Dewalt DWP849X Initial Thoughts

[Flannigan]

So today was a very happy day....I got my new Dewalt DWP849X!!! First I want to thank Nick@ Autogeek for taking such good care of me when I placed this order! Total class act!!

I'm not going to have a chance to really put it through the paces until next weekend, but I figured I would post some pics and my initial thoughts. I will say up front, I am happy with my purchase, and think the buffer is built very well.

So, onto the pics.

First, everything that came in the box, minus the instuctions. IMO you get quite a bit for the price of the buffer, and it's not like they threw in some junky parts just to fill up the box. Everything that comes with it is quality.

The "head" of the buffer is rubber coated to you won't cause any major damage if you buff while drunk and ram it into the side of a car. I would assume it also helps with the heat that usually builds up in this part of a buffer if you choose to use the buffer without any handles.

The rubber goes all the way around the back side. Here you can see the spindle lock. It's very large and well placed so it is very easy to change backing plates.

close up of the spindle. Not much to say here, it's very similar to most other heavy duty buffers I have used in the past.

RPM control on the back. This is a HUGE selling point for me. I know it sounds dumb, but I HATE the RPM adjusters on the flex. I think its awkward to adjust the speed while polishing on those machines. That could be be me being weird, but I love where Dewalt placed theirs. Also it adjusts from 600 RPM to 3500RPM

to

I'm sure everyone has seen/heard, but here is just one more picture of the guards on the intake. This will really prevent stray wool ,and any other larger particles from getting sucked into the machine. Its very simple, and almost seems obvious, but I think it's a great addition to the machine. Just one more thing in the plus column.

Now onto what else is in the box.

First the backing plate. This feels like a quality backing plate. It has heavy duty metal threads, and threads on and off the machine very easily. It's also very flexible which will greatly aid in polishing cars with curves.

Also it comes with two handles. A normal side handle, and a quite large bail handle. I haven't used the buffer yet, but in my hands so far I prefer the side handle, or no handle at all. The bail handle may have it's place, but I will have to test it first.

both handles are very solid, and don't flex at all. They thread in and out very easily, and they stay put even when you are manipulating the buffer.

And finally money shots all together. The buffing pad feels very nice, but obviously since I haven't used it, I can't really comment on the true working quality. Also the glove, are actually really nice. They fit my chubby hands well, and are super grippy so there is no chance of dropping the buffer.

One more thought to add. This isn't a "lightweight" buffer like the new flex or festool. Yes it is lighter than my Big bulky Dynabrade, but it is still a large machine with some weight to it. Its not going to tire anyone out I don't think, but I just wanted to add that since I was a little surprised at it's size and weight when I pulled it out of the box. This isn't a "con" just something else I noticed.


Well I'm sure this isn't anything you haven't seen/heard, but I don't really care . Hope you enjoyed, and I will update this when I get to actually try it out next weekend.

THANKS FOR LOOKING!

 

[Dubbin1]

Thanks for your thoughts Dave, it looks like a really solid piece of equipment.

 

[Jhaight11]

i absolutely love mine. To be quite frank im glad i didnt shell out the extra money for the flex.

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I didn't know this was you, Dave! :laughing:

Nice piece of equipment!!

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

I just love how comfortable that thing looks like it would be to use. One of these will probably make its way into my collection soon.

 

[Dubbin1]

I didn't know this was you, Dave! :laughing:

Nice piece of equipment!!

This is not the Dave you are looking for

 

[Flannigan]

Thanks for your thoughts Dave, it looks like a really solid piece of equipment.

No problem, it is solid for sure! :dblthumb2:

i absolutely love mine. To be quite frank im glad i didnt shell out the extra money for the flex.

I'm sure I will love this too. I am a flex fan, but at this point in time I don't NEED one, so I will put off that purchase for a while.

I didn't know this was you, Dave! :laughing:

Nice piece of equipment!!

HI MARK! I see you are trying to look like me in your new avatar

Im the MANI knew you loved my equipment!

I just love how comfortable that thing looks like it would be to use. One of these will probably make its way into my collection soon.

It feels great in my hands, I can't imagine that it will be uncomfortable to use.

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

HI MARK! I see you are trying to look like me in your new avatar

You must be one good lookin' dude!

 

[Flannigan]

So I was bored tonight and found a flip cam in my office. After I finished filming a private movie for Deewow, I decided to make some stupid videos of the new Dewalt. Prepare to be amazed at this stellar movie making...watch out Michael Bay....

I can assure you these are all videos, they just won't let me embed videos from Photobucket.

This first little video demonstrates the pad centering tool that came with the buffer. It allows you to make sure your wool pad is perfectly centered on the backing plate every time. Great tool to take the guess work out of putting your pad on. If you are wondering what I'm doing at the end, I am just trying to show that there is equal space around the entire pad.

You know you love my choice in music, it just fits the scene so well. I'll give you a cookie if you can tell me the Band and Song.


Now this wonderful short film stars the flexible backing plate that comes with the unit. I know it's out of focus at first, but you can still see the heavy duty metal threads in the backing plate. You can also see how much this backing plate flexes which allows you more control of where the pad is on the paint. Also notice my sexy glove...



Ok now some action finally. My tool bench is all nasty because I just took the wheels off my bike to replace the tires. So enjoy my motorcycle seat as the backdrop for this scene.

