Griot's Garage NEW BOSS Paint Polishing System

Polishers are going to keep evolving, I don't care where it's made, if it's a well built machine that can do what I need it to do I want it and the BOSS looks promising!
 
Just to share with all of you the name of this project was Cow Bell you will see some videos and references to it. Cow bell = BOSS
 
rlmccarty2000 said:
Ever tried to get a TV fixed?
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i don't get it. TV repair isn't unusual. lots of old school audio video service places are still around due to service contracts and warranty contracts with manufacturers and resellers because...people get their TVs fixed.
 
Needs more cowbell.

Signed, Christopher Walken
 
Looking forward to reviews in the market for another polisher was leaning toward rupes.

Why no 25ft cord?

Is there a mini we should keep an eye out for in the near future?
 
roguegeek said:
As always, Mike, real great write-up. I am in the market for a new polisher (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ries/91203-upgrading-porter-cable-7424xp.html) and had landed on the Flex 3401, but then here comes this other option from GG. As interesting as it is, there are several things that are keeping me from giving it serious consideration.

  1. Only 4 and 5 inch backing plates. Maybe a 3rd party will fix that in the future, but right now, nothing exist below this.
  2. Build quality? GG's past offerings never felt solid to me before and I recently tried the Rupes as well. None of them compared to Flex. How would this new solution compare?
  3. Smoothness and fatigue? My PCXP and GG's 6 are not comfortable machines to use at all. The Rupes and Flex are. How is the smoothness of their new machine and is the fatigue experienced (or not experienced) close to the Rupes and Flex?
  4. Price. Really? I guess only time will tell if it's something comparable to a 3401 or Bigfoot (since GG is pricing it with the big boys), but that initial price is definitely not helping its initial attractiveness for me.
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Hey Rogue,

I can give my $.02 on this.

1. The BOSS tools are only available with 5" and 6" backing plates. I doubt you will see a smaller backing plate for these tools come out. I use one of my 8mm DA's or the Rupes LHR75 for 3" and 4" work. Your PCXP could be a dedicated 3" tool if you went with a new BOSS tool.

2. I agree with you on the past Griot's tool and I can assure you this in not the case with the new BOSS tools. As I mentioned in my article, this whole line really represents a whole new Griot's Garage IMO. When I first picked up the G21 I was reminded of my Flex PE14 rotary.

3. Smoothness is right on par with the Rupes and night and day over the PCXP and GG6. I don't feel the Flex 3401 is as smooth either.

4. I figured the price would be a big debate when the tool launched given the cost of the GG6. People need to realize this tool targeted the Rupes, not the other cheap large throw machines. When you consider the quality of the design, construction, and the cost of the components that went into, I feel the cost is more justified than it is for the Rupes.


FWIW, the Flex 3401 is a solid and very capable tool it just wasn't for me. I find the large throw machines are able to correct faster and finish better.


Thanks,
Rasky
 
RaskyR1 said:
Hey Rogue,

I can give my $.02
Rasky
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As a skeptic I am watching the videos on the GG youtube. In one video Mr Brown used a MF cutting pad and correcting cream. and the after shot was perfect. Was this a slip up, or was it not mentioned that it was followed by a polish after. Or is this the lacquer paint?

Also have you used the pads and the creams? The pads are thinner than average. and I know older GG polished and compounds were not the best.
 
Legacykid said:
As a skeptic I am watching the videos on the GG youtube. In one video Mr Brown used a MF cutting pad and correcting cream. and the after shot was perfect. Was this a slip up, or was it not mentioned that it was followed by a polish after. Or is this the lacquer paint?

Also have you used the pads and the creams? The pads are thinner than average. and I know older GG polished and compounds were not the best.
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Correcting Cream is very similar to HD Adapt IMO. I'll have to check the video you're referring to but I would expect most paints to have some very faint DA haze when used with a MF pad, but on some harder clears it could finish LSP ready. I would typically follow it up though.


Yes, I've had the pads and creams since December, though there have been changes along the way. The pads are only 8mm thick, so yeah, a lot thinner than the pads in the past. I never used any of the Griot's polishes prior to this, only tried a few items like BOS Wax and Speed Shine. I know a lot of time went into developing this new polishes at their state of the art laboratory and I feel they have released a very solid line that will perform just as well as the rest. Compounds and polishes all seem to have different attributes that they excel in, you just need to decide which is most important you. The low dusting, long working time, and great finish of the BOSS polishes are what I like most.


Jeff and I actually used Correcting Cream with a MF pad on this paint. It looked 95-98 percent LSP ready, but we still followed it up with Finishing cream to remove any faint DA haze that remained.

