There were a few things I went looking for on their website but couldn't find them despite being on the shelf of the store I visited today. And yet, I just now found those brushes via Google, so their search function is not up to spec.
That looks like the shelves at Walmart or any of our auto parts stores. Lots of fluff, not much substance. Lowe’s (similar to Home Depot) sells Chemical Guys and Armor All. Those are just about everywhere now and CG has whored themselves out so much no real detail distributor would touch their wholesale with a 10 foot pole.So, Bunnings (think Home Depot for US readers) have joined the car care and automotive sector. I noticed a few Meguiar's products creeping onto the shelves earlier this year, but they now have an entire isle dedicated to automotive, with several shelves of that on car care. This will undoubtably shake things up a little, which I will explain shortly.
Naturally, with only an isle to work with, they are just stocking the basics, be that lubricants and service fluids, batteries, chargers and jump starters, wiper blades, seat covers, jacks, electrical, air fresheners.....................and car care.
The question is, which of it is worth buying? On the shelves, there is a basic range of products from Meguiar's, Turtle Wax, Mothers, Armor All, Polyglaze, Oakwood, and Machanix. Let's break this down a little, starting with what to avoid.................
Don't Bother -
Let me preface this by saying that the following brands and their products will do the intended job. The sticking point is how well do they do that job? To make these products approachable for all users, ie idiot proof, the chemical formulas account for the lowest common denominator. So, you have to work harder to achieve the desired result. Most notable for me was when I compared a tar remover from Polyglaze to Carpro TarX. Where the cheap product was virtually useless, TarX melts tar before your eyes. Naturally, there is risk to that, which is not a gamble the entry level brands want to take. So, keep this in mind with my comments below.
Turtle Wax - These are all the very bottom of the TW range. Depending on how this pans out, some of the newer and admittedly decent Hybrid-Ceramic Turtle Wax stuff could end up on the shelves. But as it stands, a firm no.
Polyglaze - I know I'm a brand snob, but I just do not see why you would buy these products when much better options exist for similar money, not to mention better performing.
Machanix - Again, why buy these when better exists?
Armor All - I know I probably ruffled feathers with a post I made recently, but I'm sorry, I just don't see a single product worth buying here. If I had to pick one, it would be the blue Car Wash, which at least cleans well.
Worth A Look -
Here are a few items that caught my eye, and this is where the shake up begins........................
Oakwood - There are so many terrible leather care products on the market that are virtually useless on automotive leather/vinyl. However, I was surprised to see this brand has a separate line of for cars. My go to recommendation for leather care via an auto store has been Bowden's Leather Love and Leather Guard. But the Oakwood Leather Foam Cleaner and Leather Cream might be worth looking at. Australian made too.
Meguiar's - Again, Bunning's are only offering the entry level products, but few stand out for me. Gold Class is not my favorite shampoo, but its the best on these shelves and has always excelled at suds and slickness. It will also foam reasonably well. But it's the price that caught my eye, $32.50 for a 1.9 Lt bottle. That same bottle a Repco and Autobarn is $47.00 and $44.99 respectively. In true Bunning's fashion, they have the buying power and ability to undercut everyone!
Secondly, I have aways liked Quick Interior Detailer. This has a nice balance between cleaning power and some very mild dressing potential. Available in the Detailer range, this consumer bottle is the one to buy as the larger size has a strange odor to it. Bunnings are asking $24.80, Repco and Autobahn want $39 and $37 respectively.
The Meguiar's microfiber is also very good, but overpriced for what it is. Even though the Bunning's prices undercut other retailers by $10 - $15, this is an expensive way to buy towels. But, if you are in a bind, they are a worthy option. If you do buy them, I would 1000% be washing them a couple of times before use, they are in effect sitting unpackaged in a dusty hardware store after all.
Mothers - I once used a lot of Mothers products, and I even have a few key products that are still in rotation. For example, their metal polish is a classic. At $6.03, the same tub will set you back $24.99 at Supercheap.
