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Zaino vs Meguiars - Zaino AIO, Z2, Z5, Z6 vs Meguiars Scratch X, NTX 2.0

24K views 32 replies 10 participants last post by  PDC 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am excited about this test because there is so much controversy surrounding the issue on detailing forums and I think it will be nice to finally figure which of these two products is the best. We just completed the final test between Zaino, FUKKEN, Chemical Guys, and Meguiars. It's clear that Meguiars and Zaino came out on top. There were some good results from the last test, but after prepping the hood for the next trials, there were even more interesting question.s First of all, all the studies conducted use the same standards as you can see here.

Once again, I will not be revealing which product is on which zone until the testing is complete. This will allow all members to give their honest opinions without bias.

First of all, some questions from the last testing. I want to point out an exaggerate a few things I found interesting from the last test. I started off cleaning the hood with a solution of water, dawn liquid soap, and a clay bar. I cleaned the entire hood with this solution and the clay bar. I then proceeded to wash the hood about 25 times with dawn liquid soap. This is not an exaggeration, it took a little over 25 washes in order to get the hood perfectly clean so the water action was the exact same in both zones (see video below).

After I got the zones perfectly clean, I performed a drag test, which surprised me. The drag test on the clean hood were lower then all the zones, except for zone one. The drag test was .41. This raises a question, do some waxes / polishes actually cause contamination to actually stick to the paint over time? It has been shown that a perfectly clean surface is smoother than one that contains certain products over time. Zone 1 of the last test was still pulling a 0 on the drag tests while the other zones were actually higher than a perfectly clean surface.

Another thing that I found very important with the last testing was the affect of multiple coats and imprinting. Using a single coat of one product while using multiple coats of another product will greatly influence the results. This is why I will ensure that we use the same amount of applications of each product. If we use 5 coats of Zaino, it's only fair to use multiple coats of Meguiars. In addition, since Zaino is a multi-step system, it's also only fair to make sure we use Meguiars multi-step suggests, such as using scratch X before the polish. Now this study is going to appeal to the die hard detailers.

In these tests we are looking for which product lasts the longest.

In this study we will be testing:

1. Zaino (Z-AIO, Z-2, Z-5, and the Z-6 (Spray).,

2. Meguiars NXT 2.0 and Meguiars Scratch X.

Application:

Zaino: First coat with ZAIO, Second Coat Z2, Third Coat Z6, Fourth Coat Z5

Meguiars: First coat Scratch X, second Coat NXT 2.0, Third Coat NXT 2.0 Fourth coat NXT 2.0.

Application Time:

This time is based on the time to read the instruction, apply the product, and remove the product.

Meguiars NXT & Scratch X:
Shake bottle, apply with special applicator, allow to dry, and wipe off. Total application and removal time: 25 minutes per coat + 15 minutes for the ScratchX. I let the wax / polish sit longer this time around.

Zaino: Shake Zaino AIO, apply thin coat to paint and allow to dry. Wiped off after one hour. Apply Z-5 using same process and allowed to dry one hour. Removed the Z-5 with a few terry towels. Applied the the Z-6 Gloss Enhancer as per directed and then a coat of Z-2. Total application and removal time: 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Testing Parameters:

Please note, from here on out, all tests will be performed side by side when possible.

Every Saturday or Sunday:

1. Wash and thoroughly rinse the hood.

2. After wash and rinse, perform a soaked hood bead test.

3. Take a video of each zone being spayed with water to see how each zone repels the water.

4. Dry off hood and perform drag test.

5. Perform water bottle bead test with ten sprays on each zone.

6. Dry off hood and perform a rain simulation bead test (gently spray the hood to simulate rain).

Baseline drag tests for this trial:

Cost Analysis:

Meguiars NXT 2.0 + Scratch X: $18.00 18 fl. oz + $12.00 for Scratch X.

Zaino: Z-AIO $26.95 16 fl oz., Z-2 $14.98 8 fl oz., Z-5 $16.95 8 fl oz., Z-6 $9.95 16 fl oz. Total for Zaino: $68.83 (without shipping).

I will open this topic up for discussion in a little while.
 
