HD Cut Review-revised sample

[mikenap]

First off, I`d like to thank David Fermani, Tunch and the whole 3D crew for allowing us once again to sample their newest product. This review is for the revised sample that was sent out, not the problematic first batch. I also want to apologize for the great delay in getting this review back to everyone. I tried Cut directly against both 105 and 100 and took plenty of pictures, but honestly there wasn`t enough visible difference in what the camera saw for me to bother putting them side by side, so the pics will be minimal.



Review criteria, based on a 1 to 5 scale:





Cut: 4 - Like many have already said, it doesn`t cut as QUICKLY as 105 or 100, but the longer work time definitely allows it to get the job done.



Ease of use: 5 - It is about as simple as a compound gets. Also, doesn`t require a lot of product.



Dusting: 5- The times I`ve used it have been mostly with the Rupes 21 or GG DA, with Megs or OPT microfiber pads for cutting. In this situation dust was essentially none. I tried the original sample with foam on a rotary and got no dust, so I`d imagine this revision is the same. As for using it with wool, I can`t really comment on that.



Removal from surface: 5- A breeze to remove, especially for a compound. And 10000x better than the original sample in this regard!



Finish after use: 3-4 - Obviously this is dependent on the overall hardness of the paint. In the pics I took, you can see the noticeable DA haze after compounding with a MF pad, but take into account that this was a Jet Black BMW. Also, the pictures wouldn`t show the difference between Cut and 105, but in person the finish from Cut was clearly better. I also recently tested it on harder paint along with M100 and found the finish to be close enough that I couldn`t call either a clear winner.



Flexibility with various machines: With both standard DAs and the long-throw Rupes 21, Cut was trouble-free to work with. I used the first sample with a rotary and orange pad and aside from the removal issues, it behaved just fine. I haven`t tried the new sample with rotary yet. :nixweiss



Price: 3 - Better than Menzerna 400 or M101, which are at the upper end for compounds. Comparable to M105 and D300 depending on where you look, although 105 seems to be dropping in price since I last purchased it. And nowhere close to M100, which they are basically giving away.



Smell: Either 1 or 5, depending on whether you like scented compounds or not. It has basically no real smell to it.



Labeling: 4 - I love HD`s new labeling, but would prefer to see better caps on the bottles. I know it`s been said before, so I won`t beat that issue into the ground.







Here are some random pictures. All are after Cut but before final polishing with HD Polish on a black B&S pad.













Before under fluorescent lights











After, underneath the same lights













Before under LEDs, showing swirls and light holograms













After under LEDs, showing the haze left behind















Before













After













Before













After











































Overall, the ease of use and low-to-zero dusting make this a good compound to have on hand for many occasions. It doesn`t cut as fast as some heavy-hitter compounds, but with the right pads and tools it WILL get the job done quickly and with little mess to clean up afterward. Once my sample is gone, I will definitely order more!

[BigAl3]

very nice, thanks for the feedback! :up

[David Fermani]

Nice review Mike! Glad you`re liking HD CUT. You`ve been a great supporter of HD products and I know you`ve always given your unadulterated opinion on them. Thanks for putting this together. If you ever do happen to be using a rotary, you gotta give CUT a try. It kills defects fast when used with wool and the finish it leaves is very nice.