What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[skinnyb]

See, that's what I'd consider cheap! That same shop would play out like this..............................

Cyclone Ultra Wash Mitt	$24.95
ADS Panel Prep	$30.95
ADS Trim+	$118.00
ADS Wheel	$155.95
Shipping	FREE
TOTAL :	$304.90 (AUD)

That's at full retail, I do get a discount with the supplier, so I pay little less than that. But even then, it's still more than double what you have paid.

Aussie Aussie Aussie, rip-off rip-off rip-off.

One more reason I wouldn't want to live there. Not to mention the measuring issue and driving on the wrong side of the road

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[DFB5.0]

Yesterday it was the caravan, today it was the tow vehicle.

But first, a little reminder of how this vehicle looked after its last visit back in April this year.............

Since then, the Landcruiser has had a set of brand-new genuine Toyota headlights installed. Also, due to some damage from a previous trip, the vehicle has been treated to a new set of wheels. I have to say, I never liked those CSA 'Jackal' wheels, the car looks so much better with these CSA Kinetic's. And thankfully, he went with the machined silver version instead of satin black.

Kinetic – CSA Wheels

Detailers Tip - For anyone putting aftermarket wheels on an off-roader, never choose a matte or satin finish, especially black. That's because matte and satin finishes tend to absorb road grime and never truly release it. That means you will never have them clean again, even with a wheel coating and sledgehammer cleaning products. A clear coated wheel on the other hand is much more resistant to dirt, brake dust and road grime. In effect, the clearcoat rejects the grime rather than absorbs it. This of course applies to all satin/matte finish wheels, but it's more pronounced on a vehicle that is subjected to off-road driving.

After the on-site caravan detail yesterday, I used up the remainder of the Touch-less and Lift in my foam cannons by pre-treating the Landcruiser. Not only did this give me a head start for today, but it washed all the red dust into the gravel and NOT onto my concrete driveway.

Wheels & Tyres - Working wheel to wheel, after a pre-rinse, I sprayed the wheel with NV Purge. While that began doing its job, the tyre was sprayed with Wise Guy and scrubbed. The whole wheel and wheel arch was then foamed with Brake Buster and scrubbed with an assortment of brushes. This duo of Purge and Brake Buster worked extremely well.

Also during this step, I cleaned the side steps, front steel bumper, steel rear bumper, and the spare wheel carrier. Wise Guy was then used to scrub the rubber floor mats, followed by a misting of P&S Swift before being left in the spring sunshine to dry.

Pre-Wash - Even though I did this yesterday, I again foamed with Bilt Hamber Touch-less. While this was active, I went around with a brush to agitate around the badges, fuel filler door, window trims and door handles. That red dust gets everywhere! A thorough rinse followed.

Contact Wash - For this step, I switched to Carpro Descale. This was foamed onto the whole vehicle, and a little added to the rinse bucket for good measure.

Post Wash - After a very thorough rinse, making sure to blast behind the door handles and door jambs, I went around and applied Carpro Hydr02. A blow off with the Ego (no, not my Ego, the leaf blower), a heavy application of NV Boost v2 was used in connection with two large drying towels. I then wiped out the door jambs with Carpro ECH20, which were surprisingly clean.

Interior - Considering the number of kilometers this vehicle has done since it was last detailed back in April, the interior was actually pretty good. Of course, it needed a vacuum, made super easy due to the high-quality carpet Toyota used for this model. I then wiped down the interior with Nextzett Cockpit Premium, I keep forgetting how bloody good that product is. For the leather, I used KCx Pol Star in a spray and wipe manner, although I did use a leather brush on the shiny steering wheel, gear shifter and handbrake handle. After that, NV Nourish was applied to the leather, the carpets misted with KCx Fresh Up and Cozy Cotton, and the rubber mats reinstalled.

Glass - For the exterior, I went with Optimum Glass Clean & Protect, then switched to Stoner's for the interior glass. Because the car was in sun, it won't fit inside my garage, I probably didn't get the glass perfect but it's now much better than before.

Tyres - It's probably not worth dressing off-road tyres. But...............well I couldn't help myself. For big tyres like this, I like to use a runny dressing and apply with a TRC Ultra Utility Brush. The combo of that brush and a runny dressing is more efficient and helps get product into all the groves. Once applied, I leave it for 10 - 15 minutes, then buff off any excess with a towel.

In this case, I used Carpro Perl at 1:1, but Meg's Hyper Dressing, Duragloss 253, or Shine Supply Decked Out would be great alternatives. The key is having that runny consistency

Final Result - The old girl has a few battle scars, the result of this vehicle being used for what it was designed for rather than being a glorified shopping trolly or pram. It also needs to have a few stone chips and scrapes touched up. For reference, the Landcruiser now has just over 157,000 kms on the clock.

And if you've read this far, well enjoy this little time-lapse of me hard at work cleaning the exterior.....................

