Meguiars DA Power system

S

sshazam

New member
Dec 29, 2014
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Hello all,

I'm looking for a DA polisher to prepare my cars paint.
It will be a one off job and used maybe once or twice so don't want to spend a lot of money as a result.

I came across the Meguiars DA power system which gets good reviews. The car is a Kia Optima bright silver and swirls tend to get hidden.

Wondering if anyone can comment on if they've used this tool ?
For those that have used it, what speeds do you run your drill on ?
 
If it helps, you can find the Porter Cable "DA" in nearly any home improvement shop in the world, under a different name/use. The Porter Cable DA is identical to the Porter Cable 'Right Angle Variable Speed Random Sander' in every way, except the sander includes a disc for sanding pads, rather the the foam pad in the DA. You are likely going to never use the included foam pad anyway.

This might be cheaper for you to buy locally. There are also many chinese DAs as well that are likely available that will outperform a drill any day.
 
roguerobot said:
If it helps, you can find the Porter Cable "DA" in nearly any home improvement shop in the world, under a different name/use. The Porter Cable DA is identical to the Porter Cable 'Right Angle Variable Speed Random Sander' in every way, except the sander includes a disc for sanding pads, rather the the foam pad in the DA. You are likely going to never use the included foam pad anyway.

This might be cheaper for you to buy locally. There are also many chinese DAs as well that are likely available that will outperform a drill any day.
Click to expand...

I can buy a cheap DA for $100 but then i'd need to buy pads, compound etc. All up that would set me back nearly another $100. If anyone knows of a cheap Pad kit which includes compound that would be great. I already own Prima Amigo so don't need a polish.
 
I would say buy PC7424xp and some polishing pads (6 or more) and skip compounding.

Meguiars DA power system works but do you really want to spend that much extra time to save some money? actually, you will need more pads with DA power system, so it might not be much saving either.

+ with Meguiars DA power system, You will probably end up spending whole day polishing your car
 
If you are only maintaining your own vehicle, you could get by with only 4 pads total. Two for compound and two for polishing.

This less expensive approach will require that you wash/rinse outreach pad after you use it and allow it to dry completely before using it again. You should use each pad for a portion of the car. One pad for the hood, another pad for the fender and two doors, etceteras

I typically use about 6-8oz of compound and 2oz of polish on a typical heavy paint correction, so you could get by with the smaller sizes of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish


I will suggest that once you machine polish one car and see the dramatic results that are possible...you will want to polish other cars
 
My neighbor was in the exact position you are and bought the Megs Da System. Honestly it's good for bumpers or other tight areas but there's no way I would two step a whole car with it. When connected to a drill it's very top heavy and very hard to keep the pad flat,it'll wear you out because it's cumbersome and with the 4" pads I can't imagine how long it'll take.
Look at it this way if you buy it and don't like it you'll end up buying a regular da anyway, so how much cheaper is it in the end.
 
Also add in the cost for extra batteries for your drill as it'll drain them quickly.
 
Skip that megs system. For all the reasons listed above and more. The PC is a readily available tool. And While I HATE the thought of cheap chinese made products like the ones sold here in the US at Harbor Frieght, I would get one of those before I get the megs system. Its a small investment to get the right tool to do the job, but you will be able to do the job well, and find out you will probably use the tool more in the future than you can currently imagine.
 
choijw2 said:
I would say buy PC7424xp and some polishing pads (6 or more) and skip compounding.
Can you recommend a cheap kit which has some polishing and compound pads? Why do you recommend skipping the compound?

Meguiars DA power system works but do you really want to spend that much extra time to save some money? actually, you will need more pads with DA power system, so it might not be much saving either.

+ with Meguiars DA power system, You will probably end up spending whole day polishing your car
Click to expand...
I'm happy to spend a day doing it since i'm used to doing it by hand. The only concern was the cost. It's $120 for the DA system and $200+ in Australia for a complete DA package so a fairly big saving. If I can get 95% of the results for half the price i'm happy. Since it will only be used once or twice and then never used again.

AGOatemywallet said:
If you are only maintaining your own vehicle, you could get by with only 4 pads total. Two for compound and two for polishing.

