RATT7

I am thinking of buying a car polisher and need some suggestions on what to look for and what to avoid- I am finding it difficult to polish by hand and would like something like a polisher to make things a little easier in either applying the wax and or taking it off - I know of a polisher made by 'WEN ' which is a 2 speed polisher with a 10 inch buffer on it - can a novice use a polisher with out really getting into trouble

SteveA

If you're intention is waxing a good store bought orbital (Wen,Sears,etc) will do fine. You really cant hurt the paint with wax...whether applying by hand or with an orbital machine. For serious compounding/polishing you need a good rotary unit. The best is the Makita 9227C..thier newest model. I used a WEN variable rotary for a while. Worked Ok but didn't have the rpm's or control. Their is no comparison to a good Makita. You can really fine tune the rpms and control. Experiment on practice pieces till you get the hang of it. Stay away from edges and high points because you can compound the finish right off (called burn-thru). The products you use to compound/polish and the pads have much to do with the final finish. Can write a short book on this.

lbell101

I agree with Steve. There is none better than the Makita. Total speed control, reasonably comfortable, and hard to kill.

razz1980

there are a few new waxes on the market that u can spray on and leave so the rubbing shouldnt be a problem..they also have a new polish u wipe on wet and leave..this might be a less expensive opion for u... :yesnod:

74-Roadster

I'll nominate the Makita as well, I got mine from Harbor Freight. As stated earlier, you can get several different types of pads for different applications. It will buff paint into a mirror shine or on a slower speed with a soft foam pad, it will apply wax very easily. It's still work and for the money it may be a bit pricey just to wax a car.

Larry B.

I have an Air buffer (rotary like the makita).. They are available at most auto paint stores. They are lighter, run at an RPM designed for buffing paint and you do not need to worry about using them around water. You do however need a good air compressor. :cool:


[Modified by silvervetteman, 5:09 PM 5/21/2002]

fontking1a

I've got a Skil Professional Model that is about twenty years old and still works perfect after many paint jobs. It's variable speed and still has the same brushes. No complaints with Skil.

RATT7

I have seen the Makita brand and it looks like it takes a bit of skill - I guess my biggest worry regarding the buffer is actually doing more harm then good - I am worried about swirl marks, any tips on using these buffers would be appreciated - I am use to doing the waxing by hand, is there going to be any difference in the end between doing it by hand or a buffer ?

lbell101

If you go over to the Meguirs site here: http://www.meguiars.com/clinics/clinics_template.cfm
you will see some little videos you can watch that may help. Of course you will have to weed out the advertising.

SteveA

From your post it seems your mission is waxing. An orbital is what you want then. You wont get swirls from an orbital, but you can get scratches if the paint and/or the pad isnt clean. Use a fresh clean bonnet and if you are doing an entire car, switch to another fresh clean bonnet when you reach the halfway point. If you plan on compounding/polishing you need an orbital and some more skill. Start with polish and a foam pad on a practice panel until you get confident.

Some rotary tips:
Newer units have speed settings so you cant overshoot the rpms.
Keep the pad at an angle and let the machine/pad do the work.
Stay away from edges and high points.
If you dont know how much paint is on the car, err on the side of caution.
Start with less aggressive cutting products.
Clean/spur the pad often.
Wear a dust mask.

I'm sure others can add more...like I said you can write a small book on this topic.


[Modified by SteveA, 6:12 PM 5/22/2002]

RATT7

Thanks for the tips - I will sort through the info and go forward on the advice