Confused as to whether or not the Harbor Freight DA Polisher is worth it..

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AliMusa

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I see a lot of people recommending it but it seems like it's too good to be true at such a low price. What's the deal with these and how do they compare to the PorterCable and the Makita?
 
Here are two threads regarding the HF DA---
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ers/55905-harbor-freight-da-polisher-new.html

http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/142910-harbor-freight-6-da.html

By most reports the HF has more torque than the PC but less than the Griots. With the current 25% off coupon you can get it for about $45. If you like you can add a 2 year replacement warranty for $10.

There are a number of pros who have been using it as their primary polisher and I haven't seen any posts of major failures.

The backing plate seems to be of low quality and most have replaced it with a quality 5" BP.

That being said the Griots DA is by far the best DA for the money IMO--it has more power than all the other standard DAs (not things like the Flex) and has a lifetime warranty with great customer service so it could be the last DA you'll ever buy unless you want to upgrade to something like a Flex or Rupes. However, the initial investment is more so for someone new to machine polishing on a strick budget the HF unit makes allot of sense.
 
Do you know if the Griot's is sold locally? And how does the GG compare to the PC? I'm leaning more towards the PC because it's sold locally but I've never seen a Griot's anywhere.
 
Advance Auto sells the Griots, but I don't know if they stock it in the stores. The Griots is available here and many other places--many with free shipping.

There are plenty of detailers using the PC and are happy with it's performance, but the GG DA makes the job easier IMO--the extra torque makes it much more difficult to stop rotation on non flat panels--in general with a 5" pad it's difficult to stop rotation at all at higher speeds.

The Lifetime Warranty with the GG DA is a major advantage--especially for the weekend detailer who might only use it 10-12 times a year. 3 years down the road if you have a problem just contact Griots and they will either repair or replace the unit.
 
I have the HD car care version and it is a boss. Much more power than my PC. Been working it hard for a few months with no issues.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online
 
I got a GG6 cause of the power and warranty. The HF DA looked good and promising but you can find the GG6 online for less then a 100 dollars so for me I didn't mind paying a little more up front to save more in the end.
 
I have a Harbor Freight DA polisher and I can attest that its better than the PC 7424 since I use it more often. The PC is now my backup equipment.
 
I find alot of their tools to be lower quality versus counterparts. I am not sure who actually makes their polisher for them. I would look over many reviews before choosing personally ....
 
Just bought a HF DA polisher and used it to polish out my Miata. Works great! Got a great deal on it too. Used the 20% off coupon so it was $48+ tax. I'm just a hobbyist though probably end up doing friends and families cars...I will know how it works better in a year, but for for my level of use and the price point I'm super happy!
 
Done a few cars with mine. Love it!? 2 year warranty means you cant loose!
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
I find alot of their tools to be lower quality versus counterparts. I am not sure who actually makes their polisher for them. I would look over many reviews before choosing personally ....
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Well lemme see, it costs under $50 usd. IMHO its a no brainer, just dont use it for a busy detailing shop. Though, mine has seen over 280 hours in the last two months and no hiccups yet..
 
I just purchased a 3rd Gen Griots 6" DA from Advance Auto Parts for $95 and free shipping. When you go to their website a box will popup asking if you want to chat with a live person. I said yes, and told the person I was interested in making a purchase and if there were any deals going on. I was given a coupon code that was good for 24 hours for 32% off! Couldn't believe it. I stocked up on Griot's towels and a new DA.
 
thebamboo23 said:
For the price..why not: :)
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I know right?

Here's why it sucks: the little screw thing that holds the head cover on is annoying and gets in the way of how I would like to grip it. The power switch is garbage; as is the power cord (it's too short and low quality.)

Here's why it's awesome: It has more power than my PCXP. Um... $50 for a decent DA polisher? I'll take two please. I would never rely on it as my only machine when out on a job though.

I bought it as a spare and for when I have a helper to make jobs faster.
 
Thanks all for the great replies. I'm not working in a shop or anything of the sort, I would just be using it for my own car and maybe another car or two. The most it would get used if I only use it on my car is probably 2-3 times a year. I'm definitely strongly considering the HF but I'm also strongly debating if I want to get the GG instead since the lifetime warranty is available. In the long run the GG makes the most sense but at the moment, money is a bit tight and the HF is more than half the price of the GG.
 
Ali-forgot to mention that I went and bought the Lake Country 5" backing plate on here since others had mentioned the HF 6" backing plate wasn't the best. This was fine anyway because I wanted to run 5.5" pads.

As they said my HF backing plate was a bit wobbly on rotation, the Lake Country is far better and ran my 5.5" LC Flat pads I bought here very well! Hope that helps.
 
AliMusa said:
Thanks all for the great replies. I'm not working in a shop or anything of the sort, I would just be using it for my own car and maybe another car or two. The most it would get used if I only use it on my car is probably 2-3 times a year. I'm definitely strongly considering the HF but I'm also strongly debating if I want to get the GG instead since the lifetime warranty is available. In the long run the GG makes the most sense but at the moment, money is a bit tight and the HF is more than half the price of the GG.
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I agree that GG makes the best sense since that it comes with the lifetime warranty.

But think about it this way, with GG, I believe you will have to ship it away to have it repaired. Shipping with postage... what a hassle. With HF DA and if you have the warranty, if it breaks, just run down to HF store and pick up another one.
 
c8n said:
I agree that GG makes the best sense since that it comes with the lifetime warranty.

But think about it this way, with GG, I believe you will have to ship it away to have it repaired. Shipping with postage... what a hassle. With HF DA and if you have the warranty, if it breaks, just run down to HF store and pick up another one.
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:iagree:
 
c8n said:
I agree that GG makes the best sense since that it comes with the lifetime warranty.

But think about it this way, with GG, I believe you will have to ship it away to have it repaired. Shipping with postage... what a hassle. With HF DA and if you have the warranty, if it breaks, just run down to HF store and pick up another one.
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As much sense as this does make, isn't the return policy for a HF only 90 days and 2 years if you get the two year plan? What happens after that? Also, what's the power/torque difference between the HF and the GG?
 
AliMusa said:
As much sense as this does make, isn't the return policy for a HF only 90 days and 2 years if you get the two year plan? What happens after that? Also, what's the power/torque difference between the HF and the GG?
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I cant comment on the torque difference. But for a weekend warrior like myself... where I am tackling light scratches and swirls, it does the job fine.

The HF DA is about $60 with the warranty (with 20% discount coupon).... and if you get 2 good years out of it, I think it's money well spent. But who is to say it will only last 2 years? Jury is still out on this and if mine breaks, AG will be the first to know about it.

If you can get the GG... by all means. But some of us are buying stuff discreetly without our wives/gf's knowing about it. I actually bought mine by saving lunch money here and there :)

My wife would shoot me if she opens up the cabinet in the garage. My next purchase is a lock for the cabinet just in case the wife gets curious and wonders into the garage.
 
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