Recently purchased the Griot 6" random orbital buffer. I would like to get some 61/2" buffer pads.Do they really improve the shine as opposed to lots of work with a micro towel? I put a micro towel over a pad & used it to buff out wax.It didn't seem to do much.Or are there other options ?Feed back please
Foam buffing pads are used mainly for polishing, and also for applying wax. They can be used mainly on a buffer or can be used by hand with a velcro backed handle. The purpose of the buffer is to work faster and to polish more evenly for a more uniform shine, or to apply wax more thinly and evenly to go faster and to make excess wax easier to remove.
When you use a buffer, you must always use a pad, whether a foam pad or a wool pad, even when you want to use a microfiber towel type bonnet on it. When you polish, you apply the polish directly to the foam pad without a bonnet. Bonnets are only for removing products from the car's surface, namely wax.
I think what you are asking is whether a foam pad will do a better job at applying wax than using a microfiber towel. The answer is yes. The foam pad helps to apply the wax smoothly and evenly, while using the least amount of product. Microfiber towels tend to absorb quite a bit of wax that gets trapped in the towel, thus wasting it, while foam pads absorb a lot less. When it comes to hand polishing, using a microfiber towel or polishing pad tends to work very well, but is only one coarseness, whereas there are many coarseness-es of foam pads in order to give you just the amount of cut or polishing aggressiveness you need. You could use a microfiber bonnet over a foam pad on a buffer to polish with, but it will cut rather quickly, and you will definitely not get as fine a finish or as brilliant a shine as if you used an ultra fine foam pad to polish with instead.
Yes using a buffer will get you a better shine by polishing more uniformly than by hand.
Yes you need foam buffing pads in order to do this.
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