. This lets you really work in the wax and apply a thin coat properly. To do one section like an entire hood literally you should be using about 2 pea sized chunks on the pad. Remember to properly prime the pad with a spritz or three of water.

I have waxed literally hundreds of cars, light, dark, old, new, even single stage paints using the above methods and have never experienced any difficulty with Collinite save for one or two whose paints were riddled with micropores from a poor aftermarket paint job.

If you're willing to learn how to use an old school method like rotary. You might as well learn how to properly use an old school wax like Collinite. Because it's not hard, but if it's as difficult to remove as most people complain about, well it follows that it's gonna be durable.

And when you master it, you'll really feel the benefit as one inexpensive can will last a very long time. And the look it leaves behind is second to none. People will really appreciate the sharpness of the gloss that really only an old school wax provides. The synthetic sealants to me always look like a plasticky coating or worse like someone just smeared vegetable oil on the car.
 
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Waxes , and some sealants, cause beading on paint, and are no where near as hydrophobic as a good sealant or better yet, a coating. Water beading causes all of the dirt and pollutants on your hood and in rain water to dry and stay on your paint, further dulling the finish. And more swirls when you wash it, since that crud its sitting (now dried) on your hood. Additionally, a good sealant (better yet a coating) makes washing and drying your vehicles much much easier than if a wax was covering it. More sheeting. Less swirls, less dirt staying on the paint.

These are some of the reasons a sealant or coating are far superior to wax for my applications , and a good many other people. Possibly depending on your local weather and type of car (daily driver for me, stored outside 24/7 in northern winters etc) you would make a different choice.

Now, if your ONLY desire is the look of wax, for a garage queen in SoCal, then you should be buying some top end waxes for that "primo carnuba" look. However, the constant application causes you to touch your paint more often, causing more swirls. This is a non starter for many people and should be understood.

As for ease of application, with claims of lasting up to 2 years, try DP Paint Coating.Spray on, wipe with foam, buff with MF towel. Takes seconds per panel.

Sheeting of DP Coating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUx0dqDaQdg

I just put DP Window coating on my windshield, before this northeast rain "event". Its amazing, great run off, wipers (below 35 mph) glide with no sound, above 35 pretty much not needed, crystal clear. I'm moving from the sealant, right into the coating camp.
 
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Originally Posted By: nepadriver
Waxes , and some sealants, cause beading on paint, and are no where near as hydrophobic as a good sealant or better yet, a coating. Water beading causes all of the dirt and pollutants on your hood and in rain water to dry and stay on your paint, further dulling the finish. And more swirls when you wash it, since that crud its sitting (now dried) on your hood. Additionally, a good sealant (better yet a coating) makes washing and drying your vehicles much much easier than if a wax was covering it. More sheeting. Less swirls, less dirt staying on the paint.


Beading is a function of surface energy. Coatings that minimize surface energy can cause great beads, but highly rough micro structures can also cause beading, and obviously that isn't a desirable thing from a dirt capture point of view.

It isn't sensible to have a more hydrophobic surface, with less beading, given that hydrophobicity is defined in terms of contact angles, which relate back to the energy of adhesion. For something to not bead yet to be more hydrophobic is not a sensible scenario in terms of the thermodynamic definition.

Perhaps one surface is more well "sealed" than another in terms of porosity or something else, but hydrophobicity isn't a good explanation.

And without beading, it seems questionable how anyone would actually quantify the level of surface coatings protecting the surface. Lots of claims, but it doesn't add up to me.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic

After some thought and research, I learned that CarPro Reload can last 2-3 months in many applications. It is a simple wipe-on/off application and even has some of the dirt-repelling characteristics of a paint coating. Based on my personal experience with CarPro's Hydr02 product, I expect Reload to be extremely slick and glossy (and the reviews confirm this).


Have you ever tried the wipe on/walk away sealants? It doesn't get any easier than that. Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Optimum Opti-Seal. I was skeptical at first, but now, I very rarely bother with a product that needs to be wiped off. Why do an extra step and waste more time?
 
Originally Posted By: qwertydude
It's not too bad. I find wipe on and cure sealants like Blackfire a total pain to use when you have to worry about coating thickness and high spots.

If you're having trouble with Collinite it's almost always attributable to putting it on too thick. It should pretty much look like a smeared fingerprint when properly applied. You should use a microfiber covered applicator, soak it in water and squeeze out the excess. Foam ones generally apply too much and it becomes a pain to remove and can cause streaking. The water soaked microfiber applicator definitely helps applying it.

If it's still being difficult another trick is to use a wipe on wipe off method, this method works especially well if on the off chance you are applying it in the sun. Have an applicator followed immediately with a microfiber wiping it off, but don't buff it, just wipe it off with a pass or two. It may seem like you're not doing anything but that microscopic amount left behind after the wipe off is actually all you really need. After the wipeoff stage then you let it cure onto the paint and follow with a buff with a clean microfiber to polish the waxed surface. And to really set the wax you can spray some water on the panel and buff it with a microfiber.

