Which buffer would you buy out of these two and why?

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike, thank you for responding. If you could buy only one mini sander/polisher, which one would it be?

I can do everything under the sun with these two tools.

Flex PE14 Rotary Buffer
Porter Cable 7424XP dual action polisher

And I mean everything. Machine sanding, machine compounding, machine polishing, machine waxing, machine scrubbing.

I tend to choose the PC over other entry level DA polishers because I trust it more around liquid/water. That said I always plug into a GFI when machine sanding with an electric DA or machine scrubbing tires, interiors, non-skid on a boat, etc.

You can do correction work faster than any other tool using a rotary buffer and I like the lightweight, compact size of the Flex PE14.

Having only one machine would be ideal though if one can do it all and not numb my hands after doing one car.

Trying to do everything with only one tool will dramatically limit your or slow you down.

It seems the PC 7424 isn't counterweighted for the 3" discs....

I've never changed counterweights in any PC I've been using since at least 1988. Not once.

Note all the copies of the PC don't even have the option or ability to change counterweights.

I think I cover this topic in this article where I explain the history of the PC and that it has its roots as a wood sander and that the interchangeable counterweight is probably only a factor when using THIN pieces of sanding paper.

Lots of pictures and info in the below thread.


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



And again, I've never swapped out counterweights on a PC to do anything.

As for the vibration... it's never bothered me but I do understand vibration in tools is an issue for some. Not sure what to say except perhaps look into some specialty gloves?

 

[VincenzaV]

Mike, thank you. You said everything under the sun, but you didn't specifically list "headlights" so I will assume you meant headlights too? That is my prime focus. From reading your description on"How to choose the right polisher" I would think the rotary action of the Flex PE8 would help remove sanding scratches faster than the 7424? Can I use the Flex PE8 for 3m's sanding discs too, or is that one too fast/slow for them?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...se-right-polisher-your-detailing-project.html

You How-to video shows a gentleman using a drill. I can't do that because of my bad wrist. I have done it, but I find the feel/changeable fitment of a dedicated polisher will be much better on my wrist. That being said, I here the contenders are: 7424, Flex PE8, and Rupes Mini.

I guess I was hoping for more of a consensus, but it is a preference it seems so I guess I'd be happy with one of them?

 

[custmsprty]

The PE 8 is a "powerful" rotary tool. Do not let it's size fool you. It will burn up headlights in a heart beat and it has ton of torque. It's an amazing tool but it definitely requires 100% of your attention when using it. And it takes some practice to master it. On curved objects like headlights it will walk on you in the blink of an eye.

Your work is looking really good.

 

[d33p]

I agree you will not get favorable results with a da on headlights.maybe to finish them down perhaps.

Im no pro but Ive done a few headlights using a da with fantastic results

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike, thank you.

You said everything under the sun, but you didn't specifically list "headlights" so I will assume you meant headlights too?

Yes. They are under the sun.

1. Machine sand using the Porter Cable.
2. Remove sanding marks with the PE14.
3. Remove holograms out of the plastic with the Porter Cable.

That is my prime focus. From reading your description on"How to choose the right polisher" I would think the rotary action of the Flex PE8 would help remove sanding scratches faster than the 7424?

Yes of course. Meant that in the first place and stated it above.

At this point in history the rotary buffer remains the most powerful tool for doing correction work on plastic, paint, gel-coats, aluminum, etc. It has it drawbacks because it can impart it's own unique scratch pattern called

Holograms or more specifically hologram scratches.

Can I use the Flex PE8 for 3m's sanding discs too, or is that one too fast/slow for them?

IN my opinion the answer to your question is "no".

The reason why is because when you try to sand with a rotary buffer you're not sanding your grinding and you will GOUGE the plastic.

I witnessed this happen just recently. Someone tired to use a rotary buffer to sand headlights. The headlights were gouged and the gouging had to be removed via hand sanding.

Don't try to machine sand with a rotary buffer and this is why I recommended not ONE tool but TWO tools.

A rotary buffer and a DA Polisher.

You How-to video shows a gentleman using a drill. I can't do that because of my bad wrist. I have done it, but I find the feel/changeable fitment of a dedicated polisher will be much better on my wrist. That being said, I here the contenders are: 7424, Flex PE8, and Rupes Mini.

I guess I was hoping for more of a consensus, but it is a preference it seems so I guess I'd be happy with one of them?

Here's the deal... at a minimum you need two tools. Not one.

