Buying a power polisher locally

[Redlyne_mr2]

So i've looking to get my own polisher. I know I could resort to buying one from Canadian tire or Princess auto but are these even any good? I went online to auto geeks and 150usd seems to get me a decent polisher. Just curious if anyone has tips on what I should be doing and where I should be buying one?

thanks

[zieg]

Talk to Chris at Carzilla. He carries the Porter Cable version and it's amazing. He can also set you up with everything else you need and really knows his stuff.

[schocker]

I have been buying things from autoobsessed. They are a sponser on here and are located in edmonton. After some light research I bought a griot garage polisher:
http://autoobsessed.com/shop/griots-garage-random-orbital-cord-new-3rd-generation-10813-p-2023.html
It is not currently in stock
This model is though
http://autoobsessed.com/shop/griots-garage-random-orbital-new-3rd-generation-10813-p-1706.html
The only difference is it is a 10' power cord where as mine has a 25'. I knew I definately wanted a DA and that the griot is generally a good brand and it seems very stout.

As it is above $150 you get free shipping also. I did buy some other goodies with it though. Smaller backing plate (5.5"), some 5" polishing pads, pad cleaner etc.

I bought some polish also but haven't tried it out yet. I am planning on polishing my car soon though.

Amazon also carries a wide range of chemical guys products if you are interested in a smaller order without paying for shipping from AO. I have bought a ton of stuff over fall/winter to try out in spring lol :rofl:

For tips, I have been checking out reddit.com/r/autodetailing, AMMO NYC on youtube and also chemicalguys on youtube.

[GenerationX]

Porter cable 7424xp at Carzilla. Great guy to deal with and competitive prices as well.

[J.M.]

Originally posted by GenerationX
Porter cable 7424xp at Carzilla. Great guy to deal with and competitive prices as well.

This one seems to be a popular choice

[gpomp]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
So i've looking to get my own polisher. I know I could resort to buying one from Canadian tire or Princess auto but are these even any good? I went online to auto geeks and 150usd seems to get me a decent polisher. Just curious if anyone has tips on what I should be doing and where I should be buying one?

thanks

If this is your first polisher, I would go with the Porter Cable. You really can't screw up your paint with the PC. The GG6 (mentioned above) is also a good machine, it's like a PC on steroids but there's a slightly higher chance you can damage your paint.

You'll need to get a backing plate and pads as well. 5" plate with 5.5" pads of 6" plate with 6.5" pads. Match the pad color with the polish you want to use and get some good quality MF towels so you don't mar your paint when you wipe off the polish.

[M.alex]

look into a Flex 3401. it's very powerful and noob friendly. don't buy a rotary - for personal use you don't need it's corrective power (or more specifically, it's ability to easily burn the paint by doing something stupid as you learn) . i don't think the porter cable has enough poewr to correct really hard clears, unless things have changed from years ago. the cyclo is a good unit, but definately lacks corrective power and is better left for waxing (i use my 3401 for correction and cyclo for waxing)

absolutely do not buy any junk from canadian tire or princess auto, you will be sorry.

if you buy a 3401, to start out all you really need are 3 white pads (minor correction), 2 purple foamed wool pads (for heavy correction ... pfw cuts like wool but finishes out like a foam pad w/o having to worry about heating up the surface as fast as an orange or yellow foam pad), a blue pad (if using for waxing) and a bottle of Menzerna SIP (super intensiv polish .... heavy correction work) and Menzerna final finish (light correction). for wax use collonite 845 (liquid insulator wax .... it has unmatched durability). For towels i only buy either e-shine's blue cookie monster micro-fiber towels or auto-geek's purple cobra junior micro-fiber towels. those 2 are the best out there, period.

[rp_guy]

i bought a griot's because it had the most power for a dual action at the time (for that price range).

there are several speed settings so you are very unlikely to mess up your paint with a DA polisher. but any of the common DA's will be fine (flex, PC, griot)

[300zxfairlday]

How much is the 7424 run for at

Nvm found it on the website .... 170.00

[HiSpec]

It is pretty hard to mess up using a DA. For an entry DA, i would suggest the Griot.

For more future proof, I'd suggest Rupes LHR 15ES.

[Graham_A_M]

Hey Ryan, I have a very nice Makita power polisher (looks like an 8" angle grinder, but obviously designed just as a power polisher). You can have it, I just had it fully rebuilt with new (armature) brushes and a new trigger... but alas I haven't used it in years, kind of foolish to blow $140 getting it fully rebuilt only to not use it ever again... I think the cord may as well be new too, but I forget. I have a few different pads for it, it uses the typical 8" rotary pad. IIRC its like 300-400 RPM. :dunno:

Works like new...
Looks like this, only it has those screw in straight handles, rather then that big wrap around handle you see in the pic.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61LHLWfZMML._SL1200_.jpg

Obviously Im in Calgary though, so I'll just give it to you next time you're down this way, unless you want it shipped out to you.

I think mine is an older version of this one, mine was $250 new.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-10-amp-7-in-Sander-Polisher-9227C/100594840


^ I just much rather to do my waxing by hand with a pad, and don't do cut & polishes anymore, so I haven't needed to use it.

[know1edge]

.

[M.alex]

Originally posted by know1edge

It is possible to burn your paint with the Flex, so there is a steeper learning curve. But the Flex will save you more time in the long run, it's way better than the 7424, with a price to match.


Absolutely true, but all things considered it's quite noob friendly and you have to do something dumb in order to damage the paint.

