0Extreme Dimensions

I need to buy a new one and I've been burned before by saving a few bucks. What are your favorite

rsparks64

I only have Griot's Garage, two sizes, but they were rated highly here and at other forums. I have not used others and am not an expert.

Vonfido

I have a cyclo and it's amazing

cmonkey713

Great machine with lots of torque. You can't go wrong. If you want to step it up check out the Flex for around $400.

NewfGuy

I have the Porter Cable 7424, and it works great for a beginner, like me

joeybsyc

Flex 3401VRG.

juanvaldez

There is one a Harbor Freight for around $50.

MAD IN NC

can hold with one hand, variety of pad sizes

rkj427

Have a Cyclo, Flex 3401, and a Rupes 15"..............

I use the Cyclo the most, as it does it all without any issues or vibration

the Rupes and Flex get used when I am detailing vehicles which need heavy correction, and I don't want to work an excessive amount of hours on them............

rodsib

I have a porter cable 7424 also. Autogeek sells them as a part of a kit with pads, etc. so when you add it all together, the price is very competitive with cheaper options. I also have an inexpensive 10" orbital polisher that use use with microfiber bonnets for removing excess wax/sealant after it hazes. It does a great job and saves you from all of the manual buffing. I think it eliminates the uneven smudgy gloss look you sometimes get. My Vette and my Jeep are both black. I swore I would never own a black car because I detailed cars for a living back in my school days, but apparently I have developed masochistic tendencies.

Bucknut2006

If I start with a Porter 7424, how hard/easy is it to use. I'm between staying with hand polish or moving over to a DA, but have never used one.

rodsib

Autogeek has some great videos on using a DA polisher. Definitely check them out and follow their instructions. With that said, dual action (DA) polishers are very user friendly unlike high speed orbital polishers that can do damage if you don't know what you are doing. The dual movement of the polisher makes it very difficult to damage your paint if you use some common sense. Take 10 minutes to watch a video and you will do fine.

maxp

PC7424 for me

joeybsyc

You couldn't damage your paint with a Porter Cable unless you turned it around backwards and swung it at the car by it's power cord.

slhawkins

I bought a Porter Cable 7424 this week and plan on using it on Sunday for the first time. A buddy of mine has one and owns two black cars. My C4 is black but hasn't had any love for about 5 years, so I'm hoping to bring out a little shine.

I've heard the same thing others have said - you almost have to want to damage your paint to hurt it any. This will be my first time polishing, so we'll see how it goes. :-)

maxp

I bought my PC7424 about a year after buying a black C6

Bucknut2006

This is exactly what I needed​to know before trying to do this by hand.

Borntorun04/17

I have the Porter Cable 7424 also , I have had it for around 5 years . I would watch the video's on auto geek. I learned a lot mostly regarding what pad's to use with different type's of product ( polish, swirl remover, waxes, etc) and machine speed .

JoeD-C8

Tons of youtube video how to's out there, lots of manufacturer specific as well. Practice on someone else's car, even a clunker, get the feel of your buffer with different polishes.
One thing you will learn is the hardness of the paint and what polish and pad work best for you. Have fun.

Bucknut2006

I actually decided to go with the Torq 10FX and purchased a number of pads. I plan to start out on my daily driver Mazda 6. The car is a 2003 and has a mixture of minor paint issues, but the clear coat has held up on the metal parts. The plastic bumpers however are another story. That gives me everything from doors, hoods, fender, roof, windows and so on to hone my skill on before moving to the other cars. May even try out some other family member's cars that are older.

Fortunately, the majority of the Vette is covered with protective film so the number of sections to polish is minimal like the hatch and doors. So what I can actually screw up is minimal.