Hi all,
Let me preface this with a few points.
1. I am not a pro Detailer. I just enjoy keeping my cars looking their best and at times my friends cars.
2. My point of comparison is the Griots G9 with a 6.5 inch backing plate.
Any time I get a new to me car, I go a little crazy and add to my detailing arsenal. This time I added the HLR15. Not having any 5 inch pads, I got the full kit.
First impressions:
The kit is very well equipped, minus microfiber pads (you only get one) You have pretty much everything you need to use the polisher right out of the box. Pads, compound, polish. I could take or leave the DA fine polish since I tend to prefer other polishes, but the pads were a great addition. 2 blue wool, 2 yellow wool, 2 medium pads, and 2 yellow foams. The only thing missing for a complete set are microfiber cutting on the harsh end and White foam on the jewling end. Its
The polsiher is well packed, and feels very well made, same for the charger. Its quiet, buttery smooth, and light. It also looks like it costs what it does, which i appreciate.
Battery life:
When Rupes says the batteries charge in 50 minutes, they mean it. I don't know if two batteries would allow constant polishing for a pro doing high volume work, but it would get darn close. That is with one Caveat. If you are working on really weathered paint, say extra pressure, slow arm speed, heavy cut pads. the battery doesnt last the advertised 40 minutes its closer to 25-30 in my experience. If you are the type to polish a panel, whipe it down, and take a 1-5 minutes before the next one, it absolutely will allow for constant polishing.
I have heard claims the battery level does not impact the performance of the polisher. In my experience this is false. once the battery gets down below 30% or so, speeds 5/6 are basically the same as speed 4. I will admit it was cold when I was using the polisher so that might impact the results.
Using the polisher:
Its smooth. Very smooth. Polishing a compact sedan would leave my arms feeling numb from the vibrations of my g9 (which i consider an excellent unit for the price)
The Rupes is something i could use all day, on multiple cars.
Its quiet. I always felt the need to wear hearing protection with the g9. Im not saying you shouldn't with the HLR, but I didn't immediately reach for my headphones.
The battery position IS an issue at times, as others have said its close to the paint and makes it hard to get that perfect angle on challenging panels. You always have to be mindful of it in a way you don't when you're working with the g9.
The biggest thing i noticed is the stalling. Now, I might be spoiled by the torque in my G9, but the HLR 15 seemed to stall a lot more often. It could also be the contours of the specific car i was working on, but its something i noticed. Dont get me wrong it is ABSOLUTELY usable, but you may find yourself having to approach more panels creatively to prevent stall, or reaching for a 3 inch. I found i was frequently a speed setting higher on the HLR than on my g9.
Overall impressions:
Overall I like the HLR 15. Its a pleasure to use. Would I Buy it again? Probably not, mainly because I don't feel like i can fully remove my g9 from my toolkit. Those little areas where it stalls earlier almost make me wish id gotten the new mk5 corded. I do think its worth the price, at least compared to the competition however, I think the warranty is lacking, especially for a new untested product. But with all that said, i think its a quality product, and if you want a battery powered polisher, I cant see this being a bad choice at least with the info available now.
Let me preface this with a few points.
1. I am not a pro Detailer. I just enjoy keeping my cars looking their best and at times my friends cars.
2. My point of comparison is the Griots G9 with a 6.5 inch backing plate.
Any time I get a new to me car, I go a little crazy and add to my detailing arsenal. This time I added the HLR15. Not having any 5 inch pads, I got the full kit.
First impressions:
The kit is very well equipped, minus microfiber pads (you only get one) You have pretty much everything you need to use the polisher right out of the box. Pads, compound, polish. I could take or leave the DA fine polish since I tend to prefer other polishes, but the pads were a great addition. 2 blue wool, 2 yellow wool, 2 medium pads, and 2 yellow foams. The only thing missing for a complete set are microfiber cutting on the harsh end and White foam on the jewling end. Its
The polsiher is well packed, and feels very well made, same for the charger. Its quiet, buttery smooth, and light. It also looks like it costs what it does, which i appreciate.
Battery life:
When Rupes says the batteries charge in 50 minutes, they mean it. I don't know if two batteries would allow constant polishing for a pro doing high volume work, but it would get darn close. That is with one Caveat. If you are working on really weathered paint, say extra pressure, slow arm speed, heavy cut pads. the battery doesnt last the advertised 40 minutes its closer to 25-30 in my experience. If you are the type to polish a panel, whipe it down, and take a 1-5 minutes before the next one, it absolutely will allow for constant polishing.
I have heard claims the battery level does not impact the performance of the polisher. In my experience this is false. once the battery gets down below 30% or so, speeds 5/6 are basically the same as speed 4. I will admit it was cold when I was using the polisher so that might impact the results.
Using the polisher:
Its smooth. Very smooth. Polishing a compact sedan would leave my arms feeling numb from the vibrations of my g9 (which i consider an excellent unit for the price)
The Rupes is something i could use all day, on multiple cars.
Its quiet. I always felt the need to wear hearing protection with the g9. Im not saying you shouldn't with the HLR, but I didn't immediately reach for my headphones.
The battery position IS an issue at times, as others have said its close to the paint and makes it hard to get that perfect angle on challenging panels. You always have to be mindful of it in a way you don't when you're working with the g9.
The biggest thing i noticed is the stalling. Now, I might be spoiled by the torque in my G9, but the HLR 15 seemed to stall a lot more often. It could also be the contours of the specific car i was working on, but its something i noticed. Dont get me wrong it is ABSOLUTELY usable, but you may find yourself having to approach more panels creatively to prevent stall, or reaching for a 3 inch. I found i was frequently a speed setting higher on the HLR than on my g9.
Overall impressions:
Overall I like the HLR 15. Its a pleasure to use. Would I Buy it again? Probably not, mainly because I don't feel like i can fully remove my g9 from my toolkit. Those little areas where it stalls earlier almost make me wish id gotten the new mk5 corded. I do think its worth the price, at least compared to the competition however, I think the warranty is lacking, especially for a new untested product. But with all that said, i think its a quality product, and if you want a battery powered polisher, I cant see this being a bad choice at least with the info available now.
