# P&S Bead Maker review



## cleslie

Ok, we've all seen this in action in the U.S and it appears to be very highly rated. In fact, It must be the most hyped product that I can remember. It's starting to appear in the UK with Motorgeek and Prestige Car Care although out of stock currently at both. I managed to get a couple of bottles on Black Friday from Motorgeek and put it on the car this morning. As demonstrated by Obsessed Garage and The Rag Company, for this first application I applied liberally to a couple of panels at a time, spritzed a mf and wiped over. I then wiped to a shine with a second mf. I found plush to apply and short pile to remove worked best. I was expecting this amazing slickness that the hype has lead us to believe but I didn't find anything amazing initially. I carried on around the car and once finished put my bits and pieces away not taking much notice of the results as I was cold and wanted to get indoors. As I walked out the garage facing the car I was struck with how glossy it looked - very reflective. As I always do with any LSP, I gave the car a quick wipe over with a fresh plush mf. It was at this stage I discovered the really slick feel that everyone has gone on about. This stuff is very slick but also extremely glossy which is the aspect I was interested in with Bead Maker. I think because it was pretty cold this morning it took a minute or two for the product to fully flash off and the slickness to show. If it was 20 degrees, I'm sure it would have been instant. I shall wait to see if the slickness and gloss improves even further as it's reported to do. I can report that an hour and a half or so after finishing, there's even more slickness. Seems like great stuff and I will use very little from now on as just a spritz or two is required per panel to maintain. Once it's back in stock I'll get the U.S gallon size as I like this stuff. I used just under half the 473 ml bottle for this initial application. I'm interested to see how the slickness feels after the next wash but more will go on then anyway. I tried this almost wanting to it to be mediocre but it's pretty decent.
Here's a quick pic straight from my phone without any editing:


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## camerashy

Looks a lovely finish.
I notice that Motorgeek are suggesting 8/10 hours to fully cure, so there may be more gloss on the way.


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## blurb

:thumb::thumb:
Oh damn, I am going to have to add this to my list of spray and rinse sealants.
Like you said, I was hoping it was going to be hype to save me trying another product, but if it's that good and reasonably priced it'll be worth it.


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## Coachman

How much did this product cost?


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## cleslie

£11.95 473ml
£34.95 3.78l (US gallon)


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## mikster

Looks great! Gotta try it out


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## Andy from Sandy

> I notice that Motorgeek are suggesting 8/10 hours to fully cure


The video posted in another thread also made the point about not getting the car wet during that time period, something I cannot be sure will happen.

What will happen if it does get wet doesn't seem to be explained anywhere.


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## cleslie

Well mine’s just got wet and after just 4 hours. Hasn’t exploded yet! On the manufacturers website they say cure time is two hours so it should be OK.


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## Andy from Sandy

If a product comes with instructions, which I have to assume a "professional" reviewer would be specifying that is all I have to go on. If a product is not supposed to get wet for 8 hours then I will not buy it.

I want a product that is "finished" the moment I walk away not sometime in the future.

I mentioned this about wet coat that according to "everybody" you are supposed to use a pressure washer to rinse it off after application. For me that is not going to happen as I don't use one and it is a waste of water. Then someone responded that wet coat can be buffed with a damp cloth and doesn't have to be rinsed off.

So if it is not important to worry about it getting wet or nothing actually happens to it should it get wet soon after application then bead maker is another product I will be tempted to use.

Why would you think it might explode?


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## Fairtony

~220ml for initial application works out very expensive. ~£5.50 for a single coating of LSP seems crazy. That's Swissvax type numbers.


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## blurb

Re. the "curing" time. 
I watched a Detalks video where this point was made and they said that to get it's best they suggest a 20 to 60 mins or so will be plenty, but it wont melt your paint if it rains immediately after application. They talk about humidity affecting curing time too.

Here's the vid if you have some spare time. They do ramble on here and there, especially near the end about the scent.


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## camerashy

Andy from Sandy said:


> Why would you think it might explode?


:lol::lol:


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## cleslie

Andy from Sandy said:


> Why would you think it might explode?


Seriously?!!! - I was being sarcastic!


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## cleslie

Fairtony said:


> ~220ml for initial application works out very expensive. ~£5.50 for a single coating of LSP seems crazy. That's Swissvax type numbers.


You use a lot on initial application but after that to top up or as a drying aid, you use very little. Just a couple of spritzes per panel. The gallon is the cheapest way to get it and would last for ages.


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## pt1

It's a interesting product...might have to give it a go

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## Fairtony

cleslie said:


> You use a lot on initial application but after that to top up or as a drying aid, you use very little. Just a couple of spritzes per panel. The gallon is the cheapest way to get it and would last for ages.


the same could be said for any LSP though, what if you apply a coat of wax one weekend, are you spending another £5+ when you want to move back to bead maker, when that starts to drop off?


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## camerashy

Wonder how this product compares to Megs Ultimate Fast Finish


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## wish wash

One thing that interests me about this is being able to apply it to a wax finish and a ceramic finish.


