Harbor Freight DA 6" Polisher

Just a FYI - my favorite DA in the price range is the Griots 6" with the lifetime warranty.
 
I started with the HF not long after finding these forums because I didn't have the money at the time to get better and really needed something to keep me busy (girlfriend took off).
I did the various upgrades(longer cord swap, smaller backing plate) and it has done a great job but I am just doing my car and friends and family, not using it consistently.
It is a good machine but just as the others have said you can do better for not that much more. The GG would have probably been a better by in the long run, as others have said that warranty is really handy.
I'm just about to step up to the Flex but I'll hang onto the HF for either smaller jobs or working on carpets.
 
If you havent already purchased HDSpeed, might also want to consider Mckee's 37 360 AIO. It is the easiest AIO to use as it literally disappears as you work it.
 
Jaretr1 said:
I highly agree. There is a difference between the PC and Harbor Freight tool. For one, the HF tool is at least a pound heavier than the PC, which may not seem like much, but when using a tool with a lot of vibration that is almost 15-20% heavier, it adds up. Its LOUD! Its also not smooth, lots of vibration. The PC is a far superior tool. Even if you use it just a few times, its worth spending the extra money.
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I have both the PC & HF and cannot tell the difference in them as far a vibration or sound goes.
But I did swap out the factory grease on the HF and did not on the PC.
The HF does not bog down as easy as the PC does on curved panels.
 
yamaharider529 said:
Hey guys I'm looking at getting this polisher just to do my vehicles with and see most people are saying to get a 5" backing plate. My question is will any 5" hook and loop work? Also I seen some people saying to get a counterweight for the 5" plate instead of using the one it comes with. Just wondering if any brand both of these will work. Thanks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
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Go over to the sister site ACC. They have the open box specials and GREAT prices:
Open Box Polisher April Batch #1
 
After working with a rotary for 10 years i bought my DA from HF and i will never buy one again. Didnt last long, didnt correct well and it vibrated like no tomorrow. Spend the extra 50 and get a porter.
 
I bought a used hf this weekend for 20$. It worked great for wax application.I've only used a da once before this was my second time. For wax application it was AMAZING, cut my time down significantly compared to waxibg by hand.

Like others have mentioned, replace with 5in BP, add grease to gears,(very easy YouTube diy), rotate body so that on off switch is facing up and not to the left.

The previous owner added grease and it ran strong when I cranked it hopefully it lasts. If you're looking to buy a new one I'd say go for it , get the warranty for peace of mind, if it lasts you a year it'll probably run for a good while. There are three different variations of the HF 6in polisher the newest one is 62862.This version seems to address the previous BP problems it had but get an aftermarket 5in BP anyway(id go with Meguiars)
 
Hey guys this might be a little off topic. But I have a quick question. So I had my polisher for a bit. And I decided to do the grease Change with the red Lube. Now it seems like after I did it. My polisher was acting a bit funky. I don't know if it's that I didn't add enough grease or if I added too much or didn't close it back tight enough. But I'm getting some serious vibrations and the motor doesn't run smooth like it did. Like the speeds don't stay steady. It will kind of lag a little and get back up to speed. Lag n speed up. I don't know what's up. Like it's off balance or something or maybe greased out. What could cause an issue like that
 
I'm having an issue removing the counterweight from the newer version. I wanted to replace the grease and have seen multiple videos on YouTube but those videos are on the older version. Please help.
 
The problem is most likely caused by corner cutting, cheap materials, no quality assurance, and half assed reverse engineering. Seriously, you can't expect this thing to perform. Get a real DA polisher. If customers have needed to crack it open and add grease for years just to get the thing to function reasonably well and the company doesn't even pay enough attention to have the factory add more grease (I can attest first hand that they are aware of the problem and simply do not even want to put the resource of a phone call/email towards fixing it), just think of all the other things that are crappy and they don't care about.

