Adam's Tire & Rubber Cleaner VS Bilt Hamber Surfex HD, Which is the best tyre cleaner? Product test

[@steverabbits]

I'm so glad to see you don't put the milk in with the teabag! I'm also soooooo glad that I discovered Bilt Hamber early on in my detailing adventure. Newbies take note, save yourself heartache and money, buy BH, their stuff is simply brilliant and great value. I currently use at least 6 of their products just for cleaning and decontamination alone and have more yet to discover for correction and protection 👍👍

[@DasArab]

Adams Products are like most things that come out of America. Bold, Brash, Overpriced, Overconfident, and as usual, under performing.

[@renjoh]

Everyone's jealous of the one at the top!

[@steverabbits]

@Dash Cam Das yep, exactly right!

[@steverabbits]

@@renjoh please tell us which one it is because it's certainly not Adam's

[@renjoh]

@@steverabbits everyone's jealous of America bud

[@steverabbits]

@@renjoh 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Dav1072]

Been using surfex hd neat for cleaning my tyres over the last 3 months. Great product and it just works!

[@antonyweaver357]

First step in any quality job? Put the kettle on! Great, clear, simple video again. Thanks for your efforts...

[@PaulDoldenDetails]

Great video Josh had HD before found it impressive but have recently started using powermaxed TFR and found it great for the wheels tyres and arches 👍🏻

[@pablomansini6449]

Great price too. Performance wise how does it stack up against HD?

[@brettperkins3852]

Hey Josh yes I am finding the Surfex HD good. Just a bit unsure of dilution ratio I have been using 10:1 on exterior trim is 30:1 ok for interior. Did you use it neat on the tyres? Cheers for great videos

[@HotchkissDetails]

Hi Brett, I know this is a bit of a late reply... I've not really been keeping up with the comments but I use neat on tyres yes and between 10:1 for exterior degreasing and interior I find as you say around 30:1 is just fine, hope this helps mate 👍 cheers

[@fretho8410]

Hi Josh, since both sides still seemed somewhat brownish after cleaning, I'm wondering if there had been used a tyre coating (Tuf Shine or similar) on this particular tyre? The reason I ask, is that I have found these difficult to remove with anything other than acetone or lacquer thinner.

[@Audittr2108]

I use Britemax Grimeout on my tyres with great results and recently got some Koch Chemie Greenstar too. I’m a big fan of Bilt Hamber products and know the Sufex is superb so have no idea why I haven’t got some yet. The only Adams product is their Car Shampoo (blue) which is probably my favourite alongside Bilt Hamber AutoWash.

[@HotchkissDetails]

I have yet to try Britemax products but I have heard good things, I have Greenstar and like it as a pre wash and for the price it's just so economical. Surfex is just an all round winner, it has never let me down on anything, Bilt Hamber have created a real gem of a product and their brand just speaks volumes. I have also used Adam's shampoos and loved them, I'm not saying that all Adam's products are bad, just on this occasion it didn't impress me. Thanks for watching Chris and your comments are appreciated.

[@Audittr2108]

Yeah, I don’t use Greenstar for tyres, just general APC cleaning duties.

[@HotchkissDetails]

Sorry for the late response Chris, I've been wanting to try Britemax Grimeout as it looks great for tyres from what I've seen, but will it be on par with Surfex is all I'm thinking, I honestly think Surfex could replace 5 products for all manner of cleaning tasks, it's an APC, a degreaser, a bug remover (I've tried it at 10:1 and it worked brilliantly on them, even where citrus was struggling due to the flies being etched on for about 6 months) fabric cleaner etc. One of my favourite products.

[@fester.]

What dilution did you use Surfex HD

[@HotchkissDetails]

It was used neat 👍

[@fester.]

@@HotchkissDetails surfex hd is that good i use it everywhere now even in the house

[@Darkhunter218]

Love the tea with milk, just the way I like it.

[@djkofi365k7]

Have you tried koche CHEMIE green star as a prewar and Çan theses APC be used indoors

[@KiranPatel-fk1pg]

Surfex HD seems great, have you tried it compared to Optimum Power Clean?