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## Fairtony

wish wash said:


> One thing that interests me about this is being able to apply it to a wax finish and a ceramic finish.


that in itself isn't that radical either. BSD, C2v3, Cure etc all play nice with most LSPs.


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## cleslie

camerashy said:


> Wonder how this product compares to Megs Ultimate Fast Finish


I like UFF and the gloss it leaves especially on my silver TT. It's not as slick but I'd think it has better longevity. I think that Beadmaker has the slight edge on the gloss levels.


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## blurb

camerashy said:


> Wonder how this product compares to Megs Ultimate Fast Finish


Here you go:


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## scooobydont

I am going to be giving this a whirl when it's available. Thanks for the review.


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## cleslie

UPDATE:

Having lived with Bead Maker for a few weeks now I have some further findings. I don’t think the slickness lasts. After a week when I’ve washed the car the paint doesn’t feel particularly slick under the wash pad. There are signs of it being hydrophobic but nothing amazing. We are spoilt with some extremely hydrophobic products these days though. Using as a drying aid is easy and you don’t need much and that slickness returns obviously. The one thing where it excels is the gloss it leaves. I love the way this looks and so will continue to use. Jon on The Forensic Detailing Channel will be posting his review and comparison video soon where he comes to similar conclusions. Great initial slickness that fades after the first wash so needs topping up, but excellent gloss levels.


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## blurb

Gloss is my primary requirement, so I'm hoping my gallon from Santa won't disappoint.


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## matty.13

Have to agree it just doesn’t stand up to washing etc. To me it’s a good drying aid.
Gloss and slickness both very good.
Durability and beading average at best 


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## cleslie

I’m glad I’m not the only one to come to the same conclusions. It’s good stuff but the reaction from various YouTube channels stateside is very over the top. To be fair there isn’t a product out there that could live up to the hype of this stuff!


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## wish wash

If the product isn't living up to the hype, then why do you think it's being over hyped in the first place. Obsessed garage and pan the organiser both have years of testing lots of products. Why get so over excited about this


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## A&J

wish wash said:


> If the product isn't living up to the hype, then why do you think it's being over hyped in the first place. Obsessed garage and pan the organiser both have years of testing lots of products. Why get so over excited about this


Im guessing because its extremely easy to use and produces slick paint and hi gloss and Americans like to over-hype / over-sell everything (remember Hydrosilex).

I also believe that because its called "Bead maker" guys on forums think it produces the tightest roundest beads they can be. So...over expectations right here.

Its called "Bead maker" and not "Brilliant Bead maker"!!!And it does the job. Us in the EU like to compare it to Sonax Brilliant shine detailer because it produces some nice beads. Its all right not it doesnt give you that velvet paint slickness so its not perfect.


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## matty.13

wish wash said:


> If the product isn't living up to the hype, then why do you think it's being over hyped in the first place. Obsessed garage and pan the organiser both have years of testing lots of products. Why get so over excited about this


Mainly because the slickness is a bit of a wow moment. It also sits on wax/sealant and ceramic which is a plus as not many products can do that. 
Pan is very ott I have yet to see him talk about any negative in his so called reviews which tbh are more like adverts.
Matt from obsessed is a good guy but he sell it in his shop so that makes me question his motives abit as bead maker is not a game changer it's a average product here in the uk 
But try it . It's not a bad product and useful to have on the shelf

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## blurb

matty.13 said:


> Pan is very ott I have yet to see him talk about any negative in his so called reviews which tbh are more like adverts


There's a thread on Autogeek where Pan gets into a bit of a ding dong about BM and it quickly goes downhill. He seems like a good guy from his YT channel, but I don't think that thread was his finest moment.
Point is he defends himself from this criticism by explaining that he tries all sorts of products but only puts up reviews of stuff he thinks is good/likes and doesn't want to "pan", excuse the pun, products as he's a nice guy. Make of that what you will. Of course, he got a fair bit of comeback to that.


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## tosh

matty.13 said:


> Matt from obsessed is a good guy but he sell it in his shop so that makes me question his motives abit as bead maker is not a game changer it's a average product here in the uk


The thing I like about Matt, is that he's pragmatic about the products that he stocks. Everything that he sells is either the best or can be, or it's a solid product at the right price and availability.

When he was selling wheel cleaners, he used to sell Nextzett, but when that started becoming too expensive and there was a problem with availability, he switched to Adams. Even he said that it wasn't quite as good, but being pragmatic, better to recommend a product that is 95% and available, than 100% and difficult to sell.

So with him selling Bead Maker, he's selling an impressive product at the right price, which is ok with me.

My tests have shown it's pretty much like Chemical Guys V7 (for the way that I use it). I wanted something like BSD that wasn't grabby, something that I can use standalone, as a drying aid, doesn't care about overspray on glass and trim and doesn't streak (yet).

I'm sure it's not for everyone, and someone will always have a product they prefer, but it's one of those products that looks better after you've applied it, which is a nice surprise.