 

[VincenzaV]

Very thorough post Mike. Thank you. I will be buying two tools then. Can I use the PE8 instead of the PE14 because of the size is better for headlights (And is priced much better for such purpose)?

Just a heads up, I tried to email the "other guys...chemical brothers...cough...cough" to get advice from a different source to make a choice off multiple sources:

1. They didn't answer my question at all
2. When they finally did, all they did was "copy/paste" from the product description.

That reason alone, I will never use them. You spend so much time answering each and every question and even personalize the response (unlike the competition)

I will be using your store from now on...

 

[RFrommann]

Pe8 and harbor freight da.

Thatll keep you under 300. But id soend the. Few extra for the gg6

 

[VincenzaV]

RFrommann. I can flex on the price... The GG6 replaces the HF you suggested, right? Isn't that a little big for JUST headlights? Thank you.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Very thorough post Mike. Thank you. I will be buying two tools then. Can I use the PE8 instead of the PE14 because of the size is better for headlights (And is priced much better for such purpose)?

Yes.

Just to note, with the Flex PE8 you are limited to a 3.5 to 4" diameter pad max according to Flex. Any larger and you will overheat the machine if you buff to long. It's really a tool for small pads. I use a 3.5" wool pad for cutting paint and you can use this for removing sanding marks and/or compounding headlights.

With the Flex PE15 you can use both small pads and up to 8" pads so to me this makes the PE14 more versatile plus it has a low RPM of 400 RPM which can be real handy for paint polishing while the Flex PE8 has a low of 1100 RPM.

If your main focus is headlights then the Flex PE8 is a great option. If you want to buff headlights and everything else under the sun then the Flex PE14 is a better option. I tend to buff out everything under the sun.

Just a heads up, I tried to email the "other guys...chemical brothers...cough...cough" to get advice from a different source to make a choice off multiple sources:

1. They didn't answer my question at all
2. When they finally did, all they did was "copy/paste" from the product description.

That reason alone, I will never use them. You spend so much time answering each and every question and even personalize the response (unlike the competition)

I will be using your store from now on...

My employer, Bob McKee leads by example so I'm following his example when it comes to working on the forum which is a type of "customer service" provided by Autogeek.

I'm a long copy writer by nature and it can be kind of a curse but that's why I also try to keep my writing style conversational, that is I type like I was talking to you and I think that helps to make more complicated topics easier for the widest audience to grasp and understand and at some point take the information out into their garage and put it into practice on a car.

 

[VincenzaV]

Thanks for all your help Mike. I will be buying the PC 7424 and PE8 off your store. I'm still working on the list of the other necessary compounds,polishes, and sand papers. I will be ready to buy in about ten days so this gives me time to find everything else I need too. I like to research what I need about twoo weeks before I buy it because I tend to impulse buy crap I regret if not...:xyxthumbs:

 

[High Caliber]

Some of the reviews for the GG seem to say it has such little power that if you look at it wrong, it stops spinning. I'm not putting it on the paint, so I do not need the safety feature of "low power".

I second those reviews. I've actually used the GG 3" in Mike's boot camp. It was extremely easy to get it to stop rotating. You really had to back off your input pressure to almost nothing and hold it perfectly flat. Now it did the job, don't get me wrong. We to were using it to correct headlights but it required to much of a light touch for my liking.

 

[VincenzaV]

Yeah, I'm sticking with a PC7424 and a Flex PE8 for my headlight restoration business.

That's probably a good tool for some people, but I do have tactile feel and control, so I would benefit from the more powerful tools. I'll practice some more on my junkyard lights when I get the new tools. I hate using the drill, it kills my bad wrist and trying to keep the same speeds are very challenging when you move to different positions.

 

[craigdt]

I agree you will not get favorable results with a da on headlights.maybe to finish them down perhaps.

Hmm- my experiences seem to be the exact opposite.

I hate to be "that guy", but have you ever tried a DA on headlights?
Its close to fool proof and the results are soooo good.

Heck, even PlastX by hand generally does an awesome job.

OP- I got the 3" LC backing plate for my Megs G110, use 4" orange LC pads, and M105/M205. Depending on how many jobs you do, I'd think a 7424XP would be perfect for you.

 

[VincenzaV]

Craigdt-I also heard the DA is great on lights from extensively researching here. I am going to get both the DA and rotary as Mike P suggested. The DA to sand, the Flex PE8 to remove any deep scratches with compounds, and the use the DA again but to polish. I am trying to reach nirvana like results with headlight as that is my main business for now. Thanks for the input.