Cyclo or Porter Cable?

Kristopher1129

Kristopher1129

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Hey, I really want to buy an orbital. I usually get everything done with my Makita rotary. I love the Makita. But, when it comes to laying down wax, and sealant...I'd really like an orbital. Plus I do a lot of RVs, and this would come in handy for that as well. I really want to own both a Cyclo, and a Porter...but for now I just wanna start with one until spring and I can get both.

So, which one do you guys like better? I'm really leaning towards the Cyclo right now...but I can be swayed easily, ha.
 
BigAl3 said:
get the griots 6" random orbital....
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Ok...I'm looking for a tad bit more info than that, ha. Why the Griots over the other two??

I just checked out the Griots real quick. I don't like the handle on it, I'm comfortable with the side handle...don't care much for the U shaped bar. I do like that it powers through pressure though. I'm pretty sure the Porter stops dead if you apply pressure.
 
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I got through my first year of detailing using a Cyclo and I'll tell you that is is a machine for professionals in that it is a bulldozer of a machine. I have the Megs G110V2 DA and the Cyclo will correct faster and withstand all the pressure that you can apply to it and not slow in pad rotation.

A lot of folks will say that it can't be better because it only runs at 3000 orbits per minute but remember there are 2 pads covering the same area one after the other. For use on trucks and RVs it will definitely be the more efficient machine because of the fact that you don't have to horse around to keep the pads rotating.

A lot of auto dealership supply stores carry Genuine Cyclo pads so they can be had locally too. The build quality of the cyclo is second to no other polisher. There is essentially no vibration to deal with while using the Cyclo and it is very well balanced and has a very ergonomically designed handle and that equals no numb hands after 8 hours of running it.

I have never read a thread about a Cyclo breaking down or flying apart either but it is not a trendy machine with detailers, it simply works forever with very little maintenance. In the event something does go wrong with a Cyclo, there is a full parts list with any part available. In fact there are 2 separate parts lists. one for the current Cyclos and one for the 50 year old Cyclos that are still in use today.

Of course there are a few negatives about the machine too. IMO the only 2 negatives are that the weight is a little more than a PC style machine and sometimes one of the pads will get a little too far off the side of a panel and begin to free spin at 3000 OPM and sling polish.
 
tuscarora dave said:
I got through my first year of detailing using a Cyclo and I'll tell you that is is a machine for professionals in that it is a bulldozer of a machine. I have the Megs G110V2 DA and the Cyclo will correct faster and withstand all the pressure that you can apply to it and not slow in pad rotation.

A lot of folks will say that it can't be better because it only runs at 3000 orbits per minute but remember there are 2 pads covering the same area one after the other. For use on trucks and RVs it will definitely be the more efficient machine because of the fact that you don't have to horse around to keep the pads rotating.

A lot of auto dealership supply stores carry Genuine Cyclo pads so they can be had locally too. The build quality of the cyclo is second to no other polisher. There is essentially no vibration to deal with while using the Cyclo and it is very well balanced and has a very ergonomically designed handle and that equals no numb hands after 8 hours of running it.

I have never read a thread about a Cyclo breaking down or flying apart either but it is not a trendy machine with detailers, it simply works forever with very little maintenance. In the event something does go wrong with a Cyclo, there is a full parts list with any part available. In fact there are 2 separate parts lists. one for the current Cyclos and one for the 50 year old Cyclos that are still in use today.

Of course there are a few negatives about the machine too. IMO the only 2 negatives are that the weight is a little more than a PC style machine and sometimes one of the pads will get a little too far off the side of a panel and begin to free spin at 3000 OPM and sling polish.
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Awesome, thanks for the info! I am on the same page you are with the Cyclo. It seems as if the Cyclo has a great reputation. It seems as if it's a top quality polisher for sure. I do like how you said all the parts are easily available. That's definitely a plus.

I also love the dual pads. The fact that it may overlap a panel doesn't concern me. I wouldn't be detailing if flying product bothered me, ha. Thanks!
 
Kristopher1129 said:
Awesome, thanks for the info! I am on the same page you are with the Cyclo. It seems as if the Cyclo has a great reputation. It seems as if it's a top quality polisher for sure. I do like how you said all the parts are easily available. That's definitely a plus.

I also love the dual pads. The fact that it may overlap a panel doesn't concern me. I wouldn't be detailing if flying product bothered me, ha. Thanks!
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You're welcome bud. Being made in the USA, the Cyclo is a shining example of what real quality is.
 
I have a Makita rotary, Flex 3401, Cyclo, Megs G110V2 and the Dynabrade attachment for the rotary and if I had to choose two machines only I'd choose the Makita and the flex. I think I would have to choose the Dynabrade attachment over the Cyclo though but that would be very hard to let go of the Cyclo. I'd probably:cry:
 
with a DA like the PCXP, GG6, and G110v2 you are able to switch backing plates and utilize different size pads. with all the new products coming out these days, it's making the DA more useful then ever before and you'll find many top notch detailers (not so much here, but on other sites) not using their rotaries as often or at all anymore (seems like alot of new products are being geared more towards the DA). you can also use the cyclo brush attachments for the DA as well. if i were to buy another DA other than the GG6, i would get the G110v2. here's a little video of it, and it's referred to as the G220v2 outside the states...

