# Most popular cutting compounds



## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

I'm on the lookout for a new cutting compound, just about finished my megs UC and wondered what the most popular products are at present.

Will be used for swirl removals mostly, on BMW and Renault paints most of the time, using DAS 6 PRO polisher

Thanks fellas


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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

Im interested in this as well. Recently bought Menzerna one step polish to try and added to the thread on here for Detailing Kingdom samples through in2detailing to hopefully give them a try.

Saw a demo today at Ignition of sonax profiline perfect finish which looked impressive but was recommended for rotary only. Wish I'd managed to speak to the demonstrator now to see if it could also be used with DA and I'd have got some :wall::wall:


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## E60525d (Jun 1, 2006)

Menzerna super heavy cut 300. Has high level of cut and finishes great too.

Sonax 04-06 is also great but has less cut so not so good on hard paint.


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## Moet1974 (Sep 13, 2015)

My vote goes to Koch Chemie H8. Long work times, finishes very well and performs on all types of paint. Also a big fan of Meguiars D300 correction compound and Rupes UHS. Sonax perfect finish is perfectly fine to use on a DA but I wouldn't put it in the compounds arena. It's more of an intensive polish. Sonax 05-05 is next on my to try list bud. :thumb:


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

I should add it will be used with DAS6 pro polisher


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## Tembaco (Jun 28, 2014)

Menzerna is one of my favorite, but Scholl is olso realy good. Scholl S3 with the white spider pad on BMW paint is a realy good cutter. S3 finish is good on his own already. Offcourse a bit hazy but with for example S30 after great finish for two steps.


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## milesdrive (Oct 21, 2016)

macca666 said:


> Im interested in this as well. Recently bought Menzerna one step polish to try and added to the thread on here for Detailing Kingdom samples through in2detailing to hopefully give them a try.
> 
> Saw a demo today at Ignition of sonax profiline perfect finish which looked impressive but was recommended for rotary only. Wish I'd managed to speak to the demonstrator now to see if it could also be used with DA and I'd have got some :wall::wall:


sonax perfect finish is fine to use with a DA, my go to product for last step refining, although can cut on very soft paint such as Honda black. I use Scholl products for cutting, S3 (heavy swirling) or S20 (more one-step method, light swirls/marring)


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## E60525d (Jun 1, 2006)

Moet1974 said:


> My vote goes to Koch Chemie H8. Long work times, finishes very well and performs on all types of paint. Also a big fan of Meguiars D300 correction compound and Rupes UHS. Sonax perfect finish is perfectly fine to use on a DA but I wouldn't put it in the compounds arena. It's more of an intensive polish. Sonax 05-05 is next on my to try list bud. :thumb:


Sonax looks good too. But last time I checked I couldn't find anyone who had it in stock.


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Menzerna 2200 is good on German paint for swirl removal and Scholl S3XXL for the more heavier defects. Am looking forward as well to getting the DK 1.1 off Imran especially after Matts review


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## rob267 (Nov 27, 2015)

Menzerna fg 300 gets my vote. Great on hard audi paint.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## Moet1974 (Sep 13, 2015)

chongo said:


> Menzerna 2200 is good on German paint for swirl removal and Scholl S3XXL for the more heavier defects. Am looking forward as well to getting the DK 1.1 off Imran especially after Matts review


Still have the old Ip2100 from Menz. A cracking polish on harder paint also. Let me know on the DK 1.1 bud.It has to justify its price IMO. :thumb:


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Moet1974 said:


> Still have the old Ip2100 from Menz. A cracking polish on harder paint also. Let me know on the DK 1.1 bud.It has to justify its price IMO. :thumb:


Good stuff it is:thumb: I definitely will let you know how it compares to Scholl S3xxl hopefully in the next two weeks :thumb:


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

What do you all think of M105 ? Have things moved on a bit from this product or still a worthy option?


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Soapybubbles said:


> What do you all think of M105 ? Have things moved on a bit from this product or still a worthy option?


Still one of the best compounds out there:thumb: great on a MF cutting pad:buffer:


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## AS_BO (Sep 29, 2013)

Agreed, still a great compound. It gets the work done, no fuss at all. Cuts quick and will finish well with the right pad. As Chongo said, MF cutting pad is the way to go


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## brba (Sep 13, 2009)

M105 still one of the best ? Haha
Menz 400, scholl s3 xxl , sonax cutmax ..... space ship compared to megs !!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sam6er (Apr 3, 2016)

Sonax cutmax gets my vote. Its worked really well for me


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## Joel79 (May 15, 2016)

E60525d said:


> Menzerna super heavy cut 300. Has high level of cut and finishes great too.