[@wesleythompson5085]

Great video as usual Josh. Surprised by the result but even if the Adams was better, it's just too expensive, and as you say Surfex HD is just so versatile, I love the stuff

[@HotchkissDetails]

Thanks Wesley, exactly the conclusion I came to, even if it blew Surfex out the water, I simply can't justify a product over and above twice the price of Surfex purely for cleaning tyres.

[@davidcobb8942]

Great review as normal Josh. What do you reckon to using Surfex in place of dedicated citrus pre-washes and bug & grime removers (such as AF Citrus Power, AG Bug Off, VP Citrus Pre-Wash etc)? I get through these so quickly and it can be expensive. Surfex apparently becomes LSP safe from 1:20, so what’s the benefit of using these citrus cleaners over Surfex, if any?

[@HotchkissDetails]

Thanks David, my go to Citrus pre wash is KKD Citrus Magic, phenomenal product, cuts through bugs, dirt and grime with ease, I dilute it around 25:1 aswell which still has plenty of "cut" so very economical, can of course use stronger if needed. AG Bug Off is a stunner of a product and I do like using it but with it being ready to use it doesn't go a long way so I use it sparingly but can still work out expensive as you say. Regarding using BH as a pre wash, I believe Auto Foam would be better than surfex, used through a pump sprayer rather than through a foam lance like a lot use it. As it's a dedicated pre wash compared with Surfex, if you look on detailing world or type "Bilt Hamber Auto Foam Review" in google you will find a review by Brian Woods who explains using Auto Foam as a pre wash and how to use it properly. It's tough to say what this offers over a citrus cleaner as citrus tends to be that little bit stronger, all I can really advise is to try it and see for yourself what you think.

[@richardkkirk]

Josh another good thing about the bilthamber because it's water based and not chemical like my megs apc is you can use it to clean your cooker ( i checked with bilthamber by email ) got to say there customer service is really really good...any questions regarding any of their products and they answer really fast....the 5ltr seems to average around the 20 quid mark...cheers for the review.....although like you....i was certain the adams was on to a hiding..lol

[@HotchkissDetails]

Many uses Richard! I cannot think of anything bad to say about Surfex it just wins hands down. Brilliant product, yeah I am wanting to ask them if it's safe to clean bike chains without affecting the rubber seals as cleaning chains is a horrible job! Thanks for watching and for your comments as always

[@richardkkirk]

ask'em today, i'd be shocked if you din't hear by the end of the day, my take i'd think u would be ok as long as you gave them a good spray with water after but hey...i've talked shite before..lol..

[@HotchkissDetails]

Have done Richard, that's my thoughts exactly, same when using any chemical really, surfex has always been more than safe on everything I've used it on up to now so, plus if you can use it on cookers then it's clearly a friendly product to use and not filled with any nasty chemicals, it hardly smells of anything either which is a general sense of it's not too harmful and not filled with stuff that melts your lungs if you breath it in lol!

[@richardkkirk]

peter just said for the cooker 10% clean well with water after, i always buy the 5ltr...have you tried the korrosol fall out remover yet, it not quite as thick as their auto wheel but i use on wheels also...never used any that reacts and cleans in my opinion....is the surf hd spray at full strength? ..or already diluted?

[@LJfootball14]

According to BH rep, you need to let Surfex dwell 2-5mins (depending on severity of tire) before it starts to work. To me in your test both sides needed more cleaning but BH Surfex is amazing IMO. USA Manufacturers have much more strict laws on chemicals so I think it benefits companies like BH who don’t have as strict parameters to work by when creating their products. With that said I use both but mostly I use BH products. ******** Dilutions ******** Heavily Soiled- 1:1 up to 5:1 Medium Soiled (cleaned monthly)- 5:1 to 10:1 Lightly soiled (maint wash weekly)- 10:1 to 20:1 ******** Dilutions ********

[@marioskosmidhs9454]

what dilution ratio of the products? Or you used them neat? thanks

[@marioskosmidhs9454]

i am soory i just read an other answer that you tell that you used them neat. do you think that you would have the same results with BH with dilytion 4,5-1? or 10-1? kind regards

[@claireb8542]

You could have made this a fair test by simply spraying the full wheel. However I appreciate the video as I have heard great things about the surfex and this has helped me to decide to purchase this product. There is one issue that I have which I can't seem to find the answer to; have you compared the Surfex to the Meguairs APC? if you haven't could you please do a review of this?

