Thinking of buying a cheap rotary, questions..

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WRAPT C5Z06

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The $40 dollar one from harbor freight. I'd buy a cheap one initially just to see if I like a rotary. If I do, I'll spring for the Makita 9227, definitely. It comes with a 7" hook and loop backing plate. Does anyone know if I can change it? Also, is there any advantage of buying Flat pads vs. CCS pads with a rotary, or vice versa?
 
CCS will theoretically help avoid overheating the paint (which can be a concern on a rotary).
You still need to keep your eye on the paint though. check the temp with your hand often. (especially while learning your rotary)
 
Do not buy a cheap rotary. Just save and buy quality, trust me. I am a machine polisher enthusiast and I have seen first hand how cheap rotaries are like. You CANNOT apply pressure to them and have to use ONLY the edge of the pad to get correction done. They are not worth it... and you will be inducing more damage on your paint by doing this.
 
Besides... you cannot even compare a cheap rotary against a quality one.... so you will base your experience off the cheap one instead of experimenting a quality one
 
I tend to think it's a good learning tool. Really only to be used on your practice peices (junk yard buys). You get to learn the "feel" of a rotary. When you're ready to bump up to correction on customers cars you can buy the real thing. Then, your cheapy is a good pad drying tool.

Now of course if you have the $200 now, go ahead and get to practicing with the Makita.
 
VR8 said:
I tend to think it's a good learning tool. Really only to be used on your practice peices (junk yard buys). You get to learn the "feel" of a rotary. When you're ready to bump up to correction on customers cars you can buy the real thing. Then, your cheapy is a good pad drying tool.

Now of course if you have the $200 now, go ahead and get to practicing with the Makita.
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Yeah but cheaper rotaries do not function like quality rotaries... so he won't neccessarily get a "feel" of what a true rotary is like.
 
I beg to differ Lincoln.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...l-acrylic-overspray-removal-hell-77-pics.html

That entire car was done with my Chicago Tools rotary. So yeah, if you don't want to invest a ton of money, then go with the Chicago tools rotary JUST to learn how to use one. Just make sure you invest in a quality rotary if you TRULY want to use one professionally. You can switch backing plates and such just like any other rotary and you might get lucky and get one for $29.99 like I did.

When I have the money, I will be buying a Makita, but at the time, I wanted to test out a rotary just to see if I even wanted one before I really invested $200+ into a quality rotary and it fit the bill. It's a little less powerful than the makita, but you can put plenty of pressure on it without slowing it, just if you smell something burning, you may want to let up on the pressure a bit as that would be the electricals being too stressed. Remember, it is NOT a Makita, so try not to treat it like one. The more you use it though, the better my Chicago Tools rotary seems to be. Anyway, good luck either way.
 
O.C.Detailing said:
I beg to differ Lincoln.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...l-acrylic-overspray-removal-hell-77-pics.html

That entire car was done with my Chicago Tools rotary. So yeah, if you don't want to invest a ton of money, then go with the Chicago tools rotary JUST to learn how to use one. Just make sure you invest in a quality rotary if you TRULY want to use one professionally. You can switch backing plates and such just like any other rotary and you might get lucky and get one for $29.99 like I did.

When I have the money, I will be buying a Makita, but at the time, I wanted to test out a rotary just to see if I even wanted one before I really invested $200+ into a quality rotary and it fit the bill. It's a little less powerful than the makita, but you can put plenty of pressure on it without slowing it, just if you smell something burning, you may want to let up on the pressure a bit as that would be the electricals being too stressed. Remember, it is NOT a Makita, so try not to treat it like one. The more you use it though, the better my Chicago Tools rotary seems to be. Anyway, good luck either way.
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Thanks for the information. :dblthumb2:
 
When my old rotary broke, I replaced it with a $30 one from a place in Canada called XS Cargo. I used it a lot for 2 years when it eventually broke. It was a light machine and easy to use. I replaced it with a Dynabrade which is a heavy beast of a work horse and I love it. For a time though, the cheap one did me just fine.
 
O.C.Detailing said:
I beg to differ Lincoln.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...l-acrylic-overspray-removal-hell-77-pics.html

That entire car was done with my Chicago Tools rotary. So yeah, if you don't want to invest a ton of money, then go with the Chicago tools rotary JUST to learn how to use one. Just make sure you invest in a quality rotary if you TRULY want to use one professionally. You can switch backing plates and such just like any other rotary and you might get lucky and get one for $29.99 like I did.