 
I am sure its a great tool. However, its not dramatically different from the Rupes, or dramatically less expensive. Thats a tough argument to make for me, especially considering its made in China (from what I read).

I also have a theory which may or may not be correct. All the tool makers could put as much or little power into their machines as they want. There must be a reason why Rupes only uses a 500watt motor. My theory is Griots products and tools are targeted for the do it yourselfer mostly, and therefore they use more powerful motors in their tools to compensate for poor technique that end users of their tools most likely will have as they are not professionals and probably do not use the tools that often.

Having said that, when I first started in this addiction 4-5 years ago, there were just a few options for tool. Now there are a bunch, and choice is always a good thing!
 
Jaretr1 said:
I also have a theory which may or may not be correct. All the tool makers could put as much or little power into their machines as they want.
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You are exactly correct. The Griots PC is a perfect example. Try using speed 6 on it. Melts your pads in no time. It is as effective at speed 4 as the Porter Cable at speed 6. So all that power may never be used but looks good on paper I guess?
 
Jaretr1 said:
There must be a reason why Rupes only uses a 500watt motor. My theory is Griots products and tools are targeted for the do it yourselfer mostly, and therefore they use more powerful motors in their tools to compensate for poor technique that end users of their tools most likely will have as they are not professionals and probably do not use the tools that often.
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Thing is, that wattage isn't necessarily a benchmark of how much power the device outputs, it's simply a measure of the rate of power drawn which can include heat loading of the equipment. You also don't know if that's peak or running wattage. Without a soft start i's possible that the only time 900 watts is in play is when the trigger is first pulled.

It's quite possible that the Rupes has a much more energy efficient motor and different gearing and is making more power to the spindle at 500 watts than the Griots does at 900. I don't think any of us here that aren't staring at engineering prints can make comparisons at that level.
 
Jaretr1 said:
My theory is Griots products and tools are targeted for the do it yourselfer mostly, and therefore they use more powerful motors in their tools to compensate for poor technique that end users of their tools most likely will have as they are not professionals and probably do not use the tools that often.
Click to expand...

Having watched GG's videos and listening to Jeff Brown explain the BOSS system, I'd say they are now going after professional users.
 
This system looks absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These polishers are NOT off the shelf Chinese units. They were built from the ground up using high quality parts. Also, the polishes are made in house from Griot's; no relabeling. They're supposed to be great! They utilize SMAT technology which I prefer. Pads looks awesome, too.

I think Griot's hit a HOME RUN with this system.
 
Jaretr1 said:
I am sure its a great tool. However, its not dramatically different from the Rupes, or dramatically less expensive. Thats a tough argument to make for me, especially considering its made in China (from what I read).

I also have a theory which may or may not be correct. All the tool makers could put as much or little power into their machines as they want. There must be a reason why Rupes only uses a 500watt motor. My theory is Griots products and tools are targeted for the do it yourselfer mostly, and therefore they use more powerful motors in their tools to compensate for poor technique that end users of their tools most likely will have as they are not professionals and probably do not use the tools that often.

Having said that, when I first started in this addiction 4-5 years ago, there were just a few options for tool. Now there are a bunch, and choice is always a good thing!
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is saying it's dramatically different. Is there anything dramatically different between all the rotary polishers out there? They all look pretty much the same to me, yet there are several slight nuances between them all that can make a big difference in how it feels in your hands and performs.

These tool are targeted for both intermediate users (those wanting to step up from an 8mm tool) and professionals. I believe this was touched upon in the Griot's videos and at the Griot's release. It's one of the main reason's it ships without the washer installed but still includes it in the tool pouch.

How about I break things down a little and see if this helps compare the differences/improvements. I'll give 1 point to the tool I feel is the best at that feature and 0 for a tie and explain my thoughts for each where I feel it's needed. Obvioulsy a lot of these are subjective

Power Cord: Tie
If this one was based of my Rupes, which was from the first batch of tools into the US, Griot's would win. However, it appears Rupes has since changed the cords as my LHR75e is much better than my LHR15/21.

Main handle Grip: Groit's (1)
Both in form and comfort, Griot's wins hands down. It just fits better in your hand and the soft double shot rubber grip is great.

Instant On Start: Griot's (1)
Rupes uses a slow start

Variable Speed trigger: Griot's (1)
N/A for Rupes

Speed Control: Griot's (1)
Nice solid feel and click from speed 1 to 6 with a bump in power at each step (1,1.5,2,2.5, ect...)

