Chemical Guys?

Lurad21 said:

I didn’t post that link to discredit Chemical Guys. I have use used/own various of their products and they are quality products.

However I posted the link to illustrate that CG is NOT a subsidiary of another company and/or relabeled as is often speculated. They are a standalone company as noted by Better Business Bureau (in the link I provided) and operate as:

Chemical Guys Manufacturing Company
SmartWax
Smart Inc

The fact that they sell wholesale to other companies is even more evidence that other companies are actually relabeled CG/SmartWax.

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Yes there is truth in that. Other companies do relabel their stuff as their own as well. But CG charges more for it and it's the same stuff. When buying CG your buying the name, not the product

Okay, I figured I would take the time to write this up and save it somewhere so I can copy and paste it among forums once and for all.
Detailer here, been detailing for 10+ years now and have always tried different brands. It allows me to be honest, open and provide true feedback. For my Grand Sport + Mustangs I've used a different brand every single year (their entire line from Car Shampoo, Detail Spray, Waxes, Sealants, Polishes, Compounds, etc) to and stick to it for the entire year so I can test durability, ease of use, cost, application process and most importantly, end result + final finish. To name a few brands, I've used Zaino, Optimum, CarPro, Poorboy's, Ultima, Meguiar's, Menzerna, Pinnacle, Pinnacle Black Label, Sonax, Chemical Guys, Adam's, 3D, IGL Coatings, etc.

To the clear the air here, Chemical Guys is rebranded, relabeled product; Always has been. One of their suppliers is Warner Chemical. Go ahead, look it up and feel free to compare. Warner Chemical also supplies to Adam's Polishes; Whether they say they do or do not, I know what I've used and I've looked at MSDS thoroughly.
For example, look at the new heavily marketed product blowing up right now, Top Coat. Topcoat is basically a silicone and carrier solvent. That's it. It would provide very little, if any protection. For use as a quick detailer or similar it would be okay. That's about all it would be good for. I base this off of the SDS sheet. The ingredients are polydimethylsiloxane (silicone) and Alcohol ethaxylates (mild cleaner and carrier solvent) that helps it evaporate quickly. The product is made by Ducora, Inc. Don't let marketing fool you, ask for MSDS but if you truly love a product, whether it be Chemical Guys or Adam's go ahead and stick with it but its better to be educated than not.

When it comes to a company like Chemical Guys, I despise their product selection and marketing. There is no reason to have 15+ different kinds of shampoos, there is no reason to have 15+ detail sprays, spray waxes and quick detailers; It makes a mess for clients that are trying to learn. To add insult to injury, the poor customer service along side elimination of negative reviews on their website has me turned away. Go ahead and purchase a product from their website and leave an honest review that isn't 4-5 stars. It'll get removed and you'll get an email saying "Your review didn't fit our criteria"

Their product is OK at best and to be considered at a very entry level, no different from a car soap or detailer that can be purchased at your local Walmart.

Drek08 said:

Bottom line if CG works for you then use it. But they do offer re-label services. Any one of us on here can order their products with our personal labels on them. Many companies do this along with CG. Smart wax and CG are sister companies. I don't blame companies for sharing products, there's only so many chemical properties you can change and ratios to use for this or that but CG tends to charge much higher prices for their "own" products. Which is why I'm saying there are products out that are the equally good and better for the same amount of month or less. Adams polishes has some good
Products but at the same time their buttery wet wax is identical to CG buttery wet wax, smell, color, and result. But CG charges more

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I get that your not a big fan, but give it a rest. Every time their name comes up you have something negative to say. I was just researching sealants and boom there is Drek08 bashing CG!

Lurad21 said:

I didn’t post that link to discredit Chemical Guys. I have use used/own various of their products and they are quality products.

However I posted the link to illustrate that CG is NOT a subsidiary of another company and/or relabeled as is often speculated. They are a standalone company as noted by Better Business Bureau (in the link I provided) and operate as:

Chemical Guys Manufacturing Company
SmartWax
Smart Inc

The fact that they sell wholesale to other companies is even more evidence that other companies are actually relabeled CG/SmartWax.

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I see what your saying.

