JW Motorsports

They're a must for polishing IMO. I never got good results by hand. I never apply wax with them. I find it easier to apply wax by hand (and remove wax).

speedraider

I use mine to apply polish only, to remove all swirl marks and apply sealer by hand. Wax sucks in Florida, the heat melts everthing, never lasts. I bought some Wolf gang products at SEMA and I'll never use wax again. The sealer will last atleast a year compared to wax, maybe a month.

Tide Will Roll!

After washing car pull it inside garage, use leaf blower or master blaster to blow some of the water off. Spray entire car liberally with Turtle Wax Ice Spray Wax, then dry car off with nice micro fiber drying towel
Wax done.

Bert

Roll Tide!

PHXAZ06

I have a Flex, and used to use it for polishiing only, until I read on my bottle of Z5, "best if applied with orbital polisher", or something to that effect.
I'd always applied wax/sealant by hand, but figured I try using the Flex.
Results are outstanding!
Use the finest pad you can find(I used an Adam's white), and let the machine do the work.

c6miller

Guess I'm from the old school, I apply and remove the wax by hand, works well and really don't take all that long.

ryker

If you don't know what or why you need a orbital polisher then you don't need one. For sure not needed if using pure wax. Might be good if using a combo polish and wax single product.

The multitude of options from: speed, pressure, pad type, polish type.

You can do more harm than good.

LKicklight

Have been using a Dewalt buffer for years, 1000 to 3000 rpm...weighs around 12#. The secret to these high speed buffers is #One, do not run them at an rpm higher than 2000 rpm, that is for taking off polish and never ever run one faster than 1000 rpm for doing any kind of compounding...#two, and this in the most important part, get a full set of foam and wool buffing pads with velcro backing....Each pad has an important function, read as much as you can on that..The foam pads just as well...In the years I have been detailing all kinds of paint, all kinds of colors, I have never had any problems with swirls...love doing black cars, always get a good tip....My Vette is Arctic White, get one of these puppy's to shine, with that said, you can do anything..Have a orbital buffer for a final shine..using that is a trade secret...

JLB768

You get better results from a machine, no doubt about it.

SilverScorp

Most people don't realize what they have been missing in the car's shine until they have used a ROP for minor paint correction (swirls, halos, etc). If you have a chance to borrow someones ROP, try it out first. I would shy away from the non-ROPs as those are for professionals (wetsanding, etc).

Don-Vette

I use the microfiber covers and rubbing compound for the scratches and, after I wax whole car by hand I use the buffing pad,on mine (Harbor Freight)

Turbo6TA

Don ...

Those pads you show in the photo from Harbor Freight .. I wonder if they would fit on a Griot's Garage ROP?

Don-Vette

That was a random pic. Not the ones from HF theirs fit 10" pad size has elastic that stretches around the pad.

Turbo6TA

Thank's ...

You know, AutoGeek (a sponsor here) sells some micro-fiber bonnets, but there website says they only fit the 6" Porter-Cable 7424XP and Meguiar's G110 Polishers.

Maybe there is nothing but those standard foam bonnets that fit the Griot's Garage polisher? I am not buying a polisher that I can't find micro-fiber bonnets to buff wax out with.


http://www.autogeek.net/pc7424-bonnet.html



.

MikeyTX

Reading this thread made me 1) hungry. 2) exhausted

DRLC5

Ron buy the Porter-Cable 7424XP We have a Griots at work and in my opinion the PC is a much better machine. Also you will never lay on polish by hand the way a PC will. This thing will apply layer after layer in about 1/4 the time much more efficient.

P0234

If removing wax is the hard part, you are probably using too much. If you use more than 1/2 oz of liquid wax, you are using way too much. Thin is the way to go. As others have mentioned, the RO is for polishing paint, if you aren't bothered by swirls, you don't need one.

Turbo6TA

Thank's DRLC5 and everyone else that has provided info in this thread. I will take your advice.

Appreciate everyone input and sincerity.

Ron,
(back from the Philippines again)

cdoo932

I have the griots and love it. I did a full paint correction on my Vette(06 Victory Red) that had minor scratches and swirls. I couldnt touch them by hand so i got my Griots and some Lake Country pads( orange-cutting/compound,white-finish polish and black-sealent). I used BLACKFIRE Scratch Resistant Clear Compound,then BLACKFIRE Scratch Resistant Clear Finishing Polish. Got the paint perfect. Also wiping that off with a microfiber takes less time then putting a bonnet on the machine. BlackFire products wipe right off very easy. Then I sealed it with WetDiamond paint sealer using the machine and wiped it right off. The machine is most usefull for paint correction and paint sealent. I apply my Midnight Sun(Blackfire carnuba)wax by hand which also is wipe on wipe off.Also have a BlackFire instant detailer for in between waxing. A random orbital makes the paint look far better then can ever be achieved by hand. Especially on our hard clear coated Vettes.My Vette was always clean and slick but i always new it wasnt perfect. Now that it is, I am so much happier with it.

speedraider

100%, I have the same one. I wish I had the flex, just to much money for me.

lavla

Ron, again, "Stop thinking about it and buy it!". You won't be sorry..

Lou