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#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
Zaino vs Meguiars Light Spray And Soaked Hood Test Videos

Prior To First Application (this will give us something to compare to throughout the testing):

As you can see from this video, the water sheets the entire hood in both zones. It took about 25 washes with dawn liquid soap to get it to sheet equally on both sides.



Soaked Hood Testing Prior to Product Meguiars and Zaino Application:


After drying the hood off to perform other tests, I took another video of both zones and you can see they both have nearly identical water action:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdfHWCU6Yso[/media]

Light Spray Testing Prior To Product Zaino and Meguiars Application:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBy89lq_PMc[/media]

Soaked Hood Test Immediately After Application of Meguiars and Zaino:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob4_dwGGgVs[/media]

Week 1 Soaked Hood Test (Zaino vs Meguiars):

After the wash
:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw6kyCvQ8YI[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3sv-XMxJTk[/media]

After being dried off and after I performed all the other tests, I decided to give the hood a final rinse and noticed something strange had happened with Zone 2. I figured I would include it too:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGn-6NSY78U[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViRJv7c2UsI[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpB8g5PjZm0[/media]

I found this interesting because of how differently the water action is just by drying off the hood. I would say prior to drying off the hood, Zone 2 is beading better than Zone 1, and appears to reflect what the first videos show, but after being dried off, it appears almost identical to Zone 1. The only explanation I can think of is that the towel had some kind of soap that broke down the surface tension of zone 2.


Week 2 Soaked Hood Test:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZg4EqHGRoo[/media]

Week 3 Soaked Hood Test:

Before Wash:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKC-_iPzcY[/media]

After Wash:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAE6JiJRqzQ[/media]

Light Simulated Rain Test After Application of Zaino and Meguiars:


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBnag-Anxps[/media]

Week 1 Light Simulated Rain Test of Zaino Vs Meguiars:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znKbP52V93U[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My-wZSl9Rjw[/media]

Week 2 Light Simulated Rain Test of Zaino Vs Meguiars:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP5b_9SIhPU[/media]

Week 3 Light Simulated Rain Test of Zaino vs Meguiars:


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD0eRne8zk0
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Meguiars vs Zaino Water Bead Tests:
Soaked Hood:

Prior to Product Application:

Water Liquid Water resources Hood Azure


Light Spray Bottle Test:


Zone 1:

Water Liquid Blue Fluid Electric blue


Zone 2:

Water Liquid Blue Azure Fluid


Rain Simulated Test:

Water Blue Liquid Hood Azure


Immediately After Application Of Product

Soaked Hood:
Water Liquid Automotive lighting Hood Window


Light Spray Bottle Test:

Side by Side:

Water Liquid Sky Hood Azure


Zone 1:

Water Liquid Azure Fluid Moisture


Zone 2:

Water Liquid Water resources Blue Azure


Rain Simulated:

Hood Automotive lighting Grille Azure Water


Week 1:

Soaked Hod Test:

Water Liquid Blue Hood Automotive tire


Light Spray Bottle Test:

Water Liquid Water resources Azure Blue
Water Liquid Blue Azure Fluid


Rain Simulated:

Blue Hood Netbook Grille Azure

Week 2:

Light Spray Bottle Test:

Water Liquid Blue Hood Azure


Week 3:

Light Spray Bottle Test:

Water Liquid Water resources Fluid Electric blue
Water Liquid Fluid Material property Pattern



Drag Test Results:

Prior to application of product, but after surface preparation:

Zone 1: .41

Zone 2 .41

Immediately after application of products:

Zone 1: 0

Zone 2: 0

Week 1 drag test results:

Zone 1: 0

Zone 2: 0

Week 2 drag test results:


Zone 1: 0

Zone 2: .17

Week 3 drag test results:


Zone 1: .40

Zone 2: .46 (higher than before application was applied)

 

Attachments

#6 ·
Thanks again Bob. I can't believe the amount of work you are willing to put in for our benefit!
 
#8 ·
There is no visual difference with the Soaked Hood Test, Light Spray, Rain Simulated and Drag Test (Before and After).

IMO...

It is a Dead Heat.


Which leads me to the next important variable in my purchase decision, and that is the cost of the product per application.
 
#33 ·
There is no visual difference with the Soaked Hood Test, Light Spray, Rain Simulated and Drag Test (Before and After).

IMO...