This less expensive approach will require that you wash/rinse outreach pad after you use it and allow it to dry completely before using it again. You should use each pad for a portion of the car. One pad for the hood, another pad for the fender and two doors, etceteras

I typically use about 6-8oz of compound and 2oz of polish on a typical heavy paint correction, so you could get by with the smaller sizes of Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish


I will suggest that once you machine polish one car and see the dramatic results that are possible...you will want to polish other cars
Click to expand...
I'm happy to wash the pads, it will only be used once or twice then never used as the cars will get coated. Might use it occasionally to polish up some glass but thats about it.
Can you recommend a kit of cheap pads and maybe some cheap compound ? I have Prima Amigo so already have some polish.

vobro said:
My neighbor was in the exact position you are and bought the Megs Da System. Honestly it's good for bumpers or other tight areas but there's no way I would two step a whole car with it. When connected to a drill it's very top heavy and very hard to keep the pad flat,it'll wear you out because it's cumbersome and with the 4" pads I can't imagine how long it'll take.
Look at it this way if you buy it and don't like it you'll end up buying a regular da anyway, so how much cheaper is it in the end.
Click to expand...

Yes I imagine the drill would be hard to use on the sides of the door. Can you recommend a cheap kit of just pads and compound ? I can buy the DA machine here and the pads online.

Jaretr1 said:
Skip that megs system. For all the reasons listed above and more. The PC is a readily available tool. And While I HATE the thought of cheap chinese made products like the ones sold here in the US at Harbor Frieght, I would get one of those before I get the megs system. Its a small investment to get the right tool to do the job, but you will be able to do the job well, and find out you will probably use the tool more in the future than you can currently imagine.
Click to expand...
Can you recommend which pads and compound things I should buy if I bought a DA?

Thank you all for your help, I really do appreciate it !
 
I would recommend against buying "Cheap" pads or polishes. They make it more difficult to get good results & don't last

The Lake Country CCS pads are good quality and will last a long time

Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Ultimate polish are inexpensive, available in small sizes and can probably be purchased locally in Australia
 
This is the "polisher" I started with when I first got into detailing. After doing about half my roof with my corded drill, my arm was numb and the palm of my hands were almost swollen. That's when I said to hell with it and tossed the DA power system into the back of my storage closet and went out and purchased a flex 3401....the rest is history.

DA power system is utter shite and a waste of money. Get a proper polisher such as the PC if you are just starting out.

I went with the flex as I knew I would want a better polisher down the line, so picked up the best (IMO) from the get go. :D

I live in Dubai where almost everything is twice the cost as compared to the states, so I completely understand where you are coming from. I too was looking at cost so got the DA power system + lack of research.

As a previous user of that completely un user friendly system, I highly advise against it.

Trust the folks on this forum as they helped me immensely when I started out.

Once you get into this, the $100 saved here and there won't matter. I get most of my supplies shipped from Autogeek all the way to Dubai, and I DO NOT regret it one bit. I get quality stuff from AGO, which is not available here and thats what matters. Once you use them and see the results that you get, you completely forget about how much you paid.
 
AGOatemywallet said:
I would recommend against buying "Cheap" pads or polishes. They make it more difficult to get good results & don't last

The Lake Country CCS pads are good quality and will last a long time

Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and Ultimate polish are inexpensive, available in small sizes and can probably be purchased locally in Australia
Click to expand...

Sorry I meant good quality but cheap. Happy to spend $40 - 60 on a good set but the cheapest possible good set would be great.

emmjaygti said:
This is the "polisher" I started with when I first got into detailing. After doing about half my roof with my corded drill, my arm was numb and the palm of my hands were almost swollen. That's when I said to hell with it and tossed the DA power system into the back of my storage closet and went out and purchased a flex 3401....the rest is history.

DA power system is utter shite and a waste of money. Get a proper polisher such as the PC if you are just starting out.

I went with the flex as I knew I would want a better polisher down the line, so picked up the best (IMO) from the get go. :D

I live in Dubai where almost everything is twice the cost as compared to the states, so I completely understand where you are coming from. I too was looking at cost so got the DA power system + lack of research.

As a previous user of that completely un user friendly system, I highly advise against it.

Trust the folks on this forum as they helped me immensely when I started out.

