Breaking Cyclo back out

tuscarora dave

tuscarora dave

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Over the past few years since I started detailing I have bought 5 different polishers.
My first one was the Cyclo, then the Makita rotary, next was a first generation GG 3 inch, next was G11V2 and finally a Flex 3401.

Over the past few days I was goofing around with the G110V2 and my new bottle of Mothers Machine Glaze, trying different size pads and backing plates in an attempt to keep the backing plate spinning. I would screw around getting the right speed setting, pressure and amount of product on the pad to get the thing to barely spin. I finally put it away so I could get out a polisher that I could just run and be done. The flex was the choice of the day.

I was sitting here reading over the evening's posts and got to thinking back when all I had was the Cyclo and how easy things were. The Cyclo polisher is a lot like the Ronco Rotisserie oven in that you just set it and forget it. Just add polish, put the machine on the paint, turn it on and polish away. No balancing pressure, pad size, speed setting, product amount etc. etc. No fighting the machine or need to keep it at any certain angle to achieve a smooth operation.

I am a person with tremendous tolerance and patience but I can't seem to tolerate operating a PC style machine for anything other than spreading a wax or a sealant. I see the results that others get with a PC style polisher and I wonder how they do it without getting frustrated. I just can't have any fun running one. I think I will order up a dozen or so Genuine Cyclo pads and put the old set it & forget it machine back into the mix of things.
 
Back when I first stared to look into getting a buffer I was really set into getting a cyclo, then, after some reading here I ended up getting the 3401 and PCXP and I like them a lot! Yes, the 3401 take a littler to keep in control, but so far I have been very happy with it, and the PCXP I just use for waxes and sealers...

But I still want the cyclo, that thing seems cool, eventually I will end up getting one, maybe the new one with the speed control.
 
I love my Flex 3401 but kind of miss running my Cyclo. For better than a year now I have had carpet scrubbing brushes on my Cyclo and it really makes short work of carpet shampooing.
 
tuscarora dave said:
...I love my Flex 3401 but kind of miss running my Cyclo...

...I see the results that others get with a PC style polisher and I wonder how they do it without getting frustrated. I just can't have any fun running one...
Click to expand...

I always say, who cares how great a machine is if you don't enjoy using it? If you enjoy the Cyclo, then use it!

That being said... leave a little bit of dough in your pad budget for the Meguiar's D/A Microfiber Discs. They will be available soon, and I think you're the type of guy that is going to think they are sent from the heavens. They are thin, so machine motion transfers through them with ease. The material is the most non-marring of any pad ever made, and they are available in sizes to fit your Cyclo as well as your other machines.

The D/A Microfiber Discs will change the way most guys polish paint. Believe it.
 
The big frustration with the DA polishers...has always been with the pads (not the machine). Just about every PC kit shipped these days come with the larger 6.5" pads...which frankly are best suited for applying waxes or sealants because they aren't fun when it comes to serious paint correction on a DA polisher.

The advent of 5.5" flat pads improved the DA polisher's status tremendously, and if what I'm reading about the new Meg's pads are true...the DA polisher may once again become not only a safe and formidable polisher....but it may bring back the FUN factor again.
 
Kevin Brown said:
I always say, who cares how great a machine is if you don't enjoy using it? If you enjoy the Cyclo, then use it!

That being said... leave a little bit of dough in your pad budget for the Meguiar's D/A Microfiber Discs. They will be available soon, and I think you're the type of guy that is going to think they are sent from the heavens. They are thin, so machine motion transfers through them with ease. The material is the most non-marring of any pad ever made, and they are available in sizes to fit your Cyclo as well as your other machines.

The D/A Microfiber Discs will change the way most guys polish paint. Believe it.
Click to expand...

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I'll second that Kevin, they really work well for both correction and polishing.

Plus you'll be able to get one for the Flex 3401 too...



:xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...

Guys, will these be like Surbufs or something completely different.
 
i like you have a number of polishers. ronco rotissiere for sure. the cyclo is still the smoothest. i use it on big big vehicles still. never fails me. just polished out a long bed truck bed with the flex light weight and it was a revelation. smaller pads and saved probably 1-2 hours on the job. panels seemed almost jeweled after only the polish. the new meg. pads sound like another feather in our quiver.
 
I recently had the chance to try out a Cyclo, Detailjon let me do a test section with one at his shop. I have to say, even with it's long proven history, I was surprised with how well the machine performed. Going in to the test section I was doubtful that the "freely spinning" heads would keep rotating under pressure and wouldn't just end up "jiggling" against the paint... Nope, the Cyclo is a beast, a smooooth beast. A pleasure to use and I'll definitely buy one sooner or later. :props:

I'm looking forward to the Meg's DA MF Discs...
 
A4 1.8tqm said:
I recently had the chance to try out a Cyclo, Detailjon let me do a test section with one at his shop. I have to say, even with it's long proven history, I was surprised with how well the machine performed. Going in to the test section I was doubtful that the "freely spinning" heads would keep rotating under pressure and wouldn't just end up "jiggling" against the paint... Nope, the Cyclo is a beast, a smooooth beast. A pleasure to use and I'll definitely buy one sooner or later. :props:

I'm looking forward to the Meg's DA MF Discs...
Click to expand...
It is surprising how hard you have to push to slow down the rotation. I'm not sure if keeping the pads level that you can actually stop the rotation. I think you actually have to angle the pads rather hard to stop the rotation of the pads. Thanks to Dana and K.B. I just realized that working slower (machine speed wise) is better with M-105/205 and I have never actually used my Cyclo with these products. Now that 105/205 is all that I am buying I want to try the Cyclo with them.

When I was a total noob I actually cut right into the primer on a Olds Alero fender with my cyclo using orange pads and 3M rubbing compound from WalMart. As I recall, it didn't take long either.
 
I just got a package in the mail with 2 orange Cyclo Pads, 2 green Cyclo Pads and a sample bottle of Optimum Poli-Seal!! BigAl3 was nice enough to send me a goody bag, Thanks BigAl3!! Gonna break the Cyclo Back out for sure now. Now i need a darker colored car to polish.
 
Yo Dave. If you decide to ditch your Flex please give me the 1st shot :buffing:
 
I wanted a polisher for a long time. I guess I hesitated thinking that I might not know enouhg about it. I bought my Cyclo a few months ago. I was hed my Toyota, clayed it, and tried some pin XMT. The results were very good. I finished up with some Granitize and Best In show. Sorry I waited so long. I have 2 other daily drivers and 2 show cars. I cannot wait for spring.
 
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