# Iron-X v Brake Duster



## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

*
Quick Test this afternoon.*

Testers Notes:
- Both products initially sprayed on a dry wheel
- Both products left at least 10 minutes before rinsing.
- Both products not aggitated; just spray on and rinse
- Slightly less Iron-X used. (Perhaps because IX is less viscous than V1 of BD)
- Version 1 of both BD and Version 2 of IX was used.

Passenger Wheel with Iron-X























































Then Brake Duster applied to wheel after rinse to clear up any remaining contamination. Not alot of purple, so pretty good job by Iron-X.










Driver Wheel initial application with Brake Duster























































Then Iron-X applied to wheel after rinse to clear up remaining contamination. Pretty suprised by how much contamination was left after Brake Duster application and rinse.





































Conclusion:

Yes, it was a quick test, but clearly Iron-X did a better job on just one application.

Comments, criticisms, questions, suggestions always welcome. :thumb:

EDIT: It was V2 of Iron-X used, not V1. My mistake.


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## hutchingsp (Apr 15, 2006)

I've not used either product so apologies if this is a silly question, but in the photos it looks like you've used a lot more iron-x than brake duster?

Maybe it is just the way the product clings or how the red/purple colour shows through?


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

hutchingsp said:


> I've not used either product so apologies if this is a silly question, but in the photos it looks like you've used a lot more iron-x than brake duster?
> 
> Maybe it is just the way the product clings or how the red/purple colour shows through?


You have to remember that both products are clear before application, so any purple you see is the product reacting to the iron, not the amount of product used.

But yes, you will to an extent, have to take my word that slightly more BD was used than IX. :thumb:


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2011)

I normally leave the brake duster on alot longer than that, find ironx dries out.

But nice review.

(having used both, brake duster works for how I clean)


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

matt1263 said:


> I normally leave the brake duster on alot longer than that, find ironx dries out.
> 
> But nice review.
> 
> (having used both, brake duster works for how I clean)


Okay thanks. I know PB actually suggested leaving BD until it has dried on, so longer than the 10minutes would be needed here. The 'peel-effect' might help remove more iron too. :speechles


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2011)

Have left it for an hour as a test, not something you can do with ironx.

But like all things, some like certain products, some dont :thumb:


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## hutchingsp (Apr 15, 2006)

amiller said:


> You have to remember that both products are clear before application, so any purple you see is the product reacting to the iron, not the amount of product used.
> 
> But yes, you will to an extent, have to take my word that slightly more BD was used than IX. :thumb:


Good point  Shocking how much it does change colour though I suppose all brake dust is ultimately iron, not just the embedded stuff that you can't brush out.

What kind of quantities of each did you use?

I keep thinking about getting some and of course you see 1L for £9.95 vs. 500ml for £12...


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

hutchingsp said:


> Good point  Shocking how much it does change colour though I suppose all brake dust is ultimately iron, not just the embedded stuff that you can't brush out.
> 
> What kind of quantities of each did you use?
> 
> I keep thinking about getting some and of course you see 1L for £9.95 vs. 500ml for £12...


Used 20-25ml of Iron X and about 40ml of BD. I wouldnt read too much into the amounts used though as application methods were slightly different (finger sprayer for IX and standard sprayer for BD). :thumb:

Looking for suggestions as to techniques too if anyone has any.


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2011)

Depending on alloys, I spray onto an envy brush and work it in rather than just spray it on.

Bit like I do with other wheel cleaners to be honest.

For me its a follow up on dirty wheels not main use.


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## xcJohn (Jan 23, 2011)

I ordered some BD from Polished Bliss just to give it a whirl really (and I stupidly browsed on their website on payday :devil

IronX does an awesome job as far as I've seen with mine, and the Soap Gel isn't half bad either!


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## sean20 (Jan 17, 2011)

how dose the brake duster smell compared to iron x?

when i used iron x i was shockt how bad it smelt


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## xboxman02 (Mar 14, 2011)

Nice job here :thumb:

Polished bliss are no longer stocking the Carpro IronX in favour of brake duster so particularly relevant.

Decision made, I will be using Iron X, but after i have washed & applied tardis, i will then follow with a quick clay to ensure there are no remaining bonded contaminants before waxing.


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## mattsbmw (Jul 20, 2008)

Looks like a good review, how do these products compare to something like AS fallout remover?


