Part One is here: http://www.itr-dc5.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29947-meguiars-vs-werkstat-on-a-white-dc5-this-is-big-lol/
Part Two in here: http://www.itr-dc5.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29968-meguiars-vs-werkstat-part-2-on-arctic-blue/
INTRODUCTION
The third and final part of my little comparison series here, undertaken and written to hopefully educate and enlighten!
I have taken onboard some comments from others about trying some cheaper waxes and more expensive waxes, also towards the end I have touched on using all the above on uncleaned paint to truly test if there is anything between them in shine!
The Following test was done on my Arctic Blue Spoiler. I am testing clarity and reflectivity here and comparing all 4 waxes.
NOTE: The spoiler was machine cleaned with Meguiars Ultimate Compound. The Swissvax side was treated with Swissvax Cleaner Fluid.
THE PRODUCTS
Anyway, moving on! In order of price we have:
1. Turtlewax Metallic Wax (The World's No.1 Shine apparently!)
COST: £5.99 via Halfords
2. Meguiars 16 Paste Wax
COST: £12.95 via cleanyourcar.co.uk
3. Werkstat Acrylic Jett
COST: £17.00 via polishedbliss.co.uk
4. Swissvax Mirage (I bought a £5 TINY sample pot)
COST: £115 via polishedbliss.co.uk
+
Swissvax Cleaner Fluid (I got a sample sachet with my Mirage Wax)
COST: £34 for 250ml via polishedbliss.co.uk
Swissvax Total Cost would be: £149 for the two..... WOWZERS! Better be good stuff!
1. PREPARATION:
As always, separate pads/cloths etc, the spoiler was cleaned with Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
The Swissvax side was treated with the Swissvax cleaner fluid (incase it makes a massive difference! Plus a shame to waste!)
Spoiler was taped off into 4 sections, product sides are labeled in this pic so you know what went where for subsequent images.
SIMPLES!
2. APPLICATION/REMOVAL:
Turtlewax:
Meguiars:
Werkstatt (buffed for complete removal)
Swissvax Mirage:
APPLICATION RESULTS:
As you can see, the Turtlewax was VERY chalky! Left a very visible residue however, easy to apply. Smelt OK, fresh smell, like washing powder.
The Meguiars was not so visible, easy to apply, left a slight haze. Smelt VERY strong of what it contains (Petroleum!)
Don't sniff it often, lol.
Werkstat was being Werkstat, hard to see at all where you had been, but constant rubbing all over ensures complete coverage. No real smell to it at all.
Swissvax was very tough! Being %40 Carnauba Wax, it took some effort to get it out the pot and enough of it on the cloth to apply, but dried to a perfect non chalky haze. The smell was simply AMAZING, like a Peachy exotic fruit, lol, one of the best smelling waxes I have ever had the pleasure of using.
REMOVAL RESULTS
The Turtlewax was easy to remove, but left a white chalk residue everywhere, this normally gets in gaps between panels and needs extra care and attention to remove completely.
Meguiars was very easy to remove, probably the easiest of the 4, couple of rubs and it was gone. No resuidue.
Werkstat had already been removed during the constant buffing stage. No residue.
Swissvax, again, my nose was stuck to it because it just smelt far too good! Removal was 'grippy' but easy enough to remove with some pressure. No residue.
4. REFLECTION TEST
As per my other tests, indoors will do just fine here for a simple reflection test, the flash of the camera always provides a strong light source.
A Microfiber was placed on the spoiler, folded evenly and photographed, it's the reflections we will be paying attention too here.
Close up and crop of each wax, usual order mentioned at the start......
REFLECTION TEST RESULTS:
Yeah, we have been here before haven't we.... there is not a single difference between any of them that I noticed on camera or with my own eyes. Reflections are crisp on ALL 4 waxes.
I tested lots of reflections (as always!) and all waxes gave identical results.
Just to be sure, I took a picture with just the borders of the tape left to see if you can see the 4 squares of different wax 'shine', all residue of the tape was wiped away with a clean cloth, removal of the tape revealed the pre-compounded unwaxed surfaces.
But as you can see, no visible differences, no visible boxes of 'shine' not even a difference between where there is wax and no wax....
I'm not going to bore you with countless tests anymore, these results are completely conclusive.
Oh, one more thing though!
I promised to do some wax tests on un-cleaned paint....
I borrowed my mums 4x4 workhorse for this, lol, a perfect example to try this test on. Badly Oxidised Clear Coat with faded paint (even peeling on the bonnet, lol), brilliant!
This test was done outside in natural light.
UNTOUCHED CONDITION:
As you can see, VERY bad condition! Perfect to test some all 4 waxes on.....
Again, same order, cheapest to most expensive went on... in straight forward unmasked strips.
As you can see, the Turtlewax is chalking up again as it dries, Meguiars leaves a haze, Werkstat is already buffed dry and Swissvax is hazed up ready for removal too and still smells AMAZING even on bad paint, lol.
