Purchasing new porter cable + accessories...

Denali-ws6

Denali-ws6

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Hello all. I am in the process of putting together an order for a polisher for my own personal use. I have a white 2007 denali, and 2001 white trans am ws6.

Anyways, this is my first time using a polisher and I need some tips for what to purchase with my polisher. I found a lot of packages here and I want to ask all you veterans which kit would be best for my use.

I like the porter cable 7424xp. My questions are which pads, polish, and other accessories I should purchase at the same time. My trans am is a garage queen and has very little to no marring. But my truck is outside 24/7 and has moderate marring and scratches.

I was thinking a few orange pads, and some white ones. I'm a little confused on which compound and polish I should get. I plan on topping it all off with collinite 476 or 845.

Also, how many pads of each color should I get? It's a big truck so I would like to not have to clean them until I finish the whole job.

Thanks for all the feedback you can throw my way. Im sure I have more questions, but this is all I can think of at this point.

Regards,

Brian
 
Brian, i would recommend getting at least 1 mf cutting disk to compare how much faster it will cut than foam. if you can afford three colors of each pad, except the sealant or wax pad,that's what i would recommend. The pc needs to cut on speed 6 with about 15 lbs of pressure. get a 5'' backing plate so you can easily use 5 or 5.5 pads.
Why not go for the flex?
I have both. I much prefer using the flex.
 
expdetailing said:
Brian, i would recommend getting at least 1 mf cutting disk to compare how much faster it will cut than foam. if you can afford three colors of each pad, except the sealant or wax pad,that's what i would recommend. The pc needs to cut on speed 6 with about 15 lbs of pressure. get a 5'' backing plate so you can easily use 5 or 5.5 pads.
Why not go for the flex?
I have both. I much prefer using the flex.
Click to expand...

Thanks expdetailing! I haven't looked into the flex. I was under the impression that the PC was the best polisher for the beginner?? Am I mistaken? Thanks for the info and I will look into the flex.
 
Denali-ws6 said:
Thanks expdetailing! I haven't looked into the flex. I was under the impression that the PC was the best polisher for the beginner?? Am I mistaken? Thanks for the info and I will look into the flex.
Click to expand...

The Flex 3401 is perhaps the best overall polisher. Nowhere near the danger of using a rotary in untrained hands, but the ability to go beyond what traditional DA polishers can do, due to its forced rotation. It's quite hard to damage the paint with a Flex but still possible. Most people don't recommend to beginners because it requires better technique, there is more of a danger in harming the paint, and is costly compared to other polishers. Does a beginner who perhaps doesn't need showcar finishes for his daily driver really need a Flex to get basic swirls and defects out or apply wax?

The PC is quite capable, and should serve you well. In the future, if you do upgrade to a Flex, a Rupes Bigfoot or a rotary, you can utilize your PC for smaller spaces with a 3" or 4" pads for A-pillars etc. Just get a smaller backing plate. If you plan to do a lot of detailing and polishing, it might be better to spring for the Flex right away, it's a solid tool.

Edit: I'd say spring for quality products now. The Wolfgang four is always a good pick. For pads, LC flat pads 6 pack are great to buy for 5.5" on the PC. Depends on what kind of defects there are, but I remember my first purchase was 2 orange, 2 white and 2 black I think. If you want more defect removal microfiber pads are always good to look into. Additionally, you can also do like 1 yellow, 2 orange, 1 white, 1 black, 1 blue pad. XMT is a nice line for machine users too. Menzerna, Wolfgang, Meguiars professional etc.
 
I used a PC for about 3 years, then finally bought a Flex. I knew after about one hour of using the PC that I would eventually buy something more powerful.

If your budget won't allow a Flex, I recommend the 3" backing plate in addition to the 5" backing plate for the PC. The PC will do deeper defect removal much better with the 3" backing plate (3.5-4.5" pads). 3" plate for defect/RIDS removal, 5" plate for light swirl removal/final polishing and you're good to go. The 3" plate also works well for tight spaces.
 
Madness87 said:
The Flex 3401 is perhaps the best overall polisher. Nowhere near the danger of using a rotary in untrained hands, but the ability to go beyond what traditional DA polishers can do, due to its forced rotation. It's quite hard to damage the paint with a Flex but still possible. Most people don't recommend to beginners because it requires better technique, there is more of a danger in harming the paint, and is costly compared to other polishers. Does a beginner who perhaps doesn't need showcar finishes for his daily driver really need a Flex to get basic swirls and defects out or apply wax?

The PC is quite capable, and should serve you well. In the future, if you do upgrade to a Flex, a Rupes Bigfoot or a rotary, you can utilize your PC for smaller spaces with a 3" or 4" pads for A-pillars etc. Just get a smaller backing plate. If you plan to do a lot of detailing and polishing, it might be better to spring for the Flex right away, it's a solid tool.
Click to expand...

