Best Polisher?

[georgethedog]

I know this has been discussed before and I have read some threads, but many are outdated and the way new products come out all the time I thought I would ask . Sorry if this is redundant...

I am getting ready to buy so I would like to know what is the best power car polisher? Thanks!

 

[agentf1]

If you are skilled in the use of a rotary a nice rotary like the Makita 9227 cannot be beat.

A nice all around machine which is a little easier to use is the Flex 3401 Random Orbital buffer which has forced rotation like a rotary but yet is still an orbital. This machine still has the power to do some paint correction like the rotary but yet is a little safer and easier to use due to its orbitting action.

A good beginners machine is the Porter Cable Random Orbital. It is a pure RO machine which is VERY safe in a beginners hands but does not have enough power to remove much more than towel scratches. It will round the edges of swirls making it harder for the sunlight to catch them in essence making them harder for us to see. A few vendors sell machines like this including Porter Cable, Griots and Meguiars.

I hope this helps.

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

I have the Griots Random polisher but dont like it that well. Best polisher--Your hands. You cant use an electric polisher anyway in all the small and restricted areas so I do the entire car by hand. The thread info above is good too for many.

 

[RobZilla]

I use a Porter Cable. I agree with the response above, your hands work best in the small areas.

 

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

I have a Porter Cable, though I haven't used it yet, and its already 3-years old.
I like a good ******** as well, might try the Porter soon on the DD though.

 

[PacificSEASnake]

I have a Porter Cable, though I haven't used it yet, and its already 3-years old.
I like a good ******** as well, might try the Porter soon on the DD though.

Who doesn't like a good ******** every now & then? That's a little off topic though, isn't it?

 

[Black Mamba 47]

Nothing beats a good ********

 

[georgethedog]

Thanks guys. I have some carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand and I want to get away from as much hand polishing as I can. I would be a beginner at a power one that is for sure. Please, more comments are welcome. Thanks.

 

[dave6666]

I bought a Makita BO6040.

Makita Bo6040 Polisher

I also bought a side handle that is a generic Makita item.

I'll be using Edge wave pads - blue for polishing and white for waxing.

The Edge 2000 How To Detailing Guide to the Porter Cable 7424 and Edge Wave and Flat 6 inch foam pads. car polish car wax buffer polisher buffing pad

For polish this stuff.

Menzerna Nano Polish PO 106 FA, Menzerna Final Polish, Nano abrasives, finishing polish, professional polish

As soon as I get done with my splitter that is the next project. It is sitting there in the casa just begging to touch my car...

 

[georgethedog]

Thanks STUD with the red Viper.

 

[dave6666]

Thanks STUD with the red Viper.

Don't you wish a female mod was writing your sig lines?

I wonder what it will say after Valentines day...

 

[Leslie]

Don't you wish a female mod was writing your sig lines?

I wonder what it will say after Valentines day...

verified and notarized to be a true and accurate statement

 

[agentf1]

For those saying by hand is the best you must be very young and vibrant. I would much rather use a 4" pad on my rotary and tape up any surrounding areas that cannot be hit than do it by hand any day. You really do not have the speed to break down the abrasives the way they should be doing it by hand. I wet sanded and polished the bottom half of my old vette after it was painted by hand and hope never do that again. That was on fresh paint and not the HARD clear coats of today's cars and I was MUCH younger at the time.

Dave, the BO6040 is also an excellent machine. I own that as well as the Flex. It is identical to the Flex but does not have as good of ergonomics and the trigger location is not as nice as the Flex. But you can get the Edge adapter for it so its big advantage is being able to use any size pad 4", 6.5" and 8" if needed. It is also a little better quality machine than the Flex and a touch more powerful but when you are using it all day the better ergonomics, lighter weight and better trigger position of the Flex wins my heart over. I also think that Edge recently introduced the same adapter for the Flex now but it is very expensive since you need to replace the entire backing plate.

That said I highly recommend the forced rotation/random orbital machines like the Flex 3401 or Makita BO6040 for most people.

