Griots Garage ROP vs PC 7424XP

[DarkWing6]

Just read this on the AutoGeek Twitter feed...

"Sitting here listening to Phillips in the garage playing with the Griots Polisher and the PC7424 XP! Music to my ears!"

Maybe we'll get some feedback from Mr. Phillips afterall.

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by DarkWing6

Maybe we'll get some feedback from Mr. Phillips after all.

Just to note, if I'm not active on the forum that usually means I'm typing full speed on another project or in the Training Garage working on a project... I've been following this thread and just don't want anyone to think I'm not paying attention... just busy....

[2003 GMC Denali]

Please, please Mike... give us your opinion of the Griot !

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Okay, just got out of the garage and did a little testing, did this for you guys just as much as myself as I'm just as curious as the rest of you and I must say I was a little surprised.

First let me say that all three of these new generation DA Polishers all have more power than the first generation polishers which basically are the PC 7424 and the 7336

The biggest difference with the new generation dual action polishers is with their increase in power they are better able to keep a pad rotating under pressure and this is key if you're trying to remove defects because, defects are removed best when the pad is rotating over the surface, not just vibrating against it.

Makes sense?

So with that said, keep in mind not everyone getting into machine polishing is trying to remove each and every little swirl and scratch, some people just want to use a tool like these to take the work out of applying a wax and they all work great for this as these dual action polishers do such a good job as compared to you hand.

On to the test,

Anytime you do any testing it's vital that you reduce and remove as many variables as possible so you can focus the testing to a specific features or attributes.

For this test I used one of the largest foam pad on the market designed for use with a DA Polisher and that's the Meguiar's W-8207 Yellow Foam Polishing Pad. I used the Meguiar's new W67DA one piece backing plate, this isn't the one that comes with the tool but is sold on it's own and a very nice upgrade.

I used the 5" Lake Country Backing Plate on the 7424XP and the Griot's backing plate that comes with the Griot's polisher.

Backing plates can make a huge difference in the performance of how a pad works but since they were all pretty much the same diameter, there's not too much of a variable here to make a huge difference in the noticeable performance of the tools.

I wiped clean and then clayed the hood of Harvey and wanted to test out the Griot's Paint Sealant, so I figured I would use the Meguiar's UC with each of the polishers mostly because I already had an open bottle in the garage and it was handy. For a test like this since there really aren't any swirls in the hood of Harvey it didn't really matter which compound or paint cleaner I used as long as it was the same product for all three tests.

All pads were new and dry. I tested all polishers at all speed settings. For the lower speed settings I tested with just the weight of the machine and under light pressure. For the higher settings, I tested with light pressure and firm pressure. You don't let a DA Polisher run at high speed without some kind of pressure because it's too much speed to leave uncontrolled.


Keeping in mind that I only buffed out the horizontal portions of the hood. Here's what I saw and felt and this isn't positioning one as better than the other, nor is it a recommendation, it's just my observations.

Out of the 3 polishers tested, the G110, the PC 7424XP and the Griot's ROP
the Griot's easily had the most power and speed with light pressure and with firm pressure, followed by the PC 7424XP, followed by the G110

I'll leave it at that for now because buffing out just the flat portions of a hood is not a full-on test, buffing out a few cars, completely buffing them out, now that's a better test.

[O.C.Detailing]

I had the 7424 and it recently died on me, probably just a brush replacement, but it was a good excuse to give the wife to let me buy another DA as a back up when I get the PC fixed. I have to say, my Griot's polisher is leaps and bounds better than my old 7424 DA. FAR more power, less vibration (numb fingers) and my backing plate off of my 7424 works on it as well.

Here's a list of the things I do and do not like about my Griot's polisher:

Good:

- A LOT more power. Even with larger pads, I can't seem to stop it from rotating on a flat surface.
- A LOT less vibration than my 7424 as long as I center my pad on my BP.
- It's lighter, yet feels just as durabable as my 7424
- Easier to hold onto all day than my PC was. The grip area is more slender and just feels better in my hand.
- Rubberized coating on the head of the machine feels very nice and offers protection to the vehicles I"m working on. (Usually 1 vehicle per day or two and I've done 3 cars since I got my Griot's machine and getting ready to start my 4th.)
- Comes with a BP that I can use my larger LC pads with giving me less over-hang to deal with due to my smaller 4" BP.
- Comes with a set of new brushes, a wrench for the BP AND includes the BP in the box with the machine.
- The velcro on the BP is STRONGGGGGGG!! I actually feel like I"m going to rip my pad apart trying to pull it off of the BP sometimes. It's got INSANE amounts of grip.
- I like the option of having the D handle rather than the side-only handle that comes with the PC. (Though I do use my Griot's without the handle at all as it's more comfortable and allows me to reach areas that I couldn't with the handle attached...and again, the rubberized coating on the head makes for very comfortable handling without the handle anyway.)
- I LOVE the fact that it isn't an INSTANT full-speed switch. Gives me a second to position my hand after I turn it on or allows me a quick shut off and restart to hop over a trim piece without tearing my arm off when it restarts.