Then, I removed it all with clean cloths.....
the result is pictured below.
I cant tell ANY difference where I had been, other than I had removed the dirt sitting on the clear coat which made it look much shinier. This lends further evidence to the fact there is NO difference in shine to ANY of these waxes. It ALL really depends how clean your Clear Coat is.
CONCLUSION BETWEEN THESE 4 WAXES.
I came to this one quite fast, because I have been down this road a couple of times now.
There is no difference between these waxes when it comes to 'shine' all waxes produced the same results.
What are you paying for? We gotta look at the Swissvax here, honestly, it's a very clever marketing trick going on with the Swissvax, they claim that it contains £££ worth of premium products and it makes you think it must be better because you are paying more. Truth be told and seen, nothing magic is going on here, other than a placebo effect if you believe it. It's clearly a designer wax for people with the budget for it. Remember, Carnauba is NOT an expensive product unlike some claim.
Are you paying for Durability then with the Swissvax? Not really, being synthetic the Werkstat is engineered to last longer than the natural Carnauba in Swissvax.... and werkstat is 1/7th of the cost of Swissvax.
Which is the best then? Really, that depends what you are after and your budget....... All of them gave the same amount of 'shine' regardless of how they were marketed in that respect, they are all 'the best' at letting your paint and clear coat shine.
How can I tell what wax is best for my paint? Honestly, clean your clear coat as best you can, then tape off a portion and apply a wax to it. If you can't see a difference then it's a good quality wax, if it makes the surface dull compared to a clean clear coat, then it's not the right wax for you. Simple as that.
FINAL WORDS
At the end of the day, it just depends on your budget, what you choose is up to you but the key is having the best paint and clear coat possible to start with, then as said before you want to be protecting and sealing that in with a wax or sealant of your choice.
Whichever works best for you though, is entirely your choice, but be safe in the knowledge that you are not paying for a difference in shine with a sealant/wax regardless of cost!
Perhaps that will change as technology gets better in the future and you will be able to multiple layer waxes for better protection. But for now, like I have said before, I am still yet to see a 'Miracle' wax or evidence this can be done, I only see wishful thinking and clever marketing tricks.
The differences are mainly in application, longevity and removal between them all, oh and of course the SMELL!
Me personally, I will always want a wax that seals my paint from the elements, is easy to apply, easy to remove, lets my paint shine and one that smells great for a GOOD price. We all know who ticks all those boxes for me. lol....
THE END
Part Two in here: http://www.itr-dc5.com/forum/index.php?/topic/29968-meguiars-vs-werkstat-part-2-on-arctic-blue/
INTRODUCTION
The third and final part of my little comparison series here, undertaken and written to hopefully educate and enlighten!
I have taken onboard some comments from others about trying some cheaper waxes and more expensive waxes, also towards the end I have touched on using all the above on uncleaned paint to truly test if there is anything between them in shine!
The Following test was done on my Arctic Blue Spoiler. I am testing clarity and reflectivity here and comparing all 4 waxes.
NOTE: The spoiler was machine cleaned with Meguiars Ultimate Compound. The Swissvax side was treated with Swissvax Cleaner Fluid.
THE PRODUCTS
Anyway, moving on! In order of price we have:
1. Turtlewax Metallic Wax (The World's No.1 Shine apparently!)
COST: £5.99 via Halfords
2. Meguiars 16 Paste Wax
COST: £12.95 via cleanyourcar.co.uk
3. Werkstat Acrylic Jett
COST: £17.00 via polishedbliss.co.uk
4. Swissvax Mirage (I bought a £5 TINY sample pot)
COST: £115 via polishedbliss.co.uk
+
Swissvax Cleaner Fluid (I got a sample sachet with my Mirage Wax)
COST: £34 for 250ml via polishedbliss.co.uk
Swissvax Total Cost would be: £149 for the two..... WOWZERS! Better be good stuff!
1. PREPARATION:
As always, separate pads/cloths etc, the spoiler was cleaned with Meguiars Ultimate Compound.
The Swissvax side was treated with the Swissvax cleaner fluid (incase it makes a massive difference! Plus a shame to waste!)
Spoiler was taped off into 4 sections, product sides are labeled in this pic so you know what went where for subsequent images.
SIMPLES!
2. APPLICATION/REMOVAL:
Turtlewax:
Meguiars:
Werkstatt (buffed for complete removal)
Swissvax Mirage:
APPLICATION RESULTS:
As you can see, the Turtlewax was VERY chalky! Left a very visible residue however, easy to apply. Smelt OK, fresh smell, like washing powder.
The Meguiars was not so visible, easy to apply, left a slight haze. Smelt VERY strong of what it contains (Petroleum!)
Don't sniff it often, lol.
Werkstat was being Werkstat, hard to see at all where you had been, but constant rubbing all over ensures complete coverage. No real smell to it at all.