When I have the money, I will be buying a Makita, but at the time, I wanted to test out a rotary just to see if I even wanted one before I really invested $200+ into a quality rotary and it fit the bill. It's a little less powerful than the makita, but you can put plenty of pressure on it without slowing it, just if you smell something burning, you may want to let up on the pressure a bit as that would be the electricals being too stressed. Remember, it is NOT a Makita, so try not to treat it like one. The more you use it though, the better my Chicago Tools rotary seems to be. Anyway, good luck either way.
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Sorry. Maybe it is just because I am so used to Dewalt's, I just find anything less quality so "cheap." Then again, I first learned on a quality buffer, so I can see why you could get away learning on a $30 one. But yeah O.C., my next investment is going to be a Makita because the Dewalt is just so heavy on my back when doing the side panels. Rotaries are quite easy once you are used to them and know what you are doing Z-06.
 
LincolnZephyr2006 said:
Do not buy a cheap rotary. Just save and buy quality, trust me. I am a machine polisher enthusiast and I have seen first hand how cheap rotaries are like. You CANNOT apply pressure to them and have to use ONLY the edge of the pad to get correction done. They are not worth it... and you will be inducing more damage on your paint by doing this.
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This to me sounds like good sound advice.
 
Yeah, the lot I do work for has a DeWalt...there's NO WAY I could swing that thing around every day.
 
O.C.Detailing said:
Yeah, the lot I do work for has a DeWalt...there's NO WAY I could swing that thing around every day.
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Why not, I have been using the same two I have for over 25 years.

To the op, I would suggest just getting a quality rotary and not wasting your money on a cheapie. I have read that the Chicago rotary breaks most of the time after a car or two.
 
lol I suggest you do what you need to do in order to be comfortable. Get the Chicago Tools buffer if you're on the fence like I was, but if you're sure you're going to use a rotary fairly often, then get a Makita. In the big scheme of things, $30 is a hell of a lot less money than $200 just to see if you're going to use one on a regular basis. If you do decide to use one regularly, then buy yourself a high quality rotary. If not, you have yourself a cheap rotary to spin your pads dry instead of a $200 pad spinning machine. I'd rather spend $30 to see if I even want something then spend the big money later than spend $200 on something I"m not even sure I need, but that's just me.

Good luck with your decision no matter which way you decide. You can't really go wrong with either decision. ;)
 
O.C.Detailing said:
lol I suggest you do what you need to do in order to be comfortable. Get the Chicago Tools buffer if you're on the fence like I was, but if you're sure you're going to use a rotary fairly often, then get a Makita. In the big scheme of things, $30 is a hell of a lot less money than $200 just to see if you're going to use one on a regular basis. If you do decide to use one regularly, then buy yourself a high quality rotary. If not, you have yourself a cheap rotary to spin your pads dry instead of a $200 pad spinning machine. I'd rather spend $30 to see if I even want something then spend the big money later than spend $200 on something I"m not even sure I need, but that's just me.

Good luck with your decision no matter which way you decide. You can't really go wrong with either decision. ;)
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100% agree.
 
I have bought a couple of Chicago power tools and they SUCKED, JUNK. Took me twice to learn my lesson, but I will NEVER buy one again...
 
I vote add an extra $39 and get a vector from PepBoys, The one I had was just as powerfull as my Makita and has a nice soft start like the makita but is just a bit noisier. For $79 you won't be wasting any money because someone would surely give you $40 or so for it down the road if you choose to go with a more expensive unit. Just a suggestion
 
I will admit that I've tried to buy 2 of the 10-amp digital polishers from Chicago Power Tools and both were totally fail out of the box and had to be returned the day after I bought them, but the el-cheapo $30 rotary has lasted me over a year so far, even though it's really only been used to dry pads most of the time.

I'd give a cheap tool company 2 chances to impress me. After that, it's not worth the effort. I totally agree that Chicago power tools is NO WHERE NEAR the same machine as a Makita, but I stick to my guns on my previous post. You could try a slightly better rotary like tuscarora stated as well. Either way, it's about the same. ;)
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
and even if I didn't like a rotary, I can use it to spin dry my pads.
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Been recommending this for years for guys that like use a PC but want a better way to clean their pads.

The fastest way to clean pads on the fly is with a rotary buffer, so while like others have mentioned, I've bought a few cheapie tools in my life only to get what I paid for and then go out and actually buy the real deal.

But for what you want, that is to take a rotary buffer for a test drive and see if you like using one and then keeping it around for a pad cleaner regardless of whether you like it or not.

Just be sure to get a Pad Wash to go with it!

Cleaning Pads with the Flex 3401 and the Grit Guard Universal Pad Washer


:buffing:
 
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