Now for the bad:

- The power switch being on the side is cumbersome and awkward to reach though I'm getting used to it and my index finger on my left hand and thumb on my right hand are learning how to use it quite effectively and being born ambidextrous is also a good benefit because if I weren't, my left-hand would have some major issues with the position of the power button.
- It is MUCH easier to turn off than it is to turn on due to the design of the switch as the off position appears to have a spring load on it that allows for you to just touch the off side and it turns off without having to actually SLIDE the switch. If you tap your thumb on it accidently, the machine shuts off. Not sure if this is a bad thing or not yet. Still trying to figure out whether I like it or not, so for now, it'll stay in the bad section, though it's more of an "I don't know yet" feature. It may grow on me though.
- I can't have it serviced locally. (The lifetime warranty is nice though.)



So there ya have my opinion on the Griot's. My old PC, when it's fixed, is now my back-up machine if I ever have issues with my Griot's, and will only be used until I get my Griot's back from repair. I doubt the new 7424XP has a TON of differences, but I haven't used it. With Mike's review, and my own experience with the old PC and Griot's new DA, I'd have to assume that Griot's is the superior machine with more correction ability and VERY few negatives so far as I've experienced with it. I'm a believer and even called AG to ask about the Griot's machine before I bought it. They said the 7424XP and the Griot's should be about equivalent in correction ability, but if the 7424XP is anything like the 7424 in power, then I have to say, the Griot's is FAR more powerful. I hope this review is helpful on the Griot's machine. I'll add to it if I think of more information you might all benefit from.

Thanks for readying.

Adam

[kaptain_zero]

Originally Posted by BigAl3

have you used the Griots? the only problem i have with your statement is, no one knows (that has posted anyway that i've seen) that the Griots D/A can remove defects like the 7424/7424XP/G110 (there have been quite a few people who have used the XP and said it does have noticable more power than the 7424) can. as mentioned... while on paper the Griots has more power, one would not know until it's been put to the test. not trying to start an argument, just trying to save someone money on something they know that will deliver as indicated...

I guess now we know more.


Regards

Christian

[BigAl3]

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

I guess now we know more.

it's nice to hear some more feedback (especially from mike) , but as mike said...

I'll leave it at that for now because buffing out just the flat portions of a hood is not a full-on test, buffing out a few cars, completely buffing them out, now that's a better test.

[2003 GMC Denali]

I'm anxious to know if you think that the Griot has the Power to overcome the drag of the 7-Inch Kompressor Foam Pads?

There seems to be a movement amongst DA users to go to smaller Pads, because some of the DA mechanisms on some Buffers just jiggle, rather than orbit.

On the new Griot, because of the higher Amperage, do you feel that the new Griot can tackle any size of Foam Pad with ease?

I bought a few of the 7-Inch Kompressors for doing the wide-open Panels of my Truck, but I wanted the ability for the Pad to follow the Contours too.

My Truck has Wheel-Flares on the Rear-Quarters similar to what a Dually has... and I wanted the Foam Pads to be able to float over these, without having to go to a smaller size of Backing-Pad and Foam-Pad each and everytime.

I did however buy the smaller 3-Inch Griot DA-Buffer to handle those tight spots.

Would you recommend going down to a smaller Backing-Pad to provide a little more cushion between the Foam-Pad's edge and the Backing-Pad's edge ?

Is the repetitive removal and reinstalling of a Griot Backing-Pad an easy thing for you to do, compared to other DA-Buffers out there, that you've worked with?

The OEM Backing-Pad on the new Griot is a 6-Inch... and I'm thinking of ordering a 5.5-Inch Backing-Pad to give me, a newbie, a little more insurance. I do realize that the 7-Inch Kompressors I bought, would not work on a 5.5-Inch Backing-Pad, so I'd have to use some other kind of Foam-Pad then.

Thanks Mike, for your opinions in advance.

[Rsurfer]

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

I'm anxious to know if you think that the Griot has the Power to overcome the drag of the 7-Inch Kompressor Foam Pads?

There seems to be a movement amongst DA users to go to smaller Pads, because some of the DA mechanisms on some Buffers just jiggle, rather than orbit.

