PSA: The difference in clear coat hardness between brands is bigger than I thought

I've been spraying mostly one brand for years, but last month I had to use a different supplier's clear on a customer's truck. Same prep, same gun settings, same booth conditions. After 3 weeks the owner came back with a rock chip that went right through to the base. Never had that happen with my usual stuff. Then I did a test panel with both side by side and let it cure for a full 7 days. The usual brand took way more pressure to scratch with a key. Anyone else notice big differences between clear brands on durability?

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the_robin9d ago

Wait, a rock chip went through to the base after only 3 weeks? That's insane. I've had cheap clears that held up better than that. Did you check if that other brand was actually a production clear and not some cheap hardware store grade stuff? I've seen guys grab random clear off a shelf thinking it's all the same, and then they get burned like that. Sounds like you dodged a bullet long term by sticking with your regular brand.