I remember my first ever experience was with a Simonize rotary from Canadian Tire - let's just say it's a good thing i tried it on a scrap bumper I'd got from the junkyard as a test piece :rofl:

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by know1edge
The Griots last I heard had some reliability problems, that was the 2nd or 3rd model.

Interesting. Did not know about this issue. Was going to get this for a friend as a gift.

Unfortunately the price gap between an entry DA (eg Griots) and high-end DA (eg XC3401 and Rupes LHR 21ES) is fairly significant. I can't think of any DA that are priced in the middle.

[CRXguy]

I'm a noob looking for a polisher as well. What's everyone's take on the Chemical Guys Torq?

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by CRXguy
I'm a noob looking for a polisher as well. What's everyone's take on the Chemical Guys Torq?

I haven't tried their polisher but CG's product line is rather mediocre. There are only very few products in their line up that impressive.
So if it's anything like the rest of their product line, I would suggest the PCXP or Griot DA. Because it like nearly identical. I wouldn't be surprised if it is rebranded.

[gpomp]

Redlyne's budget is $150 and you guys are suggesting the $500 3401 :rofl:

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by gpomp
Redlyne's budget is $150 and you guys are suggesting the $500 3401 :rofl:

holy shit... I totally missed that requirement... :banghead:

[know1edge]

.

[gpomp]

I just checked carzilla, AO, and eshine and it's about $490 with tax. I'm not sure where you can find one for $300 unless you mean used?

[ZeroGravity]

Not sure how different is the newer porter cable... I have the old one, and it is sitting unused for various reasons...
(1) takes quite a bit of time to actually do any minimum correction -> could likely my technique or the lack there of or could be a combination of the polishes and pads I chose.
(2) the vibration from it takes a toll on me after prolonged use.
(3) toddler + baby... lucky if I can even sneak in time to clean and wax the car without feeling guilty

I wanted to get the Flex a couple of years ago when it was still around 350 to see if it helps with my issue #2. But that didn't happen.

[schocker]

It is $350 USD on amazon.com. iirc autoobsessed recently adjusted pricing due to the USD so maybe it used to be cheaper.

[know1edge]

.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by know1edge
sorry, $350 i guess. catching one of autogeeks no exclusion sales will bring it around $300USD
http://i.imgur.com/mn9wGdI.png
http://i.imgur.com/fps47kM.png
:dunno:

[know1edge]

.

[idriveabox]

Thanks to this thread, I finally picked up my first DA, a porter cable at CarZilla. Even though I need a ton more of everything (pads, polish, brushes etc) I'm pumped to try it out and hopefully correct the nasty black paint on my element. Hoping I don't screw it up!

Definitely recommend CarZilla for local supply.

[yellowGTS]

The easiest power polisher to buy and use would be the Porter Cable. Based on feedback from members of Autopia and AutoGeek this is a great first time owners polisher.

There are many other great choices with more power, however, they carry with them an increased chance of damaging paint/clearcoat

[dam_guy]

I've been using the pc7424 for years and yes, it is very easy and forgiving for a first time user. But as previously stated earlier, once you've gotten used it, you will notice how ridiculously long it takes to remove imperfections. Sometimes, I would be cutting the same section up to 3 to 4 times just to fix up minor blemishes. If I had the money, I would of opted for a Flex the first time around, as the learning curve would probably be similar but the amount of time you'll save would worth it.

Also, the vibrations are really annoying after spending more than 3-4 hours solid cutting/polishing.

[sneek]

Originally posted by yellowGTS
The easiest power polisher to buy and use would be the Porter Cable. Based on feedback from members of Autopia and AutoGeek this is a great first time owners polisher.

There are many other great choices with more power, however, they carry with them an increased chance of damaging paint/clearcoat

The Flex or Rupes would be fine for a beginner to use IMO. I have taught a lot of people to use a Flex and none had issues. The PC is a classic but I find the vibration unbearable now. I only use it on carpets now because I bought all the gear for it. Otherwise the Flex is much smoother to use and much more effective. Realistically if you are using the PC right the pad only does 1-2 RPM :nut:. That is with roughly 15lb of pressure. The Flex on the other hand is forced so even if you push down hard you are probably at 200+ RPM on speed 3.


Originally posted by dam_guy
I've been using the pc7424 for years and yes, it is very easy and forgiving for a first time user. But as previously stated earlier, once you've gotten used it, you will notice how ridiculously long it takes to remove imperfections. Sometimes, I would be cutting the same section up to 3 to 4 times just to fix up minor blemishes. If I had the money, I would of opted for a Flex the first time around, as the learning curve would probably be similar but the amount of time you'll save would worth it.

Also, the vibrations are really annoying after spending more than 3-4 hours solid cutting/polishing.

:thumbsup: When I was first learning on a PC 10+ years ago I wore cycling gloves to help with the vibration. You can get a different counter weight but it doesn't help much IMO.

[idriveabox]

Flex would have been nice but gotta start somewhere. I'm sure I'll upgrade if I enjoy doing it anyways. Besides, I've spent enough on product and pads haha.

[schocker]

For those looking for pads, the cheapest I have found are the chemical guys pads on amazon.ca iirc they are about $6 for the hexlogic pads. When I bought my polisher originally I bought a bunch of LC pads from AO which were around $9.

[K3RMiTdot]

I picked up the rupes a couple years only because the vibrations got so bad on the flex my hands shook the next day.