You can also machine apply it. This lets you really work in the wax and apply a thin coat properly. To do one section like an entire hood literally you should be using about 2 pea sized chunks on the pad. Remember to properly prime the pad with a spritz or three of water.

I have waxed literally hundreds of cars, light, dark, old, new, even single stage paints using the above methods and have never experienced any difficulty with Collinite save for one or two whose paints were riddled with micropores from a poor aftermarket paint job.

If you're willing to learn how to use an old school method like rotary. You might as well learn how to properly use an old school wax like Collinite. Because it's not hard, but if it's as difficult to remove as most people complain about, well it follows that it's gonna be durable.

And when you master it, you'll really feel the benefit as one inexpensive can will last a very long time. And the look it leaves behind is second to none. People will really appreciate the sharpness of the gloss that really only an old school wax provides. The synthetic sealants to me always look like a plasticky coating or worse like someone just smeared vegetable oil on the car.


If you'd like to send me a sample, I'd be more than glad to give it a try. I have plenty of Reload, Polymer Net Shield, Power Lock and Blackfire Wet Diamond to last me years. And you're more than welcome to have a sample of anything from my stash.

To be honest, if I need more than 4 months durability, I think that particular car should be getting a paint coating and not a traditional sealant/wax.

Originally Posted By: nepadriver
Waxes , and some sealants, cause beading on paint, and are no where near as hydrophobic as a good sealant or better yet, a coating. Water beading causes all of the dirt and pollutants on your hood and in rain water to dry and stay on your paint, further dulling the finish. And more swirls when you wash it, since that crud its sitting (now dried) on your hood. Additionally, a good sealant (better yet a coating) makes washing and drying your vehicles much much easier than if a wax was covering it. More sheeting. Less swirls, less dirt staying on the paint.

These are some of the reasons a sealant or coating are far superior to wax for my applications , and a good many other people. Possibly depending on your local weather and type of car (daily driver for me, stored outside 24/7 in northern winters etc) you would make a different choice.

Now, if your ONLY desire is the look of wax, for a garage queen in SoCal, then you should be buying some top end waxes for that "primo carnuba" look. However, the constant application causes you to touch your paint more often, causing more swirls. This is a non starter for many people and should be understood.

As for ease of application, with claims of lasting up to 2 years, try DP Paint Coating.Spray on, wipe with foam, buff with MF towel. Takes seconds per panel.

Sheeting of DP Coating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUx0dqDaQdg

I just put DP Window coating on my windshield, before this northeast rain "event". Its amazing, great run off, wipers (below 35 mph) glide with no sound, above 35 pretty much not needed, crystal clear. I'm moving from the sealant, right into the coating camp.


To be honest, I've had fairly mixed experiences with the DP line. I do have a bottle of DP Paint Coating that I may use on my dad's van, but my experience with it is that it flashes way too quickly during application.

Originally Posted By: Zeus33

Have you ever tried the wipe on/walk away sealants? It doesn't get any easier than that. Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Optimum Opti-Seal. I was skeptical at first, but now, I very rarely bother with a product that needs to be wiped off. Why do an extra step and waste more time?


I've tried Blackfire Crystal Seal. I thought it was a decent product, but the application time was not much less than a typical sealant. You needed to use the correct lighting to identify and level any high spots.

Otherwise, I've never considered the other WOWA type products due to the price vs durability factor. Reload is compelling since the application is quick, the technology is modern, plus the durability is very promising.
 
Originally Posted By: Zeus33


Have you ever tried the wipe on/walk away sealants? It doesn't get any easier than that. Ultima Paint Guard Plus or Optimum Opti-Seal. I was skeptical at first, but now, I very rarely bother with a product that needs to be wiped off. Why do an extra step and waste more time?

UPGP and Opti-Seal are a staple in my shop and down right awesome products,, durable, look great, super easy and very fast to apply, all around excellent products from known well respected manufacturers. 10 minutes to protect a mid sized vehicle, gotta love that.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
....

And without beading, it seems questionable how anyone would actually quantify the level of surface coatings protecting the surface. Lots of claims, but it doesn't add up to me.


You could measure the thickness, 3 layers on a typical coating (Opti Coat, CQuartz etc) adds thickness to the surface measured with a paint thickness gauge. Additionally you can simply feel the slickness, and finally you can test water's behavior on the surface. In effect water should not be sitting on the paint, and drying there. If the coating itself is too dirty you can clay bar it, the properties will return.

Not sure what you mean by claims? People have been using for more than a decade now. Waxes and Sealants are similar to conventional oil at this point. Again, unless you have a need for a certain look on a garage queen, there is no need for them.
 
Try Ultima Paint Guard Plus. It's a wipe on/walk away product....no buffing. I've been getting a good 6-8 months between applications.
 
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Got my bottle. Now I just need a car to try it on.

Any local BITOGers want a detail?
grin.gif


 
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