[video=youtube_share;6u7lTdMMTCw&feature=fvsr] - Roto Orbital Dual Action Polisher 220V, G220v2 Meguiars[/video]
 
BigAl3 said:
with a DA like the PCXP, GG6, and G110v2 you are able to switch backing plates and utilize different size pads. with all the new products coming out these days, it's making the DA more useful then ever before and you'll find many top notch detailers (not so much here, but on other sites) not using their rotaries as often or at all anymore (seems like alot of new products are being geared more towards the DA). you can also use the cyclo brush attachments for the DA as well. if i were to buy another DA other than the GG6, i would get the G110v2. here's a little video of it, and it's referred to as the G220v2 outside the states...

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u7lTdMMTCw&feature=fvsr] - Roto Orbital Dual Action Polisher 220V, G220v2 Meguiars[/URL]
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Hmmm. That actually looks really cool. I love how if you apply pressure it picks up speed. You can really blast out some scratches with that feature. Very cool, that definitely puts the Porter on the back burner for me. Thanks man!
 
tuscarora dave said:
I have a Makita rotary, Flex 3401, Cyclo, Megs G110V2 and the Dynabrade attachment for the rotary and if I had to choose two machines only I'd choose the Makita and the flex. I think I would have to choose the Dynabrade attachment over the Cyclo though but that would be very hard to let go of the Cyclo. I'd probably:cry:
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Yeah, see...that's why I wanna get the Cyclo regardless. But now...I'm leaning towards that Megs G110V2 I think. It looks pretty sweet. What is it about the flex that you like?
 
My 2 cents: If you already have a Makita rotary and are looking for only putting down sealants/waxes, then a PC is plenty powerful. I would definitely vote for the PC since it is very maneuverable with a compact body, so you can get it into a lot of tight spaces like around mirrors, bumpers, various openings, etc.
 
When weighing this decision last year I opted for the GG. Many here helped me decide. The GG comes in a variety of packages that may benefit you as well. Mine came with a soft & med pad, waxes, MF towels, polish etc. The power of the machine and the area it covers are nice pluses over the PC. If money is an issue, as it was with me, weigh out all the supplies needed first then calculate the cost.
 
arenared said:
My 2 cents: If you already have a Makita rotary and are looking for only putting down sealants/waxes, then a PC is plenty powerful. I would definitely vote for the PC since it is very maneuverable with a compact body, so you can get it into a lot of tight spaces like around mirrors, bumpers, various openings, etc.
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:iagree:

If correction is not in the mix, I'd definitely go with the PCXP.
 
arenared said:
My 2 cents: If you already have a Makita rotary and are looking for only putting down sealants/waxes, then a PC is plenty powerful. I would definitely vote for the PC since it is very maneuverable with a compact body, so you can get it into a lot of tight spaces like around mirrors, bumpers, various openings, etc.
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I may want to use it for more than just waxes and sealants though...I guess it depends on how I feel about it. I'm very comfortable with paint correction using my Makita. I've got it down to a science.

But, I'm really diggin how that Meguiars speeds up when you add pressure. I would assume that means I could do swirl free paint correction, would it not? I'm sure I would still have to use a swirl remover after compound...but I would imagine it would be a piece of cake compared to removing swirls left from a rotary. This is getting deep, ha.
 
here's a video from a member on here, but with the GG6...
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAPN4I2Oo4o]YouTube - How to polish a car[/video]
 
Kristopher1129 said:
What is it about the flex that you like?
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I get into all sorts of detailing situations as I do not turn my back on a dollar earned in any situation. Sometimes I get stuff like this Grumman Olsen truck pictured below which was severely oxidized aluminum. I tested all my machines on this job except for the Cyclo because at the time all I had was foam pads for it. The G110V2 was good for applying the sealant only and was smoking hot only after doing half the truck.

My Makita rotary was running hot after about a 4x4 foot section because to get any good and quick results I had to apply a good bit of pressure. I rely on my Makita too much so I didn't want to risk burning it up.

I had just got my Flex and was at the time willing to sacrifice it in order to do a torture test so I purchased 8, 6.5" PFW pads and leaned my 250 pounds against the Flex for 40 hours about 8 hours at a time. The flex was running so hot that I had to wear gloves but the job had to get done so I pushed on. I actually blistered my leg on the aluminum gear set cover on the Flex as I was changing pads.

This machine passed the test with flying colors. I'm telling you it is a monster that no matter how hard you push down on it you can't even slow it down as it is a double gear reduced machine. It got so hot that the velcro hooks on the backing plate actually melted so I had to do this.http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/flex-polishers/29075-flex-3401-backing-plate-surgery.html To run my Flex today you would never know that it was ever abused like that because it is as smooth and powerful as the day that I had bought it and I've done 50 cars easily since that Grumman Olsen truck job.

Check the difference out between the top half of this truck and the bottom half. I used Poorboy's World Pro Polish and the Flex with PFW.

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