Air Compressor DA's?

Wills.WindowsAndWheels

Wills.WindowsAndWheels

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I was wondering if anyone here has purchased a 3" air compressor DA polisher. I have my PC and my Griots for 5.5" polishing (i love them both dearly :) )...and i have a 4" backing plate...but i'd really like to have a designated 3" set up (because 4" can even be too big sometimes). I've seen some pneumatic 3" set ups...like from chicago..but they run around $120 or so...I was wondering if anyone has bought one...or one like it...what you paid and how do you like it?
 
Good question if I'm not mistaken I think I seen a pic of superior shine - Joe Fernandez using one on a recent thread....
 
Do you have a big enough compressor? Even the little 3" guys can consume a lot of air when under load
 
pfix said:
I am waiting for this one to arrive at AG.

Meguiars DA Microfiber Correction System 3 Inch Starter Kit, spot polishing kit, spot repair kit
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Thats what I'm hoping to get as well...hope the price isnt TOO crazy and that it becomes available soon.

Transcendent said:
GG makes an electric 3" da
Griot's Garage Professional Random Orbital 3 Inch Polisher, Random Orbit Buffer, Dual Action Polisher, 3" buffer
never used it personnaly but i hear really good things about it and will prob get it for my self soon
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Yeah I knew about that little guy..i've heard mostly good things but also heard some cases where it doesnt provide enough power...so i was kinda 'eh' on getting it..

CCC4me said:
Do you have a big enough compressor? Even the little 3" guys can consume a lot of air when under load
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I believe i'll be ok...i dont see a listing on the CFM rating for the one in the kit listed above...mine i think is 2.0 at 90 psi...so not sure what the little 3" will require...so im hoping :)
 
Wills.WindowsAndWheels said:
Thats what I'm hoping to get as well...hope the price isnt TOO crazy and that it becomes available soon.
Click to expand...

I too am hoping to pick up the Meguiar's air tools. At DetailFest during the Meguiar's class, Jason Rose was asked when they'd be available and he said their release was still probably 2-3 months out.

No word on price, but I can't imagine they'd be too far out of line from the Chicago Pneumatic tools.
 
Wills.WindowsAndWheels said:
I believe i'll be ok...i dont see a listing on the CFM rating for the one in the kit listed above...mine i think is 2.0 at 90 psi...so not sure what the little 3" will require...so im hoping :)
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If your compressor puts out 2 cfm at 90 psi, it will be running constantly trying to keep up. 5 cfm at 90 is the bare minimum I would run for a DA.
 
PorscheGuy997 said:
If your compressor puts out 2 cfm at 90 psi, it will be running constantly trying to keep up. 5 cfm at 90 is the bare minimum I would run for a DA.
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:iagree:
I've seen some specs that suggest the CP 3" random orbit will consume over 10cfm when loaded.
 
U are def looking at 5 cfm @ 90 bare minimum. My 1/4" air retchet takes 4cfm and its an igensoll rand not some cheap brand.
 
Wills.WindowsAndWheels said:
Thats what I'm hoping to get as well...hope the price isnt TOO crazy and that it becomes available soon.



Yeah I knew about that little guy..i've heard mostly good things but also heard some cases where it doesnt provide enough power...so i was kinda 'eh' on getting it..



I believe i'll be ok...i dont see a listing on the CFM rating for the one in the kit listed above...mine i think is 2.0 at 90 psi...so not sure what the little 3" will require...so im hoping :)
Click to expand...

I read what I could find for this tool on Megs forum and although one of the benefits being assigned to this tool is lower air consumption, I could not find any specs on it. These types of tools are known to be air hogs.

2cfm @ 90psi is pretty low. In contrast, my compressor is rated at 11 cfm @ 90 psi. I would make sure you look into that before you purchase the tool.
 
Thanks guys for the info...i looked into it also...and saw the same thing you did. I might have to return the compressor once i get it and go for one with a bit more 'oomph'. I just want it to be portable also...I saw some at HD for around $240, which is twice for what i paid for mine...of course they are bigger and bulkier but are considered 'portable' and have a 4.4 (approx) CFM rating...think thats enough for a 3" or should i just lay off that idea for now? I also want something that is strong enough to do some painting...ive never had an air compressor so any extra info on a portable one would be nice. I like the big guys of course but...have no way to haul em...and no where to put one :)
 
Here are the specs on the Meguiar's 3" DA, sourced from MOL:

D/A polisher

Product Attributes

* Pistol Dual Action Polisher ideal for spot repair & for tough to reach areas
* Ergonomic comfortable handle
* Durable one-piece composite body
* Variable speed trigger for accurate control
* Silenced handle exhaust
* Balanced high-torque for smooth & efficient defect removal
* Includes Meguiar’s 3” Backing Plate (S3BP), wrench, stop tool, and safety manual / case

Specs:

* Tool Weight - 1.50lbs / .68kg
* Spindle Thread - 5/16”- 24T
* Pad Size - 3in / 76mm
* Orbit - 3/16in / 4.76mm
* Horsepower - .35
* RPM - 15,000
* Air Consumption - 3.17CFM / 22.5SCFM
* Air Pressure - 90psi / 6.2bar
* Noise Level - 96.2 sound power / 86.2dBA sound pressure
* Vibration Level - <7.1m/s2
* Uncertainty - K=4.26 m/s2

Part # G3DA

MSRP $115.00 US
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I hadn't noticed the pricing listed there before, but $115 seems really reasonable and at 3.7 CFM, a portable compressor should give you plenty of air to run it.