Swissvax was very tough! Being %40 Carnauba Wax, it took some effort to get it out the pot and enough of it on the cloth to apply, but dried to a perfect non chalky haze. The smell was simply AMAZING, like a Peachy exotic fruit, lol, one of the best smelling waxes I have ever had the pleasure of using.
REMOVAL RESULTS
The Turtlewax was easy to remove, but left a white chalk residue everywhere, this normally gets in gaps between panels and needs extra care and attention to remove completely.
Meguiars was very easy to remove, probably the easiest of the 4, couple of rubs and it was gone. No resuidue.
Werkstat had already been removed during the constant buffing stage. No residue.
Swissvax, again, my nose was stuck to it because it just smelt far too good! Removal was 'grippy' but easy enough to remove with some pressure. No residue.
4. REFLECTION TEST
As per my other tests, indoors will do just fine here for a simple reflection test, the flash of the camera always provides a strong light source.
A Microfiber was placed on the spoiler, folded evenly and photographed, it's the reflections we will be paying attention too here.
Close up and crop of each wax, usual order mentioned at the start......
REFLECTION TEST RESULTS:
Yeah, we have been here before haven't we.... there is not a single difference between any of them that I noticed on camera or with my own eyes. Reflections are crisp on ALL 4 waxes.
I tested lots of reflections (as always!) and all waxes gave identical results.
Just to be sure, I took a picture with just the borders of the tape left to see if you can see the 4 squares of different wax 'shine', all residue of the tape was wiped away with a clean cloth, removal of the tape revealed the pre-compounded unwaxed surfaces.
But as you can see, no visible differences, no visible boxes of 'shine' not even a difference between where there is wax and no wax....
I'm not going to bore you with countless tests anymore, these results are completely conclusive.
Oh, one more thing though!
I promised to do some wax tests on un-cleaned paint....
I borrowed my mums 4x4 workhorse for this, lol, a perfect example to try this test on. Badly Oxidised Clear Coat with faded paint (even peeling on the bonnet, lol), brilliant!
This test was done outside in natural light.
UNTOUCHED CONDITION:
As you can see, VERY bad condition! Perfect to test some all 4 waxes on.....
Again, same order, cheapest to most expensive went on... in straight forward unmasked strips.
As you can see, the Turtlewax is chalking up again as it dries, Meguiars leaves a haze, Werkstat is already buffed dry and Swissvax is hazed up ready for removal too and still smells AMAZING even on bad paint, lol.
Then, I removed it all with clean cloths.....
the result is pictured below.
I cant tell ANY difference where I had been, other than I had removed the dirt sitting on the clear coat which made it look much shinier. This lends further evidence to the fact there is NO difference in shine to ANY of these waxes. It ALL really depends how clean your Clear Coat is.
CONCLUSION BETWEEN THESE 4 WAXES.
I came to this one quite fast, because I have been down this road a couple of times now.
There is no difference between these waxes when it comes to 'shine' all waxes produced the same results.
What are you paying for? We gotta look at the Swissvax here, honestly, it's a very clever marketing trick going on with the Swissvax, they claim that it contains £££ worth of premium products and it makes you think it must be better because you are paying more. Truth be told and seen, nothing magic is going on here, other than a placebo effect if you believe it. It's clearly a designer wax for people with the budget for it. Remember, Carnauba is NOT an expensive product unlike some claim.
Are you paying for Durability then with the Swissvax? Not really, being synthetic the Werkstat is engineered to last longer than the natural Carnauba in Swissvax.... and werkstat is 1/7th of the cost of Swissvax.
Which is the best then? Really, that depends what you are after and your budget....... All of them gave the same amount of 'shine' regardless of how they were marketed in that respect, they are all 'the best' at letting your paint and clear coat shine.
How can I tell what wax is best for my paint? Honestly, clean your clear coat as best you can, then tape off a portion and apply a wax to it. If you can't see a difference then it's a good quality wax, if it makes the surface dull compared to a clean clear coat, then it's not the right wax for you. Simple as that.
FINAL WORDS
At the end of the day, it just depends on your budget, what you choose is up to you but the key is having the best paint and clear coat possible to start with, then as said before you want to be protecting and sealing that in with a wax or sealant of your choice.
Whichever works best for you though, is entirely your choice, but be safe in the knowledge that you are not paying for a difference in shine with a sealant/wax regardless of cost!
Perhaps that will change as technology gets better in the future and you will be able to multiple layer waxes for better protection. But for now, like I have said before, I am still yet to see a 'Miracle' wax or evidence this can be done, I only see wishful thinking and clever marketing tricks.
The differences are mainly in application, longevity and removal between them all, oh and of course the SMELL!
Me personally, I will always want a wax that seals my paint from the elements, is easy to apply, easy to remove, lets my paint shine and one that smells great for a GOOD price. We all know who ticks all those boxes for me. lol....
THE END
