I will have started driving exactly 50 years ago on my birthday, which will be in a few days on October 16. I washed and waxed my father's cars for even longer than that when I was a kid. In all those years I never touched an electric polisher of any kind although they have been around for as long as I can remember. Every car I have detailed through those years (and there have been a bunch!) I have worked on by hand.
I recently purchased an SUV and wanted to really do it right so I bought a Griot 6" polisher and an extra 5 1/2" backing plate and pads. My hands are no longer as strong as they once were and I can hardly get through a polish and sealant job anymore without my joints hurting. Because of that and the new SUV, I thought this would be the perfect time to invest in an electric polisher.
I began experimenting on my old truck, a friend's Sonata, my shower stall, the interior of my hot tub, counter tops, etc. You name it and I used the Griot on it. I came to the conclusion this was simply too much of a beast to put on my new Mercedes with its additional $1500 option special paint. But the more I experimented and used it the more confident I became and finally did my first detail with it and the Mercedes looks beautiful! It was easy and fast once I got the courage to try and I am certain the job came out better than if I had done it by hand.
I recommend the Griot polisher (although it is the only one I've ever used so I have nothing to compare it with) only because if I can do a good job with it anyone can. Once you practice a little with it and then put it on a car it is fool proof. I wish I had done this 50 years ago!!