Speed Lock: Griot's (1)
Much more ergonomic on the Griot's tool

Quick Access Brushes: Griot's (1)
N/A on Rupes

Replacement Brushes: Griot's (1)

Main Body Rubber grips: Griot's (1)

Rubber Grip on Polish Head: Griot's (1)

Allen wrench holder on tool: Rupes (1)

SS (Kevin Brown) washer included: Griot's (1)

Power: Griot's (1)
I'm no electrical engineer but here is my $.02 on this. I feel listing power ratings of the motor on these tools is mostly marketing, and IMO unnecessary. 900w vs. 500w doesn't mean it has almost twice the power and it's not the same as 500hp in one car and 900hp in another. However, having seen both motors and used all 4 tools, the Griot's uses a noticeably beefier motor and at the end of the day the Griot's definitely has more power and is less likely to stall over the contours.

Tool Vibration: Tie
No noticeable difference

Weight: Rupes (1)

Sound/Loudness: Rupes (1)
This one could almost be a tie as I feel the sounds of the Rupes is higher pitched and less pleasant to listen too, but I think the over all volume (db reading) of the Griot's would be louder. I never measured this though and my hearing sucks! ;)

Backing Plates: Tie
I think the Rupes is a very solid backing plate but I also like the cooling feature of the Griot's and it's pretty solid as well.

Warranty: Griot's (1)

Interchangeable backing plates: Tie

Over build quality, feel, and construction: Griot's (1)
This should be pretty clear for anyone after holding each tool




So based on the above:
Griot's - 13
Rupes - 3
 
RaskyR1 said:
I don't think anyone is saying it's dramatically different. Is there anything dramatically different between all the rotary polishers out there? They all look pretty much the same to me, yet there are several slight nuances between them all that can make a big difference in how it feels in your hands and performs.

These tool are targeted for both intermediate users (those wanting to step up from an 8mm tool) and professionals. I believe this was touched upon in the Griot's videos and at the Griot's release. It's one of the main reason's it ships without the washer installed but still includes it in the tool pouch.

How about I break things down a little and see if this helps compare the differences/improvements. I'll give 1 point to the tool I feel is the best at that feature and 0 for a tie and explain my thoughts for each where I feel it's needed. Obvioulsy a lot of these are subjective

Power Cord: Tie
If this one was based of my Rupes, which was from the first batch of tools into the US, Griot's would win. However, it appears Rupes has since changed the cords as my LHR75e is much better than my LHR15/21.

Main handle Grip: Groit's (1)
Both in form and comfort, Griot's wins hands down. It just fits better in your hand and the soft double shot rubber grip is great.

Instant On Start: Griot's (1)
Rupes uses a slow start

Variable Speed trigger: Griot's (1)
N/A for Rupes

Speed Control: Griot's (1)
Nice solid feel and click from speed 1 to 6 with a bump in power at each step (1,1.5,2,2.5, ect...)

Speed Lock: Griot's (1)
Much more ergonomic on the Griot's tool

Quick Access Brushes: Griot's (1)
N/A on Rupes

Replacement Brushes: Griot's (1)

Main Body Rubber grips: Griot's (1)

Rubber Grip on Polish Head: Griot's (1)

Allen wrench holder on tool: Rupes (1)

SS (Kevin Brown) washer included: Griot's (1)

Power: Griot's (1)
I'm no electrical engineer but here is my $.02 on this. I feel listing power ratings of the motor on these tools is mostly marketing, and IMO unnecessary. 900w vs. 500w doesn't mean it has almost twice the power and it's not the same as 500hp in one car and 900hp in another. However, having seen both motors and used all 4 tools, the Griot's uses a noticeably beefier motor and at the end of the day the Griot's definitely has more power and is less likely to stall over the contours.

Tool Vibration: Tie
No noticeable difference

Weight: Rupes (1)

Sound/Loudness: Rupes (1)
This one could almost be a tie as I feel the sounds of the Rupes is higher pitched and less pleasant to listen too, but I think the over all volume (db reading) of the Griot's would be louder. I never measured this though and my hearing sucks! ;)

Backing Plates: Tie
I think the Rupes is a very solid backing plate but I also like the cooling feature of the Griot's and it's pretty solid as well.

Warranty: Griot's (1)

Interchangeable backing plates: Tie

Over build quality, feel, and construction: Griot's (1)
This should be pretty clear for anyone after holding each tool



So based on the above:
Griot's - 13
Rupes - 3
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It's RASKY speaking. 'Nuff said.

His post alone should be take with HIGH integrity. Honestly.
 
Chad--IMO you've done a fantastic job of evaluating the new polishers and keeping an objective eye open!!! Thanks!!
 
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