I am trying to educate myself on what pads to use. White=polish Orange=Medium Cut and Gray=???. Is it possible to burn through the clear with a white pad? I think I am getting a 7424 for Christmas so I am working on an order.
It depends on what manufacturer you are looking at. It looks like you are looking at Lake country pads and the grey would be a finishing pad to use with a final polish, wax, paint cleaner or sealant. And no you will not burn with a PC and a white polishing pad. I personally have only seen 5-6 instances where a PC damaged paint ... but that was when the person was using a cutting pad and an aggressive compound.