Menzerna 300 is good but it sure doesnt finish well and reguired 2-3 step done.


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## E60525d (Jun 1, 2006)

Sam6er said:


> Sonax cutmax gets my vote. Its worked really well for me


That's surprising as it has a gloss level of 8 so should finish well.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

Meguiars m105 and m101, I truly think everyone should have those in a bag just in case. Both an industry standard. And the newer detailing kingdom 1.1 is good for pretty much anything

Sonax perfect finish is an excellent mid level cut and finish type product. But I personally think their compound (cutmax) is absolutely rubbish

A less mentioned product is infinite cut from Gary dean. Its expensive so a tough sell, but on a stiff foam like a cyan lake country foam its cut and finish is exceptional


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## Mikesphotaes (Jul 24, 2016)

macca666 said:


> Im interested in this as well. Recently bought Menzerna one step polish to try and added to the thread on here for Detailing Kingdom samples through in2detailing to hopefully give them a try.
> 
> Saw a demo today at Ignition of sonax profiline perfect finish which looked impressive but was recommended for rotary only. Wish I'd managed to speak to the demonstrator now to see if it could also be used with DA and I'd have got some :wall::wall:


Less than impressed when I used it on my Pro6.

Megs 105 and 205 have done me well.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

So I have got it down to 2 products to choose from

M105 or S20 black.

I believe 105 will cut more but S20 will finish as well as cut


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

They are quite different things - although S20 is called a compound, the main reason to use it is that the abrasives are set up to cut quite hard to begin with, but then to diminish down to a level that allows it to finish really well.

On the other hand, M105 is a non-diminishing abrasive, ie it will cut at the same level for as long as you work it, all things being equal.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

steelghost said:


> They are quite different things - although S20 is called a compound, the main reason to use it is that the abrasives are set up to cut quite hard to begin with, but then to diminish down to a level that allows it to finish really well.
> 
> On the other hand, M105 is a non-diminishing abrasive, ie it will cut at the same level for as long as you work it, all things being equal.


I have 205 and Britemax Blackmax for finishing.

But I like the idea of a one step hit.

What do you think I should go for ghost?


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Hard to say pal - if you're going to be working on harder paints like BMW then you may need something with a bit more punch - could be S20 on a harder pad, or you might be better off with S3XXL (or one of the other suggestions). 

That said if you get on with 205 then why not try the other half of the classic duo?
Overall I think any of the suggestions above could do a good job for you, I'd choose the one you like the sound or idea of, and then stick with it and learn its different qualities. What matters more than the product is the expertise and experience of the user and it's hard to acquire that if you're just dabbling with lots of different products (not saying that you are, but I think it's a trap detailers can fall into).


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

Awesome response as always Ghost 

Thanks


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## bonkey (Nov 24, 2009)

3M PERFECT IT III COMPOUNDING 
I like it it works well with the 3M pads are good too

The green with the green pads are good for the hard paint


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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

brba said:


> M105 still one of the best ? Haha
> Menz 400, scholl s3 xxl , sonax cutmax ..... space ship compared to megs !!!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No offence mate but having seen chongos work and from his advice and guidance on here I'm more than happy to listen to him and I'm pretty certain he's talking from a lot of experience.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

Was going to order m105 but had a look on the meguiars forum and Michael Stoops was quoted as saying 105 is designed for rotary use and can be tricky to use on DA especially for an amateur user (like me)

I have UC and orange,white and black Hexlogic pads however I have corrected BMW paint before with orange pad and UC and it was an extremely long job. 

Maybe it was my technique as I'm not too experienced with my DA. 

Should I maybe have another go with UC or do you think UC isn't up to correcting German clear coats?


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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

Mikesphotaes said:


> Less than impressed when I used it on my Pro6.
> 
> Megs 105 and 205 have done me well.


Mike was it the Menzerna one step, Detailing Kingdom or the sonax you were less than impressed with?


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## brba (Sep 13, 2009)

New Menzerna conpound is coming soon, great cut, great finish, no dust  cant tell what it is










Short video , sanded with p2000, polished with detailing mafia white pad and dewalt rotary .....