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## cleslie

wish wash said:


> If the product isn't living up to the hype, then why do you think it's being over hyped in the first place. Obsessed garage and pan the organiser both have years of testing lots of products. Why get so over excited about this


I've wondered this as well. I've been in this hobby for a while now and there's always the next new thing that we all get excited about and buy. The buzz around this from the states has been as big as anything I can recall. I suppose it's easier to form an unbiased opinion of a product if you haven't already been exposed to other's opinions. Maybe some have be effected by the high praise from others subconsciously. I questioned my own findings when this wasn't as expected from the reviews stateside so was relived to find others had found similar findings here in the U.K. One thing to notice is the tests people do are all on an initial application and not long term. Also those who use it will also use it subsequently as a drying aid like I have been, so those initial impressive results will always be there. Matt from Obsessed Garage seems to tell it as he finds it but Pan is just playing the Youtube subscriber collecting game from what I see. I rarely learn anything from his reviews about a product and half the time he might as well be reading from product's packaging. That's where Jon on the Forensic Detailing channel is superb. He properly tests products and gives detailed feedback and doesn't bother about slick production and catch phrases. That's why I'm looking forward to his upcoming review and comparison. As I said before though I like Bead Maker, it's decent and the gloss it leaves is superb but just didn't live up to the hype. Maybe it's our UK weather that's to blame!


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## Brian1612

blurb said:


> There's a thread on Autogeek where Pan gets into a bit of a ding dong about BM and it quickly goes downhill. He seems like a good guy from his YT channel, but I don't think that thread was his finest moment.
> Point is he defends himself from this criticism by explaining that he tries all sorts of products but only puts up reviews of stuff he thinks is good/likes and doesn't want to "pan", excuse the pun, products as he's a nice guy. Make of that what you will. Of course, he got a fair bit of comeback to that.


Sounds like a good excuse. I think his reviews/advertisements should be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Watched quite a few and each one is always a 'must have' product. If he can't do a bad review you need to question his integrity. As a reviewer we are supposed to be unbiased and completely honest.

I myself always have been despite the agro it can cause from some companies. Luckily not all company owners are petty and many can use the review to improve their product. If they can't accept constructive critism then it isn't a company I want to deal with again.

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## LeeH

I’ve unsubscribed from him, his videos are mainly sponsored in some way and I’ve never seen him work on anything but a perfectly clean car. 

Apex is a much better and unbiased channel. 

I’m glad I never bought into bead maker, it looks like it’s no better than any of the great BSD combos or Reload. 

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## tosh

Agreed, Pan doesn’t have a critical word to say about anything, not sure he ever did. Seems like an infomercial channel.


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## cleslie

blurb said:


> There's a thread on Autogeek where Pan gets into a bit of a ding dong about BM and it quickly goes downhill.


I've just had a read of that, very entertaining! There's quite a few on that forum who have issues with Pan!


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## LeeH

Cannot find that thread. 


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## blurb

LeeH said:


> Cannot find that thread.


Here you go, grab some popcorn :

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...-s-bead-maker-first-time.html?highlight=maker


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## NeilG40

I've heard at least one other youtuber (not detailing related) saying that they only review things they like, and when you stop and think about it it's understandable, there's a lot of effort that goes into making a video and if they say something is bad you're unlikely to watch the whole video and they'll loose out on advertising revenue.


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## Andy from Sandy

I don't read loads of reviews or watch many youtube video reviews. I have made it clear a few times about cure times and how that has put me off using some products. I am only putting this as a caveat because I am not into trying lots of different products.

There is a huge following for ceramic coatings now and how good they are but now we get these topper products, so what gives? Why are they required? Are the ceramics not working out the way they were described? What I read was they were good for years but then it came with a proviso that they had to be rejuvenated with the companies topper.

I polish my car when I get fed up with the swirls, give it a good wipe down and apply FK, Menzerna or Collinite LSP. The car looks great and the products work great.

I wash the car with shampoos that are pure and I see the LSP I applied. When that degrades I do another application.

I am not getting it with these toppers. The suppliers are as they are making a lot of money!

If my LSP really needs a topper then I will find a better one.

FK1000P has been shown to last 5 months or more. So again why do I want to mess with a topper that needs applying every month?

I went through some of the autogeek thread and have the following question that pan made. The product name suggests it makes water bead up. In order to do that it has to hold water in tension. So the product has excellent slickness that pan says allows the water to sheet off.

My question is how does it do both jobs?

I would actually like a product that doesn't make the water bead up but run off as if the car had no protection on it all. In the winter my car has a huge amount of ice on it as the water has not run off.

If a product was truly hydrophobic wouldn't the water droplets become more spherical or not stick at all?


