to buy or not to buy a polisher?

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CAMAROZL1

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Im looking into buying a polisher but never have used a machine before. I have always taken care of my truck by hand. does anyone recommend buying it for a weekend detailer or should I stick to hand. Further more what should I buy if I do get one? Ive been looking at meguiars and griots.
 
Definitely get a polisher.

The easiest polisher to learn how to use and master is a DA style like the PC, GG, Megs or Shurhold. Different brands but the same "type" of tool.

  • Completely safe
  • Better results faster
  • Takes all the elbow grease out of the project



New to Machine Polishing?

How to choose the right polisher for your detailing project

Video: How to pick the right polisher




And since this was your first post to our forum...

Welcome to Autogeek Online!


:xyxthumbs:
 
CAMAROZL1 said:
Further more what should I buy if I do get one? Ive been looking at meguiars and griots.
Click to expand...

I like the time proven history for quality and longevity for the Porter Cable myself but they all work and you'll find loyal fans for all of them.

As long as you stick with thin, 5.5" pads they can all get the job done. The Griot's Garage offers the most power but millions of cars have been buffed out successfully with the Porter Cable unit which is the tool that started the DA trend.


See this article,

The Free Floating Spindle Assembly - The Story Behind The Story...


Yesterday's Trend... Today's Norm...
Today, DA Polishers are the most popular tool among do-it-yourselfers crossing over from working by hand to working by machine. Many Professional Detailers also use the DA Polisher for their follow-up polishing steps after using a rotary buffer to do the major correction work. These tools are the easiest tools to learn how to use and so safe that even my son Rand is able to operate one safely on Nate Truman's 1966 Batmobile Recreation.

Photo courtesy of LacViet Photography
RandBuffingBatmobile1.jpg



:xyxthumbs:
 
Welcome to the forum! Listen to Mike, especially if you have a truck with a lot of surface area, you won't regret buying a polisher.
 
Mike thanks for the help my question then is, with the porter cable, what kind of pad/s do I need? I notice there are many types and all I plan to do is polish and wax. Thanks for the help and glad to be part of this great site. Also I plan to buy wolfgang deep gloss and paint sealant products. would these work well with polisher or is there a better choice?
 
setec, well do. Im new to all of this and overwhelmed and excited at the same time so many tools and products, its like being a kid in candy store
 
Without a doubt get a polisher...if anything, it saves your arms from feeling like rubber after a lengthy polishing session - which is key to holding up the obligatory post-detail beer...
 
you'll wish you made the decision "to" sooner ...
 
CAMAROZL1 said:
Mike thanks for the help my question then is, with the porter cable, what kind of pad/s do I need? I notice there are many types and all I plan to do is polish and wax.
Click to expand...

I'm not Mike nor do I play him on TV... The Meg's MF DA System is always my first recommendation to those new to machine polishing. You don't need pads of every color of the rainbow and compounds and polishes for every occasion, 1 pad, 1 compound plus 1 pad 1 polish/wax. Results depend on how long you work the products and how much pressure you apply.

TL
 
CAMAROZL1 said:
do the pads make a difference? willing to learn
Click to expand...

The Meguiar's Microfiber DA System is a simple system that's for sure as it was designed to be that way for the production detailing world. Two products, to pads and you have a fairly Bubba-proof system and that's a benefit in the production detailing world.

The system works great on factory paint but Meguiar's does not recommend it for non-factory paint. I've used it on non-factory pad and had good luck and bad luck and the key point is to ALWAYS test this system or any system on the car you're working on by doing a Test Spot and make sure you're getting GREAT results in one spot before you buff out the entire vehicle.

There are threads on this forum where you'll read about a person buffing out an entire car without doing a test spot only to find out something went wrong, they're looking for a solution but in the end... they have to buff out the entire car all over again.

So no matter what pad and chemical line you use, be sure to test it out to a small spot first and then INSPECT the results in good light and even by chemically stripping the paint to remove any polishing oils so you can see the true and accurate results BEFORE buffing out the rest of the car.

As far as do the pads make a difference?

Yes and no.

There are different types, styles, face designs for foam pads and there are categories.

The categories are basically,

Cutting
Polishing
Finishing

There are sub categories inside each one of these 3 primary categories but you get the idea.

If you're using good quality products, (that's the chemicals), and good technique, then as long as you're suing a pad from the right category with the right product you really can't help be get great results.

The easiest pads to use are the flat face pad designs, these are also the first designs dating back to 1965, back when,
  • Gilligan's Island debuted
  • The Mustang was introduced
  • The Rolling Stones came out with "I can't get no satisfaction"
Which pads are best is personal preference, kind of like the Coke or Pepsi opinions.

Flat pads
CCS pads
Hydro-Tech Pads
Kompressor Pads


They will all work and get the job done, more important is using the right category of pad with the right product with good technique.

  • Cutting pad with a compound
  • Polishing pad with a medium to fine cut polish or a cleaner/wax is you're doing a one-step
  • Finishing pad with a finishing polish or for applying your choice of wax or paint sealant by machine.
Read through this article, it walks you through the entire process...

DA Polisher Articles - Help for Newbies to Machine Polishing



:)
 
CAMAROZL1 said:
thanks again mike
Click to expand...


The easiest way to get into machine polishing is to call us at 1-800-869-3011 and any of our customer care staff can help make sure you get what you need to buff out your truck.

DA Polisher
5.5" pads
Backing Plate
Compound, Polish, Wax

That's the basics and we have kits for the above or we can just create a package over the phone.


Check one or two of these success stories out by people that have never machine polished before...


Success Stories

Two Part Success Story

Wolfgang Twins

Lessons I learned from a Black 2009 BMW 550i <-- Good read

How To Remove Horrible Rotary Buffer Swirl Marks out of a 350Z using the Wolfgang Twins

Getting my Griot's DA Polisher today and need some direction?


Proof You Can Do It! - Joe The Detailer - Black Porsche Turned into Black Pearl!




:)
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Welcome to the forum! Listen to Mike, especially if you have a truck with a lot of surface area, you won't regret buying a polisher.
Click to expand...

Yes, Mike advice is always the best. Cleaning your truck by hand is quite good but sometimes there still a surface of our truck that cannot clean by using our hand. Using polisher is really the best for our truck.
.
 
Take it from a noob... you would have wished you had it sooner once you use it.

wait for a special to go on. i think there should be a noob special or something on kits over 350$
 
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