Advise on machine for 3" pads

[Rsurfer]

I have my rupes 75e mini and have been pretty happy with it
Was tempted to buy the mini knockoff that optima sells to compare but eh..

IMO, pricey, but a joy to do some surgical buffing.

[Whitewater25]

I agree on the PE-8. Have one love it. If you are,comfortable with rotaries,you will like it. AG has the kit that comes with 1",2"&3" backing plates and some pads.

[chet31]

When I bought my Flex 3401, I relegated my PC 7424 to 3" pads. The PC is a joy to use w/ 3" pads.

[DBAILEY]

I use my PC for 4' pads. I have a Rupes 75E mini and the mini knockoff for 3" pads. The only issue I have had with the knockoff is that the trigger lock can be disengaged a bit too easily when bumped.

I don't think the power cord on the knockoff is of very high quality. When it finally fails I'll swap it out with the 15' cord that I had installed on my old PC7336 which has finally kicked the bucket.

[David Hayward]

I have used 3 inch pads on my gg6 but I'm much happier for light to medium work using my rupes lhr75e and for more severe defects my flex pe-14 with 1,2 or 3 inch pads.

The gg6 with 3 inch pads just didn't do enough for me. Great for finish polishing or wax application though.

[Mike Phillips]

and it is top heavy and extremely unbalanced.

I call this

tippy

It's when you have a full size tool or a large tool with a small buffing pad and you're buffing horizontal panels.

It's less tippy when you're buffing vertical panels because YOU are supporting the full weight and controlling the tool. When buffing horizontal panels it's natural to want to allow the weight of the tool do some of the work and if you don't firmly hold and support the tool the experience feels tippy.


My observations...

[Mike Phillips]

New thin pads just in time for this thread...

NEW! 3.5" ThinPro Foam Pads! Thin is in and you're going to love these new small foam pads!

[briarpatch]

:what: odd, I do it often with my gg6.

Thats what I thought....I figured they were just trying to get me to spend more money

[Rsurfer]

I call this

tippy

It's when you have a full size tool or a large tool with a small buffing pad and you're buffing horizontal panels.

It's less tippy when you're buffing vertical panels because YOU are supporting the full weight and controlling the tool. When buffing horizontal panels it's natural to want to allow the weight of the tool do some of the work and if you don't firmly hold and support the tool the experience feels tippy.


My observations...

I guess Mike, when your using a rotary vrs. an orbital, the tippy feel is magnified with a DA. Example is the PE8 with 1" - 2" pads works great. I think you called it surgical buffing.

[scuff]

Non-orbital rotation should add some gyroscopic stabilization that a jiggly DA can never have.