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## liamsxa

Pan the advertiser*


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## cheekymonkey

liamsxa said:


> Pan the advertiser*


this is nothing new, there have been plenty the same over the years


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## v_r_s

Andy from Sandy said:


> I don't read loads of reviews or watch many youtube video reviews. I have made it clear a few times about cure times and how that has put me off using some products. I am only putting this as a caveat because I am not into trying lots of different products.
> 
> There is a huge following for ceramic coatings now and how good they are but now we get these topper products, so what gives? Why are they required? Are the ceramics not working out the way they were described? What I read was they were good for years but then it came with a proviso that they had to be rejuvenated with the companies topper.
> 
> I polish my car when I get fed up with the swirls, give it a good wipe down and apply FK, Menzerna or Collinite LSP. The car looks great and the products work great.
> 
> I wash the car with shampoos that are pure and I see the LSP I applied. When that degrades I do another application.
> 
> I am not getting it with these toppers. The suppliers are as they are making a lot of money!
> 
> If my LSP really needs a topper then I will find a better one.
> 
> FK1000P has been shown to last 5 months or more. So again why do I want to mess with a topper that needs applying every month?
> 
> I went through some of the autogeek thread and have the following question that pan made. The product name suggests it makes water bead up. In order to do that it has to hold water in tension. So the product has excellent slickness that pan says allows the water to sheet off.
> 
> My question is how does it do both jobs?
> 
> I would actually like a product that doesn't make the water bead up but run off as if the car had no protection on it all. In the winter my car has a huge amount of ice on it as the water has not run off.
> 
> If a product was truly hydrophobic wouldn't the water droplets become more spherical or not stick at all?


Couldn't agree any more. It annoys me that although beading looks good in some instances and if driven the car will be dry. She. I go out and see my car sat coverrrrrred in ice and other cars bone dry as there is literally no protection on but also dry. I can't see how anyone can prefer the look of beading to that. Bout time we got sheeting performance waxes by now


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## Loach

Andy from Sandy said:


> There is a huge following for ceramic coatings now and how good they are but now we get these topper products, so what gives? Why are they required? Are the ceramics not working out the way they were described? What I read was they were good for years but then it came with a proviso that they had to be rejuvenated with the companies topper.


Bead Maker has worked absolute wonders on top of my coatings. Outside of a coating topper it's a slick touch up product but if you find a better coating topper that you like better than Bead Maker, let me know.

Coatings still get clogged up with contamination. I've got some enduring pure durability tests with no toppers at all at 6+ months and you get to a point to where the slickness is no longer up to standard, and there's hard water contamination that needs to be addressed as a result of the sprinklers, even though the coating is sheeting water off at very fast rates and is close to its performance when it was fresh. FK1000P at this point is either gone completely or it's in much worse shape in a pure test.

Bead Maker has an excellent ability to revive tired coatings on the one's I've tested it on, and I haven't found something to quite match its slickness. It wipe downs very cleanly, shows excellent gloss and that's exactly what I want out of a coating topper. If you've got a good coating you don't need a heavy product like Reload, Cure, C2v3, or BSD to maintain it. None of those will match it's slickness and with the exception of BSD, they're 3x the price of Bead Maker.

It seems to really like having strong hydrophobic base coatings underneath of it to where it can boost their performance when they're tired, and the coating underneath will boost Bead Maker's ability far beyond what it could ever achieve as a standalone sealant or as a topper for other less durable base products. I also think the cure period for Bead Maker and the initial heavy application of it is exaggerated, it doesn't need to be applied heavy on the first go around in my experience, nor am I worried about it getting wet relatively shortly after its applied.

Coatings tested with Bead Maker: Gyeon Mohs, Prime, One, CanCoat, CarPro CQuarts, CQUK, McKee's 37 SiO2, Blackfire Pro Ceramic.


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## Brian1612

Loach said:


> Bead Maker has worked absolute wonders on top of my coatings. Outside of a coating topper it's a slick touch up product but if you find a better coating topper that you like better than Bead Maker, let me know.
> 
> Coatings still get clogged up with contamination. I've got some enduring pure durability tests with no toppers at all at 6+ months and you get to a point to where the slickness is no longer up to standard, and there's hard water contamination that needs to be addressed as a result of the sprinklers, even though the coating is sheeting water off at very fast rates and is close to its performance when it was fresh. FK1000P at this point is either gone completely or it's in much worse shape in a pure test.
> 
> Bead Maker has an excellent ability to revive tired coatings on the one's I've tested it on, and I haven't found something to quite match its slickness. It wipe downs very cleanly, shows excellent gloss and that's exactly what I want out of a coating topper. If you've got a good coating you don't need a heavy product like Reload, Cure, C2v3, or BSD to maintain it. None of those will match it's slickness and with the exception of BSD, they're 3x the price of Bead Maker.
> 
> It seems to really like having strong hydrophobic base coatings underneath of it to where it can boost their performance when they're tired, and the coating underneath will boost Bead Maker's ability far beyond what it could ever achieve as a standalone sealant or as a topper for other less durable base products. I also think the cure period for Bead Maker and the initial heavy application of it is exaggerated, it doesn't need to be applied heavy on the first go around in my experience, nor am I worried about it getting wet relatively shortly after its applied.
> 
> Coatings tested with Bead Maker: Gyeon Mohs, Prime, One, CanCoat, CarPro CQuarts, CQUK, McKee's 37 SiO2, Blackfire Pro Ceramic.


Gyeon Wet Coat would be my first pick as it's of the same chemical background as a ceramic coating. Beadmaker is polymer based so not exactly the perfect topper.

