[oldguy00]

Looking to buy a new polisher. I've used basic ones in the past, like Simonz and no-name comparable...

I'm not necessarily opposed to buying a $200+ model, but what exactly am I gaining with those, compared to a $40 model from a big box store??

Thx!

[Blueboxer]

I started with a basic porter cable polisher that served me fairly well over a few years, but recently upgraded to this one:

https://www.chemicalguys.com/torq22d...rior-polishers

The extra power and throw means less passes, larger backing plate means more surface area per pass, and overall it’s more comfortable and the rubberized corners means I am less likely to add imperfections while trying to take some out. A rotary is the way to go for serious paint correction, but the higher end random orbitals get most is what we need.

[1Mors]

Rupes is what I have. might be overkill but the rupes and flex are the best quality ones I have use. less vibration and smooth steady. Used by professionals

I have the Rupes Bigfoot LHR 15 Mark III, Also own a Flex PXE 80 for the tight spaces.

[drmdvl]

Kind of a late reply, but the $40 big box store orbital buffers just simply spin at low speed. They are underpowered devices used to buff - meaning speed the application and removal of waxes or sealants, they do not spin fast enough or powerful enough to generate the heat required to remove paint defects. A rotary buffer is a forced spin on a fixed access, think one fixed circular motion, that will correct defects quickly but also burn through clear coat and paint in seconds with an untrained hand. The gold standard Porter Cable 7424 is a dual action or random orbital buffer that spins and orbits mimicking how you would polish your paint by hand - think small circular motions within a larger circular area creating a random orbit - this makes it an ideal tool for not only a pro but a beginner. The motion will prevent marring or holograms created by non randomized polishing. The main difference here is that it is very powerful and can oscillate up to 6800x per minute which is more than enough for serious defect work. It has a counter weight that reduces vibrations making long working time more comfortable. It also free spins via momentum which is a good thing for a beginner as it will stop rotating if too much force is applied (can also be frustrating for a beginner). The secret to the PC is a good backing plate, quality pad and the best polishing technology you can afford as this will help avoid dreaded dual action haze or micro marring necessitating multi step polishing. If you are going to commit to paint correction I would pony up for the Flex 3401 - instead of free spinning it has a forced rotation and is a much more powerful DA polisher- once you've developed good techniques, you can usually finish a job twice as fast.
On the other hand if you are just going to correct your vehicle's paint, the goal is to do it just once then prevent inducing swirls and scratches with good washing and drying habits - the less expensive PC would be a great choice in this scenario. Hope this helps!

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by drmdvl

Kind of a late reply, but the $40 big box store orbital buffers just simply spin at low speed. They are underpowered devices used to buff - meaning speed the application and removal of waxes or sealants, they do not spin fast enough or powerful enough to generate the heat required to remove paint defects. A rotary buffer is a forced spin on a fixed access, think one fixed circular motion, that will correct defects quickly but also burn through clear coat and paint in seconds with an untrained hand. The gold standard Porter Cable 7424 is a dual action or random orbital buffer that spins and orbits mimicking how you would polish your paint by hand - think small circular motions within a larger circular area creating a random orbit - this makes it an ideal tool for not only a pro but a beginner. The motion will prevent marring or holograms created by non randomized polishing. The main difference here is that it is very powerful and can oscillate up to 6800x per minute which is more than enough for serious defect work. It has a counter weight that reduces vibrations making long working time more comfortable. It also free spins via momentum which is a good thing for a beginner as it will stop rotating if too much force is applied (can also be frustrating for a beginner). The secret to the PC is a good backing plate, quality pad and the best polishing technology you can afford as this will help avoid dreaded dual action haze or micro marring necessitating multi step polishing. If you are going to commit to paint correction I would pony up for the Flex 3401 - instead of free spinning it has a forced rotation and is a much more powerful DA polisher- once you've developed good techniques, you can usually finish a job twice as fast.
On the other hand if you are just going to correct your vehicle's paint, the goal is to do it just once then prevent inducing swirls and scratches with good washing and drying habits - the less expensive PC would be a great choice in this scenario. Hope this helps!

Hey, thanks for the reply!
Its just for my own use, and occasional friend's cars. I ended up getting an Adams Swirl Killer Pro, and am very happy with it.

[weinerbarn]

I use a Rupes clone from Harbor Freight. I'm not a professional so I'm not concerned as much with longevity and vibration for the limited usage it gets. A lot of online reviews say they a very similar in performance.

https://www.harborfreight.com/75-amp...her-56367.html

[MJBradley1967]

I have a cordless 18V Ryobi buffer/polisher. It's slower than a proper polisher, but I'll probably get a Milwaukee cordless polisher when I do get one.

[sharkymcpeterson]

I just picked up a torq random orbital polisher, it did great on the exterior window/pillar trim between front and rear windows and other small polish jobs I’ve done so far. Great product, works like you’d expect.

[cbpip]

Cyclo dual head Polisher. Works very well. Initially was an Air Stream polisher for polishing the aluminum trailers. No swirls and easy on the paint. Can get many different levels of pads for how aggressive you need to be with correction.

[play2lose]

Just purchased a griots g8 to polish my headlights. Way less vibration then the 5" porter cable I was using.

[tcphoto]

This is the kit that I bought from Chemical Guys, I've been happy with it for the past two years.

https://www.chemicalguys.com/torqx-r...%20Your%20Ride

[tcphoto]

This is the kit that I bought from Chemical Guys, I've been happy with it for the past two years.

https://www.chemicalguys.com/torqx-r...%20Your%20Ride

[tcphoto]

This is the kit that I bought from Chemical Guys, I've been happy with it for the past two years.

https://www.chemicalguys.com/torqx-r...%20Your%20Ride