Cyclo Dual Head Polisher or the UDM

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WhtAmerican

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Do you have any idea how good the cyclo dual head ploisher is i was wanting to purchace one or should i just go ahead and get the UDM a would really appreciate any information you care tooo share large detailng projects ahead :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
I find it more easy using 1 head polisher than 2 heads, easyer to handel, and you can adjust the speed on the UDM and that cant be done on the Cyclo..

So i would go for the UDM
(got the PC myself and miss the extra power step the UDM got)
 
Cyclo is quite bulky and has no speed adjustibility thus UDM or PC is likely a better choice but Cyclo's smaller pads and two heads are clearly a plus.
 
Go with the UDM, if possible upgrade to a rotary when you are ready for one......:cheers:
 
I have a Cyclo and to be honest your better off going with the UDM, now I don't own a UDM nor am I thinking of purchasing one but if I had to pick I would pick my Metabo :D lol.

Seriously, I would go with the UDM. I find the Cyclo to have very limited power to do corrections with, I'm not saying it wont correct it will but it's limited and it will take a long time. The UDM "supposedly" has less vibration and good correction ability now that's what I've been reading so don't quote me on that, I'm sure UDM users will chime in and will share there feed back.

Hope this helps....oh and my Cyclo just sits and wait's for me to use it....Metabo Rules BABY!! :righton: :righton:
 
I took delivery of a Cyclo a few weeks back. I've used various RO's in years gone past and find the Cyclo to be vibration free with more than enough power to correct with minimal, if any, risk of doing any damage. I find that it is lightweight and easy to maneuver as well as being very well built. very happy with my purchase.
 
LexusAussie said:
I took delivery of a Cyclo a few weeks back. I've used various RO's in years gone past and find the Cyclo to be vibration free with more than enough power to correct with minimal, if any, risk of doing any damage. I find that it is lightweight and easy to maneuver as well as being very well built. very happy with my purchase.
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:iagree:

Cyclo U.S.A commenced operations in 1953 manufacturing their unique twin head orbital action polisher designed specifically for the aircraft and aerospace industries. In a short space of time the Cyclo polisher (together with the various polishes) established itself as the standard aircraft polishing system throughout the world and is now used by virtually every airline and aircraft manufacturer
In the mid 1970’s the Cyclomachine was discovered by the automotive industry, and was such an instant success in resolving the paint problems of the auto motive industry that it is now the approved machine for all Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and Nissan dealer outlets in the U.S.A.

A US power tool company, Porter-Cable that was established in 1914, started to manufacture an electrically operated random orbital sander (1990s) now one of the most used tools for professional and enthusiast detailers Velcro backed backing plates and foam pads were introduced for use with both high-speed rotary and random orbital buffers


The UDM a Tooltime Tim's give it more power adaption of the PC (Autopia and Meguiar’s) with more than its share of vibration and QA problems (to be fair I haven't tried the Megs version so the vibration / QA comments may or may not apply)
 
I have a PC and a makita - and I've seen the UDM in action first hand. From my experience and from reading tons of posts from users on other Forums - I believe there is a place for all types of machines. IF, price is not a big issue, I would get the Cyclo, it's hard to beat a 54 year proven record and I've never heard any complaints about it, those that have a PC and a Cyclo will tell you there's simply no comparison. That said, I'm going to be getting a Cyclo as soon as I can.
 
Junebug said:
I have a PC and a makita - and I've seen the UDM in action first hand. From my experience and from reading tons of posts from users on other Forums - I believe there is a place for all types of machines. IF, price is not a big issue, I would get the Cyclo, it's hard to beat a 54 year proven record and I've never heard any complaints about it, those that have a PC and a Cyclo will tell you there's simply no comparison. That said, I'm going to be getting a Cyclo as soon as I can.
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Complaints: Slow! No speed control, awkward shape, too bulky..it is kind of gutless IMO. I think Cyclo needs to add more power and bump up the OPM's. It takes ages to do everything with a Cyclo. I really wish I could play with that "top tool", it is a dream come true, 2 heads 1200w motor speed control! only thing is I think it is even bigger than a cyclo.
 