It is a Dead Heat.


Which leads me to the next important variable in my purchase decision, and that is the cost of the product per application.
Always try to be ULTRA dignified and respectful since 'models' appearing with a forum member's car are usually girlfriends/wives/etc. But the young lady in the brown bikini standing next to the black TA deserves more airtime on this forum. She would make ANY car look great!
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Alright, I updated this topic, but I cannot upload any photos until I get a server issue fixed, but I did add the videos. What I found really interesting, and it gets more interesting with every test, is the difference in water action especially on zone 2. Very interesting results. Zone 2 really appears to be repelling the water better than zone 1 prior to being dried off. Zone 2 appears to be repelling the water just as it did right after being applied, as you can see in the first videos after application. But after being dried off a second time Zone 1 and Zone 2 seem to have identical water action. I am not sure how to explain this. I noticed when the water beads up when being sprayed, there are more water beads left on the hood, while the side that doesn't bead is almost dried after the water rolls off.

On the light simulated rain test, which was performed right after the soaked hood test, and prior to the hood being dried off, you can see the water action is nearly identical again.

Anyone else have any thoughts on what is going on here? The water action can be radically different just based on how the water is applies or even if the hood has been dried off and sprayed again. I will add the other photos later today. Again, both zone 1 and zone 2 has a zero drag result, but zone 1 is definitely slicker than zone 2. If one zone is slicker than the other, what does this tell us? I am hoping some people will chime in and give me their thoughts on all this.
 
#11 ·
Is it possible the towels have some sort of residue on them, and its leaving something on the surface when you dry?
 
#15 ·
I have no suggestions for the differences. Definately interesting though.
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
Alright, I just finished with week 2. This week I decided to stick with 4 tests only, the ones with the least amount of variability. Today I performed the soaked hood test side by side, the light spray test, the drag test, and the spray bottle bead test. I feel these tests give us the best view of what is going on and allow us to compare them side by side. After washing the hood, I noticed that both zones seem to have a similar water action, but prior to the wash, Zone 2 had better beading action. I think I should probably start taking a video prior and after the wash as the soap may lower the surface tension of the Zones. This week we also see that in the drag tests, Zone 1 is still barely measuring zero, while zone 2 has shot up to .17. What is interesting to note is that although Zone 1 is slicker, Zone 2 is able to whisk away the water quicker. This means Zone 2 is still creating a higher surface tension, yet zone 1 is still providing a slicker, non-stick surface. Which is better? I guess it depends.

I also decided to go to Zaino and Meguiars in hopes of finding some information on beading / sheeting and here is what I found:

From Meguiars:


This brings up the topic of Water Beading. While most people use the visual indicator of water beading on the surface to mean their finish is protected... it is actually only an indicator of High Surface Tension.
High Surface Tension does not automatically mean the coating that has been applied is actually providing any real or meaningful protective characteristics.
And from Zaino:

Water Beading and Sheeting... as a Measure of Durability

Almost all polishes, waxes, etc. bead water initially. As they are removed, breakdown or dissipated by washing, exposure to sunlight and heat, expansion and contraction, abrasion, abrasion from pollen and other pollutants, the water beading is diminished. This is due to the reduction in surface tension of the polish or wax once it is removed or breaks down.

If the surface has any protection when there is no water beading is the subject of much controversy. Especially when the polish or wax exhibits good water beading immediately after the initial application. If there is any protection left, how would one know? There are no scientific tests to my knowledge that can determine this. Most consumers and especially wax/polish manufacturers use the reduction in the height, contact angle and diameter of water beading as a gauge to know when to re-apply polish/wax for continued protection.

If a polish/wax gives water beading initially but then stops beading after washing, part of the polish formula has been removed. If this happens, is there any protection left???? Was the chemical or film that caused the water beading also the protection????

If a manufacturer claims that their polish/wax will bead water initially and then magically change to sheeting... I say impossible!!!! Let them prove that the polish/wax film protection initially applied is still there...

Until a specific test is developed and not some fake, razzle-dazzle test, these questions will remain unanswered and I will continue to use water beading, (height, contact angle and diameter) as a major factor in gauging a polish/wax protection.

P.S. Please remember that healthy paint will bead water without any polish/wax applied. This confuses many people to believe a polish/wax is lasting longer than they think.

