Polisher and pads??

[chollis08]

Hey guys,

I am fixing to buy my first polisher, and can't really seem to decide which one. I have read about all of them and a buddy of mine has a rupes and he loves it.

I was leaning towards the rupes 15 with 6 inch pads.

On pads, how long do they generally last? How many uses can you get out of them and if starting out how many would you recommend buying??

Also what compound and polish?? I know rupes has a system so should I just stick with their products??

I just hate having to tell people I am not able to remove swirls and so forth! so figured it's time to start learning this side of it!

Thanks for all the feedback in advance!

[nontypical 200]

hello , i bought the rupes mark 2 15 i love it but i would stick with the rupes pads they really have a great system. i was out of the detail game for a while got that machine and used right out of the box it is just awesome.good luck.

[GSKR]

Buff and shine pads are great.If you want to save some cash,the gg6 dual action is powerful and light weight.Im not a big spender on machines,and the gg6 gets the job done on any project.Dont expect pads to last long cause they don't ,pads you will constantly buying them if you are doing this full time.The must have polishes are fg 400 HD speed and 205. I would get the gg6 and a Ibrid .

[GSKR]

Compound megs 300 or menzera medium cut compound.

[dlc95]

Pads are a fall into the "consumable" catagory. They will wear out, and need replacement.

[Mike@ShineStruck]

Mark II for the most power
And either thin pros or low pros for pads

[rlmccarty2000]

To start with get the Rupes pads and their polishes. Truthfully you really won't need anything else, but the Geek in me likes to experiment. Get Mike's book on how to use the Rupes system. It is a systematic approach on how to achieve the best shine. You will be very happy with your Rupes system!

[ski2]

If you start out with a long throw polisher that only can be used with 5" or larger pads how will you polish the small bits on every car you do?? Bumpers, pillars, etc?

Might want to consider a GG6 Polisher with a 5" backing plate for 5.5" pads and a 3.5" backing plate for 4" pads for the tight spots. It can handle anything you throw at it with the right compounds, pads and polishes and it has a lifetime warranty. Then after you have some time under your belt you can pick up a long throw polisher (if you really feel you need it) and dedicate the GG6 for exclusive use with small pads.

Regarding pads--have never had a problem with a B&S flat pad--no Velcro separation, no pad melting, never a problem.

Make sure you get enough pads--using one or two pads per step to do an entire car is a sure road to failure. Here's an article by Mike Phillips regarding number of pads per step-- http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/88109-how-many-pads-do-i-need-buff-out-my-car.html

[chollis08]

Thank you for all the feedback!!