Thanks madness87! Great advice! Yeah, I don't plan on detailing for money or anything like that for the time being. I plan on just polishing my two vehicles and maybe a few friends/family vehicles.
In the future, once I get a better feel for polishing, I am sure to upgrade to the more powerful tools. But from what I have read, the PC should do what I need and more. Thanks.
 
Denali-ws6 Have you considered the Griots Garage DA?? Considerably more powerful than the PC, just as safe and it has a lifetime warranty. With a 5" BP and 5.5" pads there isn't anything it can't handle.
 
My 2 cents again; the flex learning curve is about one panel. If you can put one foot in front of the other most of the time without falling, you're qualified to buy a flex. Do not be hesitant to buy a flex, if money is no issue, because youu WILL be able to use it just fine. That truck you have (denali?) has a lot of real estate, and that sports car has alot of curves. You need an as$ kicker, you NEED a flex. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. If you buy a pc, it will dawn on you that you will be buying another machine later on. You may as well just cut to the chase. It's cheaper in the long run to buy a flex; you won't NEED to buy a pc, and its backing plate, etc.
 
expdetailing said:
My 2 cents again; the flex learning curve is about one panel. If you can put one foot in front of the other most of the time without falling, you're qualified to buy a flex. Do not be hesitant to buy a flex, if money is no issue, because youu WILL be able to use it just fine. That truck you have (denali?) has a lot of real estate, and that sports car has alot of curves. You need an as$ kicker, you NEED a flex. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. If you buy a pc, it will dawn on you that you will be buying another machine later on. You may as well just cut to the chase. It's cheaper in the long run to buy a flex; you won't NEED to buy a pc, and its backing plate, etc.
Click to expand...

:iagree:100% The Flex 3401 VRG is your best bet especially for a big SUV. Once you try and get used to a Flex you will never work on a large car without it. I have a PC7424XP too. I bought the Flex because the PC took a long time to do correcting.
 
I bought a Porter Cable last year and a Flex 3401 this year. The PC has been out of the bag since. Need I say more.
 
The nice thing for a new hobbyist is with the PC or GG for the same money that just the Flex costs alone you can pretty much get your PC/GG all the pads you need along with one of the great kits AG offers and still have money left over. It's a great starting point and you can always resell it to a friend later if you decide to upgrade. That's what I did.

This is a great starter kit, has pads, bplate, and cleaner and conditioner:

Lake Country - Porter Cable 5.5 x 7/8 Inch Foam Pad Kit FREE BONUS


This is a great starter kit:

BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond Wax Kit, car wax kit, auto detailing kit

My buddy just bought the mentioned products yesterday fro AG on the 15%. He's new to detailing, after he saw my GC he wants to see what he can do for his black Benz. Get the free sample of Wolfgang Uber Polish and you can play around with some correcting to. This Blackfire kit is a great value.

And with those two kits your still under what the Flex alone costs.
 
PC starter kit with Lake Country pads +1

I've had my PC for 2 years. I do my 2 cars, my folk's 2 cars and my sister's without a problem. That being said, as someone addressed in an earlier post, I'm saving money now for a Rupes or a Flex so I can handle the tougher jobs easier. I've used a Flex before and yes, you will love it. But, see earlier post, you can buy a PC kit for the same money as a single Flex/Rupes tool.
And let's face it, you're on autogeek, you're gonna buy more stuff and eventually have 3 tools, 20 pads, 3 plastic totes full of microfibers.....


Good luck!!
 
Thanks a lot everyone for the replies. Now I'm thinking about the flex. It's a bit pricey so that's my only issue. However, if you guys are saying it's worth it, I can come to terms with the extra money. Hopefully Autogeek can have a nice upcoming sale so I can make a huge purchase...lol!
 
If your considering a Flex then you might as well wait to see what their new upcoming release is going to be.
 
I wanted to ask what does everyone think about the Wolfgang über compound and Wolfgang finishing polish? Would this combo be good for light marring and small defects? I was thinking orange pad for the uber compound and white pads for the finishing polish.

Like what was commented above, I will probably end up having a few tools before all is said and done. Whether I start with a PC or flex, I'm sure I will have a couple of them.

Thanks again all!

Brian
 
I also have the pc, and the flex, and most of the time I grab the pc. When paired with a microfiber cutting pad, and a quality cutting compound is where it excels at removing defects. For your situation, it's an excellent, modest investment.

Be warned though. I bought a flex, and now I'm looking at the Rupes duetto/mini, and Flex pe14 rotary....

All things considered, the Flex is right smack in the middle of all these machines.
 
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