Why 5.5

[Major2257]

Just bough but haven't used yet the Griot's g9 and g8 polishers. I want to start ordering the pads I need (it came with 6.5 inch back plate and a few pads) but I see a lot of folks recommend changing to 5.5. If I switch backing plates I need to be buying the 5.5's. Is there a definite benefit to the 5.5? I''m in no hurry to start and want everything I need before starting. I'm 65 yrs old with a BLACK F150 and know I'm in for a workout!

One more thought... I see that I need a pad brush and can't believe how pricey some are. Any recommendations for that and reasons? Thank all of you in advance. I've only posted one other thread and was overwhelmed with all the help I received!

[Eldorado2k]

Is there a definite benefit to the 5.5? BLACK F150

There’s not a real mindblowing difference between using 6.5” or 5.5” pads on a polisher like that. Griots has been selling polishers for well over a decade, and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be dumb enough to equip it with a backing plate & pad setup that was inadequate.

The only real benefit in downsizing the pads on a machine like that is if you happen to have a small vehicle such as a Prius or a Geo Metro or similar vehicle where you’re dealing with small panels and tight corners where a bigger pad might not be as easy to work with, but on a Ford F150 the bigger pads are actually ideal because you can cover a larger area in a shorter amount of time. In your case I’d go as far as saying the smaller pads would only make your work harder. Stick with the 6.5” pads.

I have a Griots Boss 21mm polisher and I love using it with 6.5”-7” pads which are as big as you can equip it with. There’s nothing it can’t do based on using the full sized pads it was intended to use.

As far as the pad brush… I felt the same way for a while as I didn’t feel like paying $12.99 or whatever they cost was justified and I cheaped out and used a brush similar to the Tuff Shine Tire brush as a “pad brush” for a while. Except I bought the brush with the Black bristles which are actually much stiffer than the Tuff Shine brush and I don’t know how I managed to not ruin my pads using it as a pad brush. Lol.

Did it work? Yea I guess. Was it worth the $6 bucks I saved? Heck no. The real pad brush is 1 of the essential tools of detailing. It’s simple, basic, and just plain good for what it does.

The Tuff Shine brush should actually work, as I’m pretty sure it’s the same kind of bristles as the pad brush, but the pad brush is more ergonomic.

[luckydawg]

More correcting power driving a smaller pad
Cost of pads is about 20% less

Not to get anyones feathers ruffled , but I have a F-150 and I polish it with the 5.5's. If I were doing something like a motorhome i would say go big

[Eldorado2k]

More correcting power driving a smaller pad
Cost of pads is about 20% less

Not to get anyones feathers ruffled , but I have a F-150 and I polish it with the 5.5's. If I were doing something like a motorhome i would say go big

Gelcoat is usually much harder than clearcoat. If you went big you’d give up all that correcting power and never be able to get the job done. Lol.

[dlc95]

Back when the original Porter Cable 7424 was being widely used, the polishes and compounds available weren't as effective as the modern ones. This caused operators to need a TON of pressure and speed to get the results they were after.

One of the remedies was to switch h from the 6" plate 6.5" pad system to the 5" plate 5.5" pad system to get more concentrated power when polishing.

Instead of a pad brush, you can use an old medium stiffness tooth brush.

[luckydawg]

Gelcoat is usually much harder than clearcoat. If you went big you’d give up all that correcting power and never be able to get the job done. Lol.

Point was you dont need a bigger pad especially on something like a F-150-- you must be use to only polishing smart cars or chevy sparks

[Eldorado2k]

Point was you dont need a bigger pad especially on something like a F-150-- you must be use to only polishing smart cars or chevy sparks

He made the smart decision of also picking up a new G8, so he’s equipped to handle any tight areas he’ll encounter. He asked if there’s a real benefit or need to switch to 5.5” and that tells me he’d rather not accumulate any unnecessary parts/costs, and based on his situation I’d stick with the current setup.

Otherwise he’d have to buy another backing plate and be left with a brand new 6” backing plate and brand new pads that’ll probably never get used. Given the fact that he brought up the somewhat high price of the pad brush, I’m guessing he enjoys keeping his startup costs at a minimum if possible.

[luckydawg]

He made the smart decision of also picking up a new G8, so he’s equipped to handle any tight areas he’ll encounter. He asked if there’s a real benefit or need to switch to 5.5” and that tells me he’d rather not accumulate any unnecessary parts/costs, and based on his situation I’d stick with the current setup.

Otherwise he’d have to buy another backing plate and be left with a brand new 6” backing plate and brand new pads that’ll probably never get used. Given the fact that he brought up the somewhat high price of the pad brush, I’m guessing he enjoys keeping his startup costs at a minimum if possible.

He mentioned nothing about costs except for the cost of some of the pad brushes. He purchased two machines so money can't be that tight for him. The cost of the larger pads is significantly higher and since any experienced detailer knows how many pads you need on a full size truck and the different grades , that is a good chunk of change. The benefits of cost savings and added correction power is worth the change, and its backed up by the majority of folks that make the said change.

[Eldorado2k]

He mentioned nothing about costs except for the cost of some of the pad brushes. He purchased two machines so money can't be that tight for him. The cost of the larger pads is significantly higher and since any experienced detailer knows how many pads you need on a full size truck and the different grades , that is a good chunk of change. The benefits of cost savings and added correction power is worth the change, and its backed up by the majority of folks that make the said change.

6.5” Griots Boss pads are $2 extra compared to 5.5” pads. The microfiber pad is only $1 extra. So if you were to buy 5 it’s only $10 more.

Have you seen how much it costs to “upgrade” to a 5” backing plate for the G9? $75 dollars. This is the only option I could find on AG.

5 inch Griot?s Garage BOSS Pad Conversion Kit

Then there’s a 5” backing plate that fits the G21 priced at $40 dollars by itself but won’t fit the G9.

So much for saving money and not using the new pads it came with.

[Eldorado2k]

I found the 5” backing plate by itself. Dang they make it hard to find this.

Griot's Garage 5 Inch Vented Backing Plate