While I've never personally used the Cyclo, I would honestly go with the UDM. It has plenty of power and overall is a very nice machine to detail with. And (now this is simply my opinion) I feel that the UDM or PC is a more natural learning tool if you ever would be interested in stepping up to a rotary.
 
sneek said:
Complaints: Slow! No speed control, awkward shape, too bulky..it is kind of gutless IMO. I think Cyclo needs to add more power and bump up the OPM's. It takes ages to do everything with a Cyclo. I really wish I could play with that "top tool", it is a dream come true, 2 heads 1200w motor speed control! only thing is I think it is even bigger than a cyclo.
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Not sure why you find it slow. IMHO I found that by selecting the right pads for the job, that it had plenty of power and is really easy to use and pretty fast to finish a job. I have used RO's etc and only wish that I had the Cyclo years ago. The selection of the right pad is crucial I feel (that can be said for any tool however). It is lightweight and I had absolutely no problems maneuevering it around. I was actually quite surprised to find how easy it was to use. move around etc. I let the weight of the machine do the work and simply guide it to where it needed to be.
 
It is much slower than a rotary. Power wise, I think it has less power than the PC. IIRC it is 3000 OPMs and I just think that is kind of slow. I think it is just lacking torque or something. IMO it just needs more power and speed control to become the TRUE Ultimate Detailing Machine.

What kind of pads are you using? I tried it with both the regular pads and the EDGE pads.
 
It is slower than a rotary but I found that it had plenty of torque for my needs and didn't bog down at any time. I don't find that speed control is necessary as the dual pads and rotation mean that there isn't much risk of burning the paint and the lack of vibration and/or twisting (that you get with Rotary's) meant that controlling it was really easy. My cars are kept in pretty good condition so maybe if it is being used on vehicles with more oxidation it may be an issue. I just worked through the regular Cyclo pads (Orange & then white). I'm waiting on some different pads (Double Precision's) from AGO as we speak. I was using Pinnacle XMT 360 followed by CG Butter Wet Wax. I think the key is to use the correct pad and let the weight of the machine do the work (I know I used to apply more pressure with a Rotary than was necessary). The only criticism I could make is that I initially found the On/Off switch was easy to bump but I got used to it quickly
 
I've tried using my Cyclo for paint corrections and I (just my experiance though) found that it was very limited. I understand what your saying about a well maintained vehicle and I totally agree with you. But if you take a vehicle that has never been maintained and gone through many car washes (swirl makers :D) that's where I find the Cyclo lacking that extra punch to do the job. I have to agree, if you compare the PC with a Cyclo, I'll take the Cyclo anyday. No vibration, for me that was what ruined my relation ship with my PC...just couldn't stand it. I like the Cyclo for glaze applications or even wax applications, works great. But as far as vehicle correction I'll stick with my Metabo, mind you if I get re-peat customers after I've done a complete polish I can probably get away with my Cyclo....it's just that I favor the Metabo so much that's all I use.

Well just my opinion, just thought I'd share that's all.
 
Slow? No correctional ability? Less power than PC? Are you guys using same Cyclo I am using? With Cyclo I easily and very quickly do what it would take way much longer (if ever) to do with PC while having better safety margin than inexperienced rotary user with foam pads has. Take my PC, take my UDM, even take my Metabo (for $220 plus shipping) but don't you dare even dream of taking my Cyclo away (at least for now while I gain experience with Flex XC 3401 VRG).
 
ZoranC said:
Slow? No correctional ability? Less power than PC? Are you guys using same Cyclo I am using? With Cyclo I easily and very quickly do what it would take way much longer (if ever) to do with PC while having better safety margin than inexperienced rotary user with foam pads has. Take my PC, take my UDM, even take my Metabo (for $220 plus shipping) but don't you dare even dream of taking my Cyclo away (at least for now while I gain experience with Flex XC 3401 VRG).
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You said it all dude
 
I tried to compare apples with apples, if you put a rotary in the mix it is matchless for paint correction / renovation. The Cyclo /PC / UDM were not made (or IMO successfully adapted ) to do that type of work
 
I agree with TOGWT, about comparisons...it's not really fair for me to compare the Cyclo with my Metabo. Totally different machines and totally meant for different applications.

Good point TOGWT.

ZoranC - Not sure how you can do a full paint correction with a Cyclo? (No disrespect meant just wondering that's all) Mind you I haven't used my Cyclo as much as I've used my Metabo so perhaps if I was to practice abit more with my Cyclo I could learn the tricks but I'd be curious to hear what or how you use your Cyclo.
 
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Like it was said, you can't throw a rotary in this topic - it's a different beast and has it's place as the best tool to correct serious paint issues. BUT, of the DA type machines, the one that guys reach for if they have one is the Cyclo. I had a friend tell me he come run one all day and not have numbness and thingling hands. Try that with a PC or UDM. My only issue now that I decided that I'm getting one, is what type of pads to get with it.
 
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