[@HotchkissDetails]

I haven't tried meguiars APC but it would be one to test in the future, thanks for watching

[@1988dc]

Another great video Josh. :-)

[@HotchkissDetails]

Thanks Deez, appreciate you watching :)

[@c6z061]

What dilution did you use Surfex HD?

[@HotchkissDetails]

It was used neat 👍

[@colinmcburnie2881]

Hi mate watched a few of your vids now and I’m just getting into detailing. No offence but thought you were errrm boring lol but after watching few of your vids you give some fantastic tips and just little things I never thought off straight to the point no bull s%#t . BH products are absolutely awesome and so cost effective, look forward watching more vids brilliant 👍

[@HotchkissDetails]

Errrm Hi Colin, I know this is a late reply, but I just wanted to say I appreciate your honesty! Thanks for sticking with me, I'm just being myself really 👍 cheers

[@colinmcburnie2881]

@@HotchkissDetails sorry for the back handed compliment 🤭 keep up the honest reviews and good work.

[@roastie8056]

Josh did you use Surfex neat?

[@dimmacommunication]

Is it safe to use on wheels? What is the PH of surfex?

[@steverabbits]

14 my friend

[@steverabbits]

Yes it's safe to use on wheels as a degreaser. I use it diluted 10:1 but also try Bilt Hamber Auto Wheels (iron/fallout remover), it's a phenomenal product. Your wheels will never look so clean!

[@MilesDrive]

detailing products is all about the end user, the conditions & the price point...for me. I salute you for giving your honest thoughts & findings🙏. I do use Adams shampoo as I have found it to be the best for sunny condtions in that it dries slower, giving more working time. Again not the cheapest, but it's worth having in my arsenal. The price point of the Adams range will always be up against the import tax from the US of A🗽

[@HotchkissDetails]

Thank you Sir Miles and I agree, every other Adam's product I've tried has really impressed me, the shampoos and detailers are my go to now. I have recommended products that I love to others before and they just don't work for them, but that's not saying those products are useless. What works for some of us doesn't for others, that's just how life works aswell as detailing products! Price comes into it massively for the professional setup as we have to weigh up our costs per car versus our return. Thanks for watching, your comments and likes are always appreciated.

[@Mr30301]

Thanks man.

[@xboxlivegstar11]

Interesting to know if surfex HD would cause premature cracking if the tyres?? Mmmm

[@BrianW1612]

AvidAboutCars No it won't. You'd be changing your tyres out for new ones before any sort of damage would be caused.

[@1988dc]

It is safe to use neat on rubber according to Bilt Hamber. See post beloiw on detailing world forum: www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=5094514&postcount=19

[@dustin3700]

I will be doing this same test next week. I do really like adams tire and rubber for tires. Its cleaned every tire I've used it on and I only use a soft brush even on tires. Adams is definitely overpriced and heavily marketed. Most heavily marketed products here are just garbage to be honest.

[@44Eflores]

We have Adam's Polishes in the USA, it's honestly a plague. Too many people praise it like a God. It's ALL MARKETING, so is Chemical Guys. It's so bad that *I'm importing BILT HAMBER* Yes. I'm importing it because it's not a *LOUD* company that forces you to believe it's the best. In other words, if a product is actually good and *NOT* diluted in quality than the word of mouth will get out and people will buy it with confidence. *I pray for the day that Bilt Hamber comes to U.S. market.