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## Loach

Brian1612 said:


> Gyeon Wet Coat would be my first pick as it's of the same chemical background as a ceramic coating. Beadmaker is polymer based so not exactly the perfect topper.


Wet Coat as a spray and rinse doesn't dig into the hard water contamination like Bead Maker in my experience. When used on water spotting I've seen inconsistent bonding which is expected because I'm not working it in prior to rinsing. Bead Maker just seems to melt in to the paint through the microfiber and it penetrates through the hard water damage to revive the base coating. It felt better at this compared to Gyeon Cure as well. When I first used it on the damaged Gyeon Mohs and One coatings, the coatings were diminished enough to where I was getting ready to step up to the water spot removers but I've seen coatings destroyed by a heavy Spotless application so I only want to pull this out when absolutely necessary. Bead Maker was the least aggressive method to completely resolve the issue across all sections.

I think the idea of sticking with the chemical family of the base coating is why it took so long for guys to track Bead Maker down, it was out for years before it gained any traction. I don't know how it works, but every SiO2 based coating I've applied this to has absolutely loved this stuff, Mohs as well which is a bit of a surprise because Mohs is a less hydrophobic base compared to all the other coatings but Bead Maker boosted it just as well as the rest.


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## Brian1612

Wouldn't let me edit my last post... 

To add slickness to me means nothing and it offers nothing beneficial other than feeling nice to the touch. For me the most important thing for these type of products is hydrophobicity and how well it retains that hydrophobicity over a period of time/number of washes. 

I can't say for certain but based on what I have read/been told Beadmaker loses that slickness and gloss everyone raves about after a single wash and it's hydrophobicity isn't anything special. That is why Wet Coat would be my preferred option.

Edit***

Just seen your reply bud. I'll say this till I go blue in the face but Wet Coat can be applied exactly the same as Bead Maker. 

In fact I've been applying it in this fashion longer than Bead Maker has been on the market. You can apply it to dry paint, you can apply it to wet paint. Simply mist on the panel, spread with one cloth and buff away with another, it's 100% the best way to use Wet Coat. The spray and rinse method is less durable and less economical and it's why I decided I wanted to find a more effective way to use the product.

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## matty.13

Forensic detailing will have a shoot out video with beadmaker coming out in the next few day I believe . Stay tuned 


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## Andy from Sandy

So what you are telling me Loach is that ceramics are in fact not the panacea product they are made out to be?

So that just leaves the question as to why do I want to be messing with a topper that appears now not to be so slick after a single wash and needs more topping up for itself over FK 1000P or Collinite?

I know FK is a 5 to 6 month product so is far more cost effective than bead maker.

I am not seeing a cost benefit here, so as the dragon said, "I am out!"


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## Loach

Brian1612 said:


> Wouldn't let me edit my last post...
> 
> To add slickness to me means nothing and it offers nothing beneficial other than feeling nice to the touch. For me the most important thing for these type of products is hydrophobicity and how well it retains that hydrophobicity over a period of time/number of washes.
> 
> I can't say for certain but based on what I have read/been told Beadmaker loses that slickness and gloss everyone raves about after a single wash and it's hydrophobicity isn't anything special. That is why Wet Coat would be my preferred option.
> 
> Edit***
> 
> Just seen your reply bud. I'll say this till I go blue in the face but Wet Coat can be applied exactly the same as Bead Maker.
> 
> In fact I've been applying it in this fashion longer than Bead Maker has been on the market. You can apply it to dry paint, you can apply it to wet paint. Simply mist on the panel, spread with one cloth and buff away with another, it's 100% the best way to use Wet Coat. The spray and rinse method is less durable and less economical and it's why I decided I wanted to find a more effective way to use the product.


I find Wet Coat is heavy out of the bottle, I've got to buff quite a bit to get a clean wipedown with the secondary towel, it's not as easy to work with in our higher temperatures and humidity in Florida. With regards to slickness, when all else is equal I will go with the slicker product. Coatings level the playing field in hydrophobicity, so something like Bead Maker which is below average in how hydrophobic it is by itself, it will not lower the hydrophobic behavior of the base coating as one would expect. That is the main driving point of my personal opinion behind recommending it above other choices, if it could not maintain or revive the hydrophobic properties of the coatings then there's no way I would recommend it.

Things change when used on surfaces that haven't been coated. Wet Coat and Cure will be much more hydrophobic than Bead Maker on bare paint, or over less hydrophobic based sealants like Power Lock. Without a strong hydrophobic base, Bead Maker becomes a slick and relatively less expensive maintenance topper that provides a clean wipedown but you'll never see lasting insane beading or fast sheeting without a coating to boost it, so I'd rather use PA High Gloss/Cosmic Spritz or BSD on regular waxes/sealants.



Andy from Sandy said:


> So what you are telling me Loach is that ceramics are in fact not the panacea product they are made out to be?
> 
> So that just leaves the question as to why do I want to be messing with a topper that appears now not to be so slick after a single wash and needs more topping up for itself over FK 1000P or Collinite?
> 
> I know FK is a 5 to 6 month product so is far more cost effective than bead maker.
> 
> I am not seeing a cost benefit here, so as the dragon said, "I am out!"