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## SM8 (Jul 21, 2010)

much prefer the brake duster for my wheels personally.....absolutely incredible product and i like the gel based consistency and the fact that you can leave it on your wheels for ages...works better the longer you have it on..

wont be switching anytime soon ...after my wheels are cleaned.....they are spotless....but everyone has different methods and preferences so different products suit different people :thumb:


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

SM8 said:


> *much prefer the brake duster for my wheels personally..*...absolutely incredible product and i like the gel based consistency *and the fact that you can leave it on your wheels for ages...works better the longer you have it on..*
> 
> *wont be switching anytime soon ..*.after my wheels are cleaned.....they are spotless....but everyone has different methods and preferences so different products suit different people :thumb:


Have you tried them both? 
TBH I have seen lots of headers about iron-x and now increasing Brake Duster, never paid them much attention until yesterday, they do look interesting ideas, although I'm not so sure about requiring long dwell times .


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Nice little review Andrew. I think the first thing that people are noticing is the price difference between the 2 products. But after this test the question that arises IMO is:
Would you need to use twice the amount of BD to remove the same amount of contamination that 1 hit of IronX will because IronX seems to be alot stronger and therefor reflected in the price?
I've use both products & think that both have their plus points, thanks for taking the time to do the test mate:thumb:


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## SM8 (Jul 21, 2010)

ive tried the iron x in the past...not side by side with the brake duster though...and it was very good....but it was only a small sample bottle given to me just enough to do my rims all over once....and like i said it was good but it can dry fairly quickly when hot....

with me because i have black rims i have to spend ages cleaning the wheel as sometimes you cant see the dirt so with the brake duster i can just spray them on the wheels...and forget about it for 15 mins...then come back and agitate any dirt and get in all the crevices and after a jet blast they really do look amazing ready to be waxed....plus im not sure on prices but the brake duster is pretty good value for money and i love spraying the stuff as its like a few sprays covers the whole rim because of the bottle i have.....

the iron x was more liquidy so id use more in comparison and i think its pricier....but im not one to dismiss a product ill try it again if anyone thinks its really much better definitely !....i need to buy some more brake duster anyway as mine finished last week


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## SM8 (Jul 21, 2010)

slrestoration said:


> Nice little review Andrew. I think the first thing that people are noticing is the price difference between the 2 products. But after this test the question that arises IMO is:
> Would you need to use twice the amount of BD to remove the same amount of contamination that 1 hit of IronX will because IronX seems to be alot stronger and therefor reflected in the price?
> I've use both products & think that both have their plus points, thanks for taking the time to do the test mate:thumb:


what would be your opinion on the two products? Performance wise etc always good to hear as many user opnions as possible


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## Ecce (Mar 29, 2011)

Is there any Brake duster out there? PB, Waxamomo and Envy (the oly UK distributors I found) are all sold out - is it DW's fault with these threads I wonder?



xboxman02 said:


> Nice job here :thumb:
> 
> Polished bliss are no longer stocking the Carpro IronX in favour of brake duster so particularly relevant.
> 
> Decision made, I will be using Iron X, but after i have washed & applied tardis, i will then follow with a quick clay to ensure there are no remaining bonded contaminants before waxing.


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## 0507448n (Feb 3, 2010)

Yeah, I have found that IronX is better!


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I tend to use Iron X for the first time when it's a new customers car then follow up with Brake Duster on maintemance washes.

Since moving onto these products Brake Duster is really all I use as they are so good and I can clean up a really heavily contaminated wheel with not a lot of effort.


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

Just tried Iron-X for the first time... WOW, all i can say is wow, it just lifted everything off the wheels. and saved me so much time.

not tried the competition yet, but they seem pretty comparable from what i've read in all the threads on here.


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

Nice test Andrew. What and where would you say these products would do there best and at what stage of cleaning a car would they be best used?


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

chillly said:


> Nice test Andrew. What and where would you say these products would do there best and at what stage of cleaning a car would they be best used?


To be honest, considering the price difference I would do exactly as suggested below. Iron-X for initial decontamination (as it is quicker and better IMO even though it may be slightly pricier), and then use the BD as a 'maintenance' style product because of price and the less need for a full deep clean. :thumb:



Mirror Finish said:


> I tend to use Iron X for the first time when it's a new customers car then follow up with Brake Duster on maintenance washes.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Good comparison test Andrew - thanks for doing this.

