Rupes 21 with non-Rupes pads

[Woob]

Haven't had any issues with my Buff & Shine 5.5 pads except for the Rupes really running them hard.

[lj993]

nezff, pm sent re the rupes pads. thanks phil

[Calendyr]

Just had an issue with mine yesterday.

Was working on a 1998 Porshe Boxter (beautiful car BTW).

I was using 5.5" Buff and shine white pad with HD Speed polish. After a while the pad started making noise. I stopped the machine and looked at the pad carefully and everything seemed to be fine.

I continued polishing and during one of the transition I had to do on the side of the door when I lifted the pad off the paint to switch my grip on the Rupes 21 the pad flew off the machine and about 10 feet in the air.

I switched to an other pad (same type) and after a while I noticed the pad was bent. The velco had lost it's grip on part of the pad and it shifted position on the backing plate.

For the rest of the car I lowered the speed from 6 to 5 and did not notice anymore problems. I was really careful and a bit paranoid about it the whole time though. For some reason I think the backing material on the B&S pads are not fully compatible with the Rupes backplates. It works but I don't feel it's safe to use them.

[nezff]

Just had an issue with mine yesterday.

Was working on a 1998 Porshe Boxter (beautiful car BTW).

I was using 5.5" Buff and shine white pad with HD Speed polish. After a while the pad started making noise. I stopped the machine and looked at the pad carefully and everything seemed to be fine.

I continued polishing and during one of the transition I had to do on the side of the door when I lifted the pad off the paint to switch my grip on the Rupes 21 the pad flew off the machine and about 10 feet in the air.

I switched to an other pad (same type) and after a while I noticed the pad was bent. The velco had lost it's grip on part of the pad and it shifted position on the backing plate.

For the rest of the car I lowered the speed from 6 to 5 and did not notice anymore problems. I was really careful and a bit paranoid about it the whole time though. For some reason I think the backing material on the B&S pads are not fully compatible with the Rupes backplates. It works but I don't feel it's safe to use them.

:wow: Thanks for sharing that. There is no way I would have been able to continue knowing the next pad could possibly fly off too. Im probably going to all rupes pads just to be safe. I know some other guys use LC pads without any issues.

[KillaCam]

Probably from running the machine at speed 6. I never go past 4 myself, no need to.

[nezff]

Probably from running the machine at speed 6. I never go past 4 myself, no need to.

Even with heavily swirled panels? I assume more passes lower speed.

[Kitoy22]

Even with heavily swirled panels? I assume more passes lower speed.

With a mf cutting pad, you just need to slow your arm speed, and apply enough pressure just to maintain pad rotation. I just bump up the speed to 5 when i am working on curved panels to maintain pad rotation.

[Zelfiris]

Had a chance to try the mini yesterday with a LC Hydro Cyan 4" foam pad that I using to polish the oxidation off my rims. Not something I recommend anyone to do since the mini should be used Rupes pad. But anyhow, I did it since I sold my GG3 recently and the pad was so dirty I would not ever used on paint. Well, at speed 5, within 3 minutes the velcro came off. I stopped the machine just in time before the pad flew. The Rupes Mini is a beast!

[KillaCam]

With a mf cutting pad, you just need to slow your arm speed, and apply enough pressure just to maintain pad rotation. I just bump up the speed to 5 when i am working on curved panels to maintain pad rotation.


This. Let the product, pad, and machine do the work.

[Calendyr]

:wow: Thanks for sharing that. There is no way I would have been able to continue knowing the next pad could possibly fly off too. Im probably going to all rupes pads just to be safe. I know some other guys use LC pads without any issues.

Ya, I wasn't too comfortable doing it but I had no other brand of pads with me. The issue is when you lift the pad off so I was really careful about lifting the machine off the paint afterwards. I used a B&S red pad to buff off the sealant (Powerlock) and had no issue at all with it, so maybe the problem is limited to the white pads for some reason.

[Calendyr]

I apply really little pressure with the Rupes 21, and only on the vertical panels. For horizontal ones the weight of the machine is enough. I really love this machine, does a great job and takes a lot less time than my Meguiar's DA. Only thing I don't like as much is the trigger activation, I prefer an on/off switch but that is really a minor thing compared to everything else I love about it.

[Faris63]

Please PM me if you still have the Rupes pads. Thanks