ShowTime, I'm not really a 'die hard' supporter of Meg's. It's just that, so far, of all the years of using Meg's Proffessional & Detailer line of products, they haven't dissapoint me yet. They're not really THE BEST but, to me, they're the most economical, effective and value-for-money products (not necessarily the cheapest). But, saying that, I do get them cheaper from other sources and not the local dealer/distributor as their price is, I FULLY AGREE, 'cut throat'. If you have any other products that you'd like to suggest, I'd me more than willing to try them out as I'd also like to look for other alternatives, just in case. In the mean time, since I'm not involve with any commercial details and they're just for my personal usage, they worked for me so I'm sticking with them (amongst others, of course).
I'm a firm believer that, there's no such thing as 'THE BEST' product out there. There's 'The best product FOR YOU to suit YOUR PERSONAL CONDITIONS/EXPECTATIONS'. That's why when somebody ask me for my advice/recommendation/suggestions, I'd be asking for more information on his/her situations and expectations (also limitations) before making any suggestions. Since I'm not affiliate to (nor do I want to be affilicate with) any brand, I can safely be partial in anything I say.
Most (if not all) of the products produced by the big brands like 3M, Meguiars, Mothers, Soft99, Turtle Wax, etc. (yes, I've tried quite a few of them), they have their own individual target majority. And they 'designed' the products to cater for these majority as, they are doing this as a business and they're only looking at, ultimately, one thing - profits. We are just a minority here and that's why *most* of the 'OTC' or 'consumer' line of products normally can't satisfy us as there are too many compromise made in order to satisfy those majority (and make the necessary profits).
Furthermore, the OTC or consumer line of products would, one way or another, contain something like an all-in-one properties, with safety in mind (safety from legal suits against them!). Me, I prefer to have a product that is dedicated to do a task. As the saying goes - 'Jack of all trades but master in none'. Giving example of Meguiars line of products, I've found that the NXT wax contain a mild cleaner (so do the majority of OTC waxes/sealants) so as to be able to attract the common folks by stating that it'll be able to both SHINE and PROTECT the paintwork. But (I'm just speculating here) that mild cleaner *could* be the one that's compromising the durability of the protection as Meg's do have something in their Professional range that doesn't have any cleaning properties but with better durability - e.g. Meg's M16. That's why, like I said, I'd normally go for a product that's dedicated to do a job. For example a degreaser to degrease oil, tar remover to remove tar, iron dissolver to remove iron deposit, a shampoo that doesn't leave anything behind (like wax or polimer), etc. These products are more effective as compared to the 'all-in-one' as they don't have to compromise anything to do something else. But, again, saying that, AIO or multi-purpose products also do have a place in my regular/normal maintenance regime. So, if I intend to remove some stubborn brake dust on my wheels I'd most probably go for my Sonax or IronX, but if I just wanted to do my regular maintenace of removing the mild brake dust, tar, dirt, grime, oil film, etc. I'd most probably go for the 'all-in-one', baring in mind that I'd most probably won't be effectively removing EVERYTHING in one go.
So back to the topic, my personal view would be - the 'journey' will never end. As technology progresses, it's a matter of taking the plunge of progressing with the technology or staying with something that works FOR YOU. I've started my journey quite a few years ago and jump from one brand to another and back, and find that I'm just going in circles. So nowadays, I keep those product that works for me regardless of their brand, while at the same time, try to keep up with the new products that's been popping up (as far as I'm able) since this has become a hobby of mine. Instead of trying a product and saying that it's good or bad, I try my best to find the pro and cons, the good and bad, and try to figure out in what SITUATION would the product be useful for. Don't be surprised if one day you'd be going back to where you started or picking up something that's been collecting dust and find that IT WORKS.
My personal suggestion, if you've already bought something from the well-knowned and established brand, try to keep it (but careful to store it properly so that it won't go spoil on you). You wouldn't know when it might come in handy some day. (They might even become a collector's item......hehehe...)
Lastly, I've come to a conclusion years ago that most (if not all) of the renowned and established brands available locally has been over-hyped, over-priced, over-exagerated, over-whatever......locally, not to mention all the 'half-truths' that they're feeding the publics/us. I feel that the few of them are just taking advantage of the brand name to charge us 'premium' prices instead of a competitive one since they have the so-called 'sole right' over the products pricing here. I agree some of them had to due to the authorities exerting their conditions, but there are a few that are just plain ridiculous. Imagine resorting to 'aggresive' method to squash small time traders (who sells them at cheaper prices and just want to make a little extra cash), in the name of 'premium product'. I'm lucky cuz I'm able to source for these products somewhere else and also, I've come to know that some boasted to have the 'latest' technology, whereas in actual fact they are already a few years behind. But that's another story altogether.
If you've read this far then you've already being too kind to listed to the rambling of an old man who's far from being a professional. My words doesn't really hold much water but, just entertain me...hahahah.....
Cheers.
