Anyone heard of a new Porter Cable?

[ziggo99]

Just got home from work, and my boss had to run and get some things from his Meguiar's distributor. When he came back, he was telling me that his distributor had information on a new Porter Cable model and that Meguiar's distributors have first dibs on them and they're set to release any day now. Might be because of the G110v2 problems and they need to make sales, who knows why Meguiar's would get them first. I have zero specs on this, but my guess it's gonna be powerful.
Anyone else heard anything/can find out?

[Matt575]

Interesting...

[BobbyG]

Manufactures design and develop new products all the time and unless there was a new feature that you've been waiting for you could end up waiting forever for the latest and greatest....

[ziggo99]

I know that. But really, the XP has been out a couple years in it's current form, and GG and Meguiar's have both come out with better machines. Porter Cable knows this, sees that their sales are down, and decided to take action. I'd be willing to take this information to Vegas.

[Flash Gordon]

I know that. But really, the XP has been out a couple years in it's current form, and GG and Meguiar's have both come out with better machines. Porter Cable knows this, sees that their sales are down, and decided to take action. I'd be willing to take this information to Vegas.

Intresting info indeed. Meguiars fail....again :laughing:

[C. Charles Hahn]

I'll hazard a guess. Because the G110v2 has been on back-order for so long and it appears Meguiar's is having trouble getting more produced, they're going back to the product model they had in the old days with the G100 and putting "Meguiar's" stickers on PCXPs.

[rwright]

Maybe someone could call Black & Decker and ask for details? <--- No pun intended

[ziggo99]

I'll hazard a guess. Because the G110v2 has been on back-order for so long and it appears Meguiar's is having trouble getting more produced, they're going back to the product model they had in the old days with the G100 and putting "Meguiar's" stickers on PCXPs.
Thinking we might see a PC with cruise control?

[BobbyG]

I know that. But really, the XP has been out a couple years in it's current form, and GG and Meguiar's have both come out with better machines. Porter Cable knows this, sees that their sales are down, and decided to take action. I'd be willing to take this information to Vegas.

Time will tell.

[Setec Astronomy]

You know it's funny how this works these days. These products (like the G110) are contract manufactured in China, and in the overall scheme of hand power tools, the numbers are not very large. So they get a contract mfr. to make it for one year at a certain price point, and the next year that mfr. gets a larger and/or more lucrative contract for a different product and they're not interested in making it (the G110) anymore, or at least not at the same price point. If you recall this is what happened with the UDM and that Meg's brush line from 2004. The downside of our outsourced world.

[Mike Phillips]

putting "Meguiar's" stickers on PCXPs.


From experience... this would be my guess...

At the Barrett-Jackson auction in West Palm Beach last weekend they had PC 7424XP's in the box on display for sale.

I have a friend, he's an engineer for Black & Decker and years ago I asked him to see if he could find someone that would be interested in some feedback on how to improve the first generation PC's we were all using back then and the end of the story was "no".

:D

[ziggo99]

So Mike, just to make sure I understand correctly, you saw Porter Cables 7424XP's with Meguiar's stickers on them?


I'll hazard a guess. Because the G110v2 has been on back-order for so long and it appears Meguiar's is having trouble getting more produced, they're going back to the product model they had in the old days with the G100 and putting "Meguiar's" stickers on PCXPs.
Not trying to confuse people, but this is just a straight up new Porter Cable model, not a Porter Cable with Meguiar's stickers on it. But hopefully we'll find out more information in the coming days/weeks.

[Mike Phillips]

So Mike, just to make sure I understand correctly, you saw Porter Cables 7424XP's with Meguiar's stickers on them?



Didn't see the Meguiar's sticker on the actual tool as I just saw brand new, unopened boxes on display.

Mike Stoops was there doing demonstrations but while I was at the booth we were inside the air-conditioned Meguiar's Special Events Truck taking a break from the heat.

Porter Cable would do good to pay attention to detailing discussion forums to see what it is their customer's want, my thought are that they're too big to care and will put out whatever they want to put out as far as tools go...

When I worked for Meguiar's, I think I remember Meguiar's trying to work better deals with Porter Cable but to no effect, my perception is that they're just too big to care...

I've posted numerous times that the Griot's Garage knock-off of the PC does a better job of keeping a pad rotating under pressure and it's true, it does, in fact I've also posted that realistically speaking, as long as you're using 5.5" thin pads, the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher and using good technique, that is holding the pad flat to the surface, the tool basically acts like a safe version of a rotary buffer. This is because used with good technique, you can't stop the pad from rotating and that's the same thing you're getting from a rotary buffer.

I still wouldn't ever try to replace a rotary buffer with a tool that uses a Free Floating Spindle Assembly (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23995-free-floating-spindle-assembly-story-behind-story.html), but for enthusiasts and even Pro Detailers as well as guys that work in body shops that want to ensure they are leaving a 100% swirl-free finish, DA Polishers are a great option.

The thing about Porter Cable as compared to the knock-offs of the tool is the quality is very good, you could drive over a PC with my truck and still turn it on and buff out a car. The knock-offs are not quite up to par in the quality of the build, fit and finish... yet.

Porter Cable would do well to pay attention to detailing discussion forums and the market trend or they will find themselves losing market share.

DA Polishers are the trend for detailing cars and have been for probably 15 years... I don't see the trend slowing down into the future and in fact as seen by the introduction of thin foam pads and the Meguiar's thin microfiber pads and tool specific compounds and polishes, the trend is for more pads and products to be designed specifically for this type of tool...


Time is always the great vindicator of predictions... so I guess we'll see...


:)

[Mike Phillips]

I will be surprised if Porter Cable is introducing an changes to their current XP model specifically for Meguiar's but it could be with the 3M muscle behind them that negotiations between the two companies will or have resulted in some improvements and if that's the case then we all win.

What's needed is a Porter Cable that can maintain pad rotation even under pressure but still have the safety feature that with too much pressure the pad can stop rotating.

This is just one of the features that makes this type of tool popular as it's power with safety because probably the biggest fear people new to machine polishing have is the fear of burning through the paint or instilling swirls and the PC design overcomes these issues.

It's also small and easy to learn and master.


:xyxthumbs:

[ziggo99]

Excellent responses Mike. I agree, Porter Cable would do good if they followed the forums and see what the consumer wanted. The more quality choices for the consumer, the better.