Biatchzxz said:
Hey guys this might be a little off topic. But I have a quick question. So I had my polisher for a bit. And I decided to do the grease Change with the red Lube. Now it seems like after I did it. My polisher was acting a bit funky. I don't know if it's that I didn't add enough grease or if I added too much or didn't close it back tight enough. But I'm getting some serious vibrations and the motor doesn't run smooth like it did. Like the speeds don't stay steady. It will kind of lag a little and get back up to speed. Lag n speed up. I don't know what's up. Like it's off balance or something or maybe greased out. What could cause an issue like that
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I don't have a Harbor Freight polisher, and most likely never will, as living in Canada pretty much makes the commute to the nearest Harbor Freight store a non-event.

I will point out, however, that there are production polishing professionals (see Gary Dean) who use the HF polisher day in and day out. His last one went for 2 years. There are also people who have done Youtube videos comparing the HF with the Porter Cable (see 9thgenaccord), and found that the HF has more power than the PC, but it vibrates a little more. Over and above that, there is a guy (I don't recall his name) who actually took one apart and examined every part in detail, and was pretty surprised that the parts quality was extremely good for the price, and good regardless of price.

I have never used a HF polisher, and due to my location, most likely never will. I do own a PC and a Flex 3401, so I don't have a dog in this fight. It does appear from the many, many videos on Youtube regarding the HF polisher that it is a usable tool that can correct paint, and lasts a reasonable amount of time. Gary Dean did replace his after two years, true, but he probably does more details in a week than most home detailers do in a year, and he did NOT re-grease his HF polisher. He has also made the point that you may want to get the extended warranty, which will get you a replacement polisher should yours fail.
 
kkritsilas said:
I don't have a Harbor Freight polisher, and most likely never will, as living in Canada pretty much makes the commute to the nearest Harbor Freight store a non-event.

I will point out, however, that there are production polishing professionals (see Gary Dean) who use the HF polisher day in and day out. His last one went for 2 years. There are also people who have done Youtube videos comparing the HF with the Porter Cable (see 9thgenaccord), and found that the HF has more power than the PC, but it vibrates a little more. Over and above that, there is a guy (I don't recall his name) who actually took one apart and examined every part in detail, and was pretty surprised that the parts quality was extremely good for the price, and good regardless of price.

I have never used a HF polisher, and due to my location, most likely never will. I do own a PC and a Flex 3401, so I don't have a dog in this fight. It does appear from the many, many videos on Youtube regarding the HF polisher that it is a usable tool that can correct paint, and lasts a reasonable amount of time. Gary Dean did replace his after two years, true, but he probably does more details in a week than most home detailers do in a year, and he did NOT re-grease his HF polisher. He has also made the point that you may want to get the extended warranty, which will get you a replacement polisher should yours fail.
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The one Garry replaced fell off an R.V.
 
Is the Harbor Freight compatible with the standard 3" back plates? Thinking about getting one to be a dedicated 3" DA.
 
Balthezor said:
Is the Harbor Freight compatible with the standard 3" back plates? Thinking about getting one to be a dedicated 3" DA.
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Re: Harbor Freight DA 6" Polisher

kevincwelch said:
I hear you. Your approach is a reasonable one, but the PC and GG6 are so much better in quality, and you'll get a lifetime warranty with the GG6. Both the PC and GG will do everything a hobbyist needs and more. You won't be wasting your money, because as custmsprty stated, it's not just the DA polisher you'll be getting: pads, cleaners, polishes. In the end, the percentage of money you save by going with the HF will dwindle when compared to the PC or GG.

BUT, if you want to avoid what happened to me (innocently bought a GG6...then a Rupes 15...then a Flex....then a Rupes Mini), then stick with the HF!!!! :)
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By the time you add a backing plate, counter wight, etc, and getting a 30 day warranty, you can get the Griots garage 8mm 6" polisher for a little bit more.. I've had one since 2008, and it's still running strong. And, under warranty! Sometimes, cheap is damn expensive!
 
Balthezor said:
Is the Harbor Freight compatible with the standard 3" back plates? Thinking about getting one to be a dedicated 3" DA.
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Yes, you can use it with 3,4,5,6 inch backing plates. They all will have the same spindle bolt size.
 
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