SVT-DADDY said:

I get that your not a big fan, but give it a rest. Every time their name comes up you have something negative to say. I was just researching sealants and boom there is Drek08 bashing CG!

Hmm considering I've only been on the forum a few weeks and only commented on maybe two posts that were about CG but ok. Just trying to give people better options for their money. If you want spend the money on CG and it works for you then by all means go for it. Just trying to help

I see what your saying.

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Hmm considering I've only been on the forum a few weeks and only commented on maybe two posts that were about CG but ok. Just trying to give people better options for their money. If you want spend the money on CG and it works for you then by all means go for it. Just trying to help

Drek08 said:

Bottom line if CG works for you then use it. But they do offer re-label services. Any one of us on here can order their products with our personal labels on them. Many companies do this along with CG. Smart wax and CG are sister companies. I don't blame companies for sharing products, there's only so many chemical properties you can change and ratios to use for this or that but CG tends to charge much higher prices for their "own" products. Which is why I'm saying there are products out that are the equally good and better for the same amount of month or less. Adams polishes has some good
Products but at the same time their buttery wet wax is identical to CG buttery wet wax, smell, color, and result. But CG charges more

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So you've never had a bad experience with them, but you're saying they aren't good? By the way, Butter Wet Wax vs. Buttery Wax Chemical Guys is cheaper online;

Adam's Buttery Wax 16oz 19.99

CG Butter Wet Wax 16oz 17.99

Here's the real bottom line and I'm sure a detailer with 10+ years of experience like yourself can agree with this - every car is different. What works on one car may not work for another. And people need to experiment and find what works for them. If that means that OP has to use Adam's Clay, with a lube from Jax Wax, a wax from Shine Supply, and a sealant from Chemical Guys to get the result THEY want, then that's what they have to do.

You are a business man. You do this for a living. You need to increase your margins. So what do you do? You find the best possible quality product (because this is representative of your public image) at the best possible price. So that you can then go and turn that around for a bigger return. Less overhead for you means more profit for you. And through your journey of exploration and finding what you've liked and what's worked for you, you've landed on a few options. And that's good! But that does not make Chemical Guys bad. Especially not to someone who doesn't do detailing for a living.

DanielIvan said:

So you've never had a bad experience with them, but you're saying they aren't good? By the way, Butter Wet Wax vs. Buttery Wax Chemical Guys is cheaper online;

Adam's Buttery Wax 16oz 19.99

CG Butter Wet Wax 16oz 17.99

Here's the real bottom line and I'm sure a detailer with 10+ years of experience like yourself can agree with this - every car is different. What works on one car may not work for another. And people need to experiment and find what works for them. If that means that OP has to use Adam's Clay, with a lube from Jax Wax, a wax from Shine Supply, and a sealant from Chemical Guys to get the result THEY want, then that's what they have to do.

You are a business man. You do this for a living. You need to increase your margins. So what do you do? You find the best possible quality product (because this is representative of your public image) at the best possible price. So that you can then go and turn that around for a bigger return. Less overhead for you means more profit for you. And through your journey of exploration and finding what you've liked and what's worked for you, you've landed on a few options. And that's good! But that does not make Chemical Guys bad. Especially not to someone who doesn't do detailing for a living.

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Yes sir I can agree with you. Yes I've used their stuff and it's decent. But no never had a bad experience. Just wanted to share that they are pricey for what they are. And I said that for the average person it works and nose of the average people won't know any better, but for professional results and quality it's hard to use CG. But I'll stop here now and say if CG works for you then by all means use it, but don't always by into the hype. Try other products and see what else works just as good, better or easier

Drek08 said:

Yes sir I can agree with you. Yes I've used their stuff and it's decent. But no never had a bad experience. Just wanted to share that they are pricey for what they are. And I said that for the average person it works and nose of the average people won't know any better, but for professional results and quality it's hard to use CG. But I'll stop here now and say if CG works for you then by all means use it, but don't always by into the hype. Try other products and see what else works just as good, better or easier

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I'll stop here as well. Thank you for your time and input. :cheers:

DanielIvan said:

I'll stop here as well. Thank you for your time and input. :cheers:

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Same goes to you my friend. We are all brothers here. Just trying to look out for one another

Drek08 said:

Yes there is truth in that. Other companies do relabel their stuff as their own as well. But CG charges more for it and it's the same stuff. When buying CG your buying the name, not the product

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Good products but the marketing is something else...They seem to market to the ufc/energy drink/affliction shirt demographic, but again a good product.

