new polisher

[aliitp]

I am new to this polishing and trying to decide which polisher to get, i found the porter cable 2474xp, am going to polish paint/coating from light swirl marks, and possibly remove few small (but stubborn) water spot marks,

My questions:-

Is the porter 2474xp suitable for my application ?..
Does it require maintenance or is it maintenance free ?..
Which pads to I need/how many do I need ? (trying to keep costs low)..
How to clean and take care of the pads for future use ?..

Please advise based on your experience and recommendations...

thanks,

[VISITOR]

I am new to this polishing and trying to decide which polisher to get, i found the porter cable 2474xp, am going to polish paint/coating from light swirl marks, and possibly remove few small (but stubborn) water spot marks,

My questions:-

Is the porter 2474xp suitable for my application ?.. get a GG6, more torque, and lifetime warranty..
Does it require maintenance or is it maintenance free ?.. any problems with it and GG will send you a new one trouble free/excellent CS..
Which pads to I need/how many do I need ? (trying to keep costs low).. the lake country thinpro pads (minimum of 3 each) are a great choice for pc-style DA's..
How to clean and take care of the pads for future use ?.. you can use a pad cleaner or apc (soak in a bucket if needed) and gently massage out all the product out and repeat as necessary, then let them air dry...

Please advise based on your experience and recommendations...

thanks,

[WaxMaster1]

I think the Porter Cable will suit you fine with zero maintenance. I would start with a bare minimum of 3 cutting pads, 3 polishing pads and 1 wax pad. Pads are easy to clean with dedicated pad cleaners or perhaps your favorite degreaser and/or dish soap. I counted no less than 27 dedicated auto PC kits at Autogeek.

Porter Cable 7424 XP Dual Action Polisher - dual action orbital car polisher, car care kits, buffer kits, PC 7424,7424XP, 7424 XP, porter cable

[Jimmy Vegas]

Both of those machines will meet your needs. I purchased the Porter Cable after reading as much as I could on here and other sites, as well as watching several videos comparing and using the two.

The primary reason I purchased the Porter Cable over the Griot's is because it is very forgiving. In this video (approximately 1:14 in), Mike shows the feature that will prevent the Porter Cable from burning your paint. That was the clincher for me.

As to which pads, if you haven't already purchased the DA, I'd recommend the Polisher Combo, it's the kit I wish I would have bought. I purchased the Perfect Starter Kit, which was a bit of overkill for my needs, but I am getting full use out of it. I'm a hobbyist, taking care of two daily drivers, a motorcycle, and working on restoring my '72 Chevelle.

As to maintenance on the PC, I've just been cleaning the polishing pads and wrapping the power cord when I put it away.

Hope this helps.

[emmjay]

I am new to this polishing and trying to decide which polisher to get, i found the porter cable 2474xp, am going to polish paint/coating from light swirl marks, and possibly remove few small (but stubborn) water spot marks,

My questions:-

Is the porter 2474xp suitable for my application ?..
Does it require maintenance or is it maintenance free ?..
Which pads to I need/how many do I need ? (trying to keep costs low)..
How to clean and take care of the pads for future use ?..

Please advise based on your experience and recommendations...

thanks,

where did you find the 7424 in Dubai / UAE? Plus wherever you found it is it 220 v?

To answer your questions, yes it is suitable for your needs. Polishing your car will result in you removing the coating though. So do keep that in mind.

Also, the PC isn't that great from what I have read for cars with hard paint, so do take that into account. Just incase you have hard paint.

For pads, like everyone said minimum of 3 to cut, 3 to polish, 1 to wax. However if you want to polish the car in one day or one weekend, you will need at least 6 of each. I started with 6 of each and quickly realised I need more. Just this weekend I used 31 pads....on a total of 3 cars.

For cleaning pads, I use the DP pad rejuvinator (MCkees) which I got from autogeek. It works really well. As for pads that I use to wax, nothing gets them clean properly. Only APC will remove some of it.

After all my research initially as well, I wanted a GG or PC 7424xp but realised we could not get it here. I got the meguiars DA power system and realised how crappy it is and what a waste of money it was....

