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.