REVIEW: Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound

[Merlin]

Here is a review I did on Meguiars M101 when it first was released in the US (Original Review Jan 21, 2013)

To start with this in not another recently released hyped up NEW "Product of the week" . This product has been available in Europe since 2010 and was not available in the US.
It is body shop safe and contains no silicone. The product worked so well that there actually was a "black market" for shipping this product to detailers in the US. Imagine that!
So before I start my review here is a little blurb from the Meguiars forum.

This is the first product that Meguiar's actually developed outside the US. It was still created by our chemists here in Irvine, CA, but we actually shipped our lead man for the project to Europe, along with a mini lab set up, so that he could quickly respond to testing and inputs and tweak the formula as needed. Pretty cool stuff, actually.

* What is M101 designed for? Rotary buffing with a dedicated foam pad on European aftermarket (ie, body shop) paint.

* Why "European" aftermarket paint? Because, unlike factory paint which is the same whether the car is sold in Europe, North America or Asia, aftermarket paints vary in different parts of the world. It's a high solids versus low solids situation with these different paints, and that can require different compound formulations to achieve maximum results. Oh, and for the record, factory paint is vastly different from a chemistry standpoint than the paint used in a body shop. If a body shop, whether in Europe or North America, were to shoot factory paint it would virtually never cure due to a body shops inability to bake it at sufficient heat and for sufficient time. It's just not economically feasible for a body shop to have that sort of equipment.

* Why "dedicated foam pad"? While use of a wool pad is commonplace here in the US for sanding mark and swirl removal, in European body shops they almost never use wool. And rarely do they compound the entire vehicle - it's mostly spot repair following a repaint, and it's almost always with a foam pad. They also tend to run the rotary at fairly low rpm. So we've developed a dedicated foam pad to use with this compound, taking into account the cultural toward low speed rotary and anti wool bias.

* Why did we send a chemist and mini lab to Europe? Lead time, really. Imagine if we sent product over there, had it tested, then had to tweak and send a new batch across the pond, repeat, repeat, repeat? It would have taken months. And we couldn't do the testing here because the aftermarket paint used in Europe is very different from that used here, due to environment regulations.

So basically what we have here is a product developed for a very specific type of paint system and a pretty specific work flow. That a handful of guys have imported this back to the US (it is made domestically, just like all the rest of our products) and are finding success with it using either wool or microfiber pads is interesting, to say the least. At the moment we have no solid plans to introduce this product to the US market.

Product Name: Meguiars M101 Foam Cut Compound

Product Container: 32 oz plastic bottle

Product Labeling: The front of the bottle appears similar to all the other Mirror Glaze products. The back is a multi-language booklet. Clear instructions for use on label.

Product Application: The instructions state to use it with a rotary and a foam pad. I used M101 with both a Flex P14-2-150 Rotary Polisher and Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher.

With the rotary I used a 5.5" LC orange flat pads. With the 7424xp I used Megs DMC5 DA Microfiber (MF) Cutting Discs set at speed 4-5.
This stuff works amazingly well with a MF disc and a DA polisher. Just two dots about the size of a dime are all you need for a 24" by 24" section. A small QD mist can increase the work time.

NOTE: It is it very important to keep your pad(s) clean! After each section and during, if needed, clean you pad(s). For the foam pads I use a Foam Pad Conditioning Brush No on-the-fly cleaning here.
The brush removed dust. For the MF discs I use a safe scrub bug sponge or compressed air. Keeping the pad clean is a must!

Product Performance: M101 has a much faster rate of cut and a more intense leveling action than M105. M101's dusting is slightly more than D300 bu a LOT less than M105.
I always loved the cutting action of M105 but hated the flashing, splatter, cleanup etc. I love polishing paint but hated cleaning up that M105 splatter.

Additional thoughts: I've always liked M105's cut ability but hated the "mess". With M101 I found excellent cutting with minimal dusting and no "mess".
So far, I have only had the opportunity to use M101 on a silver metallic vehicle.The weather was 75 degrees with perfectly clear skies so it was perfect for examining for paint correction.

