What size pads fit on the griots?

[mavven77]

What size pads am I able to fit on the griots with the backing plate that comes with the machine? I'm assuming only 6.5?

 

[ziggo99]

Anything larger than 6". You could put a 7" on it, if you felt a need to.

 

[mavven77]

What are the smallest backing plates I can put on it, if I want to use smaller pads?

 

[Rsurfer]

What are the smallest backing plates I can put on it, if I want to use smaller pads?

You can use 3" pads with an adapter. Get 5.5" pads for regular correction. 6" pads will work, but 5.5" pads with work better for correction.

 

[Meghan]

3.5" Dual Action Flexible Backing Plate

 

[Buckskincolt]

You can use 3" pads with an adapter. Get 5.5" pads for regular correction. 6" pads will work, but 5.5" pads with work better for correction.

While this is true it is not as big of a deal with the Griot's as with the PC/XP. you get very nice correction capabilities with the Griot's and a 6.5" pad.

3.5" Dual Action Flexible Backing Plate

I use this plate with a 4" pads and it works awesome. With the Griot's you need to use a little caution using 4" pads because it will spin them almost like a rotary. The Griot's is an awesome polisher.

 

[OZD 35]

I use this plate with a 4" pads and it works awesome. With the Griot's you need to use a little caution using 4" pads because it will spin them almost like a rotary. The Griot's is an awesome polisher.

So for a new person that is going to polish their car do you suggest one not getting a smaller plate and pad to use with the Griots? I was thinking about purchasing these items and if it turns the Griots into a rotary type machine I might have second thoughts. Def don't want to jack my paint up. Any ideas?

 

[5.4 Shelby]

I have the GG. It is a great machine. I did buy the 5 in plate and 5.5 in pads. They are a lot easier to work with and will correct faster than the 6.5. As saaid above the 6.5 will work fine. I mostly prefer the smaller for size.

I also bought the 3.5 plate and 4 in pads. I highly recommend these. However, I use them on my old PC 7424. That way I don't have to change backing plates. I just grab whichever machine I need. Works well.

OZD, I wouldn't be afraid of using the smaller pads. If you want to be cautious (good idea), then use pads and polishes with less cut a slower speed and minimal pressure until you are comfortable with the machine.

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I have the GG. It is a great machine. I did buy the 5 in plate and 5.5 in pads. They are a lot easier to work with and will correct faster than the 6.5. As saaid above the 6.5 will work fine. I mostly prefer the smaller for size.

I have the GG and have 6.5" pads, they work fine. However, I just ordered a 5" backing plate and six 5.5" flat orange, white, and black pads. I'm sure I'll get better results with the 5.5" pads and will be easier to maneuver.

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

So for a new person that is going to polish their car do you suggest one not getting a smaller plate and pad to use with the Griots? I was thinking about purchasing these items and if it turns the Griots into a rotary type machine I might have second thoughts. Def don't want to jack my paint up. Any ideas?

Although the Griot's spins very fast at the highest speed, once you put even the slightest pressure on the pad, it will not rotate as fast. Note, I didn't say it will stop rotating. It will still rotate faster than a PCXP because of its powerful motor, but not nearly fast enough to cause damage to the paint like a rotary. This is what makes DA's safe, the ability of the pad to slow its rotations when pressure is applied. Even if you're a beginner, you'll be perfectly fine with 5.5" and 4" pads with the Griot's.

 

[OZD 35]

For example would it be safe to say if you were using a polish on a 6.5in pad at a 6 setting then, lets say you moved down to a 4in pad you should cut the setting in half? Down to about a 3?

 

[Rsurfer]

For example would it be safe to say if you were using a polish on a 6.5in pad at a 6 setting then, lets say you moved down to a 4in pad you should cut the setting in half? Down to about a 3?

I use speed 5 with the 4" pads with no problems.

 

[OZD 35]

I use speed 5 with the 4" pads with no problems.

Cool. I was just wondering if you should slow the speed down with a smaller diameter pad to achieve the same effect

 

[O.C.Detailing]

lol I know you were all wondering when I would chime in, but I agree with everyone so far. The Griot's works great with 6.5" pads, but I also plan on moving down to a 5" BP and 5.5" pads to help with getting into tighter places.