It just depends on your expectations for what you're looking for out of coatings. They'll get hammered by hard water if exposed just the same as regular waxes/sealants, the difference is they are MUCH more durable and are able to hold up very close to their initial fresh hydrophobic performance for so much longer than any other type of LSP. And under the context of this thread, they don't require expensive toppers to be adequately maintained.

The focus point of my testing with Bead Maker has been mainly coating related, this is where I found the most benefit out of the product. I've tried it on top of other waxes and sealants but not over FK1000P so I'm not sure if you'll see benefits beyond what cleslie noted which is improved slickness and gloss in the short term. However, I can say for example that after applying Bead Maker 1 month ago on top of the CQuartz that was roughly 7 months old and showed signs of significant lack of slickness and hard water contamination, it continues to remain much slicker and shows an lasting improved water behavior today.


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## matty.13

Some interesting points . I’ve have not tried beadmaker over ceramics before only over polymer sealants 


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## Fairtony

just read that thread with Pan having a tantrum. Damn that was a read!

So, with full knowlege that I havent used it. It really seems like 'Bead Maker' is a: poor-average beading product (great name...), with very good slickness and pretty good gloss.

If you can get insane slickness, and good gloss, and ALSO great hydrophobisity, wouldnt that be the dream product? If thats the product youre looking for...then look no further than DetailedOnlines Ceramic Detailer!


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## cleslie

Fairtony said:


> just read that thread with Pan having a tantrum. Damn that was a read!


It's great isn't it!


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## scooobydont

I have Britemax Remax and have been very impressed with it, not sure if it is in the same category though?


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## Fairtony

scooobydont said:


> I have Britemax Remax and have been very impressed with it, not sure if it is in the same category though?


I would say it is. What's it like?

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## scooobydont

Fairtony said:


> I would say it is. What's it like?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I did a review here (about half way down the page):

https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=401439&page=3

It's a little 'strange' to apply, it feels almost 'plasitcky' putting it on, its not like anything else I have used. Gloss is really impressive, not to sure on longevity as its not something that bothers me (especially when its something that takes minutes to apply) as I fiddle about with stuff all the time.

Since that review I applied it to a friends car that was going up for sale, the car was a black audi TT, we washed and clayed it then put Remax on as a buyer was due to come out the same day we were prepping it! The result was excellent, it literally shone with a smooth slick gloss look. Close up the paint was battered and was in desperate need of a polish but you would need to be into this detailing malarkey to really notice.

The only thing that puts me off is that it seems quite expensive compared to other similar products. I will try beadmaker and also Gyeon wetcoat (probably in that order) when I run out. Not because I dont think Remax is worth it but I want to try other products out as a comparison and draw my own conclusions. Given the price point of these products, it's hardly breaking the bank and half the fun (to me anyway) is trying out new/different products.

Sorry, probably waffled on a bit, in summary, yes it's good, nice smooth looking glossy shine, no idea on longevity though


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## WristyManchego

From personal experience with Bead Maker, I can confirm that the majority of claims from reviewers are true: It is easy to apply, easy to wipe off, has a very slick finish, high gloss and most importantly, smells great.

Unfortunately it is a victim of its own hype but what’s wonderful to see is that people are very willing to discern for themselves how good a product is before joining a bandwagon.

The main issue I see is not with the basic claims about the product but perhaps how it’s been marketed; as a sealant.

Considering it as a sealant, we judge a product with a particular standard and considering the over-zealous early reviews by YouTube personalities, the bar is raised. In reality the longevity is poor and the beading ‘not bad’. Slickness and the increase of slickness in 8 hours is apparent but not overwhelming. I’ve achieved far slicker results with a cleanser and a high-end wax.

Beadmaker should be classified as a quick detailer/drying aid (whatever you want to call it) with protection, much like CarPro Elixir.

Considering it as a quick detailer with protection, it’s excellent for the pros I mentioned above. It doesn’t mess with glass and I’ve yet to find it streak on paint.

The price of the product is good however quite a lot is used if you follow the application instructions to a tee, you’ll find yourself going through 16oz in no time. This brings me to my main gripe: pre-dilution.

If sold in concentrated form it will become a staple in my kit as a sealant/coating topup and maintenance wash rejuvenator.


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## cleslie

I’ve put a few coats on now over the past few weeks. One thing that really stands out is the gloss this leaves. I really like the look of this stuff and I think it improves after a few coats too. Even this wife has mentioned the shiny car!


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## Lowlife

cleslie said:


> I've put a few coats on now over the past few weeks. One thing that really stands out is the gloss this leaves. I really like the look of this stuff and I think it improves after a few coats too. Even this wife has mentioned the shiny car!


It's good on the shine department, but on the protection aspect, not so much...


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## cleslie

WristyManchego said:


> Beadmaker should be classified as a quick detailer/drying aid (whatever you want to call it) with protection


I think this description knocks it on the head. Funnily enough I've also thought of using this in a similar way to how I would a show wax as I am impressed with the shine it leaves. With a show wax it's all about the looks and everything else is less important. Bead Maker gives that gloss in my opinion but does offer a litter more protection etc over some show waxes. Think of it in these terms rather than a sealant where we expect great protection and longevity and it makes more sense.