Wills, you mention wanting to do some painting... on what scale are you thinking you'll want to do paint work? That will have a huge impact on the requirements for a compressor. You'll also want to look into a good water separation and particulate filtration system for that purpose as well.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Here are the specs on the Meguiar's 3" DA, sourced from MOL:



I hadn't noticed the pricing listed there before, but $115 seems really reasonable and at 3.7 CFM, a portable compressor should give you plenty of air to run it.

Wills, you mention wanting to do some painting... on what scale are you thinking you'll want to do paint work? That will have a huge impact on the requirements for a compressor. You'll also want to look into a good water separation and particulate filtration system for that purpose as well.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you've done some painting yourself Charlie :). We do some small building jobs on the side here n' there...we have a professional grade sprayer for houses etc..but for small things like small pieces of wood..trim...etc...a pint size would be great for that...the big guy is just TOO much work to clean up to just do little spray jobs...plus it eats up too much paint lol (15" spray patter...gallon goes by way too fast). So i FOR SURE want to be able to do that..

Now ALSO i wouldnt mind trying my hand at a little auto painting. Got a friends conversion van that has a HORRIBLE top and the 'kit' around the bottom is shot also...figured it would make for a good 'practice (even though spraying the top of this 8 1/2' tall beast would be hard). So for that I know i'd probably need something stronger compressor wise..but like i said a stand alone isn't an option...soooo what are your thoughts on that?
 
something else to consider is if you ever get a tornador it says it reccomends 5,5 cfm
for the compesser side of it-[i have not used one] but just something to consider especially with air
 
I am curious about how they rated their CFM usage. Many pnuematic tools are rated at an average air consumption which is based on a 25% duty cycle which would be 15 seconds of use out of 1 min.

We will be running the polishers for more than 15 seconds each minute.
 
Wills.WindowsAndWheels said:
Sounds like you've done some painting yourself Charlie :). We do some small building jobs on the side here n' there...we have a professional grade sprayer for houses etc..but for small things like small pieces of wood..trim...etc...a pint size would be great for that...the big guy is just TOO much work to clean up to just do little spray jobs...plus it eats up too much paint lol (15" spray patter...gallon goes by way too fast). So i FOR SURE want to be able to do that..

Now ALSO i wouldnt mind trying my hand at a little auto painting. Got a friends conversion van that has a HORRIBLE top and the 'kit' around the bottom is shot also...figured it would make for a good 'practice (even though spraying the top of this 8 1/2' tall beast would be hard). So for that I know i'd probably need something stronger compressor wise..but like i said a stand alone isn't an option...soooo what are your thoughts on that?
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Yeah, I've been known to shoot a coat or two of paint from time to time.... :D

The most important thing to remember is that when you're talking about an air compressor, you should treat it as the "heart of the shop" -- it's one area you really don't want to skimp, so be sure to get the biggest compressor you can afford and that can still be portable.

Here's a link to a buying guide that you might find useful:

How to Pick the Perfect Residential Air Compressor - Picking an Air Compressor to Run Air Tools - Your Online Air Compressor Superstore
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Yeah, I've been known to shoot a coat or two of paint from time to time.... :D

The most important thing to remember is that when you're talking about an air compressor, you should treat it as the "heart of the shop" -- it's one area you really don't want to skimp, so be sure to get the biggest compressor you can afford and that can still be portable.

Here's a link to a buying guide that you might find useful:

How to Pick the Perfect Residential Air Compressor - Picking an Air Compressor to Run Air Tools - Your Online Air Compressor Superstore
Click to expand...

Yeah good point...unfortunately this wont really be for a 'shop' since i dont have one lol...more of at home and i have no room in the garage for it...3 car garage...3 cars..no space :-\...so will be stored outside somewhere (shaded of course). I was looking at this one..what are your thoughts ? Vertical Air Compressor - 2.5 HP, 21 Gallon, 120 Volt, 125 PSI
 
Wills.WindowsAndWheels said:
Yeah good point...unfortunately this wont really be for a 'shop' since i dont have one lol...more of at home and i have no room in the garage for it...3 car garage...3 cars..no space :-...so will be stored outside somewhere (shaded of course). I was looking at this one..what are your thoughts ? Vertical Air Compressor - 2.5 HP, 21 Gallon, 120 Volt, 125 PSI
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Well you could always do what I did, I built a barn in my side yard, dug a trench to bury air line in, and installed my compressor remotely :p

In all seriousness, do you have a budget in mind for your compressor? The one you linked to is kinda weak for doing much with paint.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Well you could always do what I did, I built a barn in my side yard, dug a trench to bury air line in, and installed my compressor remotely :p

In all seriousness, do you have a budget in mind for your compressor? The one you linked to is kinda weak for doing much with paint.
Click to expand...


Oh sure no problem :)...yard is big enough for it but not quite in the mood to build a barn in 100 degrees ...not my yard anyway haha.

I'd really like to stay at $250 or less to be honest..and i want something thats semi protable...even if it is a big guy...i want it to have wheels so i can move it around....even if it stays home...i just want to be able to move it around the house. So NOW what are your thoughts...or are you gonna come build a barn for me :dblthumb2:
 
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