I've just used IX on my alloys before sealing with C5 and was impressed with the product - will perhaps look at the BD option when I'm all out of IX

Thanks


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

cheekeemonkey said:


> Good comparison test Andrew - thanks for doing this.
> 
> I've just used IX on my alloys before sealing with C5 and was impressed with the product - will perhaps look at the BD option when I'm all out of IX
> 
> Thanks


C5 is pretty special too. :thumb:


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## Superspec (Feb 25, 2011)

I used Brake Duster for the first time today - followed the instructions - apply to wheel, allow to dry, pressure wash off. 

Results - stunning

The wheels backs are spotless to, although I did agitate with an EZ Detail brush. Wheel fronts not agitated at all and are immaculate.

Never used Iron X but am VERY happy with Brake Duster and would recommend it.


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## Adrian Convery (May 27, 2010)

Have never seen this Iron-X before, looks awesome, where is the best place to get it and what all sizes are available because that size is pretty small and I would want a big bottle?

Thanks


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## Jesse74 (Jul 19, 2008)

Nice review Andrew! If I may, I'd like to point out a couple of observations! First yes, Iron-X is a good product, there's no doubt about that! And yes it does react faster than ours, especially faster than version 1, because ours is a thick gel. If I was to make ours without the thickening agent the reaction times would probably be the same. If you're in a rush to wash the car, you should spray it on in the beginning and then carry on with the other parts of the car... you can leave it on as long as you want and rinse it off at any time. If you're _really_ in a rush, perhaps neither of these products is best to use, as cleaning with a normal wheel cleaner and a brush is much faster than waiting for a chemical reaction to occur. That said, Brake Duster needs to work longer in order to be 100% effective, so I'm pretty sure that it wasn't left to dwell long enough in this test.

Next, please take a look at this picture >>










Please note that there are spots on this wheel where the Brake Duster was not sprayed. If you look just to the left of the caliper, there's a HUGE spot of brake dust and if you also look towards the bottom right side of the (visible part) rim there's also some places where obviously there was no coverage. Brake Duster won't clean in some spots like it has and just leave some parts dirty if it's on the entire wheel. Also, since I can still see water drops on the wheel in the next picture (top of the wheel), I would guess that the "after Iron-X" application of the Brake Duster wasn't the most thorough?










Next, the spectacular "bloodletting" that you see in this picture also has a logical explanation.










Take into consideration the consistencies of both cleaners: Gel and liquid. Our gel sticks to where you spray it and doesn't run much as you can see by the picture here >>










Iron-X being more liquid, it runs. When it runs, it doesn't just run on the front of the wheel, it runs _behind_ the wheel also. Take a look closely and you'll see that most of the "bleeding" is coming from the edge of the back side of the wheel. Notice that even on the wheel with the BD on it (above), most of the "blood" is coming from the back edges.










This is from dripping down the back side of the wheel and coming out in the front and from the already dissolved iron particles making the rest of the cleaner purple. You'll have to think like a liquid to understand what I'm saying . The long spectacular lines of "blood" dripping down in the last picture give the "wow" effect, but it's like putting purple ink in water: It doesn't turn part of the water purple, it turns all of it purple.

So those were just my observations, please don't take offence to them Andrew, I'm just protecting my product ! Both cleaners found iron particles that the other left behind that's a fact. This just goes to show that neither of them will clean everything all the time, in the first go. Both products make cleaning wheels much easier, that's for sure.

V2 of the BD, which is already (well, was ) in the UK is not as viscous as the last version, which means it's much easier to spray, reacts faster and smells quite nice :thumb:. We can do 1,000 of these tests, and the results will always be different. Some will prefer to use IX and some BD, I suppose it boils down to a personal preference. Again, thanks for the review mate!

- Jesse


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## anthonyh90 (Mar 30, 2011)

i think my pay this month may have to stretch to getting some BD once it's back in stock so i can have some fun over the royal wedding period


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## Baracuda (Apr 28, 2008)

Is BD safe to use on the paint also, like IX ?


