REVIEW - Carpro Flash Pad

[Merlin]

It has been a little while since I've done a review on a detailing product so I thought it was about time to do one. Although this product has already been reviewed by other folks I wanted to throw in my personal two cents. The Carpro Flash pad was released in August 2014 and has been very well received in the detailing community.

We are all looking for that next product that gives better results, faster and easier. My go-to swirl remover pad was the Meguiars microfiber discs. The downside is they constantly clogged and were semi-difficult to clean. IMHO The Carpo Flash pad is more aggressive than the Megs MF discs. It is easy to clean with a Foam Pad Brush or on-the-fly with a terry cloth towel. The Flash pad has become my new go-to correction pad. Clean often.

In the past I have tried multiple "correction" pads with mixed results. To name a few they were the Lake Country "yellow" CCS foam, LC Kompressor series, Surbuf R series buffing pads and multiple hybrid flat wool and microfiber pads. (I try to avoid wool if at all possible.)

Here are a few words from the Carpro Website...
"Manufactured in France, the CarPro Flash Pad is made of a unique aggressive reticulated polyurethane foam which cuts through defects in a flash! Incredibly it accomplishes this heavy defect removal without leaving behind holograms. Armed with only a Dual Action machine the amazing Flash Pad is capable of providing more cut than a typical rotary polisher setup and finishes down much better! "

Yes, the Flash Pad cuts like crazy on a Dual Action machine PC, HF, GG etc. even more on a Rupes LHR21ES or Flex 3401 and they leave a pretty nice finish. Although the Flash Pads were designed for a cutting compound many folks have achieved great results with Reflect (which is a finishing polish) for removing overspray etc..



This is one very stiff feeling pad.
It is suggested to wet and then spin dry the pad to make the foam a bit softer before use. I personally mist it with a bit of water but I really don't see much difference in softening the pad.

Be careful removing the pad from the backing plate.
The velcro is firm on the pad. It grips hard and could tear the velcro loose on the backing plate. The good news is you don't have to worry about pad separation from the velco or the backing plate while in use.

Be sure and prime the pad before the first use.
Apply a small amount of compound/polish to the entire surface of the pad and press it in with your fingers before you first use the pad. After that you only need a few pea/dime sized drops per panel.

A (very short) obligatory 50/50 video. CarPro Flash Pads - Meguiar's M101 - Rupes LHR21ES

Pictures by Dr. Pain

Just a few small drops

Another obligatory 50/50 shot


Features:
Extreme Cut!
Extremely Durable
Reticulated Polyurethane Foam
Bevel profile
High Grade adhesive backing
Velcro backing

Polishing Tips:
Fasten pad to machine taking care to securely center it on your backing plate
Follow polish dependant tips
Avoid overworking an area and do not hold pad still in one place
When polishing, clean your pad after each section with your Foam Pad Brush before applying a couple more drops of polish for the next section.

Pictures by Merlin
A one month old 2015 Ford Explorer. The pillars were more difficult than the paint.

I was able to achieve a 95% correction with M101 and a 3 1/2" Carpro Flash Pad.


Carpro Flash Pads are available in 3 1/2", (my personal favorite) 5" and 6 1/4" sizes.

Feel free to add your experiences or to ask questions. Thanks for viewing.

[cayman150]

Yeah, I need to do my pillars too, but I like showing off the pillars this how the whole car looked before, and the paint is how it looks after, routine!

[Merlin]

You have a gg 6" polisher, a 3 1/2" Flash pad, a 2 7/8" Megs backing plate and M101.

If you want to keep a rolling 50/50 just polish the drivers side pillars. (BIG GRIN)

[02HD9294]

Thanks for the detailed how-to on the use of the pads. I just received my 5" flash pads and am looking forward to trying them this spring. I have some new cyan hydro-techs to try in other sizes before buying the smaller 3-1/2" size.

[BRIANV]

It must be me but the after shot in the video didnt look much better. still looks swirly to me I guess because he used a finishing compound