help a newbie spend $200-280 on a "kit"

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touchdowntodd

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i used to detail out of a friends shop probably 10 years ago .. we were amatures but did decent work using a dewalt and pads/materials we bought from a friend at a local BMW dealership that showed us the ropes as a favor .. mostly did friends cars, and it was a TON of fun ...

fast forward now im 36 and have had some big set backs, no "fun" car for myself anymore just sold it to help stay with mortgage payments .. but still plenty of friends in the scene ..

my daily cars BADLY need a good going through they are 13 and 6 years old respectively, and will not be replaced anytime soon..

being that a detail here is about $150 from a shop or more, i figured why not get back into this ..

so ..

help me spend $200-280ish on a "kit" off this website .. Feed back please.. ive lurked here a long time so i sorta keep up wit stuff but cant make a decision.. this will mostly be for myself to do my cars and friends cars for fun before we go out for the weekend (mostly newer cars)

the 7424xp "kits" have caught my eye for years, but the Griot's seems nice as well ... i am on a budget of sorts, and also would like to get used to working with materials and liquids that i can buy locally if i need to (will ofcourse order from here 90% of the time) .. i love meguiars products as a side note as well..

the griots garage club kit caught my eye since it includes the smaller unit as well which i can see being very usefull (altho no clue if it really would be used in reality LOL) .. the 7424xp kits are all good looking to me and all seem to be about the same "value" (the meguiars soft buff kit seems like my favorite for now due to size of bottles and just having the "needed" basics from what i think/remember).. im mostly dealing with swirls and maybe light scratches.. im fairly confident in using one of these as opposed to the old dewalt that i used before as far as paint safety etc goes..

so please.. help me decide. i know its a ford/chevy convo all day, but perhaps value wise people have opinions?

if this is in the wrong area im sorry, feel free to move.. i just need to make a decision, order, and get to workin! :buffing:
 
Welcome to AG :-)

After reading your post, it seems you may be interested in detailing your own vehicle + friends' as opposed to starting up a detailing business again--correct?
 
I went with the porter cable 7424xp with the Lake Country CCS pads and I'm really happy. I keep hearing the Griot's has a little more power, but it wasn't on my radar when I made my purchase.
 
i dont see myself doing this as a small business ... altho i wont rule out some "production detailing" for friends/nieghbors once im back into the swing of things .. i used to really enjoy doing a 2-3 step lil job over the course of 4-5 hours for a friend for a few bucks .. i love gettin great results ..

i guess if it makes sense id like to be set up to do more than just my stuff, make a few dollars (just word of mouth not really make it a "business" per say) if possible .. and in the long run i would like to get into paint correction possibly as i learn (this would be a great way to keep me "in" cars even if i cant afford to own a toy one)

the meguiars pads caught my eye being machine washable, i never delt with anything like that before i used CCS prior..

:autowash::autowash::wave:
 
main issue is my budget .. i can add on over time but want to make the best initial purchase to get back in the game..

i guess in all honesty long run dreams would be to do a couple cars each weekend for money ..
 
Look at the buffer with Wolfgang polishes ... great kits and best of prices !
 
I also went with a PC 7424XP, Lake County CCS pads. I chose M105, M205. Then went with Menzerna Power Lock. All are pretty standard, you can't go wrong products. Nothing fancy, just protection.
 
Get the griots pack that comes with either meguiars 105 and 205 or the wolfgang twins. With the first one add a menzerna or any other middle of the road cutting polish , with the wolfgang add a heavy compound like a 105.

then add 5" pads MF ones , hydro tech ones , some pad cleaners
A good sealant like wolfgang 3.0 or menzerna powerlock , and as much MF towels u can within budget
 
any other opinions? thanx for everything so far guys i really wanna order asap
 
Some thoughts to consider:

The Griots Garage DA has the most power of all the standard DAs and it has a lifetime warranty.

Even with that power it will perform better with 5.5" pads on a 5" backing plate and you'll save money on the pads.