[@HotchkissDetails]

I often wonder why Chemical Guys gets raved about so much especially in the U.S. as from what I've tried their products are average at best and they have that many products it's ridiculous, even comical. Why buy 7 of their degreasers/APC's (that suposedly do different jobs and work differently when we know it will be the same product with a different colour or bottle) when you can just use Bilt Hamber Surfex as shown in the video which does everything those 7 chemical guys products do and more. I just don't get how people get sucked into the bull crap. Either way thanks for watching and your comment is appreciated.

[@44Eflores]

Hotchkiss Performance Chemical Guys is what we call a Gas Station pit stop products. We know it exists and it's all branded in pretty colors but, does it work effectively? *NO* It's sad to say but, it has become comical and the company wants to monopolize "car washing/ detailing products" in my opinion. When people do a bit more research, like your channel does, which provides insight on the limits of the products like Do & Don'ts, enthusiasts would invest their money into something that's oriented towards a specific job. Branding and pretty colors have become very popular and prominent. Trust me, paint and color some cow turd and there is someone that'll buy it and stand up for the product and say that's it's the best stuff out there! I like doing research so I dont fall into *Snake Oil*.

[@44Eflores]

Hotchkiss Performance You're right! Surfex can be used for so many things as well, and it can be diluted. I like to use purified water to dilute the products, that way the products still retain its chemical properties. When "hard water" or incompletely purified water is diluted with products I have noticed it doesnt allow for product to retain its strength as much if it were diluted with purified water.

[@HotchkissDetails]

FASTFLORES It's refreshing to see a U.S. citizen not going mental over chemical guys saying they're the best ever, as most seem to, their videos honestly make me cringe so bad with their flashy promotions only ever cleaning clean cars as the products would probably struggle on anything remotely dirty. I thought their air fresheners weren't bad, but I had a customer coming to pick a car up from me one morning, the night before I sprayed the interior with one of their air fresheners pretty liberally, opened it the next morning... Nothing! Couldn't smell the air freshener at all so again sprayed it in that morning, customer came that morning around 2 hours later and I opened the door to show them the results and I could hardly smell the air freshener, I'm sure their products are 90% water or something. It is good to have discussions like this so thank you for your comments. It is a shame Bilt Hamber wont go to the U.S. as I honestly believe they would go down a storm due to their products working so effectively compared with many other brands we have here in the U.K.

[@44Eflores]

Hotchkiss Performance The thing is, people will learn from experience. It's disappointing to know that I payed extra money for a product that was supposed to be really good! Then in turns out that it's not as effective as it should be. This is why I subscribed to your channel! It gives plenty of information about a product with an honest review. I'm very thankful for that! Now I cannot wait to get these products home!

[@richardpearson4248]

Great video 🇬🇧👍🏻

[@BrianW1612]

See you came to the exact same conclusion as me Josh. Adams do some excellent products but the tyre and rubber cleaner isn't one of them. Extremely overpriced with nothing but drawbacks over something like Surfex. There really is no positive to be taken from it in my opinion. Out of curiosity how did you use the surfex? Neat? I used it 1:5 and it matches the Adam's stuff.

[@HotchkissDetails]

Thanks for watching Brian, I have had a lot of negativity thrown my way from this comparison... which I did expect but I am simply giving my honest opinion which I do with all reviews. I saw comment after comment mentioning how good Adam's Tire cleaner was on the groups etc. I got sucked into the hype and expected great things from it and I just can't see how it can be justified over something like Surfex, pricing is extortionate if you ask me, 5L of BH is £17 and 3.7L (gallon) of Adam's is around £45 you could have just over 10L of neat Bilt Hamber for the same price PLUS you can dilute Bilt Hamber so it will go further and further. I honestly don't care how good Adam's is (even if it matched BH) I just can't say I will buy it again, this product can only be used by Adam's fanboys, it might sound negative and harsh but that's just my opinion. I was trying to find a positive with it as you say and I just couldn't. Sorry yes, I forgot to mention that in the video, was used neat, which I know is probably way overkill but Adam's is used neat so was comparing the fact that even used neat BH wins hands down and is still cheaper. I am mega fussy with products but if they don't work then they don't work and that's just the reality of it, I'm not going to recommend something I would never buy myself as that's just plain stupid. Adam's do some excellent products I agree, their shampoos and detailers are really lovely to use and yeah I will defo buy them again as I like them, I wasn't slagging the brand off by any means, I was just saying this particular product is below standard. Thanks for watching and for your comment and it's nice to see I'm not the only one who sees straight through the tire cleaner and just can't justify it in any shape or form.

