Project Farm - Best Ceramic Coating Comparison

[Speedwagon]

He posted a new video 2 months ago with a solid test of 8 products.

My brand new MME is at the shop today getting tint and PPF, so seemed like a good idea to dig into ceramic coating options.

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[AliRafiee]

In my opinion, the stuff he is testing are useless. You have to keep applying after every wash.
I put this on 2 years ago and it’s going strong to this day.
https://a.co/d/aEsosyg

They say 5 years, but I think 2-3 years is about it.

 

[JM22681]

I had Feyn Labs put on professionally and it is a very nice product. Not cheap and similar 5 yr expectation. I have nothing to compare it to though as this was my first experience.

 

[ack154]

I don't think I'd trust any of the spray coatings to last. Like that Turtle Wax one says to apply a second coat just to get 12 months protection. Most of the gel-based versions get you years of protection out of the bottle. Then there's a whole other discussion of regular ceramic coating vs graphene... which still feels a bit gimmicky to me (it still protects well, yes, but I haven't seen anything definitively showing it's better than any other ceramic).

Then again, like a lot of products, I'd say it's down to the prep. If your surface isn't ready, it's never going to work quite as well as it should. That's part of the reason I had mine done professionally. It got a full detail with a proper polish and prep.

 

[canmachine]

I have been using the Turtle Wax product for three years on our Black 2014 Explorer. I started by cleaning the and clay baring the paint. Used their black wax kit and the spray coating after that. I have used the spray coating once a year since and the paint still looks fantastic. I highly recommend it. You don't have to apply it after every wash, lasts a long time and is easy to apply and not very expensive. I have not done the MachE yet but will after the next wash.

 

[rreddy3]

In my opinion, the stuff he is testing are useless. You have to keep applying after every wash.
I put this on 2 years ago and it’s going strong to this day.
https://a.co/d/aEsosyg

They say 5 years, but I think 2-3 years is about it.

I’m not up to speed at all on the ceramic coatings…are they superior substitutes for “old school” wax products? I have tended to use Mothers or Meguiar’s washes and waxes but have also used Chemical Guys wash products. Thanks

 

[ack154]

I’m not up to speed at all on the ceramic coatings…are they superior substitutes for “old school” wax products? I have tended to use Mothers or Meguiar’s washes and waxes but have also used Chemical Guys wash products. Thanks

I like to think of it more like a "super wax". That's a really simplistic way to think about it. But some ceramic coatings can last anywhere from 5-10 years. With no need to apply again or do anything to them. But the prep and application is going to be different from a traditional wax.

You'll see some of the other spray ceramic coatings too - and those, I'd say are closer to a traditional wax. At least in that they won't last as long and you'll need to reapply or maintain them in some way for the best results.

 

[rreddy3]

I like to think of it more like a "super wax". That's a really simplistic way to think about it. But some ceramic coatings can last anywhere from 5-10 years. With no need to apply again or do anything to them. But the prep and application is going to be different from a traditional wax.

You'll see some of the other spray ceramic coatings too - and those, I'd say are closer to a traditional wax. At least in that they won't last as long and you'll need to reapply or maintain them in some way for the best results.

Thanks

 

[highland58]

I have used the Adams Graphene Ceramic coating and it is still going strong after more than 2.5 years. I do use their spray version about once a year after that as a "touchup". I put it on the Bolt EUV also, looks great more than a year after.

 

[garyd9]

I’m not up to speed at all on the ceramic coatings…are they superior substitutes for “old school” wax products? I have tended to use Mothers or Meguiar’s washes and waxes but have also used Chemical Guys wash products. Thanks

Like you, I'm a bit behind on the times. Everything I state here is my current understanding (and if it's wrong, I hope someone corrects me.)

I think the ceramic products are designed to be more durable (supposedly better then synthetic waxes or even the klasse AIO/sealant combo that was my go to product for years.)

There are also different levels of ceramic coatings. The "real" stuff is a semi-permanent coating that's supposed to last years. This is the stuff that shops charge thousands of dollars to apply. The more consumer oriented stuff is more similar to a great synthetic wax that lasts 6+ months.

The resulting finish seems to be visually more transparent than waxes. For example, you might not wax your front windshield, but the ceramic on a windshield seems to be fine. It's like a thin coat of glass over the paint. This isn't always a good thing: If you have a paint with metal flakes or glitter in it, the shininess of the "coat of glass" effect can start to hide the glitter in the paint.

(By comparison, a typical wax is "softer" and seems to interact more with the car's paint to enhance it. This is really very subjective...)

