Man oh man! So much has changed since I started detailing! You guys that are just starting out now should feel very lucky with the tool/pad/products choices you have available to you now. I know, I know, back in my day.....up hill both ways, IN THE SNOW!
Anywho, got a chance to play with the Griots DA for a while the other day, and I'm pretty impressed! Now just for the record, I have not played with the new Porter Cable XP unit or the new Meguiar's V2, so I guess take this with a grain of salt.
I had a vehicle that the customer needed done quickly. He had a buyer coming that evening to look at the car and wanted it looking as good as I could make it look in just a few short hours. Normally I'd tell him there was no way, but I felt like a challenge that day
Keep in mind that this is 2pm, and the buyer was coming at about 6pm, and he was looking for paint correction work
Figured this would be a great opportunity to put the Griots to the test. Broke out the trusty Meguiar's M105, then after testing a few pads I decided on the new Lake Country Hydro-Tech Cyan pad.
Here's what I had to start with...
After playing with the speed setting between 5 and 6, I decided on speed 5. The vibration was just too intense at speed 6. I even changed out the backing plate to Meguiar's new W68, and it helped quite a bit but it just didn't help enough for me to feel comfortable using it on speed 6. But even at speed 5 it was tough to slow this thing down! Very powerful motor! With most DA's in the past, you really didn't have to worry about getting the pad 100% perfectly centered. But I noticed a difference right away when my pad wasn't centered. A lot more vibration, felt more like a rotary does when the pads out of center. The shaft on this unit is pretty comfortable. I think it would be a lot better if they exteneded it about 1-2 more inches, but I know most would disagree with me on that. I just think this machine has a ton of power, and a bit more leverage would make it easier to handle, and might absorb a bit more vibration. The on/off switch is in a tough position for me. Maybe I'm just so used to DA's having their power switch on top, but it just felt out of place to have it on the side of the machine. Turning it off was a breeze, but turning it on was a bit more of a challenge with my hand placement when I'm buffing.
So after 1 single pass with the Griots DA, Meguiar's M105 and the new Lake Country Hydro-Tech Cyan pad, here is what I was left with.....
Not 100% perfection, but at least 80-85% better, and did it all in about 4 hours! The defects you see in the after shot is pitting in the paint.
All in all I really like this machine. Dispite my few little petty rants about it. It has tons of power! Most of it usable. I'd like to use it a bit more to see if I can manage speed 6. But all in all I'd give this machine 2 thumbs up! Dispite my petty complaints, it's a decent machine that will hold a place in my tool bag
I was doing my final wipe down as the potential buyer was pulling up to look at the vehicle. Customer was extremely happy, and he sold the car right then and there!
Nick
Re: Got a chance to play with the Griots DA for a while.... 
Linear Mode