 

[Evolvd]

For those who are ADS fans, they have teamed up with Obsessed Garage and are now selling Pressol spray bottles and their own labels that match their products.
They go one step further and give you a rear label as well which has all the instructions for each of their products. That’s a nice touch so you aren’t having to always look it up online when trying to remember what the mix ratio or dwell times are!

https://armourdetailsupply.com/collections/new-products/products/armour-pressol-proseries-label

 

[DFB5.0]

For those who are ADS fans, they have teamed up with Obsessed Garage and are now selling Pressol spray bottles and their own labels that match their products.
They go one step further and give you a rear label as well which has all the instructions for each of their products. That’s a nice touch so you aren’t having to always look it up online when trying to remember what the mix ratio or dwell times are!

https://armourdetailsupply.com/collections/new-products/products/armour-pressol-proseries-label

Hmmm, I'm not sure this is a wise move by ADS. Just about every product ADS has brought to market has been a winner. They've also teamed up with high-quality suppliers for microfiber (TRC) and tools (Detail Factory). So, putting their name to these bottles is a huge risk.

And I say that as a Pressol user. I love how they look, I really like that click-click action of the trigger, and the matching labels are brilliant. Compared to many, I also haven't had issues with splitting tips, leaking, or the pickup tubes falling off. I've killed a couple of spray heads with Brake Buster, but overall, they are pretty good. And they would want to be for the price. For reference, this is the original versions, not the updated "Pro-Series".

All of those issues were supposed to be fixed with the Pro-Series. Apparently, they had "undergone rigorous, in-depth chemical durability testing in collaboration with Matthias from the engineering department at Pressol". Within a couple of days of being shipped, customers almost instantly discovered these new versions have issues with the stainless-steel tips, the seals (leaking), the pickup tube (being cut by the wire spring clip) and bottle discoloring (from alkaline chemicals). So, if that rigorous testing was done, why weren't these issues corrected before hitting the go button?

It's just not good enough for a premium product, which retails for just under $20 each. Oh, but the labels all match. Hmmm, well Meguiar's and P&S have a line of matching bottles are labels too. The P&S for example only cost $3.82 for the bottle and label, and an extra $3.04 for a chemical resistant sprayer, so $6.86 each. And they don't have issues with the bottle turning brown, the spray head falling apart, or rusting tips. Obviously, they don't look as sexy, but that's not the point. What I have a problem with is why does a $7.00 bottle and sprayer function better than the $20 bottle and sprayer. One is made in China, the other in Germany. Just doesn't add up.

This is just my observations after watching the Pressol project from start to finish. Nothing is perfect, but you can't ask premium prices for something that's not ready for prime time. It's not good for the customer, and it's not good for the OG brand image, and now the ADS brand as well.

The funny thing is, during the 6+ years and a large sum of money to get to this point, all the while the Kwazar Mercury Super 360 has existed. Having used both back-to-back, the Kwazar is by far the better product, be that the smoother trigger movement, superior atomization, a smoother and more finely adjustable spray tip, a superior (thicker) pickup tube with a weighted filer, a pickup tube that doesn't fall off the head, and a sturdier bottle made from thicker plastic. And in Australia at least, a 500ml Kwazar costs $16.50, the same size Pressol is $23.95.

 

[MrMike]

I mean it could be worse, they could've partner with Zep or something lol.

The only sprayers I've killed are the early CarPro ones. They were uncomfortable and unreliable.

I have a couple of those Meguiar's spray bottles you're mentioning. They're reliable and comfortable, but the nozzles lack adjustability. It's basically impossible to get a gentle mist out of them. It's either off or you're shooting APC across the driveway.

I've had no issues with the newer CarPro sprayers yet. Good range of adjustment, could use a bit of a lighter trigger pull maybe.

 

[lo-fi]

Talking about a gentle mist made me think of a product from Turtle Wax I used recently. This ceramic detailer's head really atomizes and I like the product (particularly the price).

 

[Evolvd]

Hmmm, I'm not sure this is a wise move by ADS. Just about every product ADS has brought to market has been a winner. They've also teamed up with high-quality suppliers for microfiber (TRC) and tools (Detail Factory). So, putting their name to these bottles is a huge risk.

And I say that as a Pressol user. I love how they look, I really like that click-click action of the trigger, and the matching labels are brilliant. Compared to many, I also haven't had issues with splitting tips, leaking, or the pickup tubes falling off. I've killed a couple of spray heads with Brake Buster, but overall, they are pretty good. And they would want to be for the price. For reference, this is the original versions, not the updated "Pro-Series".

All of those issues were supposed to be fixed with the Pro-Series. Apparently, they had "undergone rigorous, in-depth chemical durability testing in collaboration with Matthias from the engineering department at Pressol". Within a couple of days of being shipped, customers almost instantly discovered these new versions have issues with the stainless-steel tips, the seals (leaking), the pickup tube (being cut by the wire spring clip) and bottle discoloring (from alkaline chemicals). So, if that rigorous testing was done, why weren't these issues corrected before hitting the go button?

