Nick@Autogeek

If you've ever polished, waxed, or performed intense paint correction on an automotive finish, more than likely you used a buffing pad manufactured by Lake Country Manufacturing. Lake Country Manufacturing has been an innovator in the car care industry for over 30 years now. Lake Country manufactures pads ranging from heavy cut wool pads for body shop use, to super soft foam pads designed to bring out maximum gloss for a show car finish, to the polishing pad accessories that make the job easier. The R & D department at Lake Country never sleeps, and they're constantly designing, engineering, and manufacturing pads and accessories to make polishing a car a breeze.






The Hydro-Tech pads have been a personal favorite of mine because of their closed cell foam technology that keeps more product on the face of the pad, meaning less product is absorbed. This translates to better performance from the product that you're using, and a pad that's easier to clean. When used in conjunction with a water based polish or compound, a Hydro-Tech pad provides a longer working time which results in better performance from the product.

Another pad that I reach for often is the Kompressor pad. What makes these pads unique is the slotted face that enables the pad to conform to the shape of the body panel. When polishing with a flat pad you lose surface contact while on a body line, which often results in splatter from the polish or less than perfect performance from the pad. The Kompressor pads are excellent if you have a vehicle with lots of different body lines, shapes, and contours.




It's always a treat to have a selection of different products to choose from that each serve a unique purpose. But leave it to Lake Country to fuse together two excellent products that result in one outstanding product - the Hydro-Tech Kompressor pad. The Hydro-Tech Kompressor pad takes the key attributes that make the Hydro-Tech pad such a favorite and combines them with the unique slotted design of the Kompressor Pad.

The Hydro-Tech Kompressor pads are available in Cyan (cutting), Tangerine (polishing), and Crimson (finishing). Each pad is a 6" and is designed to work with a 5" Hook & Loop Backing Plate. I had hands on experience with all three pads and they are a treat to work with. The Tangerine pad is by far my favorite because when used with a polish or AIO, it provides an excellent working time and finishes beautifully. I used all three pads with a Porter Cable 7424xp.






I got together with a friend last weekend to put the Hydro-Tech Kompressor pads to the test. We polished his blue Mustang using the new pads along with the Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover, Finishing Glaze, and Deep Gloss Paint Sealant. More on that Show N' Shine later this week.






After priming the pad with Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, I applied four dime size drops of product and went to work on the hood of the blue Mustang. It's important to first prime your pad while using any abrasive polish to ensure that you always have working product while polishing. This avoids the chance of dry buffing which could result in micro marring or hazing of the finish. You only need to prime the pad the first time you use it, or after it has been cleaned and dried.






After polishing the entire hood and wiping off the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze, it was apparent right away that the Tangerine Kompressor pad finishes just as nice as the flat Hydro-Tech Tangerine pad. Two thumbs up.






The Cyan pad is ideal for use with aggressive polishes or compounds. Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover used in conjunction with a Cyan pad is a winning combination that finishes near LSP ready. Using the Wolfgang Finishing Glaze with a Tangerine pad only refines the surface more, bringing out more gloss and depth to the paint.






Last, but certainly not least, is the Crimson Finishing Pad. What I really like about this pad is how soft it is, yet it's also dense enough to withstand added pressure while buffing. As a direct result of the closed cell foam, more product stays on the face of the pad meaning less wasted product.






After letting the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant dry to a haze for about twenty five minutes and then wiping it off, we pulled the car out in the sun to inspect our results and admire the metallic flake and depth of shine of the paint.






After using all three of the new Hydro-Tech Kompressor pads, I have no doubt in my mind that this fusion of two great designs will be a hit among enthusiasts and professional detailers. Lake Country Manufacturing continues to be an innovator in the car care industry with innovations such as the Hydro-Tech Kompressor pads. Sign me up for a 6-pack of each.


Lake Country Hydro-Tech Kompressor Pads