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Lake Country Pads: SDO vs HDO vs CCS

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Lake Country CCS Pads

My first polishing pads were the Lake Country CCS pads.  Their White and Orange pads, paired with my Porter Cable 24XP became my workhorse.  Eventually, I all but retired my Porter Cable in favor of a collection of Rupes Polishers.  Consequentially this meant my Lake Country pads had become an afterthought; that is until I tested out the HDO line up.

Lake Country HDO Pads

Although my most frequent pad choice is the Rupes Yellow polishing pad, The Lake Country HDO pad line up is an option that does not disappoint.  I frequently use the HDO aggressive cut (Blue), polishing (Orange), and finishing (Black) pads.  In my opinion, the Rupes White finishing pad is not often a practical option for soft paints because it is so soft it will actually work against you.  I have found the HDO Black finishing pad to strike that happy medium of being soft but not too soft!  The quality of this line can be seen in the range of cutting and finishing with the HDO Blue pad.  For hard paints, not only does the blue pad cut well, but can finish down well enough to qualify as a potential 1 Step correction option.  These pads are also due to the bevel shape of the Rupes pads, making the pad face a half-inch longer from the center than the Lake Country pads.  With so many curves and raised body lines on a car, having more quality options is positive.

Lake Country SDO Pads

The Lake Country SDO pads are the latest addition to the Lake Country lineup.  I recently reached out to a representative of Lake Country to inquire about these new pads.  Jason Brennan of Lake Country stated that these pads help provide a “good, better, best” option for the consumer.  The SDO pad represents their middle-tier option.  The SDO can be described as a good all-purpose type pad option, especially for the weekend warrior type.  These pads are a more budget-friendly option, that works great with your entry-level DA polishers (Porter Cable or Griots Garage Random Orbital) “as the lower weight and thin profile doesn’t create stalling”.  These pads have a center hole, like the HDO, giving it the versatility to be used with longer throw polishers.

What Lake Country Pads Should I Get?

The cooler running pads are more practical for me now as a professional; I am performing more tedious, precise, and time-consuming paint corrections than the average enthusiast.  Heat is not only a concern in regards to pad integrity, it can adversely affect the condition of the paint.  If you are someone who is only doing milder paint corrections as primarily an enthusiast and you own a standard dual action polisher, Lake Country CCS is a quality option.  But if you are on the fence, I would suggest purchasing the new SDO pads.  Even with a Porter Cable, I have seen the CCS pads quickly deteriorate with heavy use at very high-speed settings.

For professionals who exclusively use professional-grade tools, like the Mark II or III 15 and 21 polishers, the HDO will still be the best choice.  Jason states “the “SDO and HDO pads will give the same cutting and finishing performance, but the HDO will give a better user experience and increased durability over time”.  This is consistent with my user experience with these pads.  With repeated use with my longer throw polishers, the HDOs are tested by machines known to destroy pads.  I have found the HDO line to be the most durable out of foam pads, in terms of repeated use without pad deterioration.

If I was starting over with my Porter Cable, I would pick the SDO lineup over the CCS lineup.  Based upon the tools I have available now, I am primarily interested in the HDO line.  But you have to ask yourself, what kind of consumer am I now and where do I see myself in the future.

Rodney Tatum
Mirror Reflections Auto Spa
Gainesville, Florida
MirrorReflectionsAutoSpa.com
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13 comments on Lake Country Pads: SDO vs HDO vs CCS

  1. J says:

    Great information! Now, for the enthusiast doing 1 step correction followed by protection, who are still using a Porter Cable or Griots type polisher, would you recommend a polisher upgrade and if so, what would be the next step up in polishers?

    • Rodney Tatum says:

      Thank you! The need for an upgrade is contingent on a variety of factors. One important question is what are you looking to get out of next polisher? I have a collection of Rupes polishers for a few good reasons. I have also built a reputation with my Porter Cable with multiple backing plate options, and pocket applicators for hard to reach areas.