 

[dave6666]

That said I highly recommend the forced rotation/random orbital machines like the Flex 3401 or Makita BO6040 for most people.

My apologies actually, for not giving credit to you for basically helping me spec that entire list of mine.

So to Frank...

Anyway, the Edge adapter for the Makita BO6040 is no longer avail from Autogeek, hence why I did not post that link. I called them about that and the tech guy said he could not explain why they do not sell it any more as the 6040 is still a recommended machine sold by them.

I am hoping with the side handle the ergonomics will not kill me on the Makita. I'll be reporting back on this in a few.

Update on the Edge adapter for the 6040... Just got this email from Autogeek...

I have been told we can special order this from the manufacturer for you. It will take about a week for us to receive it. The cost is $29.99. Please let me know if you would like for us to order one for you.

Best Regards
Penny
AutoGeek.Net
Customer Service

 

[BlknBlu]

I am in the market for a polisher and thought I would re-ignite this thread. I am looking for something that will not burn the paint or is ******* edges. I can practice first on my DD and go from thier. Is Porter and Cable a reliable polisher?

Bruce

 

[Paul Hawker]

Porter Cable is the perfect beginning polisher.

It works in kind of a figure 8 as opposed to fast rotation. Seems to vibrate as much as rotate.

In the hands of a novice it does a fantastic job. Not designed to take off much paint. Can be used with mild compound, cleaning polish, wax etc

Does not cost much, has a good warranty, and has enough power so that big jobs go much faster and easier.

For me it gives a much smoother finish than by hand.

For the pros, they will be able to use much stronger rotary buffers that generate some heat and can remove serious amounts of paint to get down below the scratches, but they can also ruin a paint job in a hurry.

Lots of different pads available for the porter cable so the novice can experiment safely with different products.

 

[JHill9]

I just went through this search myself a few weeks ago. Ended up getting the porter cable since I have never used a polisher and didn't want to hurt the paint. After lots of practice everyone says you will want to upgrade to the Flex. The cost of the porter cable was 125 bucks so that is cheap to learn with then upgrade to the flex ($350 I think)

 

[EFI-1]

I have a Makita 9227 and haven't used a better buffer/polisher. Decent weight, adjustable speed, locking trigger, easy pad swaps.

 

[Junkman2008]

If you are skilled in the use of a rotary a nice rotary like the Makita 9227 cannot be beat.

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This is NOT a "practice, let me see if I can do it because I'm a fast learner" polisher. You will be visiting a paint booth and if you can stand to have mixed-match paint on your Viper, then go for it. A smart man will be doing everything in his power to keep from having to repaint.

A nice all around machine which is a little easier to use is the Flex 3401 Random Orbital buffer which has forced rotation like a rotary but yet is still an orbital. This machine still has the power to do some paint correction like the rotary but yet is a little safer and easier to use due to its orbitting action.

I agree, but I want to stress the importance of how dangerous this machine can be in the hands of a novice. It can quickly wipe paint off an edge or a seam of the car if you don't know what you're doing and are using the wrong compounds. A couple of other things about this polisher that I never see mentioned in detailing forums is the fact that the Flex has to be held on to! If you are not paying attention and you hit a dip or quick bend on a body panel, the Flex will try to throw you across the car. Because you need to keep a good grip on the polisher, you fatigue a LOT faster than you would with the PC-7424XP. Secondly, the length of the body of the Flex can produce some awkward holding positions that can make it difficult to use on some cars. If you start adjusting your holding positions while using the unit, that's when it can try and whip right out of your hands. Last of all, the back plate on the Flex is NOT changeable. You are stuck with limited pad choices. This is NOT the polisher for a novice user.

A good beginners machine is the Porter Cable Random Orbital. It is a pure RO machine which is VERY safe in a beginners hands but does not have enough power to remove much more than towel scratches.

