SONAX PROFILINE CutMax "6/4" cutting compound (down to P1000) 250ml

Remove deep scratches and sanding marks with the SONAX CutMax cutting compound

What does the SONAX CutMax do? A cutting compound with maximum cut (6/4) that pulls out sanding marks from P1000 grit, deep scratches and paint overspray — low-dust thanks to Low Dust Technology, dialled in for rotary machines.

When the paint is hammered badly enough that a normal polish just won't cut it anymore, the SONAX CutMax steps in. With a cut rating of 6 on the SONAX scale, it's the most aggressive polish in the PROFILINE range — built for jobs where you need maximum material removal: deep scratches, P1000 sanding marks, orange peel, paint fog and badly weathered paintwork. Despite that heavy cut, the CutMax works almost dust-free thanks to Low Dust Technology and leaves a gloss level of 4/5, which in most cases only needs a quick finishing step after it. For body shops and pro detailers, the CutMax is the tool of choice when efficiency on defect removal beats everything else.

• Maximum cut for heavy defects. The abrasive blend in the CutMax is built for fast, deep cutting. It pulls out sanding marks from P1000 in a single pass — a range lighter polishes simply can't reach. Baked-on bug splatter, deep scratches and years of neglected weathering get cut away just as effectively. That cut saves real time in the bay, because you need fewer passes than with milder products.
• Low Dust Technology for clean work. With a lot of polishes, heavy cut also means heavy dust — a problem that settles into panel gaps, seals and across the whole workspace and needs serious cleanup. The CutMax solves that with its dedicated Low Dust formula: the compound stays on the pad and on the surface through the whole process instead of dusting off. That saves you the cleanup and keeps polishing dust out of freshly painted areas — a critical point in body shops.
• Good gloss despite the heavy cut. A gloss level of 4/5 is remarkable for a cutting compound this aggressive. Plenty of competing products with a comparable cut leave a dull, hazy finish that absolutely needs a finishing step. The CutMax gets much closer to the end result — on a lot of paints a quick pass with a finishing polish like the SONAX PerfectFinish is all it takes to hit showroom gloss.

Detailing1's tip from the shop: Run the CutMax on the rotary with a hard foam pad (white) or a lambswool pad for maximum cut. Start at 1000 rpm to spread the compound out, then take it up to 1500–1800 rpm for the actual cutting. Work in rows with 50 percent overlap and lay down even, moderate pressure — the abrasives need friction, not heavy pressure. After each pass, check with an LED light whether the defects are fully gone before you move to the finishing step.

Cut 6/4 — how the CutMax can take heavy paint defects out in one pass

The SONAX CutMax hits its high cut through a mix of specially sized abrasive particles and a formula that keeps the cut steady across the whole pass. Unlike basic cutting compounds, whose cut drops off noticeably after the first thirty seconds because the abrasives break down too fast, the CutMax holds its cutting power through the entire work cycle. In practice that means: one pass of two to three minutes per section is enough to fully remove even deep sanding marks — instead of the three or four passes you'd need with a weaker polish.

The gloss level of 4/5 shows the CutMax isn't a pure cutting paste but a cutting compound with controlled particle breakdown. The abrasives start out aggressive and break down into finer particles over the pass, which already take care of part of the finish. The result is a surface that's noticeably smoother and glossier than after a pure cutting paste — but not yet at the level of a dedicated finishing polish. For shops that need to get to a presentable result fast after wet sanding, that in-between stage is often already enough when concours quality isn't on the table.

One important difference to the SONAX Cut+Finish (5/5): the CutMax has the higher cut and comes in where the Cut+Finish doesn't pull enough material anymore — so with P1000 sanding marks, deep scratches and heavy weathering. The Cut+Finish is the one-step solution from P1500, the CutMax is the heavy hammer for everything below that. In a lot of shops both products sit side by side: the Cut+Finish for most of the day-to-day work, the CutMax for the heavy cases.

Using a cutting compound right — machine, pad and technique for maximum cut

The SONAX CutMax shows its full potential on the rotary machine. The pure rotation builds more friction and heat than a dual-action machine — exactly the energy a cutting compound at this level needs to deliver maximum cut. It works on a dual-action machine too, but with a clearly reduced cut: you need more passes and more time for the same result. If you regularly tackle heavy correction, the rotary is the right investment.

The pad choice heavily shapes the result. For maximum cut, go for a hard foam pad (white in the SONAX colour system) or a lambswool pad. The lambswool pad gives the highest cut of all pad types but also leaves the roughest surface — ideal for the first pass on heavy defects, followed by a foam pad for the refinement. A medium pad reduces the cut and suits paints that need less correction, or sensitive areas like edges and creases, where too aggressive a cut could burn through the clear coat.

For application, put three to four pea-sized dots on the pad and spread the compound across the panel at low speed. Then take it up to working speed and polish in rows with fifty percent overlap. Work in sections of around forty by forty centimetres — small enough to stay in control, big enough to make efficient progress. Listen to the machine: a steady hum tells you the pad is working cleanly on the surface. A rattle or vibration points to too much pressure or a clogged pad.

After the cutting pass, wipe the compound residue off with a clean microfibre cloth and check the result under an LED light. If the defects are fully gone, the finishing step follows. If marks are still showing, repeat the pass — better a second controlled pass than a single one with too much pressure that can cause holograms or heat spots.