I like their products but I only purchase when amazon has good deals. Like others have mentioned, there are other quality and good deals to be had. But I wouldn’t completely steer anyone away from CG. If you want to pay 8$ for a branded bucket go for it, to each his own. personally I like my 3$ Home Depot bucket and meguiars.

go use one of their clay bars. It will melt to your hand and stick like gum.

Threw it out and bought a Meguires at walmart. Less passes over the paint and no sticking. If you really want to use them, stay away from the clay

Poor OP just wanted some sponges and car wash lol

SVT-DADDY said:

Poor OP just wanted some sponges and car wash lol

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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry OP.

Not a professional but I do all my own detailing and have been trying many different brands over the last 24 years or so. Starting with a possibly 2 decade old green turtle wax bottle i found in the garage when i was like 17 with my first car lol. I like CG. I tried their stuff recently and it worked well. Im not a fan of the Jet seal but I really like the Celeste Dettaglio Wax. On my mustang I use the V7 spray detailer and really like it. Most product if used right will work as advertised. There are just so many variables than can affect the durability and application etc etc.

I know this is an old thread, but just to comment from a few angles.

I'm a detailer...car builder, etc..started detailing 30+ years ago. Smart Wax company is the original company Chemical guys was before it was Chemical Guys. They were focused on providing dealerships etc with car care products.

They knew they could do more, offer more...so they started doing just that and revolutionized the industry. They are primarily focused on creating detail companies that use their products, etc., and the public use of their products. Massive how to videos for the home user/self detailer, and full support for the wholesale business for detailing companies and distributors of their products.

They are the only company who has the breadth of products that they currently have and continue to develop more and more, as paints and wraps and surfaces keep changing...so do they. Yes, they relabel for a lot of companies...some companies you use everyday that are 'better and cheaper'...their formulas are better though, as the cheaper side is usually a custom version for those companies, so they can focus on an end user, not a professional detailer.

ANY DETAILER WORTH A DAMN - carries multiple products on their line-up, usually from multiple companies, to get their jobs done. MANY detailers will not use Chemical Guys because they think price is higher. I was just talking with a mobile detailer a few weeks ago who uses non-Chemical Guys products - soaps, waxes, polishes, sealers etc. He said his 5gal of foam soap costs him $45 and with Chemical Guys, he would have to buy 4 Gal for the same price...HOWEVER, his current soap required 4oz of soap in his foam cannon, where Chemical Guys requires on 1oz for the same result. In this case, he would be getting almost 3X the product for the same price...using Chemical Guys.

I told him to wash my car with my Chemical Guys Soap and V7 - he did so, and said the wash was easier, better foam and holding power, more shine and deeper gloss in the end. I gave him a 16oz bottle of soap and a bottle of V7 to mess with and test...and just bought cases of both a few weeks later and is now more profitable because of it, and getting better results.

He's now testing several waxes, polishes, and a few towels, etc...and so far, is very happy.

I'm not trying to convert anyone here...trust me on that...I use several different products from different companies as well, but the Chemical Guys products always last longer, I use less of them for the same or better result, they smell better and leave the car better longer. They are also easier to use...waxes spread thinner and remove easier, glazes etc the same..so you use less of them too.

I still have Wheel polishes and others I use regularly, even if CG has similar products...some old trustworthy products you never waver from...even if there is something better. we don't always have time to test and experiment with new stuff...I get it.

The nice thing is that you can get small 4oz sample bottle of most everything they sell to try things out..at a very small investment.

Anyway...wanted to say a few things. I have known that family of people and products for more than 15 years...they are innovators and inventors...not copy cats.

Great by me, I’m a huge CG’s fan. I placed 2 orders because they extended their BF sale. 30% regardless how expensive it is is a great deal