On the new Griot, because of the higher Amperage, do you feel that the new Griot can tackle any size of Foam Pad with ease?

I bought a few of the 7-Inch Kompressors for doing the wide-open Panels of my Truck, but I wanted the ability for the Pad to follow the Contours too.

My Truck has Wheel-Flares on the Rear-Quarters similar to what a Dually has... and I wanted the Foam Pads to be able to float over these, without having to go to a smaller size of Backing-Pad and Foam-Pad each and everytime.

I did however buy the smaller 3-Inch Griot DA-Buffer to handle those tight spots.

Would you recommend going down to a smaller Backing-Pad to provide a little more cushion between the Foam-Pad's edge and the Backing-Pad's edge ?

Is the repetitive removal and reinstalling of a Griot Backing-Pad an easy thing for you to do, compared to other DA-Buffers out there, that you've worked with?

The OEM Backing-Pad on the new Griot is a 6-Inch... and I'm thinking of ordering a 5.5-Inch Backing-Pad to give me, a newbie, a little more insurance. I do realize that the 7-Inch Kompressors I bought, would not work on a 5.5-Inch Backing-Pad, so I'd have to use some other kind of Foam-Pad then.

Thanks Mike, for your opinions in advance.

Most bp are 5" and uses 5.5" pads.

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

I'm anxious to know if you think that the Griot has the Power to overcome the drag of the 7-Inch Kompressor Foam Pads?

Haven't tried them yet but my guess would be yes as it had no problem rotating the Meguiar's 7" yellow polishing pad.

Because they are concave in design, under light pressure it will take less power to rotate them but my guess is as I hold one in my hand and look at it that even under firm pressure most of the pressure will be in the center of the pad with less pressure on the outer edges so it really shouldn't be a problem to get good rotating action a the 4 to 6 speeds.

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

There seems to be a movement amongst DA users to go to smaller Pads, because some of the DA mechanisms on some Buffers just jiggle, rather than orbit.

It's technically not that they just jiggle or vibrate but that they don't have the power to maintain rotation under pressure. Slight difference in wording and explanation but the same problem, no rotation, little or no defects removed.

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

On the new Griot, because of the higher Amperage, do you feel that the new Griot can tackle any size of Foam Pad with ease?

Maybe but an 8" pad is big on a rotary, let along a DA Polisher, there's really no good reason to make a DA polisher work that hard when there are so many smaller options available.

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

I bought a few of the 7-Inch Kompressors for doing the wide-open Panels of my Truck, but I wanted the ability for the Pad to follow the Contours too.

Good thinking, should work well for your body design.

My Truck has Wheel-Flares on the Rear-Quarters similar to what a Dually has... and I wanted the Foam Pads to be able to float over these, without having to go to a smaller size of Backing-Pad and Foam-Pad each and every time.

I did however buy the smaller 3-Inch Griot DA-Buffer to handle those tight spots.
[/quote]

The 3 inch pads do come in very handy for smaller, thin panels whereas a larger pad either won't rotate or would cause you to have to buff on top of a body line or seam or even gasket between panels.

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

Would you recommend going down to a smaller Backing-Pad to provide a little more cushion between the Foam-Pad's edge and the Backing-Pad's edge ?

Use the right backing plate for the job. I personally like a little buffer zone between the edge of my pad and my backing plate. I've known guys that use backing plates that go all the way to the edge and that's just a little too risky for me even though you are supposed to hold the pad flat to the surface mistakes do happen.

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

Is the repetitive removal and reinstalling of a Griot Backing-Pad an easy thing for you to do, compared to other DA-Buffers out there, that you've worked with?

It's not so bad, just think out your project and try to tackle as many panels as you can with the larger backing plate and foam pad before switching baking plates for the smaller panels. In a perfect world it's nice to have two polishers all set-up with one the larger backing plate and one with the smaller backing plate but changing them over isn't that big of a deal.

Originally Posted by 2003 GMC Denali

The OEM Backing-Pad on the new Griot is a 6-Inch... and I'm thinking of ordering a 5.5-Inch Backing-Pad to give me, a newbie, a little more insurance. I do realize that the 7-Inch Kompressors I bought, would not work on a 5.5-Inch Backing-Pad, so I'd have to use some other kind of Foam-Pad then.

Thanks Mike, for your opinions in advance.

The 6" backing plates are 5 3/4" according to my Staples wooden ruler. The 5" backing plates are 4 7/8", so they're all just a littler undersized than their listed part number size.

I'll start a thread with some pictures just to have a dedicated thread with some pictures for the future.