Mike Phillips
09-22-2015, 10:13 AM
Which DA Polisher to get?
I get e-mails, PM's and FB messages all the time with questions that are better asked and then answered on this forum for a host of reason. One reason is more eyeballs see the questions and answers so more people are helped versus one set of eyeballs in an e-mail, PM or FB message.
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Mike, I am a novice and I am considering purchasing a dual action polisher from auto geek and saw a video where you tested the porter cable and showed how if you pressed down hard on the polisher it would stop turning and, I assume, lessen the chance of burning or damaging the paint finish.
Conversely, the Meguiar’s model advertises they have more torque and if you push down it will keep spinning, even with increased resistance.
So my question to you is do you recommend the Porter over the Meguiar’s model?
Also the porter seems to have a front handle which is off to the side, does this create an imbalance on the spinning pad surface? It would seem that a handle in the front, or on top, would be less likely to create one-sided pressure.
Also, I currently have the Meguiar’s Double Action drill attachment. What improvements would I see by switching to either the Meguiar’s 110 or GT 300 or the Porter Cable 7424. Thank you.
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Hi James,
Real quick, lots on my plate today….
As for the Meguiar's drill attachment goes... I used something like this over 20 years ago and it’s just too much work when for a little over $100.00 you can get a real/normal DA Polisher that will get the job done better and faster and serve your for years, maybe decades. That’s just me though.
When it comes to these simple dual action polishers, as long as you use thin foam pads or thin microfiber pads and hold the pad flat to the surface you cannot get the pad to stop spinning. You can if you press down with ridiculous pressure but in the real world you don’t do this type of thing to a car.
The pads on all of these types of tools will stop rotating if you hold the pad at an angle and not flat. That’s just the way they work. Including the MT300.
The handle on the Porter Cable or any of these tools? Me? I remove them and never look back. I rarely use a handle, not even on rotary buffers. On the PC it gets in your way, causes you to buff crooked, (when you're new), and can actually scratch the paint if you're buffing into curves as it can touch the paint.
I have two articles on the handles of polishers, with a little Google searching you can find them or locate my list of articles, they are indexed there.
I’ve used the Porter Cable as long or longer than anyone breathing and I really like this tool but keep in mind, if I need a more powerful tool I also have these.
Most guys getting into machine polishing want to buy ONE tool and do everything with it and that’s not always possible. Then when one of these simple DA polishers isn't powerful enough they either complain or bite the bullet and get a more powerful tool like the Flex 3401, RUPES BigFoot polishers or a rotary buffer.
I can do everything there is in the car detailing world with a rotary buffer and a dual action polisher.
I cannot do everything in the car detailing world with only one of the above tools or with any other combination of tools.
A lot of people really like the Griot’s 6” DA Polisher instead of the Porter Cable or the Meguiar’s MT300. It has the best warranty and plenty of power.
Here’s the deal…. At the end of the day, as long as you’re using thin foam pads like I show in the link below you can get the job done with any of these DA polishers and you’re NOT going to start and finish buffing out a car dramatically faster with one of the other because anytime you’re compounding or polishing you’re moving the polisher slowly over the paint and only buffing out small sections at a time.
The PC is well built. You can drop it, pick it up and keep on buffing. The Griot’s is well built, has more power than the PC and a better warranty. The Meguiar’s MT300 is well built, and has some unique features plus a different shape body for those that like to have more leverage over their polisher.
To be honest, they are all great tools and if you get one and put the time in behind it you can master it and turn out show car quality work.
As for thin pads, Lake Country, Meguiar's and B&S all make great 5.5" thin foam pads. Meguiar's makes great microfiber pads if you want to go that route.
:xyxthumbs:
I get e-mails, PM's and FB messages all the time with questions that are better asked and then answered on this forum for a host of reason. One reason is more eyeballs see the questions and answers so more people are helped versus one set of eyeballs in an e-mail, PM or FB message.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike, I am a novice and I am considering purchasing a dual action polisher from auto geek and saw a video where you tested the porter cable and showed how if you pressed down hard on the polisher it would stop turning and, I assume, lessen the chance of burning or damaging the paint finish.
Conversely, the Meguiar’s model advertises they have more torque and if you push down it will keep spinning, even with increased resistance.
So my question to you is do you recommend the Porter over the Meguiar’s model?
Also the porter seems to have a front handle which is off to the side, does this create an imbalance on the spinning pad surface? It would seem that a handle in the front, or on top, would be less likely to create one-sided pressure.
Also, I currently have the Meguiar’s Double Action drill attachment. What improvements would I see by switching to either the Meguiar’s 110 or GT 300 or the Porter Cable 7424. Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi James,
Real quick, lots on my plate today….
As for the Meguiar's drill attachment goes... I used something like this over 20 years ago and it’s just too much work when for a little over $100.00 you can get a real/normal DA Polisher that will get the job done better and faster and serve your for years, maybe decades. That’s just me though.
When it comes to these simple dual action polishers, as long as you use thin foam pads or thin microfiber pads and hold the pad flat to the surface you cannot get the pad to stop spinning. You can if you press down with ridiculous pressure but in the real world you don’t do this type of thing to a car.
The pads on all of these types of tools will stop rotating if you hold the pad at an angle and not flat. That’s just the way they work. Including the MT300.
The handle on the Porter Cable or any of these tools? Me? I remove them and never look back. I rarely use a handle, not even on rotary buffers. On the PC it gets in your way, causes you to buff crooked, (when you're new), and can actually scratch the paint if you're buffing into curves as it can touch the paint.
I have two articles on the handles of polishers, with a little Google searching you can find them or locate my list of articles, they are indexed there.
I’ve used the Porter Cable as long or longer than anyone breathing and I really like this tool but keep in mind, if I need a more powerful tool I also have these.
Most guys getting into machine polishing want to buy ONE tool and do everything with it and that’s not always possible. Then when one of these simple DA polishers isn't powerful enough they either complain or bite the bullet and get a more powerful tool like the Flex 3401, RUPES BigFoot polishers or a rotary buffer.
I can do everything there is in the car detailing world with a rotary buffer and a dual action polisher.
I cannot do everything in the car detailing world with only one of the above tools or with any other combination of tools.
A lot of people really like the Griot’s 6” DA Polisher instead of the Porter Cable or the Meguiar’s MT300. It has the best warranty and plenty of power.
Here’s the deal…. At the end of the day, as long as you’re using thin foam pads like I show in the link below you can get the job done with any of these DA polishers and you’re NOT going to start and finish buffing out a car dramatically faster with one of the other because anytime you’re compounding or polishing you’re moving the polisher slowly over the paint and only buffing out small sections at a time.
The PC is well built. You can drop it, pick it up and keep on buffing. The Griot’s is well built, has more power than the PC and a better warranty. The Meguiar’s MT300 is well built, and has some unique features plus a different shape body for those that like to have more leverage over their polisher.
To be honest, they are all great tools and if you get one and put the time in behind it you can master it and turn out show car quality work.
As for thin pads, Lake Country, Meguiar's and B&S all make great 5.5" thin foam pads. Meguiar's makes great microfiber pads if you want to go that route.
:xyxthumbs: