Just wondering which DA polisher Azuraziners own and how has it worked out for you.

I tried to remove some swirls by hand with Meguiar's Swirl X with a foam applicator on my '12 Acura TL SH-AWD Black. I think I placed fairly good amount of pressure and went over twice and it did nothing. I am assuming I will need to invest in a DA polisher to get the job done.

Please note, I am a beginner and have never machine polished a car before.
I am thinking about the Meguiar's or Porter Cable.

 

I have the Porter Cable 7424 XP and the Griots and have had the Porter Cable 7424 and the Ultimate Detail Machine ( which was nothing but trouble ).

 

I have the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital and 2 spare $50 Harbor Freight Dual Action polishers.

 

have a porter cable, 2 ultimate detail machines, and a griots....they all do the same thing, you cant go wrong with any of them, and for the most part, you cant do any damage to your paint...

you will need a machine for what you are trying to do, its kind of a hobby of mine, and was in your same situation about 5 years ago....its very easy to learn, and the results are well worth the time and money spent....

 

I have 7424. Easy to use. Gets the job done.

 

My garage is very narrow and it can be a bit difficult getting in and out of the car. For this reason I am kind of leaning towards the Porter Cable 7424XP. I thought about getting some more abrasive compound and working it in by hand but considering Acura's soft paint I really don't want to go this route.

I think you guys helped me make my decision and go with the Porter Cable. It probably won't be another couple of months since I would want to wait until the weather gets a bit more warmer so I would appreciate it if more suggestions and advice is given in the mean while.

Thank you!

 

not sure what your garage size has to do with the machine you are choosing....you can forget about the hand polishing route, i dont care what polish or compound you are using, using hand power is not going to get it done....

 

yup PC7424xp here, love it. be sure to get various cutting and sealant/waxing pads.

tread lightly...it can become an expensive hobby!

 

I have the Griots 6" and 3". The Griots 6" is a very nice polisher!

 

porter cable...yes, it gets addicting.

 

It's where the handle is positioned... the Meguiar's d handle sits on top and the Porter Cable is on the side and the concern is when working the side panels because my garage is so narrow.

Looking at the Meguiar's again... i am now wondering if the d handle is adjustable....

 

90 % of the time when working the side panels I do it with 1 hand

 

i never even use the handle. i took mine off. i feel like i have more control over it without it.

 

+1^^

jesstzn....show off.

 

Are they really that easy to handle to be able to keep the pad leveled and flat against the paint with only one hand?

 

you can, but i wouldn't recommend it. jesstzn details for a living so he's used to handling the polishers quite well i imagine.

 

yes, its that easy....i dont have a handle on the machine i am using as its just easier to handle without the handle....

watch some of the videos on autogeek.net

i will go one further and say that most people use the machine without a handle....its just easier to get pressure directly on top of the pad if you put your hand over the top of the machine and drive it....

 

I own a Porter Cable 7424 XP and I love it, powerful enough to remove most deep scratches and sanding marks but not as difficult to use as a rotary.

 

Last year I got a griots 6" random orbital that I love. I'm kicking myself for not getting one sooner, it makes detailing so much quicker and easier.

 

I had the PC and sold it and got the Meg GV 110. Both machines are great. The PC is a much better value though.

 

1. Flex XC3401 VRG with 4", 5" and 6" backing plates
2. Porter Cable 7424 with 4", 5", and 6" backing plates

 

I have a couple of Rupes....

 

For the Griot's owners, how do you find the built quality?
I hear these have a life time warranty on them? How is their customer service?

Just on price and warranty alone... it seems like Griot's is the way to go.

7424P seems like a good deal but I read somewhere you need to change the backing plate? and with the extension cord... still looking at about $150 in price as the Griot's is about $150 with a 25' cord.

 

changing the backing plate on a PC is so you can use different sized pads. you think 25 feet is enough cord? think again. honestly an extension cord is inexpensive. you haven't even added in products or pads yet (that's where it can get $$$).

whatever machine you choose, it's up to you. they will all accomplish the same thing. just understnad there is a bit of learning curve with all the machines.

 

Griots 3rd Gen here. I am new to this as well, got the Griots as a Christmas present. I got a bundle with 3 pads and some product from Autogeek. Only experience I have is with the griots and I like it. It also comes with an instructional video, its nothing you cant find online though.

Like TltriGirl said, it gets expensive! I have since been back to autogeek and ordered just as much as the bundle in product alone!

Spend some time on the autogeek forums and you will find tons of info.

 

Porter Cable 7424 here.

 

I have been spending some time on meguiar's and autogeek forums and it seems that switching the backing plate to 5" is recommended as the standard 6" plate are rather too large of a surface area and when applying some pressure will stop the rotation. In addition, just overall easier to use. I can understand the ease of use but would 1" make that much of a difference?

As mentioned before, my garage is rather small and thought 25' would be enough but I think TLtrigirl is right. Should go with the 50' extension.

I think already have most of the products I need... polish, swirl remover, compound, sealant, wax and etc. Spent a good chunk of change already as I was trying to remove swirls but hand. Boy... that was BIG mistake as by hand, I was able to remove some swirls and scratches but it was extremely tiring and took 20 minutes and a lot of elbow grease with at least 3 applications for 2'x1' area of my hood. I may be bored and have time on my hands but not that much.

Looks like Sears have a pretty good deal on the Porter Cable 7424XP at $119. Just need to find some deals on pads. Figuring I would need 2 cutting pads and 3 finishing pads.

 

To answer your question about the 6" vs 5" pads

It's really preference.

I use 5.5" pads as I find them easier to work with and maneuver. The larger pads work a larger area. I like to focus my work in a specific area before moving on to the next.

IMHO, give microfiber cutting pads a look. I use them quite often now and I then finish with a foam pad.

2 5.5" Meguiar's cutting discs and 3 5.5" Lake Country Hydrotech Tangerine pads are my recommendation.

My reason is the MF pad is efficient and cuts really fast without the need to do multiple section passes. It sometimes leaves the paint last step ready depending on the paint you are working on. For those times it doesn't, that's when the foam pads come in to finish it down better.

Work clean! Clean the pads often I recommend grabbing a pad brush.

 

Would you mind me asking where you get your pads from? Autogeek?
Looks like Amazon has good deals but looks like they are limited on the 5.5"

Definitely work clean. I already learned a lesson and created my own scratches when I continued to use a dropped foam pad while waxing.

 

i have worked on a few cars in my tiny little garage with barely enough room to really work on it with the TL in it. i used a 15' extension but would have preferred a longer cord.

eventually i started working on cars in my driveway with a 50' extension under a pop up tent. i still use the 15' extension for the work light i use as well to help find the swirls. oh...ifyou dont' have 1000W halogen work light....get one. it'll help spot scratches and swirls a lot easier ($30 from home depot or lowes).

5.5" pads are more versatile and fit in more spaces. the smaller the pads get, the cutting power goes up a little due to a more concentrated area of correction (if it's the same color/type of pad, ie orange LC foam pad 5.5" vs 4"). i find that the 4" works well i smaller cars (STi's and evo's....with tight curvy panels, ask me how i know). larger cars (mid size and up) 5.5" works well. they are also a little cheaper than the 6" pads as well. be patient and take your time with the polisher once you get it....then you'll begin to see why so many of us say it can be addicting. oooo, shiny!!!

 

i think I know what you mean... even by hand, polishing and waxing my car, I noticed a significant more shine. I honestly believe that currently, my car has more shine now than when I picked it up brand new at the dealership. I can't even imagine the level of shine once I get all the swirls and scratches are out which is why I wanted to get a DA.

 

Hey C8N,

I usually hyperlink the parts in my posts. Just hover over my posts with the product names and I usually have a link in there redirecting you to a website to purchase from.

I usually order from Autogeek as they always seem to have the best deals or Amazon, Ebay, any place with a good bargain.

 

Ah!... thank you my good sir.
Saw the hyperlink for the pad brush but didn't see them for the pads until you mentioned it.

You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar!

 

i use autogeek, i prefer the lake country flat 5.5" pads, i have tried the others, but i believe these work best....i can do my whole car with 1 white pad and 1 black pad...i use the white pad for swirl removing/polishing, and the black pad for applying my lsp which is 4 star upp....i use full speed on my polishing/swirl removing, and maybe speed 1-2 for my lsp...watch some videos on autogeek, that should help you get started....

 

harbor freight da does the job for the price

 

Funny you mentioned the HF DA.
I have been reading quite a bit about it since last week and the reviews were over all positive and decided to pick one up this past weekend. First, for the money, it was just a sweet deal considering with the 2 year warranty and tax, price was under $60 with the 20% discount. It's half the price of the other majors. If the thing breaks within the 2 years, I could easily run to HF and get it replaced. If I get good 2 years use out of it... money well spent. If it breaks after the 2 years... oh well and lesson learned and I go out and buy one of the majors. $60 won't break the bank and since I am not a professional, I figure I would probably use the thing 3 or 4 times a year.

Keep in mind, I have not owned any other DA's so there is nothing I can really compare it to. Upon opening the box, the HF DA felt pretty solid and once plugged in, it worked. It rotates and oscilates so that confirms the dual action. I didn't think it was as loud as some other reviews mentioned but again, I have nothing to compare it against. The noise was something I could deal with and imagine it makes as much noise as other power tools. It is a bit heavier than I thought it would but that just means more work out on my arms which I am sure my wife would appreciate. As others have mentioned the power switch does feel cheap and it being positioned on its sides, feels a little out of place. I did notice the wobbling of the backing plate that it comes with. The 6" backing place is a "Warrior" brand and I have read that replacing the backing plate will cure the wobbling. I have ordered LC 5" backing plate with CCS 5.5" foam pads 3 orange and 3 gray pads and should arrive on Wednesday. Will replace the backing plate at that time to confirm whether or not this will cure the wobbling.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate this weekend for me to go out and use this thing on my car.

 

^ Good stuff.

I have 2 of those polishers and use them on every detail. One is attached with a carpet brush for interior work and the other is equipped with an Adam's 4" backing plate and 4" LC HT pads for bumper work, small areas, etc.

I don't regret the purchase at all. I'll rate it just below the GG6 in power and about the same power as my old PC. Still going strong after a year.

 

do you find it necessary to replace the washer that came with the HF DA?

 

No. As long as it's on there, you are good. Autogeek sells Lake Country Compression Washers but i think you could size one up at the local hardware store. Your backing plate you have coming should come with one.

I haven't found any "wobbling" issues with mine. I bought the 2 warranty for both of my units so if anything were to crap out, I'd just get a new one.

 

Got the LC 5" backing plate and installed it on the HF DA.
I am happy to report that the wobbling disappeared.