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## brba (Sep 13, 2009)

Double


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## EG30 (Jul 8, 2017)

Soapybubbles said:


> I'm on the lookout for a new cutting compound, just about finished my megs UC and wondered what the most popular products are at present.
> 
> Will be used for swirl removals mostly, on BMW and Renault paints most of the time, using DAS 6 PRO polisher
> 
> Thanks fellas





Soapybubbles said:


> Was going to order m105 but had a look on the meguiars forum and Michael Stoops was quoted as saying 105 is designed for rotary use and can be tricky to use on DA especially for an amateur user (like me)
> 
> I have UC and orange,white and black Hexlogic pads however I have corrected BMW paint before with orange pad and UC and it was an extremely long job.
> 
> ...


A lot depends on how heavy the swirls are and how much of those swirls you intend to remove.

The challenge lies with hard BMW paint when you want near complete/complete RIDS and heavy swirls removal with the tools you have ie the pads and polisher and not only the compound.

8mm DA would be a real challenge on late model BMW hard paints, a MF pad and heavier cutting compound such as S3XXL, Menz400 would help but would still be hard work. With normal thickness foam pads you would lose 1-2mm in flex alone when the pad goes back and forth reducing the throw at the paint surface even further. An upgrade to the 15mm DAS6 pro plus would help a lot here.

I usually mow down the heavier defects on hard BMW paints with a rotary with lambswool or twisted wool ( more cut still ) with heavy cut compounds such as S3XXL, Menz400, 3D 501 or Cutmax ( bit less cut than the others mentioned ). And then do the rest of car with S20 black on a Navy blue pad.

The original M105 was indeed formulated for Rotary and not for DA use, they have since updated their formulation to work with DA a few years back. But this product isn't anything special, dusts more than it should and finish isn't fantastic. For Meg fans out there the M101 is a much better choice.

If I was in your situation I would try S20 black with a Navy blue spider pad, along with a purple spider pad for soft to medium paint. And get a MF pad and a small bottle of Menz 400, S3XXL to cover the scenarios where the S20black won't cut it such as RIDS on hard BMW paint.

The cut from S20black is just shy of the Scholl S17 and less than UC also. It finishes better than UC.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

EG30 said:


> .
> 
> If I was in your situation I would try S20 black with a Navy blue spider pad, along with a purple spider pad for soft to medium paint.
> 
> The cut from S20black is just shy of the Scholl S17 and less than UC also. It finishes better than UC.


Not much point buying S20 if it indeed has less cut than UC then? As I already have UC


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Soapybubbles said:


> Not much point buying S20 if it indeed has less cut than UC then? As I already have UC


The point of S20 is that it finishes down as well as a decent finishing polish but with decent if not spectacular cut (although the absolute cut level will depend on the pad used).

If you just want more cut, there are other compounds out there for that - sticking with Scholl, S3XXL is the one I'd suggest.


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## Speedy83 (Apr 25, 2017)

Will have my first go with Koch chemi H8 tomorrow, anyone have any tips on how to use it. Will mainly be coupled with hex orange or white and a DAS 6 pro + also with shinemate e803 in small areas.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

Decided to go for Menz 2200 with a MF cutting pad 

Will update on my results!

Thanks for all suggestions,as always


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

Does Menz 2200 have more cut than Megs UC?


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Soapybubbles said:


> Does Menz 2200 have more cut than Megs UC?


Yep good on hard paints if your looking for a 1 step polish :thumb:


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## EG30 (Jul 8, 2017)

Soapybubbles said:


> Does Menz 2200 have more cut than Megs UC?


less cut than uc


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

Had some time this morning to do a test spot on the BMW,decided to cut the tailgate lid with my das6 pro,MF 5.5inch pad and Megs UC. I did 4 sets of 4 passes and it has corrected the paint to about 70%, I'd still like it to be correcting further than that. 

Do you think I should step up compound? 4 sets per panel seems like it's going to take me a long time. I split the tailgate lid into 2 sections so 8 sets to cover the full panel and it needs at least another few sets


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## Fentum (May 1, 2017)

Speedy83 said:


> Will have my first go with Koch chemi H8 tomorrow, anyone have any tips on how to use it. Will mainly be coupled with hex orange or white and a DAS 6 pro + also with shinemate e803 in small areas.


Sorry - a bit late to the party on this one. With KC compound I tend to spray/prime the pad quire liberally with a QD before first use. Start low (1-2) to spread and then up to 3-4 on my DAS. Take it slowly doing no more than a small panel/half a bonnet at a time. It takes a fair time to dry out under normal conditions.

IME best used in conjunction with the KC Anti Hologram afterwards and KC Rosa (or Blau?) polish on a very soft KC pad at the the end.

