Buy a da polisher or not?

[Dewy]

You all have been a big help and I need some more. I don't know whether to buy a polisher or not. The vehicle is a 12 Tacoma. There are so many curves/seams/cladding, etc., I just don't know what you can and can't do with a polisher. I am afraid to pay that much if it is not going to save me that much time. However, I have spent over 20 hours on the truck and am worn out. What do you guys think?

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Didn't you already start a thread on this topic?

Should I buy a da polisher

[tuscarora dave]

Originally Posted by Dewy

What do you guys think?

I think you should buy a DA polisher with some 5.5" pads and also a 3 3/4" backing plate and Cyclo 4" pads to work the tighter areas and curves on your Tacoma. You will not regret the purchase after owning the black truck and the polishing equipment for a few years.

Think of it this way....Being that this stuff is pretty hard work, what would you say a fair hourly rate for the labor to do it would be? At what rate of pay would you be willing to do this type of work for if a friend or neighbor asked you to do it for them?

My thoughts are, "at a minimum" $20 per hour. Take your number X 20 hours (the time it takes you to do it by hand), and figure in the recovery time that it takes for all of your muscles to return from a state of soreness where you can't stand the thought of doing any other type of work until you've healed up from your truck detailing duties.

Try to put a dollar figure together that makes sense.

Come spring time, after you've pushed snow and ice off of your Tacoma all winter. Wouldn't it be safe to say, "Your black truck will be in need of some sort of attention in regards to how the paint looks"?

At this point, it's no longer a brand new truck. In fact it now has a few issues to be dealt with. If it took you 20 hours to get it looking the way you wanted it when it was brand new, Wouldn't it be safe to say that in the spring time your total hours of hand polishing would exceed the 20 hour mark?

The thought of having a polisher that you can simply guide across the paint, allowing it to do the work that you used to do by hand should be looking pretty good now after contemplating all of this.

If you want to keep a really nice looking black truck, it's a necessity to own at least a DA polisher with a few different pad sized options to work with.

Put back $100 per month until spring time and you can even have a fancy Flex 3401 or Rupes polisher or something of that quality.

Just my thoughts as backed up by my experience between hand polishing and now owning several polishers to work with.

[Dewy]

Well that does it. You all have convinced me. Thanks

[Dewy]

Sorry, I didn't mean to open two threads.

[slapshot]

I'd highly recommend a DA polisher. They are very flexible, used both for polishing/compounding and waxing with the right pads. They also are very easy and safe to use.

[tuscarora dave]

Originally Posted by Dewy

Well that does it. You all have convinced me. Thanks

Not too hard of a decision once you play the tape through to the end in your mind huh?

Glad to help!!

[2old2change]

Your question is like asking Tim "the tool man" Taylor on Tool Time if he should buy more tools . lol j/k. You WILL look back in a short time and wonder why you didn't pull the trigger sooner. You will soon be custom matching your pads and compounds to the job at hand for quicker and better paint correction.

[ihaveacamaro]

Originally Posted by 2old2change

Your question is like asking Tim "the tool man" Taylor on Tool Time if he should buy more tools . lol j/k. You WILL look back in a short time and wonder why you didn't pull the trigger sooner. You will soon be custom matching your pads and compounds to the job at hand for quicker and better paint correction.

this happened to me!

[Mike.Phillips@Autogeek]

Here's one of the first articles I wrote when I came from Meguiar's to Autogeek...


Man versus Machine



Final Results.

• The surface prep steps by Hand: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• The surface prep steps Machine: 30 minutes.

That's a difference of 1 hour and 15 minutes for one half of a hood done by hand versus machine.




The above article actually has a LOT of detailed information about how to do a multiple step process by hand if someone really wants to work by hand AND create a show car finish, not merely spread some product around and wipe it off.


Lot's of passion is required for any correction steps thought... see this article about passion...

Put a little passion behind the pad - Mike Phillips