Product review --- POR15's POR-Strip Stripper and Solvent

[XXL]

Feel like wasting $26+ dollars? Well, if so, try POR15's POR-Strip

Here's what they say--

POR-STRIP ® Paint Remover/Stripper is a clear spray-on remover with the consistency of water. In sample testing, our POR-STRIP ® was the choice of professional auto strippers. A special chemical-resistant spray bottle allows you to use less and finish faster than brushing. Remove any coating from any surface without damaging window glass, chrome, or weatherstrip. POR-STRIP ® is nonacidic and will not harm aluminum or factory fiberglass.


On a recent order, I bought a gallon of this stuff along with some POR15. My plan was to strip the black enamel off of a bumper I'm working on. After following the directions on the package, I didn't get any paint stripping results... so I tried it again, and AGAIN! Paint not removed, not loosened, not anything. So, just in case this bumper had been painted with some kind of super paint, I decided to try the stripper on part of a cab I'm working on. Same thing... 3 separate attempts at following the instructions (instructions call for 2 separate coats, so we're up to 6 coats in all) and guess what? The paint is still there. It did manage to bubble up a small swath of uncoated body filler and burn my skin a bit when the "free chemical-resistant spray bottle" managed to spring a leak in the trigger after about a dozen pumps.

BTW, they were right about not harming anything... including the paint I was trying to remove. As for being nonacidic, I am going out to the garage to re-read the label in a little bit. I seem to recall that the product contained muriatic acid.

Kenneth

[Shane]

Thanks for the heads-up! I was actually planning on buying some to strip the inner fender wells. Looks like I will save a little more cash and buy a small pressurized sand blaster!

[johnnyp]

I'd call POR-15's tech support. I've had good luck with them in the past. Or email your post to their tech support. They do a lot of business with members of this board and I think they'll want to make it right. Let us know what kinda response you get.

[Bondoman]

I am just begining in restoring my truck and have very limited knowledge of body work but i have tried a few strippers on my truck now.

I paid 20 bucks for a stripper at advanced called tal-strip .... worked ok lifted top coat off with just brushing it on once. Did nothing to the heavy layers of primer untill more coats were added then still alot of wire wheeling to remove to metal .... plus made a mess everywhere.

Just because it was cheap i bought another stripper at home depot paid $3.99 for a quart and came with sprayer. It is made by Binks if i remember correctly and worked just as good as the expensive. Also worked better on the primer coats and evaporated much faster than other so no mess.

So just in case any others like me are looking for a stripper this worked well for me.

[BubbaGreen]

Want something that removes paint:
Go to walmart and get stuff called 'DADs' paint remover,
it comes with a small spray bottle, but it can be brushed on.
This stuff works, I mean it really works. Usually the first coat
will remove any paint with in minutes. It use to be available
by the gallon, but the last time I went to get some, they only
had the quart size. Just dont get it on anything you dont
want it on, and keep it off your skin....burns like *#$$%#

[XXL]

Originally posted by johnnyp
I'd call POR-15's tech support. I've had good luck with them in the past. Or email your post to their tech support. They do a lot of business with members of this board and I think they'll want to make it right. Let us know what kinda response you get.

Done. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep you posted.

Kenneth

[mikep]

Or... you could always call the NAPA store in Poulsbo Washington and ask for the owner . He also manages the store and is there most days of the week. He also OWNS the POR company. He bought it last year. Thats why you find POR products in NAPA's now. Busy guy!

[XXL]

Update--

Mike Albrecht of POR stated via email that he'd refund me for the POR-Strip. I asked if he wanted me to return the product so they could evaluate it... he wasn't interested since 'he gets the product in 55 gallon drums so he would have known by now if there was a problem.'

To that I say...

1) I'm glad he saw fit to do a refund (though I haven't seen it yet... I hope I'm not appreciating it too soon).

2) So-so customer service isn't dead yet. He had the opportunity to be concerned, not just to "pay me off" (and sublimely state that his product is just fine-- thereby intimating it must be me that's the problem). How about... take the product back and analyze what might have been the problem-- bad batch? got 'neutralized' somehow in transit? customer (me) can't follow directions? customer is an idiot? Something. How about a chance to build customer rapport? Like, no refund but free replacement from another batch, and a "$5 goodwill coupon" for my trouble? This gets me chemicals that do what they were advertised to do AND ( A N D !!) gets me coming back for another product down the road. I don't have my hand out for a freebie... I would have been completely and thoroughly satisfied if their POR-Strip product had... uh... stripped.

Anyway, my rant here is winding down. I think I had reasonable expectations, and they weren't initially met, and they were only marginally addressed on their follow-up.

Oh well.

Kenneth

[johnnyp]

Thanks for the update XXL. I'd have to agree that the response wasn't what I would want either. If they didn't offer to send you a replacement and was quick to refund, kinda makes you wander if they know the product doesn't live up to its claims. I haven't dealt with the company since it was sold, so maybe somethings changed.

P.S. Let us know if you get your refund and if it includes shipping charge.

[Smooth68]

Just to lighten things up some Kenneth, you should have know it wasn't going to work very well - I mean after all it is called..."poor-strip"

I would think a company like that would be a little more concerned about a product with their name on it going out the door and not doing the job it's suppose to do. As far as he knows you could own a huge referb business and spread their name through the trenches....now that I think if it, you can do that anyways.

[XXL]

Originally posted by ProSt68Trk
As far as he knows you could own a huge referb business and spread their name through the trenches....now that I think if it, you can do that anyways.

Yeah, but first I'll have to buy a huge refurb business

Kenneth

[Travis]

I understand what you are saying about customer support XXL, it seems nowadays that is the norm. Atleast in the the area I live in it seems to be that way, once a company reaches a certain sucess they just dont seem to care.

[Hooter]

easy-off oven cleaner works real well to take off paint ive used it to strip some of the crappy maaco paint on the monte (uh-oh better get maaco) the 300 dollar embassdor paint job is a pile of crap if you ask me

[purple69]

por works real well guess the stripper doesnt

[XXL]

Refund check received in the mail yesterday for $27.00. I guess the extra buck is for shipping (??). Anyway, I appreciate Mike at POR taking care of this.

Kenneth