Harbor Freight DA Polisher - New

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The more I think about it I guess the HD Polisher isn't such a bad deal. For $100 you get the HD Polisher,HD 5" Backing Plate,HD Cut Pad, HD Polish Pad,HD Finishing Pad (pads are essentially B&S), 16oz HD Speed AIO, Two MF Towels, Carrying Case, Wrench and 2 Replacement Brushes.
 
taking a chance with their new rotary. Got the Meguiars Solo backing plate and some Lake Country wool pads. Going to polish a Bass boat with this rig next weekend. Should be interesting. Ill keep you all informed. View attachment 16931
 
That rotary isn't new.. That is what I learned with a little over a year ago, be forwarned as soon as you put it on a surface the speed of the pad will be slowed down and will have to speed up to compensate
 
ski2 said:
I've been thinking of doing this also--I wonder if it makes sense to use a 3" rotary backing plate, a 1.5" rotary extension and a rotary to DA adapter--this way the 3" pad will be away from the counter weight shroud on the polisher which is pretty close to 3" itself. Would seem to allow more flexibility in tight spaces.
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That's what I did after my Meg's 3" BP threads disintegrated.
Now I have plenty of room and I can use it on my Rotary at 2200 RPM!!! lol.
 
4ord said:
Only advantage I see is ease of maneuverability over a larger machine.

But $100 for a griots or ~$50 for a HF with more power....

Think ill go with the HF. lol
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I got this Griot's 3" da as part of a combo someone sold me. I didn't pay extra for it. The guy threw it in for free, probably because he didn't like it.
Well I've used it a few times and I have to use speed 6 and it will barely cut paint with a MF pad.
So now it's my headlight sander. works great for that.
I need another Portor Cable DA so my old Meg's G100 will be my 3" cutting tool from now on. Just way more power then the Griot's 3" DA.
 
mark98xlt said:
That rotary isn't new.. That is what I learned with a little over a year ago, be forwarned as soon as you put it on a surface the speed of the pad will be slowed down and will have to speed up to compensate
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I read that too, plan on upping the speed to compensate
 
Harbor Freight DA worked great for me thus far. :dblthumb2: I'm using HF orange and blue pads and Meguiar's 105/205 combo. Finished with Adam's Brilliant Glaze, Adam's sealant , and Adam's Americana Carnauba Paste wax. This hood shot comparison tells the truth. The DA works!!!

2008 Black Tahoe

BEFORE:

7812CC83-6BD9-4390-86DA-E90B871B1AD2-25284-00000482EAA0A8BC_zpsbcd50591.jpg


460CF153-D276-4B26-9AB8-2ED548A8DED9-25284-00000482DDC7DA9B_zps50c5dbc4.jpg


20BB355A-9EA7-4071-BA02-C514C0298B25-25284-00000482D6C48565_zps7aaa8fb1.jpg


AFTER:

900F8885-8D3C-413F-9737-61404B2AB2B6-25284-00000482CC09EB13_zpsc23c7ea0.jpg


F04D4B84-46EC-40C0-84B9-1DBA54F1BEB0-25284-00000482AD472B89_zps5915c84b.jpg


CA6D3008-4FC1-40DC-93CF-59C4AADA3135-25284-00000482A012C339_zpsa7af25a5.jpg
 
May have to pick up a HF DA soon. My griots is starting to act strange.
 
I have two HF DA and they work great their pads are not the best but I'm able to clear up defects. Would recommend the HF da to anyone and you can't beat the warranty if it breaks take it back and you walk out with a new one no question asked.

Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using AG Online
 
Would be nice if HF offerred a direct drive unit to compete against the Flex 3401. Although I'd like to get a Flex, I just can't get myself talked into spending $300+ for it.
 
That's a good look! I love mine. I burned through that orange pad pretty quickly and it made a lot of dust but... Good thing they are cheap!
 
This DA from HF was my first. I've used it a few times but since then I upgraded to Griot's 850 Watt DA. HF's is very cheaply made. As inexpensive as it is, it's near impossible to use for a full vehicle because the machine shakes BAD. There's not much power in it either.

No Power
Bad Shaking
=
Buyer's remorse + headache.

I use it on interiors now to massage dirt out of carpet and leather on speeds 1-2 with light pressure and an interior attachment.
 
parkerslade said:
This DA from HF was my first. I've used it a few times but since then I upgraded to Griot's 850 Watt DA. HF's is very cheaply made. As inexpensive as it is, it's near impossible to use for a full vehicle because the machine shakes BAD. There's not much power in it either.

No Power
Bad Shaking
=
Buyer's remorse + headache.

I use it on interiors now to massage dirt out of carpet and leather on speeds 1-2 with light pressure and an interior attachment.
Click to expand...

Very strange as there are reports from a number of pro detailers using it full time with great results. Read one recently where he just replaced a Megs DA with the HF and he feels it has more power than the Megs and difficult to bog it down withut exerting extreme pressure. Did you change the backing plate to a 5" quality backing plate--the HF 6" BP seems to be of poor quality and everyone I've seen had a woble to it right out of the box. Also, a number of pros have opened up the gear case and repacked it with quality grease which has made the HF quiter and cooler.
 
ski2 said:
Did you change the backing plate to a 5" quality backing plate--the HF 6" BP seems to be of poor quality and everyone I've seen had a woble to it right out of the box. Also, a number of pros have opened up the gear case and repacked it with quality grease which has made the HF quiter and cooler.
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I've kept the 6 inch plate. I've never heard of anyone doing these modifications before but I'd love to make and try the adjustments you stated. :props:
 
parkerslade said:
This DA from HF was my first. I've used it a few times but since then I upgraded to Griot's 850 Watt DA. HF's is very cheaply made. As inexpensive as it is, it's near impossible to use for a full vehicle because the machine shakes BAD. There's not much power in it either.

No Power
Bad Shaking
=
Buyer's remorse + headache.

I use it on interiors now to massage dirt out of carpet and leather on speeds 1-2 with light pressure and an interior attachment.
Click to expand...
Mine was exactly the same until I changed the backing plate making it as smooth as any other DA I have used. Lots of power but, very noisey.
 
i also have a HF i think it has plenty of power ive also heard detailers talking that have the hf and pc and say the hf has more power then the pc not sure if its true but thats what i heard
 
What carpet/interior attachments is everyone using on the HF?? I heard its different then the GG/Megs/PC and the cyclo brushes I attach won't fit. Does HF sell brushes for it?
 
Saturday morning around 8 am the landscapers were in my community working on the grass and trimming trees and stuff. I could here the lawnmowers, leaf blowers and hedgers all working. I left my house around 9. Usually takes them about 4 hours. As I approach home that night around 4 pm I am half a block away and hear the loud sound of what seems to be the landscapers still at it. i start to wonder why the heck the landscapers are still here. I pull into my driveway and find my next door neighbor is detailing his car with the HF da. Damn it's loud. He wasn't doing a very good job either. I wanted to try it out and see if it was the HF da or the man behind it but figured I would get sucked in to helping with the whole car if I asked for a panel. So after hearing it I don't think I would want one even as a backup. Too loud for me.
 
cgrosso said:
i also have a HF i think it has plenty of power ive also heard detailers talking that have the hf and pc and say the hf has more power then the pc not sure if its true but thats what i heard
Click to expand...

Owner of both PC7424XP and HF DA. I can confirm the HF is absolutely more powerful than the PC.

PC7424XP - 4.5amp motor
HF DA - 5.7amp motor
 
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