Peter


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

EG30 said:


> less cut than uc


Err you'll find it does bud depending on what pad you choose :wave:


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## EG30 (Jul 8, 2017)

chongo said:


> Err you'll find it does bud depending on what pad you choose :wave:


Sure, Menz 2200+MF pad would cut more than UC+foam polishing pad. I was comparing them like for like pad wise.


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

I have been using UC with my MF cutting pad.

Just ordered Menz 2200 

So will see what cuts better and report back


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## Speedy83 (Apr 25, 2017)

Fentum said:


> Sorry - a bit late to the party on this one. With KC compound I tend to spray/prime the pad quire liberally with a QD before first use. Start low (1-2) to spread and then up to 3-4 on my DAS. Take it slowly doing no more than a small panel/half a bonnet at a time. It takes a fair time to dry out under normal conditions.
> 
> IME best used in conjunction with the KC Anti Hologram afterwards and KC Rosa (or Blau?) polish on a very soft KC pad at the the end.
> 
> Peter


Thank you for answer!

Did the polish last week but wasn't completly happy. The swirls and scratches disapered to 85-90% i bealive so thats all good but when finished with essence it just didn't tur out as i hope. Better then when starten but not at all that great shine i looked for.
Did the H8 on orange hex and the essence with white hex.

Think i might took a bit big jump and need to do a middle step. Will try with Menz 2500 and yellow rupes and ten do essence with glosspad.


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## Fentum (May 1, 2017)

Speedy83 said:


> Thank you for answer!
> 
> Did the polish last week but wasn't completly happy. The swirls and scratches disapered to 85-90% i bealive so thats all good but when finished with essence it just didn't tur out as i hope. Better then when starten but not at all that great shine i looked for.
> Did the H8 on orange hex and the essence with white hex.
> ...


Give those steps a go but if still not happy do try the KC anti hologram compound - it generally takes care of the last 10%.

Slim's sells it in a sample size.

Peter


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## Speedy83 (Apr 25, 2017)

Fentum said:


> Give those steps a go but if still not happy do try the KC anti hologram compound - it generally takes care of the last 10%.
> 
> Slim's sells it in a sample size.
> 
> Peter


Will do!

What pad do you recomend to that?


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

So I have spent the afternoon trying to correct the drivers front wing on the BMW with 5" MF cutting pad on my Das 6 pro using Menz 2200, I have got to say I'm pretty disappointed with the level of cut from 2200,it has corrected 50-60% of swirls but not touched any other more heavy defects.

Going to need to step up the compound, what would you step up to?


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## Speedy83 (Apr 25, 2017)

FG 400 perhaps, BMW quite often have hard paint as i understand it.


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## rob267 (Nov 27, 2015)

I used menzerna fg300 and a MF cutting pad on my audi. I would assume that your BMW paint is just as hard so would recommend the above combo.

It worked very well for me but you will need to refine the finish.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## Soapybubbles (Feb 10, 2014)

rob267 said:


> I used menzerna fg300 and a MF cutting pad on my audi. I would assume that your BMW paint is just as hard so would recommend the above combo.
> 
> It worked very well for me but you will need to refine the finish.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


What machine did you use?


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## galamaa (Aug 3, 2014)

If you want really good cut and finish like almost lsp, then I suggest Teroson WX159. Last time if i wetsand paint, then i use sandpaper 2000 (dont want to put name of it) . Product quality is very bad. Why? Sandpaper sand is bigger than 2000 and I can`t take them out of my any cutting compound. Even S3 fit very aggressive wool dont touch them with flex rotary or 3401. Then I found my country Teroson polish. Nobody don`t use them, because this is very new range. I read, that these product cut out 1200 grit with foam bad. . For me, this is very promising. I pair it with scholl purple pad, and first hit 70% swirls came out. I am really surprised One hit more and everything is gone. Real winner - really fast. I talk with sale guy, who gives me this product to sample. This is new model, where SMAT and DAT putting together -hybrid. This is why this cutting compund finish so well. Then I try they finish polish wx 178 HP pair it with rotary and 3M yellow. Once again, really surprised. Extreme shine - if I put DSW on it - it mute shine, also Essence mute, because shine is much better with polish. Must put some new coating there, to see, how this end. http://www.tacsystemindia.com/product/quartz-climax-100-sio2-glass-coating/


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## rob267 (Nov 27, 2015)

Soapybubbles said:


> What machine did you use?


I used a das 6 pro.
Took a while but got there in the end. 

















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