What’s the best bang for buck film

[watchdaride]

On 7/18/2024 at 11:06 PM, Dano said:

I'll swear ATR was the best film they ever made. 

 

As far as pricing goes, if a mediocre installer is using six rolls a month, the extra $100+ per roll will add $7200+ of yearly expence per mediocre installer under your roof. 

 

If the film goes belly up, the brand recognition you paid for goes with it.

 

Anyone remember Llumar Centaur or 3m Panther? 

the worst failure was sunguard in late 90's . Before that they had the best film on the market and they chage formula completely and had 100% failure . 

[DavidCarrell]

On 7/17/2024 at 6:49 PM, alex14444 said:

I’m not sure which brand I should go with I just started tinting not too long ago with very cheap dyed films. I’m ready to move on to better quality stuff but don’t know which. I’m also located in canada some places don’t ship here. Hoping you guys can suggest some good film that won’t break the bank. 

Start yourself off with some At by Llumar work your way up and experience they're Atr and centaur .....I don't even know if they sell these films anymore but they are all definitely films I will never forget getting a chance to experience myself.....eventually when I get my chance again I'm running with the big dogs Llumar

 

On 7/18/2024 at 11:06 PM, Dano said:

I'll swear ATR was the best film they ever made. 

 

As far as pricing goes, if a mediocre installer is using six rolls a month, the extra $100+ per roll will add $7200+ of yearly expence per mediocre installer under your roof. 

 

If the film goes belly up, the brand recognition you paid for goes with it.

 

Anyone remember Llumar Centaur or 3m Panther? 

I do and love they're centaur bad ass shit this is they're centaur 5  tinted this van 19 years ago took this picture two days ago and I've been boasting them ever since.....i know one thing I'll never in my life boast another company but them and they're bad ass film

[DavidCarrell]

I do very well remember they're atr and was very pleased at using it Atr was they're step up from At shrunk well and hid trash and felt well with a little heat At.......a little heat and was gone they're At was allways a plus all the way around and didn't see much in film failure

[doctor4766]

20 hours ago, DavidCarrell said:

I do very well remember they're atr and was very pleased at using it Atr was they're step up from At shrunk well and hid trash and felt well with a little heat At.......a little heat and was gone they're At was allways a plus all the way around and didn't see much in film failure

Their films have always been good to me.

Over the last 40 years I've used several brands but Llumar and Suntek have been some of the best.

 

I remember I shop I was contracting for in the early days of my own business were using Sunguard and they were getting catastrophic failures after only 18 months in some instances. Bubbled rears and distortion on side glass.

When they tried to claim warranty on some 20% films that were advertised as Lifetime warranty, they were told that because 20% VLT wasn't legal (At the time) in Australia, there was NO WARRANTY CLAIMABLE 

 

[DynamicATL]

18 minutes ago, doctor4766 said:

When they tried to claim warranty on some 20% films that were advertised as Lifetime warranty, they were told that because 20% VLT wasn't legal (At the time) in Australia, there was NO WARRANTY CLAIMABLE 

 

 

Just FYI, Llumar does the same...6 bubbled up ATC/CTX windows and 1 delaminated CTX windshield all denied due to being below legal.

 

Edited October 10 by DynamicATL

[doctor4766]

Fair call, but I don't remember the last time I had a warranty with Llumar film

[DynamicATL]

Just now, doctor4766 said:

Fair call, but I don't remember the last time I had a warranty with Llumar film

 

Depends on your climate, the cheapest quality films can last 10 years in the right climate. There have been a few posts on here from dealers having some failures after a few years. On Reddit, a guy had a bubbled-up rear window of Pinnacle after 3.5 years. They had some defective master rolls in 2017 causing the films to be much lighter than normal. I haven't seen any issues with IRX or AIR, just ATC and CTX. I don't know if the current ATC is the original but CTX (gen 2) has been out for over a decade, same for Pinnacle. If you're using ATR, it is more bulletproof like many HP films.

[marekduda]

Yo, welcome to the tint game! Since you're moving up from cheap dyed films, you're gonna want something that lasts and performs way better without killing your wallet. For solid quality without going crazy expensive, I'd recommend ceramic or carbon films. They give you better heat rejection, UV protection, and won't fade or turn purple like those cheap dyed ones.

If you're in Canada and need something that ships up north, look into SunTek Carbon or 3M Ceramic IR. Both are solid brands, and their films perform great in heat and light rejection while staying durable. Llumar ATC is another good one, still affordable but way better than dyed stuff, and it’s a good balance of performance and price.

Some brands don't ship directly to Canada, but you can check local distributors or shops that carry them. Hit up places like TintDepot or even Amazon Canada to see what's available.