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## matty.13

The problem is I’m pretty sure nearly all the reviews and even the guys at p&s have said this product will give 2 months durability, and it won’t . 
It’s defo gives great gloss perhaps it should have been called gloss maker 


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## Timbo84

cleslie said:


> I've wondered this as well. I've been in this hobby for a while now and there's always the next new thing that we all get excited about and buy. The buzz around this from the states has been as big as anything I can recall. I suppose it's easier to form an unbiased opinion of a product if you haven't already been exposed to other's opinions. Maybe some have be effected by the high praise from others subconsciously. I questioned my own findings when this wasn't as expected from the reviews stateside so was relived to find others had found similar findings here in the U.K. One thing to notice is the tests people do are all on an initial application and not long term. Also those who use it will also use it subsequently as a drying aid like I have been, so those initial impressive results will always be there. Matt from Obsessed Garage seems to tell it as he finds it but Pan is just playing the Youtube subscriber collecting game from what I see. I rarely learn anything from his reviews about a product and half the time he might as well be reading from product's packaging. That's where Jon on the Forensic Detailing channel is superb. He properly tests products and gives detailed feedback and doesn't bother about slick production and catch phrases. That's why I'm looking forward to his upcoming review and comparison. As I said before though I like Bead Maker, it's decent and the gloss it leaves is superb but just didn't live up to the hype. Maybe it's our UK weather that's to blame!


Well said:thumb:


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## matty.13

Here is jon's beadmaker shoot out






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## blurb

That review confirms what I was hoping. No spoilers, you'll have to put aside 27 minutes


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## Cyclonetog

I have to admit, that wasn't the outcome I was expecting.

I've seen most of Jons videos now, and would have put money on a different outcome. Fans of the channel will know what I mean...


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## Peter77

Great video. Some good products rated with interesting results. Definitely with a watch 


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## Gas head

so whats more important?

a slick finish that wont hold dust that has low durability etc or a sticky surface that may hold dirt that lasts longer?


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## bluechimp

Cyclonetog said:


> I have to admit, that wasn't the outcome I was expecting.
> 
> I've seen most of Jons videos now, and would have put money on a different outcome. Fans of the channel will know what I mean...


The big bottle full of yellow liquid being the winner? I was expecting it to romp to victory.


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## tosh

Can’t argue with his results as he’s shown all the working, and the gloss meter results. 

Pick the product that gives you the performance you want. I also expected Wet Coat to ‘win’. 

I’ve got a lot of time for Jon, he puts a lot of time and effort into his reviews. 

In fact, I think he deserves a Patreon subscription considering how much money he’s saved me over the years. 

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## scooobydont

Gas head said:


> so whats more important?
> 
> a slick finish that wont hold dust that has low durability etc or a sticky surface that may hold dirt that lasts longer?


That's for you to decide. 

Jons review was excellent and unbiased. He gave pros and cons against all of them, although they are all advertised as pretty much the same, they all have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Personally for me, I will be trying beadmaker. I enjoy washing the car and do it often, I just want it looking the best I can get it. The product providing the most gloss is the one for me. I am not concerned with the products durability hence it fits into my needs and requirements.

Others will have different requirements making beadmaker a non starter for them.


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## camerashy

Great review with very interesting results
Just bought bead maker to try as all I want is gloss, gloss and gloss


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## brooklandsracer

A really good video and most helpful with proper well tested accurate results.
This guy knows how to post videos with the emphasise on the products and has no intentions of trying to be the next Joe Sugg on youtube. :thumb:


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## matty.13

Great video from jon yet again. Result was expected tbh. Main surprise was the Adams and wet coat being so low on gloss as to me the Adams always looked great on my car. Maybe this is a trade off with the water activated products. 
Also was interesting in comments for jon say how well wet coat resists dirt etc much better than the rest. 
Also love how pan has jumped in the comments to justify his game changer comments.


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## Brian1612

matty.13 said:


> Great video from jon yet again. Result was expected tbh. Main surprise was the Adams and wet coat being so low on gloss as to me the Adams always looked great on my car. Maybe this is a trade off with the water activated products.
> Also was interesting in comments for jon say how well wet coat resists dirt etc much better than the rest.
> Also love how pan has jumped in the comments to justify his game changer comments.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He needs to as he's been found out essentially. Lied about the durability and the hydrophobicity of it.

Waxmode is another whi commented, he is a great youtuber who commented saying beadmaker over the top of a base layer is immense but I spoke to Jon and we both came to the same conclusion. Whatever it goes over, it is surely going to hamper the base coats ability to repel water and dirt. Theoretically anyway I can't see how it wouldn't have a negative effect.

Brilliant video regardless from Jon and one every other youtuber couldn't manage.

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## Cyclonetog

bluechimp said:


> The big bottle full of yellow liquid being the winner? I was expecting it to romp to victory.


Yes precisely 

I just got my first bottle if it too!