You need a good amount of pads--at the very least 4 for the compounding step, 4 for the polishing step, 2-3 if doing a finishing polish and then one pad for each different LSP you plan to use (each of these dedicated to that LSP)

If money is an issue you may want to consider the Harbor Freight DA polisher (about $50). Has more power than the PC XP and with a quality 5" backing plate and 5.5" pads is great to start out with to see if you really want to get into this--then later you can always dedicate the HF to 3" or 4" pads and get a GG DA for you primary polisher.
 
this is the deal im thinkin about throwin together

tem Options Unit Price Qty. In Stock Cost
Meguiars M205 Ultra Finishing Polish 32 oz.
$27.99 1 Yes $27.99
Meguiars M105 Ultra-Cut Compound 32 oz.
$25.99 1 Yes $25.99
Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0
$24.99 1 Yes $24.99
Poorboy's World Natty’s Paste Wax – BLUE
$21.99 1 Yes $21.99
Meguiars Mirror Glaze #26 Hi-Tech Liquid Car Wax
$15.99 1 Yes $15.99
Meguiars Soft Buff 6.5 Inch Foam Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice!
Pad 1 : Burgundy
Pad 2 : Burgundy
Pad 3 : Yellow
Pad 4 : Yellow
Pad 5 : Beige
Pad 6 : Beige
$69.99 1 Yes $69.99
Meguiars Smooth Surface Clay Kit - G1016
$20.99 1 Yes $20.99
Dual Action 5 Inch HD Backing Plate
$18.99 1 Yes $18.99
Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher FREE BONUS
 
IMHO i would skip a polisher for now and save up for a flex xc3401, i would get a kit together that would allow you to wash, clay, glaze and seal by hand, do a few jobs to save up and then get the flex and do corrections. i would skip traditional clay and get a nanoskin fine grade wash mitt as well. i bought a pc7424 when i first got into detailing and i wish i had skipped that and went straight for the flex.
 
ive seen the nanoskin and thought about it .. how do you wash/clean it for re-use and how much use are you seeing from one?
 
Too much waxes and lsp's

Get more and smaller pads and a better machine.

Machine kits comes with free gifts and discounts , also no need to buy 32oz of compound
 
i start getting lost when i read about different pads ... i guess i could use some help in that area ..

the kits arent making sense $ wise because i have the new to the forum discount, just ends up cheaper if i buy the same stuff seperate ..

so 5.5" pads in your opinion? reasons?

and the waxes and lsp's are because i wanna try em LOL i suppose i could atleast drop one of the waxes for now
 
version #2 ... would need to add pads ..

Meguiars #21 Synthetic Sealant 2.0
$24.99 1 Yes $24.99
Free Sample with your Order
Sample 1 : Pinnacle Advanced Swirl Remover PIN-220-S
$0.00 1 Yes $0.00
Poorboy's World Liquid Natty's Blue Wax 16 oz.
$21.99 1 Yes $21.99
Nanoskin Autoscrub System Start Up Kit – 6 inch
$59.99 1 Yes $59.99
Griot’s Garage & Meguiar’s Paint Perfection Kit 3rd Generation!
 
Todd, I like your list. I love Meguiar's Products and PB Natty's Blue I use the paste and it is almost as easy as Pinnacle. For the price I have also been happy with Mothers Calf Gold Synthetic.

I would recommend that you get 5.5" pads and not 6.5". The PC 7424XL has more trouble turning the 6.5 pads and they are harder to do paint correction with. Unless you are primarily working on very large vehicles I think you would like the 5.5" better and they are cheaper. If you really want larger pads I would go with the GG6 as a minimum.

I like the advise that you start with washing, clay, glaze/polish and seal by hand. Most people want their car shinny and clean. They do not even know about paint correction. Once you do this and save a little money you can determine exactly what you need. This will prevent you from buying something you may not be happy with in 6 months.

Good Luck!
 
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