  2. William says:

    Yes. Will like your advise as well as i am in the maket for a new novice polisher.

    Thanks in advance…

    • Rodney Tatum says:

      Hi William! My first polisher was the Porter Cable 7424XP. If I had to do it all over again that would still be my first polisher.

  3. Rodney Tatum says:

    J and William hopefully this info helps steer you into the right direction:

    My 1st Polisher was the Porter Cable 7424XP with the versatility of 3 and 5inch backing plates.

    My next purchase was the Duetto which it biggest benefit was less wear and tear on my body with a smoother machine. Since than I have added an Rupes IBRID, Rupes 21 MKII, and a Rupes Mini (my favorite). The Mini particularly along with the IBRID most likely retired my Porter Cable.

    Now that graduation I understand is not realistic for everyone. As I said the Porter Cable with various plates is a solid start for the casual enthusiast. In terms of an upgrade; there are many factors. Let’s just say you can only realistically add one polisher. If you already have a standard DA (Porter Cable or Griots Variable) I would consider a 21mm throw polisher MK II and up from Rupes or a Boss 21mm. You have your standard DAs to still perform a role where the larger polisher cannot.

    If you are looking for one polisher or want to retire your current collection, 15mm from Rupes (II or III if budget allows) or Boss lineup is an option. Or Flex or Rupes forced rotational polisher.

  4. Rob says:

    Hello Rodney! Very explicate and necessary article…. The HDO Pads specifically the black one, has a cutting ability? I’m a little confused since in some descriptions says that it don’t has a cutting abilities and others says that is 3 of cut and 10 of gloss, So… thank you.

  5. ROBSON FERNANDO PROTASIO says:

    VERY INTERESTING THIS COMPARISON OF THESE PRODUCTS ALSO GIVES US FULL KNOWLEDGE FOR USING THESE POLISHING PILLOWS COULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE FORCE LINE ALSO FROM LAKE COUNTRY

  6. Elvin Rodriguez says:

    I really like sdo pads are durable and good price. Working great with griots g15.

  7. Markus Kleis says:

    The Orange and Blue HDO pads are also extremely effective when paired with the new abrasives in Meguiar’s M110 and M210 – they are my must-have go-to pads when finishing out on finicky paint.

  8. Ralph Mariscal says:

    Having trouble finding the right polishing pad for a black 2002 C5 Corvette. Please help. Porter Cable buffer.

    • Reece @ DI says:

      Ralph – There are various pad and polish combos that will work great on your car, but it all depends on what you are looking to achieve. Something like the Meguiar’s M205 and the Lake Country White Polishing Pad is a great one step polish combo that will help remove light to medium imperfections and finish down pretty well. If you want to perform a two step process, the Meguiar’s M105 and Lake Country Orange Light Cutting Pad, followed up by the M205/White Pad is a combination that works great to target heavy imperfections, while finishing the paint down. If you have any other questions please reach out and a rep can help asap (https://www.detailedimage.com/Contact/).

    • Rodney Tatum says:

      The right pad choice is going to vary from a variety of factors! The first two most important: are 1.) the actual condition of the paint and 2.) what will be your final expectations once you decide on a polishing process, what level do you want to take this vs what is safe and how much time do you want to invest. A (3Rd) important factor is the polish that you are using.

      I do not know what your experience is on machine polishing, so it can be difficult to give you an instant answer without being right there with you (one on one) looking at your car.

      The car and the paint does provide some good clues to determine how I am polishing.
      But I never know for sure until I start polishing (doing at least one test section).

      With that said, a good foundation are light polishing pads. I might start with the Lake Country SDO.

      https://www.detailedimage.com/Lake-Country-M7/SDO-Orange-Polishing-Pad-wCCS-P2535/55-S2/

      Depending on your polish and your technique you can do a variety of things with those pads. They will also be an important complimentary pad if you start with a more aggressive pad choice.

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