Makita vs Dewalt vs Shurhold

[MarkVII]

Greetings all -- I'd like to tap into the group mind on brands of rotary polishers. At the high end, I notice Makita, and like it's handle better than the Dewalt. However, the Shurhold rotary is considerably less costly (especially as a refurb).

Does anyone have thoughts one way vs the other? Any experience with Shurhold polishers in general?

Thanks,
Mark

[Mike Phillips]

Because this is your first post,

Welcome to AutogeekOnline!



I tend to not use handles at all when I use the rotary polisher so handle options don't mean much for me.

I have probably 30 rotary polishers in the garage for our classes and everyone - EVERYONE always grabs the FLEX PE14 first. Those that don't get the FLEX PE14 end up using either the DeWALT or the Makita.

Both the DeWALT and the Makita are great rotaries. The FLEX PE14 cost a lot more but if you use the rotary a lot you'll love these features,


Quiet - machined gears not stamped gears.
Lightweight - about 5 pounds.
Compact size - easy to hold and maneuver.
Low RPM capabilities.
Lots of built-in features like auto shut off if there's a disruption in power.




I've never used a Shurhold rotary, didn't know they made one.


:)

[Dr Oldz]

What are you polishing? Boats and RVs or automobiles?

I don’t polish boats or RVs. Just automobiles

My Favorite is the Rupes rotary. Comes with a great D handle or a super nice stick handle available for purchase separately. It’s light, very powerful, low RPM capable and compact enough to do some precision buffing with smaller pads.

The Flex PE14 is a very close second favorite for pretty much the same reasons as the Rupes. I like the trigger better on the Rupes tho.

I have a ton of miles on my Dewalt 849x and it also great. It is heavier, bulkier, louder and not as refined as the two above. It is mighty powerful though. I really only use it for large flat panels with a large wool pad for removing sanding marks anymore. Considerably cheaper but also some drawbacks compared to the two above.

[MarkVII]

What are you polishing? Boats and RVs or automobiles?

I mostly do do boats right now (prime launch season here in the Great Lakes), but also do cars and RVs. A common issue with boats is oxidation due to neglect and the hardness of gel coat, leading to needing a lot of oomph. My long-throw Torq polisher is normally plenty on cars, but sometimes isn't enough for a badly oxidized boat. Hence, my interest in adding a rotary to my arsenal.

Thanks for the thoughts on the Makita. I was looking at the Shurhold because it's amazingly inexpensive. That gets into the ago old problem of "how much are you paying for the name" as compared to quality in the more expensive unit.

Mark