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## brooklandsracer

Brian1612 said:


> He needs to as he's been found out essentially. Lied about the durability and the hydrophobicity of it.
> 
> Waxmode is another whi commented, he is a great youtuber who commented saying beadmaker over the top of a base layer is immense but I spoke to Jon and we both came to the same conclusion. Whatever it goes over, it is surely going to hamper the base coats ability to repel water and dirt. Theoretically anyway I can't see how it wouldn't have a negative effect.
> 
> Brilliant video regardless from Jon and one every other youtuber couldn't manage.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


Yes Jon's video is brilliant and it beggars belief why Detailing World did not get him on board to front their videos and give DW better exposure.
I would subscribe then as would be well worth watching.


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## matty.13

Brian1612 said:


> He needs to as he's been found out essentially. Lied about the durability and the hydrophobicity of it.
> 
> Waxmode is another whi commented, he is a great youtuber who commented saying beadmaker over the top of a base layer is immense but I spoke to Jon and we both came to the same conclusion. Whatever it goes over, it is surely going to hamper the base coats ability to repel water and dirt. Theoretically anyway I can't see how it wouldn't have a negative effect.
> 
> Brilliant video regardless from Jon and one every other youtuber couldn't manage.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


Couldn't agree more Brian.

I struggle to see how a polymer can bond, and harden a ceramic coating. 
A lot of marketing bs with beadmaker I've heard the makers say it cross links and hardens ceramic coating, I've seen nothing to suggest this is true on my own ceramic coated car.

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## andy__d

i feel sorry for any that fell for ALL the marketing BS and bought it based on the things it Claims but doesn't deliver.
If you bought it Just for the very short lived gloss, different kettle of strawberries


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## 66Rob

Enjoyed Jon's video always a great watch. 

I bought a couple of bottles over the weekend just for the gloss so I am happy and hope to give them ago next weekend, weather and work permitting.


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## blurb

BM was all about the gloss for me and not the durability, so a sigh of relief since there's a gallon of it sitting in the garage next to multiple bottles of BSD :thumb:


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## DanWinfield

cleslie said:


> It's great isn't it!


Can you tell me which thread to search for? Ive had a gander but not even sure which part of the forum its on and i want something to do this evening 

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## Fairtony

DanWinfield said:


> Can you tell me which thread to search for? Ive had a gander but not even sure which part of the forum its on and i want something to do this evening
> 
> Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk


here you go:



blurb said:


> Here you go, grab some popcorn :
> 
> https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...-s-bead-maker-first-time.html?highlight=maker


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## camerashy

Anyone notice that BM attracts dust
Applied it on Sunday, it's been in the garage all the time and quite a lot of dust on already


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## sm81

If so that isn’t good think...


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## Bristle Hound

Any pic's after application people ?


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## Andy from Sandy

For £11.30 I could mix 16oz (473ml) of BSD and V07 50/50. Would that be a better product than Bead Maker?

MotorGeek is selling 16oz (473ml) of BM for £12.95.

Excluding postage in either case.


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## camerashy

The only thing that is impressing me at the moment is the level of gloss it gives


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## tosh

I'm getting a lot of gloss - and the car is staying significantly cleaner for longer - I've done the initial application and then using it as a drying aid, and its definitely lasting longer into the week before it 'needs' a wash.

I wash every week with ONR and then a drying aid, so I'm happy with the performance in that respect. I'm going to keep using it in that way (as a drying aid). Don't see the need to mix with BSD at the moment.


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## Prestige car care shop

I don’t know about you guys but i’m a little addicted to the slickness feel. It’s so so so satisfying


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## birel101

And the shine, car looks awesome

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## Domel

Thx for review


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## sm81

How long those properties really last? Shine and beading?


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## matty.13

sm81 said:


> How long those properties really last? Shine and beading?


On my girlfriends daily , 2 weeks

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## sm81

So it's more like "Showroom Shine" QD than a sealant....
Oh boy with those American manufacturers claims....


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## matty.13

It actually reminds me of demonshine spray and shine. It’s not a bad product it just has limitations on durability. 
Tbh for £12 it’s worth a try the slickness is something else 


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## Tom B.

I've used it a couple times now and would say it's no slicker than anything else I've tried. A little dissappointed on that front. It's just another Polymer based sealant at the end of the day. I'd also say dirt doesn't wash off as well as it did with Reload that I was using prior to Bead Maker. It hasn't blown me away and I still think I still prefer the 'glass' look that Reload gives on my white paint.


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## DimGR

Hello 

I have been using C2v3 sealant for many years and i would like to stick to that. Can I use beadmaker over the c2v3 ? My understanding is that the protection offered by C2V3 is superior to that of beadmaker but the BM gives a better gloss

so 1 coat of c2v3 and 1 coat of BM will be ok ?


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## tosh

I would do C2V3 one wash, and then just use BM as a drying aid after every next wash to keep the gloss factor. Strip down the C2 and BM every 3-6 months. 

I found C2v3 relatively slick. You can dilute it as a drying aid too, so no need to buy BM really, but no harm in trying a 16oz bottle. 


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