I totally disagree with the last part of that sentence. The PC is more than capable of removing paint damage, it will just take quite a bit of time for heavily damaged paint and your technique and products have to be effective. For light to medium damaged paint, this machine is more than capable of removing that damage. I present to you the following hood and fender that I fixed using a PC:

2005 Ford Mustang with Brillo Pad Damage

This guy's wife wanted to surprise him by washing his car while he was away on business. She used a Brillo Pad because she really wanted to get it clean. She had no idea of how bad she was damaging the car until she got all the way from one side of the hood to the other side. Needless to say, he was crushed!


Here's the damage:

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Now for some after shots. The lighting wasn't all that great so I did the best I could with the first set of pictures. The sun decided to come out on the following day.

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Here's what I used: Clayed with clay bar and detail spray, then I went to a scratch remover on a orange pad, followed by FSP on a white pad. I then added my wax. I wiped the area down with detail spray before moving between each product. The following day allowed me to pull the car out into the sun and tackle the other half of the hood.This was a shot of the other side of the hood before I fixed it.

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Here's a shot of the rest of the hood fixed.

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While at this particular show, some guys from Dynamic Motorsports approached me and asked if I had something for a scratch in their black convertible Shelby. They wanted some touch up paint. I went over and took a look at the scratch. It was ugly. What was even more ugly was the fact that they wanted to use touch up paint. Check out the scratch:

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The clear coat on this car was unlike any I have ever seen in my life. It was slick as glass. Not one pimple of orange peel in it whatsoever. I have never seen a car as slick as this. It was unreal.

So, I broke out some scratch remover and FSP, the orange and white pads along with some 2500-3000 grit sandpaper. I went at that scratch for a while until it was gone.

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Then, I used my polishes to bring the finish back to perfect.

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Here's a shot of this beautiful ride!

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That ride has been restored back to its original luster!

It will round the edges of swirls making it harder for the sunlight to catch them in essence making them harder for us to see.

That it can do but as we have seen, it can also do more.

A few vendors sell machines like this including Porter Cable, Griots and Meguiars.

I hope this helps.

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Don't get suckered into paying more for the PC because of someone's name on the side of it. The one that Griot's and Meguiar's sell are identical in power and performance to the PC-7424XP. Buy the cheapest version of this polisher that you can find. Also pay attention to the model number. The "XP" is newer than the PC-7424, however, I have both and they both perform the same. The XP is more ergonomically designed and has 800 OPM's more power (oscillations per minute), but using them side by side, you wouldn't notice the difference.

Now for those who feel that they are NOT capable of using a PC-7424XP out of fear of damaging their paint, I offer to you the following videos. After viewing these videos, you will have a totally different mindset.

Video 1

Video 2

Any questions? Ask away!

 

[Brian_Brice]

I really hate to correct you again, but this is why knowledge should be spread by experts, that way we avoid misinformation.

The Griot's garage machine is actually the strongest Random Orbital machine on the market, what that means to a novice is very very little, but here are the specs of each machine. If you're planning on using diminishing abrasives and polishing paint using very aged technique (no offense about your age Junkman) which is about 15 lbs of pressure slow overlapping passes usually requiring a good 3 minutes per 2x2 section to actually break down the polish (most common practice for newbs and novice as it is the most covered technique on the internet)why would the best suggestion be to buy the cheapest version?

I know a lot about computers, but you won't catch me on a hackers forum instructing newby's how to clear their driving record.


Here's the specs....


Porter Cable 7424XP
4.5 AMP
500 Watt Motor
5 pounds
3 Year Limited Warranty - 1 Year Free Service - 90 Days Money Back


Griot's Garage Random Orbital Polisher
7.0 AMP
850 Watt Motor
5.5 pounds
Griot's Lifetime Warranty


Griot's Garage 3" Mini Polisher
2.0 AMP
240 Watt Motor
Griot's Lifetime Warranty


Meguiar's G110v2
4.2 AMP
430 Watt Motor
5 pounds
1 Year Limited Warranty

When using a Random orbital which is by far the safest easiest machine to use power and wattage are not as important as the numbers may suggest.

If you want your random orbital to achieve rotary results, there are only a few ways to make that happen, but lets start by gettting it out of your head that the pc7424xp is the most powerful of the group, because it isn't.

