Rotary Buffer - worth learning?

supercharged

supercharged

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Is it worth learning how to use a rotaty buffer? I know that you can cut detailing time in half using a rotary, but am afraid to use one. I never used a rotary.

Anyone out there can give me an advice?
 
no. I have both, i know how to use both well. I still use my PC more often.

i only use the rotary for very bad paint. I dont come across this all too often, so alas, the rotary doesnt get used much. id ont feel like thinking about what im doing when polishing, if i use a rotary, i have to pay attention. I'm lazy.
 
I think it can be beneficial to learn everything, but also fail to see where a rotary will work in my world. I have new cars, keep them clean, and work very hard to avoid swirls. So light polishing is all I need and the PC does that well.

I own a Hitachi Rotary, and can count the times I used it on my hands.
 
What about upgrading from a PC to a cyclo? And also, would a rotary then be useful if you were doing say.... a business? With a lot of practice of course. :D
 
I think a rotary would clearly be needed if detailing as a profession. The Cyclo appears to be the Cadillac of Random Orbitals. Sure might not do a much better job, but certainly looks nicer with all the bells and whistles. I am resisting the urge .....
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
I think a rotary would clearly be needed if detailing as a profession. The Cyclo appears to be the Cadillac of Random Orbitals. Sure might not do a much better job, but certainly looks nicer with all the bells and whistles. I am resisting the urge .....
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Whats the big difference between it and a pc, I really don't know much about them, do they work better than a pc.
 
two heads supposedly work better than one ... Cyclo's design !
 
Excessive Detail said:
Would you prefer that or a pc.
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I am still contemplating that .... I still have not purchased a Cyclo. :mad:
 
Think of the Cyclo like this. Have you ever used the PC with a 4" pad? The Cyclo is like having double the polishing power of the single 4" pad as well as a more powerful motor AND it's a whole lot smoother than the PC. I rarely used my PC since getting my Cyclo.

Do you need to learn the rotary? For your own personal cars, probably not. If you're going to be doing others cars it's going to save you time. There are some cars that I couldn't imagine completing a finish restoration using just the PC or Cyclo as it would take a long time to get the best results.
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
I am still contemplating that .... I still have not purchased a Cyclo. :mad:
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Borrow Jason's ;) ,if i remember correctly he had the cyclo repaired,
better yet tell max you need the cylo to aide you in testing new products:p
 
i havent used the rotary yet but ive watched my boss use it..... its actually quite amazing what it can do to paint. fairly deep scratches and oxidation can be cleaned up very nice, but i also felt the paint after he used it on a scratched car....very hot. i can see where it would be easy to burn the paint. your really got to keep it moving i guess?
 
yeah, you have to keep it moving. 6-12" a second or more.

watching out for the edges of panels is a big concern also because the edge concentrates the heat.
 
How fast you move it has a lot to do with what product, pad and speed you have it set at. There are times where I move it ~2 inches per second but most times I move it just a little faster than that. Only when being aggressive with pad, compound and speed do I get to around 6-10 inches per second.

It's not a cloaked beast, it's just a polisher that demands respect.;)
 
WOW! That is a lot faster than I thought. I am still contemplating whether or not to learn. It is always good to learn new things. Maybe when I get more $$$... BTW, for any on the side detailers, PC is fine.
 
ah see, when i use the rotary it's normally at 1400 rpms or so. this is really fricking fast, so i have to keep it moving.
 
For someone with a detailing business where time is money, I could see the benefit of a rotary. You could always go to the junk yard and find a worth hood or some kind of panel to practice the rotary on. Just my 2 cents.
 
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