Another product that caught my eye, the Mothers Shaggy Wash Mitt is nicely priced and suitably soft and fluffy. At $12.80, its more than half the price sold elsewhere. I'm not a fan of wash mitts, but this is far from a bad option. Again, be sure to wash before use.
Now, some of the prices I have quoted for the same products sold at Repco, Supercheap and Autobarn are relative. Quite often, those retailers have rolling discounts, often between 20 - 30%, in turn narrowing the price gap. I've been highly critical of Meguiars approach to RRP's in Australia, especially when a comparable Carpro product costs the same price, or even less. It's a no brainer in that situation. However, the Meguiar's RRP prices are purposely inflated to make the sale price seem more impressive that it really is. So, I suspect the prices that Bunning's are putting on these products are where they SHOULD have been priced all along.
The big question is, will other retailers follow? Probably not, Bunning's have the ability to name their wholesale prices, then charge whatever they like, in turn running others out of business. So, their foray into automotive is following true to type. The real question is, how far do they take it?
I agree, infact I wrote this only a few days ago (but ive also said it before) :
WDSorry, it’s Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic (I mentioned the full name further up the post you quoted).
I have the normal one and the black version (for my roof) - I don’t really think there is much difference.
Those products are light duty paint cleaners, polish, and consumer grade sealant / ceramic.
For their ease of use, cost (often on bundle deals), availability and performance, I really quite like those products
WD
I've only dabbled with the newer hybrid Turtle Wax stuff. Like Meguiar's, I have a hard time paying a price premium for an entry level brand, especially when I can get Carpro, Gyeon, P&S, ADS or NV at the same or lower price. For example, would I pay $59 AUD for a 946ml bottle of ceramic quick detailer when I can get something like 1000ml of Carpro EliXir at $39.95?
While valid points, these products are cheaper in the US.I've only dabbled with the newer hybrid Turtle Wax stuff. Like Meguiar's, I have a hard time paying a price premium for an entry level brand, especially when I can get Carpro, Gyeon, P&S, ADS or NV at the same or lower price. For example, would I pay $59 AUD for a 946ml bottle of ceramic quick detailer when I can get something like 1000ml of Carpro EliXir at $39.95?
After several suggestions, I decided to try their new tyre cleaner and dressing.
Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Hyper Foam Wheel Cleaner & Tire Prep (yes, that is the name of the product in full), what a revolting product to use. This is an alkaline degreaser that smells worse than the Sulphur-like stench emitted by an iron remover. Was glad to get rid of it. And again, price comes into the equation, $42 for 946ml. I can get a GALLON of P&S Undressed for only 0.95c more.
Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Graphene Acrylic Tire Shine Spray Coating (again, another alphabet-soup product), a product I initially liked the look of. However, it was hard to get a nice uniform finish, and it looked terrible after the first wash despite claims of longevity. Put it this way, I couldn't even give this product away.
Long story short, I don't see value in Turtle Wax products.
I’ve used the TW Hybrid Solutions Pro stuff before. For something relatively cheap, it does a pretty good job. The To the Max graphene liquid wax holds up for a good 9-12 months and you don’t need a lot of it. 1 bottle will go a long way. We’ll be buying our 16 year old a car soon and it won’t be anything fancy, so I’ll probably teach him the finer points of detailing with the TW stuff until he gets the hang of it.
Thanks, that was exactly what I was trying to convey. If I lived in America, sure, perhaps I would look into more Turtle Wax, Meguiar's, and Adam's. But as it stands, I see no reason to pay premium-brand money for entry level brand products, especially knowing how dirt cheap they are in other countries. For me, I don't want to settle for whatever I can find, I want the best of the best because its something I enjoy doing. I also like the engagement I get from the higher end brands, to me, Meguiars/Turtle Wax/Armor All ect are just in the business of filling shelves to satisfy the shareholders.