To test your polish/wax, you must measure the water beading of your paint (height, contact angle and diameter) without any polish/wax applied. Next, measure the water beading of your paint (height, contact angle and diameter) within 24 hours after initially applying your polish/wax. This is your starting point. This will also be the gauge for determining the water beading (longevity, duration and changes) for that specific product. As the water beads start to diminish (get wider and shallower and loses contact angle), the polish/wax and its film protection factor is going away. When the water beading is the same as before you apply your product, the polish/wax and its protection are gone.
 
#18 ·
By the way, I have just been searching for more information on beading and countless times I have read claims on different forums that once the beads diminish that the product is no longer there, but I think our testing contradicts this theory since we have proven that even without beading, zone 1 is still slicker than the zone which is still beading. In addition, Zone 1 and Zone 2 are still much slicker than the hood when it was first cleaned.
 
#19 ·
Since nobody has chimed in thus far, I would like to state what I think is happening (which is fairly obvious). I have probably spent too much time thinking about this, which seems to be obvious, and most of you probably already figured this out, but I wanted to post it just for the record.

Zone 1 is much slicker than Zone 2, and Zone 2 has much better beading than Zone 1. There is no disputing this (prior to being washed Zone 1 beads better). The question is, which is better for the paint, a slicker non-sticky surface, or a surface with a higher surface tension? This seems to be a paradox because one would think that a slicker surface would provide for more beading, but this is not the case. Wax is hydrophobic, yet it can also be very sticky. As a surfer, we use to wax our boards in order to provide better traction. Therefore wax alone (some waxes) are both water repelling and sticky.

In the summer I believe the answer is clear since we don't see much rain, and contaminants are probably a bigger concern. In addition, what I have noticed is that when water sheets off (as both Zone 1 and Zone 2 did after the wash), there are far fewer water beads (and less water overall) which sit on the hood to leave contaminants after it dries. Of course with a light spray or rain, both Zone appear to bead the water in a similar fashion.

One thing to remember about water beading is that it's simply the result of surface tension, and as we have demonstrated, not a sign that a product is no longer present.
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm not sure how many coats Meguiars recommends or the consistancy of their product. Zaino recommends a number of layers, to ensure even coverage. Especially when it is applied in such thin layers. So what I'm trying to get to is, is it possible with the limited number of layers, there might be thin spots?

I'm not a chemist, but how long does the chemical reaction of the products take to complete after application? I 've not tried the Meguiars, but Zaino recommends a period of time between applications, so I'm sure there is some time required for the chemicals to process completely.

Also, wouldn't you expect some change after exposure to sun/heat? Wax melts, but not sure how the synthetics react. After any changes from the sun/heat are done, wouldn't you expect to see some stabilization in the results for a given period of time with gradual degradation?

As far as the sticky vs non sticky, wouldn't the sticky surface collect more dirt? I'm sure it washes away, but could it give the appearanceof lower gloss/shine between washes.

Bob, please don't think I'm being critical, just tossing out ideas since this is a real puzzle. If we have a chemical engineer here, please step forward, lol

Thanks for all you hard work Bob. I think this has been an eye opener for a lot of us.
 
#21 ·
I followed the Zaino Extended recommendations that Kurt sent with the product to the letter in order to make sure each product was applied as suggested, and I applied the same amount of coats for each product. If 4 coats isn't enough for Zaino to work, then I would be extremely surprised. I can't imagine having to apply 5 or even 6 coats of polish to an entire car. I applied a coat of AIO, Z2, Z6, and Z5, which seems like a lot of polish IMO, and I waited the recommended time between coats.

We are definitely seeing a gradual decrease in the product over time, and the results have now been replicated 3 times with 3 different trials. I am sure a stickier surface would collect more contaminants, but I am not sure about appearance. I try to not rely much on appearance since it's very subjective.

No problem at all Layna, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I was starting to get the feeling that most members were losing interest in the studies.
 
#22 ·
Bob you sure have done a lot of work into this.
For me I would have to vote for the hardest finish for purchase.
The water test is good but a harder finish I would think would be better at repelling bug's and even dust sticking to the finish.
With using showtime cleaners and no water upon arrival at show's I would want the hardest finish possible to avoid swirls and scratches.
Not saying its right but that is my feelings so far.