So much regurgitated information on the internet, we need a massive team assembled to correct all of it.

 

[Junkman2008]

I really hate to correct you again, but this is why knowledge should be spread by experts, that way we avoid misinformation.

Nice. The condescending, you don't know crap approach. Oh well, I guess I better go turn in my buffing pads! The Junkman's Tour has been officially derailed by Brian Brice, the end all to detailing answers! Dude, really?

The Griot's garage machine is actually the strongest Random Orbital machine on the market...

More power by how many OPM's? 1000? 2000? None? It doesn't matter how much horsepower your engine makes, it's what end up at the rear wheels that counts. The same is true with the dual action polishers. I notice that you mysteriously omitted the OPM rating of each polisher. Could that be because they are all similar, which would in fact make them all the same or similar unit? I'm jus' sayin'...

...what that means to a novice is very very little, but here are the specs of each machine. If you're planning on using diminishing abrasives and polishing paint using very aged technique (no offense about your age Junkman) which is about 15 lbs of pressure slow overlapping passes usually requiring a good 3 minutes per 2x2 section to actually break down the polish (most common practice for newbs and novice as it is the most covered technique on the internet)

Ah yes, let's get technical and talk over the novices heads by using terms that sound good, but mean absolutely nothing to them. Are you here to help those who seek help or dazzle them with your geek speak?

The people who seek an understanding of this type of work are not experts in the field. Thus, know your audience and cater your answers to that crowd. It is a proven method that works as my many videos have proven. You should watch them. You might learn a thing or two.

why would the best suggestion be to buy the cheapest version?

Because it makes absolutely no sense to pay a hundred dollars more for something when you can get the same performance for a hundred dollars less. Economics 101 my friend.

I know a lot about computers, but you won't catch me on a hackers forum instructing newby's how to clear their driving record.

From the looks of your detailing advice, I would agree!

If you want your random orbital to achieve rotary results, there are only a few ways to make that happen, but lets start by gettting it out of your head that the pc7424xp is the most powerful of the group, because it isn't.

Let's see, where did I say that??? Reading is fundamental my friend. I'm jus' sayin'.... again.

I don't know why you have a wild hair for me. I'm not trying to steal your customers, nor do I want to do what you do for a living. You should really chill dude. Unlike you, I do this for fun, not money. I don't share info trying to make a buck, I share it because of all the people it allows me to meet and the fun of congregating with other car lovers. Unlike a lot of car people, I don't have an allegiance to one manufacturer. I just love cars. That's why I freely share what I know. I want others to experience the same joy that I get from looking at a nice, clean and powerful ride.

So with that said, I'm leaving it at that. You can respond if you like but I've said all I'm going to say. As we say in the hood, "Don't hate the playa', hate the game."

 

[BlknBlu]

Would it be possible to remain on topic here and just give the novices some advice on polishers and not who is the best detailer on the site. I am looking to do this myself not hire it out.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Bruce

 

[Brian_Brice]

Nice. The condescending, you don't know crap approach. Oh well, I guess I better go turn in my buffing pads! The Junkman's Tour has been officially derailed by Brian Brice, the end all to detailing answers! Dude, really?



More power by how many OPM's? 1000? 2000? None? It doesn't matter how much horsepower your engine makes, it's what end up at the rear wheels that counts. The same is true with the dual action polishers. I notice that you mysteriously omitted the OPM rating of each polisher. Could that be because they are all similar, which would in fact make them all the same or similar unit? I'm jus' sayin'...



Ah yes, let's get technical and talk over the novices heads by using terms that sound good, but mean absolutely nothing to them. Are you here to help those who seek help or dazzle them with your geek speak?

The people who seek an understanding of this type of work are not experts in the field. Thus, know your audience and cater your answers to that crowd. It is a proven method that works as my many videos have proven. You should watch them. You might learn a thing or two.



Because it makes absolutely no sense to pay a hundred dollars more for something when you can get the same performance for a hundred dollars less. Economics 101 my friend.



From the looks of your detailing advice, I would agree!