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## E38_ross (May 10, 2010)

Baracuda said:


> Is BD safe to use on the paint also, like IX ?


yes


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

I think im going to have to try and maybe introduce Brake Duster into my details , i currently use Iron x but cost is always an issue because it simply isnt cheap.
I would be interested if its possible to answer the question but how would Brake Duster affect a wheel with say C5 Wheel armour on? I know Iron x is quoted as 50% lsp removal although im a beleiver that products cant self heal so if removal is though the layer then the layer is removed. Does this apply to the best of your knowledge with crystalline coatings?


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## Cquartz (Jan 31, 2009)

Heavenly said:


> I think im going to have to try and maybe introduce Brake Duster into my details , i currently use Iron x but cost is always an issue because it simply isnt cheap.
> I would be interested if its possible to answer the question but how would Brake Duster affect a wheel with say C5 Wheel armour on? I know Iron x is quoted as 50% lsp removal although im a beleiver that products cant self heal so if removal is though the layer then the layer is removed. Does this apply to the best of your knowledge with crystalline coatings?


IronX will affect *OILY* base waxes, organic or Petroleum base, synthetic sealant it will hardly affect.
about your remark ironX price, pls check your whole cost effective figures between both , not only price per quantity.


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

Thanks for the reply.
Crystalline coatings are not degraded in any aspect then are we saying and I'm talking about both products here iron x and brake duster...


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## Dohnut (Feb 4, 2011)

Glad I found this, was hoping for some comarisons. Just posted over on PB section that I wasn't all that impressed with BD at the open day, it just didn't really seem to be doing anything. Maybe the wheel wasnt that bad, actually wish I had asked for a comparison with ironx on a section of the wheel to see if there was a difference. 

When I do my car, I honestly don't want to wait for any product to work not that long anyway. Letting a wax haze, or waiting between coats is fine, but if I actually need to wait like 10-15 mins for something to happen when another product can take 1 minute, then I'll go for the quicker one as long as its not too much more expensive, safe to use, and equally or more effective.

I have no doubt others will love BD, but it just isn't for me sorry.


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## rdig1984 (Feb 28, 2011)

With the IronX you can use it in alluminum??


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## Cquartz (Jan 31, 2009)

rdig1984 said:


> With the IronX you can use it in alluminum??


you mean aluminum wheels?? if yes, so you can, no problem


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## anthonyh90 (Mar 30, 2011)

Has anyone tried either of these 2 on an exhaust yet. I'm going to need to Polish it up fairly soon and was wondering if it would tackle the baked on black mess round the exhaust

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk


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## rdig1984 (Feb 28, 2011)

Cquartz said:


> you mean aluminum wheels?? if yes, so you can, no problem


yes Aluminum, sorry!


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

anthonyh90 said:


> Has anyone tried either of these 2 on an exhaust yet. I'm going to need to Polish it up fairly soon and was wondering if it would tackle the baked on black mess round the exhaust
> 
> Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk


I've used both products on tailpipes with no side effects. Best products for tailpipes is elbow grease & #00 grade wire wool though:thumb: If the baked on stuff it just too much then break out the dremmel!!


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## Sav (Jan 9, 2007)

Just ordered BD, I like the idea of the more the better. 

Quick question although there is probably instruction but bliss just posted it out so not got it yet.

Would you say spray on the wheels dry an hour or so before I start to wash the car, or wash the wheels first, rinse and then use BD and leave it on while. I think I could wash my Mini and not rinse to much off in the wash process for the rest of the car.

Also as I have a New BMW Mini is this chrome safe? There is a lot on my car, not a problem for the Alloys but if I was to use it on the body work then I’d like to know?

Cheers.


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## Johnny50 (Apr 13, 2007)

anthonyh90 said:


> Has anyone tried either of these 2 on an exhaust yet. I'm going to need to Polish it up fairly soon and was wondering if it would tackle the baked on black mess round the exhaust
> 
> Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk


Yes, i used it on my Miltek pipes, took some of the crud off, but not anywhere close to how it tackled the wheels.

Overall, i liked the product.

Shifted the caked on dust no problem, but i found thats all it done, and still needed a proper cleaner on the wheels afterwards, to shift day to day dirt, which was expected.


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## JJ_ (Oct 26, 2005)

Great test really want some iron x stuff !! what supplier offers v2 miller ?


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## GrahamKendall (Sep 8, 2009)

My brake duster is out for delivery today! shame im offshore, wont get a chance to test it for a week.


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