 
#23 ·
I have to agree Pete, I think a "slicker" surface in the summer (and probably in the winter too) would be better for the very things you mentioned, in addition to repelling contaminants or at least preventing them from sticking to the paint. I never imagined we would see these kinds of results with the testing. I figured when we started that we would simply see the beads and slickness wear off in a uniform manner, but that just isn't the case. I am very happy that we included a drag test along with the water tests. I notice every other wax/polish test only includes a water beading test, and if we had done the same, the winner would be clear, but right now the winner really depends on what you're after, more water beading, or a slicker surface. I am also happy that we repeated this test 3 times now and can see that these results are repeatable. Now the quest is on to find a product that can deliver both.
 
#24 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think this concludes this round of testing. I have learned a lot more about the testing protocols this round which should help in future trials of other products. As we can see from the videos, both before and after the wash, both zones have similar water action and both zones are pulling very close to the baseline numbers we ran before applying the products.

Anyway, I am going to rate each of these products on a scale of 1 to 5 and then tally up the score. If you find some of these things don't matter to you, then you can skip the ones that done matter to you and add up the ones that do to see which product may be better for you.

The scale is 1 to 5 with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I am going to try and take into as many considerations as possible, some of which may not matter at all to you, but probably matter to the average Joe.

Ease of Access (how easily can you get the stuff):

Zaino: 3 (Usually available only online which can be a PITA for some people, but you may be able to find it locally if you ask around. I give it a 3 out of 5 because some people don't have a problem ordering online.).

Meguiars NTX 2.0: 5 (Available virtually everywhere)

Ease of Application (how easily is it to apply and remove):

Zaino: 3 (This product takes countless coats, multiple products, and countless hours of application if you follow the extended tips for the best application, but it comes off very easy, which is why it gets a 3 out of 5 rating)

Meguiars NXT 2.0: 3 (This product would be a 5 if it didn't leave white residue in cracks and on black plastic)

Cost:

Zaino: 3 (Zaino is about 3 times more expensive than the competition)

Meguiars NXT 2.0: 4 (It's priced about the same as the competition, but cheaper than FUKKEN and CHEMICAL GUYS and about 3 times cheaper then Zaino)

Protection (how long does it last and provide a slick non-stick surface or beading):

Zaino: 3 (Zaino did an excellent job of beading, but I think Zaino could have done a better job at providing a slicker surface to repel contaminants. A higher surface tension does not equal better protection)

Meguiars: 3 (Meguiars provided a very slick surface, but when it came to "relentless beading" as the label claims, it fell flat on its face.)

Shine:


Zaino: 5

Meguiars: 5

Total:

Zaino: 17/25

Meguiars: 19/25

*Note, I made some adjustments to the numbers.

If you can look past the price, ease of application, and ease of access, it would come down to whether beading or a slick surface is more important to you. If beading is important to you, you will want to go with Zaino. If a slicker surface is important to you, you will want to go with Meguiars. I have seen many comparisons online which only used a beading test, and if we only used a beading test, Zaino would have been the clear winner in terms or protection and longevity, but with the drag tests, it's clear in all of our testing that Meguiars has provided a slicker surface every single time. Honestly, until I do more testing with other products, I am not impressed at all with either product.

Some other things we have learned is that the next time the wax/polish is applied to the surface again, the surface protection will almost double. Of course you probably have to apply that second application within at least 3 weeks of the first application.

Now it's time to find a product that provides relentless beading (if beading is important to you, I personally like the sheeting since it leaves a hood almost dry) and a slick surface.

I think for the next tests, I might use the Wife's Saturn which sits in the garage 24/7, which will eliminate any contaminants, but in a way, I like the real world testing. Perhaps I will use both vehicles at the same time to test the same products to see if there is any major differences? Decisions.
 
#25 ·
Zaino has a system of local distributors - often local auto enthusiasts. You have to ask around to find them. In NJ, its available at Shore MotorSports on Rt 9 in Toms River. NJ residents can not order it online. There are also distributors in Hawaii and Canada.
 
#27 ·
Bob, Thank you for all your hard work and time spent on these tests. It is truly appreciated.

 
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