Applying the consumer ceramics is also different than waxes. Many of them are applied to the car when it's still wet, and then spread out with more water or when drying. Also, no buffing afterwards. (There are some consumer oriented ceramic products that are applied similar to waxes - wipe on while dry, wipe off/buff)

 

[rreddy3]

Like you, I'm a bit behind on the times. Everything I state here is my current understanding (and if it's wrong, I hope someone corrects me.)

I think the ceramic products are designed to be more durable (supposedly better then synthetic waxes or even the klasse AIO/sealant combo that was my go to product for years.)

There are also different levels of ceramic coatings. The "real" stuff is a semi-permanent coating that's supposed to last years. This is the stuff that shops charge thousands of dollars to apply. The more consumer oriented stuff is more similar to a great synthetic wax that lasts 6+ months.

The resulting finish seems to be visually more transparent than waxes. For example, you might not wax your front windshield, but the ceramic on a windshield seems to be fine. It's like a thin coat of glass over the paint. This isn't always a good thing: If you have a paint with metal flakes or glitter in it, the shininess of the "coat of glass" effect can start to hide the glitter in the paint.

(By comparison, a typical wax is "softer" and seems to interact more with the car's paint to enhance it. This is really very subjective...)

Applying the consumer ceramics is also different than waxes. Many of them are applied to the car when it's still wet, and then spread out with more water or when drying. Also, no buffing afterwards. (There are some consumer oriented ceramic products that are applied similar to waxes - wipe on while dry, wipe off/buff)

Interesting. Thanks Gary. I think I will read up a bit more on the self-applied ceramics. My car is Star White metallic. I like the metallic glittery look and wouldn't want to diminish that look. Without knowing more at the moment, my gut instinct is to stick with what I know. We'll see, thanks again.

 

[garyd9]

Interesting. Thanks Gary. I think I will read up a bit more on the self-applied ceramics. My car is Star White metallic. I like the metallic glittery look and wouldn't want to diminish that look. Without knowing more at the moment, my gut instinct is to stick with what I know. We'll see, thanks again.

Get some of the cheaper "consumer" ceramic spray and next time you're about to put new wax on your car, just put some of the ceramic on one panel. That will let you compare side-by-side.

 

[zvez]

In my opinion, the stuff he is testing are useless. You have to keep applying after every wash.
I put this on 2 years ago and it’s going strong to this day.
https://a.co/d/aEsosyg

They say 5 years, but I think 2-3 years is about it.

did you apply yourself? Do you have to use a buffer or can it be done by hand?

 

[zvez]

Like you, I'm a bit behind on the times. Everything I state here is my current understanding (and if it's wrong, I hope someone corrects me.)

I think the ceramic products are designed to be more durable (supposedly better then synthetic waxes or even the klasse AIO/sealant combo that was my go to product for years.)

There are also different levels of ceramic coatings. The "real" stuff is a semi-permanent coating that's supposed to last years. This is the stuff that shops charge thousands of dollars to apply. The more consumer oriented stuff is more similar to a great synthetic wax that lasts 6+ months.

The resulting finish seems to be visually more transparent than waxes. For example, you might not wax your front windshield, but the ceramic on a windshield seems to be fine. It's like a thin coat of glass over the paint. This isn't always a good thing: If you have a paint with metal flakes or glitter in it, the shininess of the "coat of glass" effect can start to hide the glitter in the paint.

(By comparison, a typical wax is "softer" and seems to interact more with the car's paint to enhance it. This is really very subjective...)

Applying the consumer ceramics is also different than waxes. Many of them are applied to the car when it's still wet, and then spread out with more water or when drying. Also, no buffing afterwards. (There are some consumer oriented ceramic products that are applied similar to waxes - wipe on while dry, wipe off/buff)

I've been back and forth on getting ceramic. For years the detailer I go to has been using an annual sealant, I just get him to reapply once a year and it holds up for the year. He also does synthetic, which I think runs in the $1000 plus range. But he's told me a lot of that is the several hours of "paint correction" he does beforehand. I'm still sticking with sealants tho I think, I just don't keep cars for a long time.

 

[ack154]

did you apply yourself? Do you have to use a buffer or can it be done by hand?

Buffer or any machine would only be needed for a better prep of the surface. Any of the actual coatings that I've seen are applied by hand, usually with a foam/microfiber applicator like pictured. Most of them are similar to a wax in that you apply, wait for a haze or rainbowing effect, then buff off with a towel.

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