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I just got my first bottle of P&S bead maker last night and so far I'm pretty impressed. I wasn't as blown away as some of the reviews online, so I was curious if anyone has been using it, and what your thoughts were on how it compares to other similar products or how stands the test of time.
I'll give my .02 compared to similar products I had used:
Adams H2O gloss and guard- ok shine, didnt seem to last very long (and the car I used it on sits in the garage). After 2 washes I felt like it needed another application. to be fair I only did the wet application not the dry, but for some reason I wasn't a huge fan. I actually use it on my work beater just to help make it easier to wash.
Adams Ceramic Boost 2.0- thought this was good, but very streaky on dark colors- dark gray, and black. on a black car I simply couldn't get the streaks off the hood. had to go back and put americana on the hood to get all the streaks out. Cars are not ceramic coated, I was just using this as a stand alone sealant.
Bead Maker- easy application. I'll say this about the reviews, they dont lie it keeps getting slicker as it cures. Some people are saying it takes a whole bottle to do a car the first time, I dunno if I under-applied but I did 2 freshly detailed vehicles- SUV and a 1 ton truck- and still had some in the bottle. one oddity- people online love the smell of this stuff, when I did our SUV I did it in the small 3 car garage, and after about 90% of the vehicle I actually started feeling overwhelmed by the smell. I quickly finished, but if I had more to do I would have opened the garage door to air it out.
Overall, I think the bead maker and adams ceramic boost are very similar. the 2 advantages I felt bead maker had was 1- no streaks, and 2- price a gallon of beadmaker is just slightly more than 16 oz ceramic boost.
I've had awesome success with Bead Maker. My GS is a '19 and the paint was awesome when I picked it up....I applied BM after a thorough wash and it blew me away. Now I use it after I wash the car by spraying it on a wet panel (really hard to even get it wet with Bead Maker).....wipe it off with a high quality microfiber then buff it with another microfiber. I've never had splotches or streaks. Always apply in my garage and on low humidity days.
I gave it a try a while ago, it's a fun and economical product but really didn't give me the impression that it would provide long lasting effects or much protection from bird bombs or other environmental contamination. I tried it on bare, polished and prepped paint as well as on top of a coating. It's slick as snot and some feel the gloss (especially the next day) is superb but I really didn't notice anything significant compared to bare, polished paint as far as looks go.
Used on top of a coating it diminished the water/behavior and self cleaning effects of the coated surface so not so great in that capacity.
Probably works best in a situation where frequent application will keep it 'fresh' as it really didn't take much abuse form a NE Ohio winter before fading away. It is fun to use though, quite easy.
Polish Angel Rapidwaxx Beads:
Slickness nod goes to Beadmaker but Rapidwaxx was only a touch less slick. Like I said, fun stuff but in my opinion, superficial effects that don't last but if you like it and use it often, you might enjoy it.
Really doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks as every situation is different so if you like it, keep using it as that's all that matters...what *you* like.
Last edited by BudgetPlan1; 03-19-2019 at 10:38 AM.
Bead Maker is one of my favorite detailing chemicals. I don't use it as a stand-alone means of protection, but as a sealant topper and after-wash drying aid/spray sealant, like it was designed. I always used Meg's D156 X-press for this purpose, but the Bead Maker is less expensive, lasts longer, and visually adds gloss. I mean, the gloss increase is seriously noticeable. The current protection on my pearl white daily driver is a coat of Collinite 845 (hybrid sealant/wax) topped with Bead Maker. The carnauba in the 845 makes the pearl really jump out, and the Bead Maker on top makes the pearl look like it is covered in glass. Very pleasant combo that works well together.
Haven't tried Bead Maker yet. I don't have any issues with H20 G&G and use it everytime I wash. Ceramic Boost on top of H20 gives me amazing results on my metallic black cars. They've improved Ceramic Boost to 2.0 which is easier to wipe off. With the old version of Boost ya just have to wipe a little more aggressively with a separate drying towel to combat the streaks. The H20 is really a great drying aid on a wet car IMHO.
I'm a big fan of Bead Maker. I use it more or less as a quick detailer, but it's great on glass, as well. I also use it on the granite countertops in the kitchen. The price is rather friendly too; under 30 bucks a gallon when the Geek runs a sale. Quick and easy to apply, nice shine, and super slick finish.
If you are like me, you try various products to keep your ride clean and shiny. I've tried them all. I've been using Meguirs Xpress spray wax based on good online reviews. I use it mostly as I dry after a wash. But I haven't been able to get the results others have. It's streaky and seems to leave a dull residue not allowing my paint to pop. On another suggestion I tried P&S Beadmaker. I don't know what's in this stuff, but man does it make my ride shine and slick feeling. I've actually used it over Xpress areas that are streaky and it's cleaned them up. It's literally spray on, wipe off, and wait.
I haven't had a chance to determine it's longevity. But I clean and wax my car often so having it last 6 months isn't really a concern to me. I recently had back surgery and my car sat for 6 months. I washed it and applied bead maker and my car has never looked better. It shines like nobody's business and it is as slik as silk across a baby's ***. I don't have any affiliation with this product, but thought I'd share my experiences.
Mind you, my car is an S197 and 8 years old already.
so bit of an update- i applied bead maker on my wifes tahoe last week. on friday while she was at work, we had a very odd weather day- rain/snow/ even a brief moment of sleet. she didnt drive in any of it, it just say in the parking lot. she drove it home put it in the garage and it didnt even look dirty.