Once you get into this, the $100 saved here and there won't matter. I get most of my supplies shipped from Autogeek all the way to Dubai, and I DO NOT regret it one bit. I get quality stuff from AGO, which is not available here and thats what matters. Once you use them and see the results that you get, you completely forget about how much you paid.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice !
Looks like the DA system is only good for spot work.

I would have the buy the DA here due to the 240Volt requirement and shipping being incredibly expensive for a heavy object.
But I just want advice on a good quality pad kit which isn't super expensive.

Might sound silly but do you always have to compound? I just have one or two really small scratches which will compound out but i'm worried if I compound on the other parts it could be too aggressive.

Gah damn you auto geek you always seem to get me to spend more :laughing::laughing:
 
for starting out, I recommend Meguir's Ultimate Compound, paired with Meguirs Ultimate Polish. Easy to work with, provide great results and they are available everywhere. You should be able to find them in Australia at your local shop.

As for pads, the Lake Country CSS pads or Lake Country Flat pads are what I use. They run about $7 USD each (here is USA). I use Orange with Compound, and White with Polish, and wax I use Red or Black. You can get by with two each, and just clean them religiously.

Now, if you are going to bite the bullet and order from AG, you can get the Porter Cable value kit, which gives you an Orange, a White and a Blue (for all in one products) Flat pads, plus they toss in two free Red pads. So for $149 US (in USA) you get the polisher and the pads, complete in one kit, ready to go. Add the Meguirs products and you are moments away from a clean car.

Oh and you get Mike's book as well, which is very good.
 
roguerobot said:
for starting out, I recommend Meguir's Ultimate Compound, paired with Meguirs Ultimate Polish. Easy to work with, provide great results and they are available everywhere. You should be able to find them in Australia at your local shop.

As for pads, the Lake Country CSS pads or Lake Country Flat pads are what I use. They run about $7 USD each (here is USA). I use Orange with Compound, and White with Polish, and wax I use Red or Black. You can get by with two each, and just clean them religiously.

Now, if you are going to bite the bullet and order from AG, you can get the Porter Cable value kit, which gives you an Orange, a White and a Blue (for all in one products) Flat pads, plus they toss in two free Red pads. So for $149 US (in USA) you get the polisher and the pads, complete in one kit, ready to go. Add the Meguirs products and you are moments away from a clean car.

Oh and you get Mike's book as well, which is very good.
Click to expand...

I would have to buy the polisher from Australia due to the voltage difference and cost of shipping due to the weight, but happy to buy the pads from AG. Hoping to just buy a pad kit to save cost.

I currently have a bottle of Prima Amigo which I was lead to believe to be a polish like product. Would just buying a compound like Meguiars ultimate and then using Prima Amigo before I wax be enough ?

How do I know what Pads to use ? I notice theres so many different brands and types I don't want to buy the wrong one.

Do I wash the pad as i'm using it or after i've done the whole car? I was just going to put the pad in my wash bucket with grit guard and run the pressure cleaner over it. I saw a thread someone posted about it and it seemed to work fairly well.
 
+ 1 for meguairs ultimate line and their pads
Super cheap price for professional quality result,
Actually I see many pro's using ultimate products in their shops.

for DA, you said you want good product with cheapest price possible. This, again, leads to PC 7424xp. or GG 6" polisher.
but if youre going to use once or twice and don't mind spending whole day,
why not just use your hand like you used to?

Ultimate compound and polishes are also known as best polish for hand application so i think it works out well.
 
choijw2 said:
+ 1 for meguairs ultimate line and their pads
Super cheap price for professional quality result,
Actually I see many pro's using ultimate products in their shops.

for DA, you said you want good product with cheapest price possible. This, again, leads to PC 7424xp. or GG 6" polisher.
but if youre going to use once or twice and don't mind spending whole day,
why not just use your hand like you used to?

Ultimate compound and polishes are also known as best polish for hand application so i think it works out well.
Click to expand...

Thanks i'll have a look at the pads !
I want to make my paint new flawless so can't do that with hand.

To be honest i've found the silver colour really hides scratches but the paints looking a bit dull.


AGOatemywallet said:
Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides

Great starting point for learning machine polishing and where it fits in the detailing process
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the advice !

Is it possible to get compound + pads for under $50 ?
 
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