Let's see, where did I say that??? Reading is fundamental my friend. I'm jus' sayin'.... again.

I don't know why you have a wild hair for me. I'm not trying to steal your customers, nor do I want to do what you do for a living. You should really chill dude. Unlike you, I do this for fun, not money. I don't share info trying to make a buck, I share it because of all the people it allows me to meet and the fun of congregating with other car lovers. Unlike a lot of car people, I don't have an allegiance to one manufacturer. I just love cars. That's why I freely share what I know. I want others to experience the same joy that I get from looking at a nice, clean and powerful ride.

So with that said, I'm leaving it at that. You can respond if you like but I've said all I'm going to say. As we say in the hood, "Don't hate the playa', hate the game."

You're very versed at defending yourself, I have read many forums where that's pretty much all you do vs others much more knowledgeable than yourself. Listen twice as much as you talk, that's why you were given two ears and one mouth.

You might want to clean the nasty product build up on the hood of the Mustang if you're showing it, at least detail the thing at a detailing tent

Best of luck with everything.

 

[Junkman2008]

Would it be possible to remain on topic here and just give the novices some advice on polishers and not who is the best detailer on the site. I am looking to do this myself not hire it out.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Bruce

The best polisher for the novice is going to be the PC or it's variants, hands down. It is the safest, most forgiving polisher on the market. There's no debate to that whatsoever and if you watch those two videos I posted, you will see that for yourself.

 

[eucharistos]

you guys are removing the fear of owning a black car

good info

thanks

 

[BlknBlu]

Thanks for the info Junkman. I can not believe how much I learned watching your videos. I am feeling at ease about using a buffer on a car.

Bruce

 

[Nader]

Those videos were very informative. I have the PC and recently put some deep scratches into the clear coat by washing with what I thought was a clean towel while I was at the track. You videos dicuss the "slow cut" method with Adams polishes. I have an extensive collection of Zaino products including their swirl and scratch remover which is supposed to be a diminishing abrasive remover. Can I follow the same procedure your outline with Zaino just as you do with Adams products? If so should I do the slow cut procedure or just 5000 rpm, 15lbs pressure twice, with a spray of detailer in between?

Prior to seeing you video i went ahead and tried the PC with the Zaino and cut the swirls and scratches down considerably but they are still there. I only went over it for a few minutes total on 3000 with no pressure. I am guessing that if I follow your procedure it will do much better.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

The best polisher for the novice is going to be the PC or it's variants, hands down. It is the safest, most forgiving polisher on the market. There's no debate to that whatsoever and if you watch those two videos I posted, you will see that for yourself.

 

[TrackAire]

Junkman,

I like your before and afters, please keep posting up your info and experiences.

I do find that prep (just like anything else you build or make) is the key to a shiney surface. There are probably a bunch of over the counter final products that all work great if the paint has been corrected and polished before the final application.

I do have a question...Vipers and other exotics don't see the same real world use that say our work pickup does. Do you have a recommendation for a one shot product for a vehicle that sees a lot of daily use with dirt, water spray, dust, etc. I want something that shines decent but has more durability than a show shine but cleans up well and looks really sharp from 20 feet away. There is just not enough time in the day to clean and polish the work trucks to the hyper shine the show cars get. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
George

 

[Junkman2008]

you guys are removing the fear of owning a black car

good info

thanks

Keep in mind that once you fully correct your paint, you should NEVER have to do a full correction again. This is a one time event in your paint's life. Once corrected, your paint will only need an occasional touch up with the polisher to address those ever so fine scratches that you may pick up during a lapse in judgment (like wiping on the car with a cheap rag or sitting a bag on the paint). This damage should be extremely minimal and you should be able to fix it with the lightest polishes.

Maintaining darn near perfect paint is possible if you follow my video recommendations on how and when to touch your paint. If you have yet to buy your new car, you should NEVER, and I repeat NEVER have to do a full paint correction if you again, touch the paint correctly. My wash and dust removal videos do more to show you how not to scratch up your paint than they do anything else.

It's about being proactive, not reactive.