I'm really impressed. previously when I had used gloss and guard the car wouldnt be that clean after a storm.
I'm really impressed. previously when I had used gloss and guard the car wouldnt be that clean after a storm.
I love the stuff! I have a friend with a metallic burgundy Mustang GT, and he drives it daily. He washes it weekly, and uses Bead Maker as a drying aid. His car always looks amazing, and the Bead maker is the only protection product on the paint (other than a show car glaze a couple times per year). Just a weekly wipe down with the Bead Maker. Sometimes it makes me think twice about all the time I spend applying liquid base sealants and then waxes to my cars. LOL
I got my gallon today and ready to try it. The only thing I'll expect will be gloss enhancement and that's it. I have several coatings, sealants... for protection. My buddy swears it's the best gloss of all the detail sprays he's used. And he outspends me by a long shot on product.
I got my gallon today and ready to try it. The only thing I'll expect will be gloss enhancement and that's it. I have several coatings, sealants... for protection. My buddy swears it's the best gloss of all the detail sprays he's used. And he outspends me by a long shot on product.
I use it on both wax and sealant applications and have always seen noticeable gloss improvement, especially when fully cured the next day. I also use it strictly as a gloss-enhancer and as a means of extending the life of the sealant on my daily. Gloss plus extra protection for cheap = winning! I just think they should call it "Gloss Maker" instead of "Bead Maker". My daily is always more slick and glossy with it, but the sealant I have underneath it actually beads water better by itself.
I watched a video made by a detail shop in the UK. They were testing a bunch of spray sealants and "toppers" on test panels, and each test panel was coated with different base products. Waxes, sealants, ceramic coatings. The Bead Maker performed differently on each panel. But, to summarize...
On a bare clean panel, it increased gloss and slickness, and added hydrophobic properties.
On a waxed panel, it increased gloss and slickness, and lessened hydrophobic properties.
On a sealed panel, it increased gloss and slickness, and lessened hydrophobic properties.
On a ceramic-coated panel, gloss and slickness stayed about the same, but it boosted hydrophobic properties.
P&S has said that Bead Maker makes a great coating topper, and they apparently weren't kidding. It seems to really boost ceramic properties. Go figure. LOL
EDIT: Not sure which ceramic coating they had good luck with. BudgetPlan didn't have the same results when he topped a coating with it. As always, every result may be different depending on the combo of products used.
I read it only last about 2 months. To me that's not worth the effort.
What? Wipe your car down with any typical quick detailer and see how long it "lasts". None of them really add any protection at all. Do you know what Bead Maker is? And how much "effort" is required to simply spray and wipe your car? Geezus, it takes like 5 minutes.
It's strictly a gloss enhancer that beads the next time you wash it of get caught in the rain. It's something I would use everytime I wash my car.
Exactly! Besides, if a spray product lasts 2 months as a standalone means of paint protection on a daily driver, that is really good. Hell, my daily driver currently wears a base coat of Rejex sealant plus a coat of Collinite 845. Even with all that protection, I still wipe it down once per week after every wash with something. Either Wolfgang Uber Rinseless Wash, Bead Maker, Sonax Brilliant Shine, or one of my gazillion detail sprays. All of them work as drying aids, enhance gloss, and add a little protection. But, Bead Maker is the one that makes the most visible appearance difference. Kenotek Showroom Shine is probably in second place behind it. The Sonax is the one that adds the most protection. That stuff is actually a really good sealant.
What? Wipe your car down with any typical quick detailer and see how long it "lasts". None of them really add any protection at all. Do you know what Bead Maker is? And how much "effort" is required to simply spray and wipe your car? Geezus, it takes like 5 minutes.
I'm not interested in quick detailers. 5 minutes is a bit of an exaggeration. I prefer products that last rather than are quick to apply. Keep your Bead Maker.
I'm not interested in quick detailers. 5 minutes is a bit of an exaggeration. I prefer products that last rather than are quick to apply. Keep your Bead Maker.
Exaggeration? Not at all. Why would it take more than 5 minutes?
You obviously don't know what Bead Maker is used for. It DOES last. It works exactly as intended. What products are you comparing it to? Or are you simply making assumptions about a product you are unfamiliar with?
Exaggeration? Not at all. Why would it take more than 5 minutes?
You obviously don't know what Bead Maker is used for. It DOES last. It works exactly as intended. What products are you comparing it to? Or are you simply making assumptions about a product you are unfamiliar with?
Quite the contrary. I've been detailing vehicles for over 40 years. I know all about Bead Maker, what it is, how it's used, and what to expect. I make no assumptions about anything. Bead Maker is a short duration product. It's a good product if your into car shows. For daily drivers, I prefer using more durable products.
I use products that last on my paint too and will use BM on top of it. It doesn't matter what type of lasting product you have on your paint. Every time you drive through rain,snow... or wash your car your stil wiping the finish which eventually wears off the protection. A quality detail spray helps enhance the finish and enhances the protection short term. I tried BM today on a panel and love it. It's definitely one of the most economically priced DS's on the market. I'm assuming you've never tried it?
03-19-2019, 08:07 AM
Anyone tried bead maker?
Wipe your car down with any typical quick detailer and see how long it "lasts". None of them really add any protection at all. Do you know what Bead Maker is? And how much "effort" is required to simply spray and wipe your car? Geezus, it takes like 5 minutes.