[@BrianW1612]

Hotchkiss Performance Unfortunately it seems most people expect nothing but positive reviews these days. Myself and others on DW have all experienced some negativity towards us for some reviews when we have been honest about the product (as we are always instructed to be). Overall people are mostly appreciative though and usually it is a select few who wants to try giving you grief. The test is completely fair so I don't see what people can moan about. Keep doing what you are doing mate, I would rather see honest reviews and I am sure the majority of you're viewers would as well 👍

[@alejandrobarrerah.9714]

Surfex HD is the best, not comparision with other product

[@kawserahmed4444]

too much milk but great video

[@Michael-wx4fj]

I don't even need to watch this. Adams wins on the tyres but still gotta have a bottle of surfex, it's almost blasphemous not to 👌🏻

[@BrianW1612]

Michael King You should have watched the video as you are wrong. I agree with Josh as well, it isn't as good as Surfex and way overpriced.

[@Michael-wx4fj]

Brian Woods I have watched the video now. At the recommended dilution ratio, from Bilt Hamber themselves (1:10), Adams blows Surfex out of the water. Yes the price is a lot higher, are you now going to tell me you don't own a product that is a lot more costly than a rival but effectively does the same thing? I'm not wrong 😘

[@BrianW1612]

Michael King But that is the joy of surfex. You can dilute it how you see fit or use it completely neat. Neat it's better and up to 1:5 it performs equally, if not better. The adams stuff is nothing other than a rip off in my eyes and it is a shame as overall I like a lot of the Adams stuff, the shampoo is my go to. And no I won't, I have bought products to try. I have tried them and came to the conclusion they aren't as good. I will make that mistake only once and that is my point. I spent 13 quid on the tyre and rubber cleaner simply to try it, I won't make that mistake again as I realise it's ridiculously priced and offers no benefits over Surfex. Anyone that doesn't come to that conclusion is either a devout adams fan or simply a mug. Isn't the first time I have made this mistake but I only do that as I am always actively seeking the best products available. I was excited by the Adams stuff but it's one of the most disappointing products I have used.

[@HotchkissDetails]

Michael King Even if I found Adam's won the cleaning test hands down, as a business I cannot see it viable when even neat Surfex is under half the price of Adam's and works better, you are paying through the nose for a product that simply cleans tyres over a product that is muti use, cheaper and stronger, I don't see any logic in purchasing Adam's Tire cleaner, I am not hating on Adam's as a brand, their shampoos and detailers were a genuine "wow" moment for me and I will continue to use and purchase them for the foreseeable future. Adam's Tire cleaner simply can't be justified in my eyes, but each to their own. Either way thanks for watching and for the comment. We all have our preferences in this game and if you like using it then crack on I say ;-)

[@Michael-wx4fj]

Hotchkiss Performance I can totally understand it from a business point of view, you're 100% spot on it makes no financial sense to buy the Adams, don't get me wrong I'm no Adams fan boy I have their shampoo and rate it (although the recommended dilution ratio is too low for my liking) and the tyre cleaner and when I pitted it against surfex, and again I used surfex at 1:10 as recommended, I found it started to pull the dirt from the tyre before any agitation and when it was agitated it foamed up much better than the BH, which didn't show any signs of pulling the dirt out before agitation. But again I stress I used it at 1:10 (so the litre I made up cost me about £1). Please don't get me wrong, I thought the video was great and it's good to see products put up against each other. Maybe I should try surfex neat next time 👍

[@mikemiller7231]

Maybe put your kettle on before you do a video to get the cud out