Thanks for the info Junkman. I can not believe how much I learned watching your videos. I am feeling at ease about using a buffer on a car.

Bruce

Feel free to contact me with any issues you may have. If you like, make a video of you using the polisher and I will personally critique it for you. If I see anything wrong, I will tell you what to adjust so that you can maximize your technique. That goes for anyone here.

Those videos were very informative. I have the PC and recently put some deep scratches into the clear coat by washing with what I thought was a clean towel while I was at the track. You videos dicuss the "slow cut" method with Adams polishes. I have an extensive collection of Zaino products including their swirl and scratch remover which is supposed to be a diminishing abrasive remover. Can I follow the same procedure your outline with Zaino just as you do with Adams products?

To a degree, yes. Zaino is the one product that is a bit different than the conventional polishes on the market in that it doesn't have a polish to finish down to a shine as most other brands do. Regardless of what they may say about ZPC, it doesn't finish down like Meguiar's M205, M#9 or the Adam's Fine Machine Polish.

When you see me use Swirl & Haze Remover (SHR), you can use ZPC. However, when I use the Fine Machine Polish (FMP), you need to find product similar (like FMP, M205 or M#9). Once I get to the Machine Superwax (MSW), you can go to your Z2 and Z5. Z5 would probably be the closest to MSW.

If so should I do the slow cut procedure or just 5000 rpm, 15lbs pressure twice, with a spray of detailer in between?

The slow cut technique IS NOT for liquid type compounds. It is for hard paste type compounds. I used SHR in those videos because I didn't have access to a hard paste compound. It did work, but that technique will take forever to do an entire car. Only if you have a hard paste compound would you use the slow cut technique with a PC. Thus, you should be using the PC at 5000 OPM's with 9-15 pounds of pressure. The amount of pressure that you use includes the weight of the polisher.

Prior to seeing you video i went ahead and tried the PC with the Zaino and cut the swirls and scratches down considerably but they are still there. I only went over it for a few minutes total on 3000 with no pressure. I am guessing that if I follow your procedure it will do much better.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes it will. The polisher on a speed of 3000 OPM's is only good for spreading wax unless you are doing the slow cut technique. Other than that, anything less than 5000 OPM's is useless. You have seen how much pressure I applied to my car with the polisher cranked all the way up using a very abrasive compound. If that didn't take the paint off the car, then 3000 with no pressure is the same as looking at the paint mean. You ain't doing anything but tickling it, unless you're using a really good swirl and scratch removing compound.

Junkman,

I like your before and afters, please keep posting up your info and experiences.

I do find that prep (just like anything else you build or make) is the key to a shiney surface. There are probably a bunch of over the counter final products that all work great if the paint has been corrected and polished before the final application.

You are dead on about prep and claying is one of the most important. However, I would avoid using over the counter stuff if possible because of performance issues. Maybe once your paint is perfect, you can get away with a few OTC things but avoid all waxes like the plague. Their protection level ***** big time.

I do have a question...Vipers and other exotics don't see the same real world use that say our work pickup does. Do you have a recommendation for a one shot product for a vehicle that sees a lot of daily use with dirt, water spray, dust, etc. I want something that shines decent but has more durability than a show shine but cleans up well and looks really sharp from 20 feet away. There is just not enough time in the day to clean and polish the work trucks to the hyper shine the show cars get. Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
George

Bad news George, no such animal. Imagine this. Would you buy a vehicle that claimed to have the exact performance capabilities of a Viper but could seat the same amount of people as a minivan? No, because a all-in-one product always looses some level of performance. Just as a jack of all trades is a master of none, AIO products will always display some level of failure when compared to the real McCoys. It is just the nature of the beast.

I do agree with you on one thing, there is not enough time in one's life to have a life, a job, a family and maintain 2 show cars. Luckily, I work for myself and I only try to work 2 days a week. That leaves me a lot of maintaining the show car time.

 

[TrackAire]

Thanks Junkman....now go to bed, you're up too late!!

Have a good Memorial Day weekend.

Cheers,
George