A common beginner mistake working with the CutMax: too much product on the pad. A cutting compound needs less product than a finishing polish, because the cut comes from the abrasives, not from the volume of paste. Three to four small dots are enough for a section of forty by forty centimetres. Too much product thins out the cutting action, drags out the pass and makes wiping harder. In pro shops, experienced polishers sometimes work with even less product — they make up for the smaller amount with precise machine control that gets the most out of the abrasive that's there.

One important note on heat control: the rotary builds serious heat when you work with a cutting compound. On dark paints the surface temperature can climb past seventy degrees in a few seconds — a temperature that can damage the clear coat. Check the temperature regularly by running the back of your hand over the surface. When it gets uncomfortably warm, let the section cool briefly before you carry on. On edges, creases and raised lines the heat build-up is especially critical, because the paint layer there is thinner than on flat panels.

Correcting heavy paint defects — the ideal use cases for the CutMax

The main job for the CutMax is defect correction after wet sanding with P1000 to P1200 grit. In the body shop that's the most common use: after a blend-in or spot repair, the transition between new and old paint gets wet sanded, and the CutMax then takes the sanding marks out in a single pass. The compound being silicone-free is key here — in a shop environment where paint goes on every day, there can be no silicone risk.

On reconditioning badly neglected vehicles the CutMax shows its strength too. Paints that have been exposed to sun, bird droppings, tree sap and industrial fallout for years build up an oxidised layer that lighter polishes can't get through. The CutMax cuts that layer away efficiently and exposes the undamaged paint underneath. The result is often striking: colours that looked dull and faded show the full depth and brilliance of the original paint again after correction.

On new-car reconditioning the CutMax comes into play too, when the factory paint shows heavy orange peel. A wet sand with P1000 levels the surface, and the CutMax brings the gloss back. This job takes experience, because the clear coat on new vehicles is often thinner than on older paint systems — a paint thickness reading before sanding is a must, so you don't break through the clear coat.

On partial PPF wraps on front ends the CutMax sometimes comes in indirectly: the paint under the film gets polished before the wrap to clear up any defects that would show through the clear film. The CutMax removes scratches and swirls fast and effectively, and the finishing polish after it leaves a flawlessly smooth base for the film to bond to.

Where the CutMax hits its limits: on scratches that reach down into the base coat or the primer, no polish helps — here you need to respray the affected spot. The CutMax also can't replace clear coat that's already peeling over a large area. In cases like that it's better to be honest with the customer about the limits of polishing than to promise a result you can't reach. Honest communication builds the customer's trust over the long run far more than a cosmetic compromise that shows again after a few weeks.

Cutting compound comparison — CutMax vs. UltimateCut vs. EX 05-05

In the SONAX PROFILINE range there are three products in play for heavy defect removal: CutMax, UltimateCut and EX 05-05.

The UltimateCut (6+/3) has the highest cut in the whole range — even higher than the CutMax. It's reserved for the most extreme cases: the worst weathering, P800 sanding marks, massive orange peel. The gloss level of 3/5 shows that after the UltimateCut a finishing step is definitely needed — often even a two-step finish. The UltimateCut is the tool for specialists, not for daily use.

The EX 05-05 (5/5) sits on the other side of the spectrum: the same cut and same gloss as the Cut+Finish, but with a different formula that works better on certain paint systems. It's the alternative for anyone who doesn't get the result they want with the Cut+Finish — for example on particularly hard ceramic clear coats, where the EX series has traditionally been strong.

The CutMax (6/4) sits between these extremes: more cut than the EX 05-05, but a clearly better gloss than the UltimateCut. For the bulk of heavy defect-correction work — wet sanding from P1000, deep scratches, heavy weathering — the CutMax is the optimal choice, because it gets the defect removal done in one step and keeps the finishing step after it short.

Buying the CutMax — bottle sizes and workflow recommendation

The SONAX CutMax comes in 250 ml, 1000 ml and 5 litres. The 250 ml bottle is enough for several complete vehicle corrections and is the ideal entry point for private users and smaller outfits. The 1000 ml bottle is the standard size for shops with regular polishing demand. The 5-litre container is aimed at high-throughput businesses — the per-litre price is lowest here, and the wide opening makes it easier to dispense with a dosing bottle.

For the best polishing workflow we recommend the combination: CutMax as the cutting compound on the rotary, followed by the SONAX PerfectFinish as the finishing step on the dual-action machine, and finally SONAX Prepare for degreasing and result check. This three-step combo covers the whole defect-correction process — from heavy cutting to a finish that's ready to seal. Anyone who wants to lay down a long-term sealant afterwards already has the perfect base with Prepare.

On shelf life and storage: like all cutting compounds, the CutMax can separate slightly if it sits for a while. Shake the bottle thoroughly before every use until the consistency is homogeneous and creamy again. Store the product frost-free and sealed — frozen compound loses its abrasive structure and is useless after that. Stored properly, the CutMax keeps its full performance over the whole shelf life.

A closing practical note on the cost-effective use in the shop: the CutMax has a higher per-litre price than consumer polishes from the DIY store, but the product consumption per vehicle is much lower. The concentrated formula means you get by with three to four dots per section — a 250 ml bottle lasts for several complete vehicle corrections. Measured by result per euro spent, the CutMax is therefore more economical than cheaper alternatives that need double or triple the product and still take more passes.