Griots 6 inch polisher

David Hayward

David Hayward

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Does anyone with a griots actually use 6.5 inch pads or is it common practice to use smaller 5 inch options?
 
I have the griots 6, and have used it with the stock backplate, which is 6", and 6.5 pads before. It has the power to spin them, but I much prefer using a LC 5" backplate and low profile 5.5 pads for foam. The machine just seems to run better and is easier to use with the 5.5's but it's a matter of degree and hard to quantify. Others may prefer 6.5.
The GG is much more tolerant of larger pads than the PC. Forget 6.5 with a PC.
 
I use 6.5" pads for wax and sealants just to cover more surface area.
 
I've begun switching over. Just trying to use out my remaining 6.5 inch pads. 5.5 inch pads I like better. I will probably wax/seal with 6.5 inch pads for quite a while because they don't take the abuse the cutting and polishing pads do.
 
IMO it barely has enough power to correct with 5.5" pads. Put 10lbs of pressure on it and it stops.
 
KneeDragr said:
IMO it barely has enough power to correct with 5.5" pads. Put 10lbs of pressure on it and it stops.
Click to expand...

Not true I've never a had problem doing any kind of paint correction with it. I don't under stand why people say this all the time and you have to put a lot more pressure than 10lbs of pressure at speed 5-6 to get it to stop!
 
KneeDragr said:
IMO it barely has enough power to correct with 5.5" pads. Put 10lbs of pressure on it and it stops.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the PC??? I find it almost impossible to stop the rotation of my GG DA with 5" BP and 5.5" pads on speed 5.
 
You can get even pretty heavy correction with an original PC - not even an XP. And, you don't have to be a pro to do it. You just have to be patient and take your time - watch Mike's videos and read his articles.

A lot of time when someone is having "pad spinning" issues with any free spindle machine it's a technique issue. Sure, the pad will stop sometimes - but if you can't get correction and say you need another machine - 99% of the time that is just not the case.

You can use any size pad up to 6.5" with the GG6. The only reason to use smaller pads (and it's a good reason), is those pads are just too big for a lot of panels. It's not a pad spinning issue.
 
I've had no issues spinning the 6.5 pads just wondered if I was short changing myself on quality vs time using a bigger 6.5 pad.
 
I have the DAS 6 pro ( which is the GG in this part of the world) and have had no issues with 6.5 inch pads. I use the 5.5 inch pads on curvier cars/panels and the 6.5 ones on the flatter ones.


Sent from my Nexus 5 using AG Online
 
I use 5.5 pads for everything but finishing waxes. Just find it easier with 6.5 as it spreads the product more evenly I feel and in a larger surface area.
 
I've been saying this for years... thin is in...


When it comes to dual action polishers like the Porter Cable,

Thin pads rotate better than thick pads.

Smaller pads rotate better than larger pads.

DRY pads rotate better than wet pads.

Holding the pad flat to the surface is also vital for good pad rotation.
​

The longest portion of any full detail project is the correction step. This is the step where you're going to run the buffer SLOWLY over the paint, buffing ONLY SMALL SECTIONS at a time.

For the average size car this will take about 4-6 hours for someone that knows what they are doing and longer for someone learning this craft.


Having enough pads to switch over to a clean, dry pad after buffing out a single panel will make the job not only take less time but the abrading or correcting of the paint will be more effective because as pads become wet with product their aggressiveness diminishes.

The Griot's definitely has the power to spin the larger, thicker pads as long as they are dry but all dual action polishers modeled after the Porter Cable will work better with thinner, smaller diameter pads.


Wrote this a few years ago.... one of the most common articles I share....

5 inch Backing Plates on Meguiar's, Griot's and Porter Cable DA Polishers



:)
 
I don't have too much experience, but I have used the 6.5" pads without any problems keeping them spinning. I have switched to the 5.5" Meg's DA system and it does work much quicker.
 
When I first bought everything and not being totally up to date on things, I got 6.5" pads for my unit. I will say, my 290lb body leaning on this thing barely made it stop. I have since switched my 6.5" pads to 5.5 on the GG, my 6.5" pads went to the flex.
 
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