Even if you are spending a ridiculous number of bucks buying your dream car without proper maintenance, it’s going to become trash anyway.
Among tons of maintenance tasks, undercoating is probably the most underrated one for most riders. It’s tiresome, takes a bit of time and patience, and it doesn’t seem necessary to many.
However, without proper undercoating, crucial parts of a vehicle like the frame, undercarriage, doors, etc., can be easily damaged by rust and corrosion.
This eventually causes a malfunction in the vehicle’s performance and can make you reach the bottom of your pocket for a full restoration.
Now, if you are in a fix on which undercoating you should go for, it’s good news that you don’t have to swim in a range of options. Woolwax and Fluid Film are two of the most popular undercoating solutions that vehicle owners vote for.
But which one is the best? That’s what we want to find out today!
Although both the brands are hard to set aside from the other, there are some slight differences. If you think thick and expensive coating is not your thing, then you should consider Fluid Film as an option. It’s thinner and also comes at a reasonable price. If your vehicle needs a thicker coating, then Woolwax is the horse to bet on!
Woolwax Vs. Fluid Film: The Comparison
Let’s find out some of the key features of both Woolwax and Fluid Film.
| Features | Woolwax | Fluid Film |
| Formation | Thicker than Fluid Film | A bit thinner than Woodwax |
| Odor | Odorless | A bit strong odor |
| Application | Hard to apply for its thick formation | Easier to spray for its thinner formation |
| Wash Resistance | Hard to wash off | Lesser resistance |
| Longevity | High | High |
| Reliability | High | High |
| Self-healing | Yes | Yes |
| Color Option | Black and clear | Black and clear |
| Price | A bit expensive | Affordable |
What is Woolwax Coating?
Wool Wax is one of the most popular and widely used coating solutions for vehicles in the market. It basically helps different parts of the vehicle in mitigating the rusting process.
The chemical is made from lanolin, which is prepared from sheep wood. It’s collected from a specific sheep breed for the best output.
It’s a kind of thick substance that needs a bit of time and patience to apply. However, I don’t have any solvent, so it’s free from getting evaporated or solidified.
The solution is kept wet for a long time after application. That’s why it’s an ideal solution to reach different parts of the vehicle that are hard to access.
Features of Woolwax
Here are some features that make Woolwax stand out from the crowd.
- It’s made from lanolin that is extracted from sheep wool
- The coating doesn’t emit a weird smell or unwanted odor
- It’s totally wash-off resistant.
- The coating doesn’t expire after a short period
- It stays wet for a long time
- The coating can easily access the inaccessible areas
What Is Fluid Film Undercoating?
Fluid Film is a hard contender for Woolwax when it comes to undercoating your vehicle parts. It comes with a corrosion-resistant feature that makes it a suitable option for riders residing in humid areas.
Apart from vehicles, the coating is a popular solution for maintaining marine, automobile, industrial, and agricultural machinery.
What makes it lit up in the dark is its capacity to prevent corrosion even if the vehicle part is already corroding. Not only does it stop the corrosion process immediately after its application, but it also prevents further damage.
Applying the liquid is pretty easy. The solution’s formation is pretty thin and light, making it a perfect one to spray on the specific areas of your vehicle. It also comes with a dark format so that you can spray it over dark surfaces.
Features of Woolwax
Here are some features that make Fluid Film stand out from the crowd.
- It’s pretty thin and light
- It emits a bit of hard odor that doesn’t last long
- The solution comes with an anti-freezing agent
- It doesn’t include any kind of solvent
- The chemical offers a long-lasting application
- It stops rust and corrosion almost immediately after application
- Totally environment-friendly product with no toxic component
Woolwax Vs. Fluid Film: Detailed Comparison
So, now that you have a pretty clear idea of how these two solutions work let’s find out some of the key points of comparison between the two.
- Point of differences
Longevity
Even though both solutions are pretty much trusted by riders for long-term use, there’s a slight difference between the two when it comes to longevity.
Woolwax gets the upper hand in this regard, as it can withstand more road debris than Fluid Film. The reason is its formation. It is made from wool-grease or lanolin, which makes it more resistant.
Thickness
Woolwax makes its way to the top as it has a better thickness than Fluid Film. Thanks to its lanolin component, it is pretty thick. Being thick means that the solution can hardly get washed off. That’s why it’s a better choice than Fluid Film if you are considering off-road riding more often.
Application Process
Being thinner is one of the key perks of Fluid Film solution. Woolwax works great for long-term protection, but it’s obviously hard to apply as it’s pretty thick.
Fluid Film, on the other hand, is quite simple to apply as it comes with a thinner formation. All you need to do is simply spray it over the specific areas.
Odor
Although Woolwax is pretty thick, it doesn’t produce any odor. It almost has no smell at all. On the other hand, Fluid Film leaves a mild and specific odor that will disappear within a week.
Cost
Woolwax comes with a higher price tag than Fluid Film. This is mostly because of its complex formation and lanolin component.
- Point of Similarities
Reliability
It’s beyond doubt that despite a number of differences in formation and application, both Woolwax and Fluid Film are pretty reliable when it comes to warding off rust and corrosion.
Both of them are wash-off resistant to some extent, and you can easily put your trust in the performance regardless of your vehicle type.
Color
Both the Woolwax and Fluid Film come in two different colors. One is a clear straw color, and the other is black.
Self-healing
Interestingly, both the solutions come with a self-healing option. This means that if any debris or small stone removes the coating from its place, it will fully recover itself automatically and cover the damaged area. This is pretty useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much Fluid Film to undercoat the truck?
Ans. For an average truck, you will need about a gallon of Fluid Film to undercoat it.
2. How long does Fluid Film last?
Ans. Under normal circumstances, the Fluid Film solution lasts for around 3 years.
3. Does Woolwax wash off?
Ans. Nope, the best part of Woolwax is that it hardly gets washed off. This is why it can easily stay in its applied area for a long time.
4. Does Fluid Film wash off?
Ans. As Fluid Film is pretty thin in formation and can be sprayed on the vehicle parts, it is subject to getting washed off if it’s exposed to heavy water flow for a long time.
5. How long does Woolwax last?
Ans. Woolwax doesn’t have any specific shelf life. As it doesn’t contain any type of solvent in its component, it makes it a long-lasting one. However, if you are using a spray can, it will last around a year.
Wrapping Up!
Woodwax vs. Fluid Film – which one to use? Well, this is a question that should get two different answers if we were to ask different riders, right? This is because the need for undercoating varies from vehicle to vehicle and rider to rider, as well.
If you need to coat some of the inaccessible parts of the vehicle, it’s better to go for Woodwax, as it is thick and can easily access tiny areas. Plus, if longevity and odor-free are pretty valuable to you, Woodwax is also going to be a proper choice for you.
Otherwise, for a simpler application and an affordable purchase, you can always go for Fluid Film solutions. It’s equally reliable, corrosion-resistant and self-healing, as well.
Find out your need and pick the one that suits you the best!