So Mike, just to make sure I understand correctly, you saw Porter Cables 7424XP's with Meguiar's stickers on them?
Didn't see the Meguiar's sticker on the actual tool as I just saw brand new, unopened boxes on display.
Mike Stoops was there doing demonstrations but while I was at the booth we were inside the air-conditioned Meguiar's Special Events Truck taking a break from the heat.
Porter Cable would do good to pay attention to detailing discussion forums to see what it is their customer's want, my thought are that they're too big to care and will put out whatever they want to put out as far as tools go...
When I worked for Meguiar's, I think I remember Meguiar's trying to work better deals with Porter Cable but to no effect, my perception is that they're just too big to care...
I've posted numerous times that the Griot's Garage knock-off of the PC does a better job of keeping a pad rotating under pressure and it's true, it does, in fact I've also posted that realistically speaking, as long as you're using 5.5" thin pads, the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher and using good technique, that is holding the pad flat to the surface, the tool basically acts like a
safe version of a rotary buffer. This is because used with good technique, you can't stop the pad from rotating and that's the same thing you're getting from a rotary buffer.
I still wouldn't ever try to replace a rotary buffer with a tool that uses a
Free Floating Spindle Assembly, but for enthusiasts and even Pro Detailers as well as guys that work in body shops that want to ensure they are leaving a 100% swirl-free finish, DA Polishers are a great option.
The thing about Porter Cable as compared to the knock-offs of the tool is the
quality is very good, you could drive over a PC with my truck and still turn it on and buff out a car. The knock-offs are not quite up to par in the quality of the build, fit and finish...
yet.
Porter Cable would do well to pay attention to detailing discussion forums and the market trend or they will find themselves losing market share.
DA Polishers
are the trend for detailing cars and have been for probably 15 years... I don't see the trend slowing down into the future and in fact as seen by the introduction of
thin foam pads and the Meguiar's thin microfiber pads and tool specific compounds and polishes, the trend is for
more pads and products to be designed
specifically for this type of tool...
Time is always the great vindicator of predictions... so I guess we'll see...
