Pads for OPT Products

[rickd972]

I've asked a few questions here and other forums as to "the best" or "what do you recommend" and...as I should have known..received the multitude of response spanning the gamut of product, choices, etc...

 

That said, let me try my question this way. I had purchased a GG 6" DA along with some of their orange (cut/polish) and red (finish/wax) foam pads. I don't have any issues with the GG pads and was able to clean up my daily drivers very well, though I've never used any other pads. I also used some of their polish and wax but was not overly impressed and I've now bought into the Optimum line primarily for ONR, wash, OPC...but when placing my order went ahead and got polish, finish (I have a dark burgandy dd that will probably benefit from the finish before Opti-Seal), opti-seal; and even poli-seal as I will probably one-step my kids cars

 

My two questions are:

1. I feel I've cleaned the pads well (actually have one of each unused); do I need to be concerned with any cross-contamination having already used the pads with the other polish/wax products?

 

2. Given my technique (be that good, bad, or average) will not change regardless of what pads I use ;is there any value in my considering different pads for Opt products? If I did change; I would likely go the easy route and order up either the Opt waffle pads or the MF pads. I would think the MF pads work/act/feel much different than foam, but perhaps not. It seems from a post or two on here that they may be "easier to learn" than foam. Not sure if that meant "less likely to make a mistake" or just easier to accommodate heavier cutting with a compound down to finer polishing with a polish with the same cutting pad?

 

I'm fine with the 6"; though I understand the benefits (and drawbacks) of a 5" BP....may go that route as well; but this question is centered more on the pads themselves.

Thanks in advance.

Rick

[Setec Astronomy]

Don't worry too much about the pad cross-contamination, I think you're fine. The pads you have are fine, if you want to try the waffle pads fine, if you want to try MF pads I'd pick another brand rather than the Optimum. I would also say foam pads have a better learning curve than MF pads.

[rickd972]

Thanks.