The Griot's is a very powerful machine, the most powerful of the true DAs and even has a bit more Oomph than the Flex 3401, but it won't actually burn paint unless you're EXTREMELY negligent with it. By extreme, I mean leaving it on a corner or edge of a panel with M105 and a yellow CCS pad on speed 6 using all of your body weight. I could see some real damage happening then. lol

Anyway, go with the middle size pads. The 5" stuff. You'll get into those tighter places a bit easier. Welcome to AG and the sickness!!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Although the Griot's spins very fast at the highest speed, once you put even the slightest pressure on the pad, it will not rotate as fast. Note, I didn't say it will stop rotating. It will still rotate faster than a PCXP because of its powerful motor, but not nearly fast enough to cause damage to the paint like a rotary. This is what makes DA's safe, the ability of the pad to slow its rotations when pressure is applied. Even if you're a beginner, you'll be perfectly fine with 5.5" and 4" pads with the Griot's.

Vindicated and backed-up again.

Somewhere on this forum in a few places now I've posted that for all practical purposes, the Griot's Garage works like a rotary with the safety of a DA polisher due to the Free Rotating Spindle Assembly.

For example would it be safe to say if you were using a polish on a 6.5in pad at a 6 setting then, lets say you moved down to a 4in pad you should cut the setting in half? Down to about a 3?

No. You still need to be on the 5.0 to 6.0 speed setting.

Note a lot of people post use the 6.0 Speed Setting and I always post use the 5.0 to 6.0 Speed Setting, you don't ALWAYS have to use the 6.0 Speed Setting and lot of times the 5.0 Speed Setting will do just as good a job with out cranking the tool wide open. Personal preference applies and of course if you're going after serious or in other words, deep defects then the 6.0 is where you want to be but not everyone is always trying to remove the Grand Canyon out of there car's paint.

Cool. I was just wondering if you should slow the speed down with a smaller diameter pad to achieve the same effect

No. If you slow the speed down you'll lose ability to keep the pad rotating no matter what the size. The Free Rotating Spindle Assembly needs speed and power to engage itself to rotate the pad.

It's really quite simple

5.0 to 6.0 to remove defects, this means to remove a little paint off the car, that's how your remove defects. The only other way to make defects go away is to ADD paint to the car, this is called a paint job.

4.0 to 5.0 for polishing to a high gloss - you don't need or want the tool maxed out for refining the finish

3.0 to 5.0 for applying a finishing wax or finishing sealant


5.0 to 6.0 when using a Cleaner/Wax or Cleaner/Sealant or Cleaner/Hybrid

If you're using a CLEANER/WAX or any protection product that CLEANS and the IDEA is to do a ONE STEP process - well then you need to be back up to the higher speeds because you're trying to remove paint again. This isn't true with a finishing wax or sealant because all you're trying to do with a finishing wax or sealant is spread it out.


See how simple that is? OPM don't matter at all because you're not setting OPM you're setting the dial on the tool and going to work on your car.

• 5.0 to 6.0 or in other words the high speeds for removing defects which is a fuzzy warm way of saying high speeds for removing a little paint.

• The 4.0 to 5.0 for polishing

• The 3.0 to 5.0 for a Finishing wax or sealant

• 5.0 to 6.0 for using a one-step cleaner/wax

• 6.0 if you're using a microfiber bonnet on a dry, clean foam cutting pad to remove a wax or sealant that dries. You don't remove WOWO product by machine because it just doesn't work.

The Griot's is a very powerful machine, the most powerful of the true DA's and even has a bit more Oomph than the Flex 3401, but it won't actually burn paint unless you're EXTREMELY negligent with it. By extreme, I mean leaving it on a corner or edge of a panel with M105 and a yellow CCS pad on speed 6 using all of your body weight. I could see some real damage happening then. lol

Agree.

You could do some damage with any DA on the highest setting, a smaller, thin pad and negligence or lack of common sense but for most people it's the least of their worries.

These two videos actually go over just about everything you'll ever need to know to get great results with a DA Polisher, regardless of which pads, chemicals and even which of the 3 DA Polishers in your possession.

How to Remove Swirls and Scratches using the Porter Cable 7424XP



This one is actually the key to the most important step and that's how to make section passes to remove swirls. If you're paint is already flawless then you still want to make 2-3 passes over each square inch like shown in this video only in the real world when you apply a wax or paint sealant you would apply to huge sections at at time. This shows working a small section BECAUSE when you remove swirls out of clear coat paints you ONLY want to work small sections at at time. Working large sections at a time is explained in the above video.

How to do a Section Pass using a Dual Action Polisher - Key to Removing Swirls

 

[sullysdetailing]

With the Stock backing plate you can fit 6'' or 6.5'' you can get a 5'' backing plate and run 5.5'' pads. You can run any backing plate that they make for the DA allowing you to run alot of different sizes