General Questions Regarding Rotary Buffing...

[Sonic Pilot]

I certainly understand the attraction and benefits (for most of us) in using a good quality DA. However, it seems that most body shops still turn to the old tried-and-true rotary buffer for polishing.

Does a rotary, in the hands of an experienced professional, provide a better finish? By better I mean a brighter shine, more depth and gloss. Is it (generally) worth it for a "Weekend Detailer" to experiment and learn how to properly use a rotary? Or, have today's polishes and DA machines narrowed that gap to the point where going through the learning curve with a rotary doesn't justify the effort?

Thoughts?

 

[DetailDrivenEugene]

I have been buffing and painting vehicles for almost 20 years. A rotary is a great tool for the right job. Body shops use them because they are quick, and the paint jobs they are working on are mostly repainted surfaces, which generally speaking, are thicker than factory paint. You can get yourself in a heap of trouble real quick with a rotary, if you aren’t careful.

I have buffed lots of factory paint with a rotary over the years, but now that I have multiple da tools, the rotaries pretty much only get used for headlight corrections and rock hard paint.
The da tools finish out better overall. Rotary machines are just faster.