Rotary Buffer - worth learning?

[SpoiledMan]

Think of the Cyclo like this. Have you ever used the PC with a 4" pad? The Cyclo is like having double the polishing power of the single 4" pad as well as a more powerful motor AND it's a whole lot smoother than the PC. I rarely used my PC since getting my Cyclo.

Do you need to learn the rotary? For your own personal cars, probably not. If you're going to be doing others cars it's going to save you time. There are some cars that I couldn't imagine completing a finish restoration using just the PC or Cyclo as it would take a long time to get the best results.

[joe.p]

Originally Posted by killrwheels@autogeek

I am still contemplating that .... I still have not purchased a Cyclo.

Borrow Jason's ,if i remember correctly he had the cyclo repaired,
better yet tell max you need the cylo to aide you in testing new products

[Kelso]

i havent used the rotary yet but ive watched my boss use it..... its actually quite amazing what it can do to paint. fairly deep scratches and oxidation can be cleaned up very nice, but i also felt the paint after he used it on a scratched car....very hot. i can see where it would be easy to burn the paint. your really got to keep it moving i guess?

[Neothin]

yeah, you have to keep it moving. 6-12" a second or more.

watching out for the edges of panels is a big concern also because the edge concentrates the heat.

[SpoiledMan]

How fast you move it has a lot to do with what product, pad and speed you have it set at. There are times where I move it ~2 inches per second but most times I move it just a little faster than that. Only when being aggressive with pad, compound and speed do I get to around 6-10 inches per second.

It's not a cloaked beast, it's just a polisher that demands respect.

[abrcrombe]

WOW! That is a lot faster than I thought. I am still contemplating whether or not to learn. It is always good to learn new things. Maybe when I get more $$$... BTW, for any on the side detailers, PC is fine.

[Neothin]

ah see, when i use the rotary it's normally at 1400 rpms or so. this is really fricking fast, so i have to keep it moving.

[FloridaNative]

For someone with a detailing business where time is money, I could see the benefit of a rotary. You could always go to the junk yard and find a worth hood or some kind of panel to practice the rotary on. Just my 2 cents.