Windshield Repair Forum

Lots of good advice and great information on here. Also lots of bad advice, incorrect procedures and inaccurate info. How do you suggest that newbies sort it out?

I would advise anyone to do their homework! Whatever windshield repair kit you have or are looking to purchase....Do your homework..talk to a representative from each selling company. Learn all you can from them. Ask questions! And if you have never done WS repair before...go to youtube and watch some videos...there's plenty to watch. Ultimately, you have to make up your own mind about which advise you want to follow. But the more informed you are, the better decision you can make. Also don't use just one source to rely on. This forum can be a great tool to use, but it shouldn't be your only source.

Good point clearquest and well said chrisbear1970. Every forum I have ever been on has the same problem. Everyone is a self professed expert and it's difficult to figure out who knows what they are talking about and who doesn't. Post count really doesn't mean much as there are those on every forum who simply have nothing better to do than share their "wisdom", some of which is not so wise. I could not have said it better than chrisbear1970. This forum can be a good tool but one still has to do his or her homework.

One thing that is helpful is to research the posts of those engaged in a topic you are interested in. If you read enough of their posts you can usually get a pretty good idea if they are here to help or just to to be heard. You'll find consistent patterns of logical thought are common with those who know what they are talking about and you'll find consistent patterns of over sensitivity and agitation are common with those who don't. Those who get upset just because someone does not agree with them has stopped learning a long time ago and not likely to be someone who can provide you with much help. Those who have a strong opinion but are not to proud to admit they don't know everything are much more likely to provide helpful info. Those who immediately jump to name calling are likely a bit insecure and those who can stay calm and rational are likely confident in who they are and what they know.

It feels like a crap shoot at times but there are a number of windshield repair forum members who are very good at what they do and really are here to help. I would love to point out those who know their stuff and those who don't, but then that would just be my opinion and nothing more.

I'm guessing that each manufacturer has a procedure for the correct repair process? Almost like a flowchart of types? I've watched a few of the videos posted by some of the manufacturers and they all show some very good techniques and little tricks for certain things, but I haven't noticed the same tricks across the board. Are these little things that must be learned throughout the learning curve or is there a place where these tips and tricks would be all together?

A good place to start is to follow the instructions (to the letter) of the equipment you have purchased. The manufacture that designed the product usually knows it's capabilities and what works best from R&D.

It is difficult to determine from an independent persons opinion what is a good quality tip, or a short cut to suit that persons agenda. What may be considered a time saving tip may no be in the interest of your clients in regards to quality.

It's interesting how these days customers have been confused by corporate marketing to consider this a positive thing. For example, I have friends who have had work done and in describing the work they point out the job was "cheap and quick", indicating this is a good thing, a selling point. On the other hand it's considered the job that was expensive and slow is talked about in a negative tone. Cheap jobs are quick. Quality jobs however are usually slower due to the extra care and attention required.

Like everything in life, draw your own opinion from the information you have gathered and try to avoid being a repeater/copier of someone else's opinion.