This is showing the operation of the buffer at its lowest RPMs, 600. You can hear the soft start feature, as well as the fully adjustable trigger. Depending on how hard you press it you can control the RPMs pretty consistently though the entire trigger pull. It also demonstrates the locking trigger, which is a must have feature if you are buffing for more than 30 seconds.




Here is a very similar video, but at a higher RPM of 1800. I know the sound doesn't come through great, but you can still tell how quiet the machine is. It's not as quiet as the new flex or festool, but for a full size machine it might as well be silent.



And here is a video that really isn't needed unless you have some sort of brain damage....but I do so here it is. This illustrates how to remove the awesome intake covers so you can clean them if needed. I can't see you needing to do this often, but a clean machine is a happy machine.



And finally, for the closing act we have a cinematic masterpiece. This is where the real boredom set in....This is just kinda giving a video overview of the entire machine. Notice the heavy duty cord. I've never had a polisher with this thick of a power cord.



If only one person enjoys these other than me then it was worth it....if no one enjoys them you can find me in the front seat of my car, inside my closed garage...rops:

 

[CEE DOG]

Dave, very cool and entertaining introduction! I enjoyed it, Thank you. Cool self centering tool as well. Jim and I were talking last night about this machine. He was telling me how it has both types of handles. I think the glove is a cool addition.

Over 250 posts and only 8 replys? Whats up guys? I notice this a lot lately with quality introductions and articles that people don't have the time to reply to.

 

[Nick McKees37]

Glad you like the DeWalt, I had a feeling you would. rops:

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you try it out. :buffing:

 

[Flannigan]

Dave, very cool and entertaining introduction! I enjoyed it, Thank you. Cool self centering tool as well. Jim and I were talking last night about this machine. He was telling me how it has both types of handles. I think the glove is a cool addition.

Over 250 posts and only 8 replys? Whats up guys? I notice this a lot lately with quality introductions and articles that people don't have the time to reply to.

Thanks Corey, I agree the self centering is a nice feature, as well as basically three ways to grip the machine (side handle, bail handle, and no handle). Now I know how you feel when you spend hours doing reviews and 10 people respond....Feed back please

Glad you like the DeWalt, I had a feeling you would. rops:

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you try it out. :buffing:

Thanks again for taking care of my order Nick! I'm sure I will love it when I use it. Had a customer cancel for this weekend, so I might be able to play around with it a little sooner than I expected! :buffing:

 

[LegacyGT]

Dave, thanks for the review and video of the centering. That flexible backing plate looks very nice, and overall it looks solid enough to drive a truck over.

The filter is a good idea, I wonder if we will start seeing that on other tools soon.

 

[Garry Dean]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Thanks for the videos, Dave! rops: I'm very curious to know what you think of the wool pad that comes with it.

 

[Flannigan]

Dave, thanks for the review and video of the centering. That flexible backing plate looks very nice, and overall it looks solid enough to drive a truck over.

The filter is a good idea, I wonder if we will start seeing that on other tools soon.

Thanks Bill, if AG will send me one for durability testing I would be sure to see how it does with a truck on it

Thanks for sharing!

No problem! :dblthumb2:

Thanks for the videos, Dave! rops: I'm very curious to know what you think of the wool pad that comes with it.

No problem Mark, thanks for looking. I will be giving it a try this weekend. It feels similar to the big 8in Meg's wool pad I have, except slightly softer.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Nice review Dave....

Do you normally use the stick handle or the D or Hoop handle? OR no handle at all?

I buffed out the 1949 Sedan Delivery without either handle to see if the head of the buffer became hot and if it did it wasn't noticeable enough to be an issue and the rubber cap not only acts as insulation but also provides excellent gripping ability.

For a full size I've always like my Makita but I think this new rotary buffer from DeWALT has raised the bar in the full size category.


:xyxthumbs:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I think the glove is a cool addition.

I like how grippy the gloves are but I didn't wear them when I was buffing. I think it's because I don't like wearing rubber gloves like these when I'm also wiping compounds and polishes off just-polished-paint.

Now if a person was grinding on steel or some other kind of industrial work then heck of a nice addition to add with the buffer to protect your hands.

 

[Flannigan]

Nice review Dave....

Do you normally use the stick handle or the D or Hoop handle? OR no handle at all?

I buffed out the 1949 Sedan Delivery without either handle to see if the head of the buffer became hot and if it did it wasn't noticeable enough to be an issue and the rubber cap not only acts as insulation but also provides excellent gripping ability.

For a full size I've always like my Makita but I think this new rotary buffer from DeWALT has raised the bar in the full size category.

:xyxthumbs:

Thank Mike! I usually like either the side handle or no handle at all. With my Dynabrade I use the side handle, but it doesn't have a nice place to put your hand without the handle.

I LOVE my Dynabrade for heavy compounding with big pads, but I have a feeling this new Dewalt will become my go to all purpose buffer! :dblthumb2:

I like how grippy the gloves are but I didn't wear them when I was buffing. I think it's because I don't like wearing rubber gloves like these when I'm also wiping compounds and polishes off just-polished-paint.

Now if a person was grinding on steel or some other kind of industrial work then heck of a nice addition to add with the buffer to protect your hands.

The gloves are very nice, but I don't like wearing gloves to buff either. My hands get too sweaty...lol

 

[Dr Oldz]

This really looks Like a well built machine. Thanks for posting. Now I just gotta buy one.