M105 for me has always left an apparent matte haze that polished out to nice clarity with M205. IMHO M101 finished out so well that it was difficult (if not impossible) to tell where M205 had been done.
Now remember this vehicle was silver metallic so I will update this thread as I use it on darker colors red, black etc.

Product Price: $57.99 and well worth every penny. A little goes a long way. (The price now is: $46.99 that's a lot less than when it was originally released!)

I believe I have found a new one-two punch go-to combo.

Again, this was a review I did 1-21-2013 - M101 (Developed via Jason Rose) is still my go-to for correction that needs some serious attention.
Fast forward to today. Long throw Rupes machines and lots of other detailing tech. I now follow M101 with Carpro Reflect or Essence depending...

 

[The Guz]

M101 is a great compound with either foam or microfiber pads. M100 is not shabby as well.

 

[Merlin]

Here is a M100/M101 compound comparison I did on March 4th 2013

Here are my personal findings using M100 with a DA vs. M101 with a DA

Megs M100, Bug sponge and Surbuf pad.

Megs M100, Bug Sponge and Megs 5" MF cutting disc primed and ready.

Finished work: Megs M101, DA and Lake Country 5.5" flat pad (sorry 'bout the pic clouds rolled in)

I had to use M101 (with a DA) after the M100 testing to get the vehicle corrected to a swirl free finish.

Final Conclusion: M101 wins "Hand Down" against M100 when using it with a DA.

I tried M205 with LC 5.5" white pads after M101 and could barely tell any difference.
Does M101 cost more? Yes, it does but for me it's a one product, one step finish.
Much cleaner, less time and only one product! In the end it's a wash as far as cost.

NOTE:
I used Rotary/wool with M100 & I prefer the use, cut, cleanliness & finish of M101.

Again, remember this review was in 2013. M100 was designed for rotary/wool and M101 was designed for DA with foam.
Machines, compounds, polishes, pads and lots of other detailing technology has come a long way in the last 4-5 years.

 

[Dr Oldz]

This is an interesting read for sure! Like a mini history book.

I’m anxious to see everyone’s thoughts on 110/210 as they start getting into users hands. I have been playing with 110/210 and am pleasantly surprised thus far!!!!

 

[Merlin]

This is an interesting read for sure! Like a mini history book.

I’m anxious to see everyone’s thoughts on 110/210 as they start getting into users hands. I have been playing with 110/210 and am pleasantly surprised thus far!!!!

I spoke with Meguiar's folks at SEMA and they stated they have not introduced "new" in almost 10 years.
M110 & M210 are "ground up" formulas & are not based on any existing Megs compound/polish products.

Another rumor I heard from Megs is that with the introduction to M110...Meguiars may discontinue M101.
IMHO M101 is a go-to compound of mine for stubborn paints. When I need to kick-it-up-a-notch it's M101.
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I have used M110 and M210 on a couple of different vehicles (light & dark paint).

Here is my mini feedback so far...again this is my personal thoughts and my humble opinion...

M110
- Rupes 21 MKII with 5" backing plate and 5" Megs microfiber cutting disc.

CON
IMHO Does not cut (remove defects/swirls) as efficient/aggressive as M101.

PRO
Very little to no dusting.
If needed, you can use a longer work time.
Leaves a much nicer finish. (Less micro marring etc.)
Much better wipe-off of the product after the compounding cycle.

M210
- Rupes 21 MKII with 5" backing plate and 5" Rupes Yellow fine foam pad.

CON
Does not play well outside in the sun. Be sure your panel is under 90F.
The temperature of the panel affects the behavior of M210. Too hot and
you'll get what I call "Gummy Bears"...blotches of white foggy polish patches.
These can be a PITA to remove. I use a spray of IPA and a microfiber towel.

PRO
Almost non-existent dusting.
A silky smooth feel as you are polishing.
If needed, you can use a longer work time.
It leaves a clear, glossy finish. Looks Great. Perfect follow up to M110.
Very nice easy wipe-off with a CarPro 2 Face (No Lint) 16" x 16" towel
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Related Personal Opinion:
Since I have been using Scholl Concepts S3 it has become a personal favorite compound.
I'd love to hear your thoughts/review on a Megs M110 vs. Scholl Concepts S3 shoot out.