It's just not good enough for a premium product, which retails for just under $20 each. Oh, but the labels all match. Hmmm, well Meguiar's and P&S have a line of matching bottles are labels too. The P&S for example only cost $3.82 for the bottle and label, and an extra $3.04 for a chemical resistant sprayer, so $6.86 each. And they don't have issues with the bottle turning brown, the spray head falling apart, or rusting tips. Obviously, they don't look as sexy, but that's not the point. What I have a problem with is why does a $7.00 bottle and sprayer function better than the $20 bottle and sprayer. One is made in China, the other in Germany. Just doesn't add up.

This is just my observations after watching the Pressol project from start to finish. Nothing is perfect, but you can't ask premium prices for something that's not ready for prime time. It's not good for the customer, and it's not good for the OG brand image, and now the ADS brand as well.

The funny thing is, during the 6+ years and a large sum of money to get to this point, all the while the Kwazar Mercury Super 360 has existed. Having used both back-to-back, the Kwazar is by far the better product, be that the smoother trigger movement, superior atomization, a smoother and more finely adjustable spray tip, a superior (thicker) pickup tube with a weighted filer, a pickup tube that doesn't fall off the head, and a sturdier bottle made from thicker plastic. And in Australia at least, a 500ml Kwazar costs $16.50, the same size Pressol is $23.95.

Don’t shoot the messenger man, tell us how you really feel

 

[kilobravo]

Am I the only one that’s going to catch the pun that he’s talking about vision and the name brand of the camper?

Missed it entirely, Brian but good catch!

Then I went looking for some Mercury spray heads and boy was I in for a shock. Check out these prices!

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mercury+360+spray+head&i=lawngarden&crid=32O3XOFJMGK3C&sprefix=mercury+360+spray+head,lawngarden,112&ref=nb_sb_noss

WTFO?!

At another site the head prices were good but shipping was $92!!!

 

[DFB5.0]

Missed it entirely, Brianl but good catch!

Then I went looking for some Mercury spray heads and boy was I in for a shock. Check out these prices!

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mercury+360+spray+head&i=lawngarden&crid=32O3XOFJMGK3C&sprefix=mercury+360+spray+head,lawngarden,112&ref=nb_sb_noss

WTFO?!

At another site the head prices were good but shipping was $92!!!

Kwazar Mercury Pro Plus 360 (double action, weighted pickup for 360-degree spraying) -
Kwazar Mercury Pro Plus 360 Spray Bottle

Kwazar Mercury Pro - (double action, non-360-degree) -
Kwazar Mercury Pro Spray Bottle


Kwazar | Auto Obsessed
Kwazar - Detailed Image

 

[skinnyb]

Yeah I am just keeping my IK bottles and using the cheap Tolco spray heads when they die. Cheap and effective. And the actual IK bottle is sturdy. And several manufacturers make labels for those or I custom make them (ie I peel the label off of a bottle and reapply on the IK placard)... Not to mention if it is co developed with OG (or THOR) I am not interested...

 

[kilobravo]

I have plenty of bottles, what I need is a supply of spray heads. So, since I've had multiple failures of Kwazar/Mercury heads dying on me, maybe i should follow Alex's lead and get a handful of Tolco heads.

 

[WD Pro]

I read Alex's post and had to look up Tolco, only to find thats the type I use ... lol

I have had them die on me, but only after (very) prolonged usage with white spirit / mineral spirits (or other similar aggressive stuff), and they are cheap to replace - only about £2 each over here (for the grey chemical resistant one).

My level of usage doesn't really warrant anything better (or more expensive).

I guess that's another vote from me

Not that it makes a difference, but I'm on Megs bottles (stocked locally / no need to mail order).

WD

 

[Evolvd]

Wanna make heads last longer, empty them after each use. I unscrew the head, pull the pickup type out of the chemical, point the nozzle into the bottle neck and spray it empty. Reinstall head and back on the shelf it goes.

 

[MAGS1]

Wanna make heads last longer, empty them after each use. I unscrew the head, pull the pickup type out of the chemical, point the nozzle into the bottle neck and spray it empty. Reinstall head and back on the shelf it goes.

I forgot to do that with my bottle of Ghost. Went to reapply last weekend and the nozzle is all funked up from the last time I used it. I ended up with more Ghost on me than my tire applicator

 

[WD Pro]

Wanna make heads last longer, empty them after each use. I unscrew the head, pull the pickup type out of the chemical, point the nozzle into the bottle neck and spray it empty. Reinstall head and back on the shelf it goes.

Honestly, for how long they last me and the cost to replace, it's not really worth the hassle

I totally understand that different circumstances / usages / priorities etc etc could point me in another direction - for example the white spirit bottle gets used a lot (for house stuff too etc), at least multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day. No way am I draining that every time, it can die and get replaced.

Mark's example above is a totally different scenario to that, and draining would defo be the wiser option

Out of interest, the first sign I get that a Tolco head is failing due to chemical attack is that it allows the liquid to drain back into the bottle if its not used for a few days or so - it needs a few extra pumps to start spraying again.

WD

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