I then found the supplier for FLEX in Dubai and bought the Flex 3401 for AED1500-1600. I am extremely happy I did because I knew if wanted a more powerful polisher in the future (which will be the case if you get a PC), might as well buy the best from the start.

My $0.02

Another option would be to visit RAMY 4x4 in Abu dhabi and get something like the Rupes Mini or Duetto. These will suit your needs better. At least a lot better than a PC.

I am being as honest as I can as I was in your situation as well. Especially seeing how it is so hard to find stuff in this part of the world, ESPECIALLY polishers lol.

[emmjay]

Hey bud, I doubt GG will honor the warranty seeing how the OP is in the UAE. Doubt he can get the GG in 220v either.

[Kamakaz1961]

I have the Porter Cable 7424XP and it's still running. I have delegated it as my min-polisher as well as applying sealant/wax and it does an admirable job. You have a great machine.

[VISITOR]

Hey bud, I doubt GG will honor the warranty seeing how the OP is in the UAE. Doubt he can get the GG in 220v either.

in that case (no mention he was from there), i would get a flex if it's available...

[aliitp]

Thanks all for your replies,

But I don't really need that much pads and am not planning to wax anything, the main reason am buying is to polish the coat (as mentioned) and reapply it besides polishing a full rear bumper to apply coat on it, and remove few water spots that's all, I may do a full polish for another car we own in the near future (bumper to bumper)...

where did you find the 7424 in Dubai / UAE? Plus wherever you found it is it 220 v?

To answer your questions, yes it is suitable for your needs. Polishing your car will result in you removing the coating though. So do keep that in mind.

Also, the PC isn't that great from what I have read for cars with hard paint, so do take that into account. Just incase you have hard paint.

For pads, like everyone said minimum of 3 to cut, 3 to polish, 1 to wax. However if you want to polish the car in one day or one weekend, you will need at least 6 of each. I started with 6 of each and quickly realized I need more. Just this weekend I used 31 pads....on a total of 3 cars.

For cleaning pads, I use the DP pad rejuvinator (MCkees) which I got from autogeek. It works really well. As for pads that I use to wax, nothing gets them clean properly. Only APC will remove some of it.

After all my research initially as well, I wanted a GG or PC 7424xp but realized we could not get it here. I got the meguiars DA power system and realized how crappy it is and what a waste of money it was....

I then found the supplier for FLEX in Dubai and bought the Flex 3401 for AED1500-1600. I am extremely happy I did because I knew if wanted a more powerful polisher in the future (which will be the case if you get a PC), might as well buy the best from the start.

My $0.02

Another option would be to visit RAMY 4x4 in Abu dhabi and get something like the Rupes Mini or Duetto. These will suit your needs better. At least a lot better than a PC.

I am being as honest as I can as I was in your situation as well. Especially seeing how it is so hard to find stuff in this part of the world, ESPECIALLY polishers lol.

Hi again buddy, actually I never searched in the local UAE market coz I know for sure ill end up paying a foot and a leg for a polisher which I will probably need/use once per year !.. but if you can recommend somewhere cheap ill buy it id really like to find something similar to the porter or Griot’s in their 130-170$$ price range over here, if not guess ill buy online, not sure if it is 220v or universal 120/220v though, can anyone clarify that ?!...

as for the polishing compound, what suits better, will the meguire's scratchX do it for me, or I need something else to remove the coating/polish paint to remove light swirls and imperfections ??...

I admit am new to this I just don't want to miss things up and really wanna learn how to do this my own instead of keep taking my car to shops to do it for me !...

thanks all...

[emmjay]

Thanks all for your replies,

But I don't really need that much pads and am not planning to wax anything, the main reason am buying is to polish the coat (as mentioned) and reapply it besides polishing a full rear bumper to apply coat on it, and remove few water spots that's all, I may do a full polish for another car we own in the near future (bumper to bumper)...




Hi again buddy, actually I never searched in the local UAE market coz I know for sure ill end up paying a foot and a leg for a polisher which I will probably need/use once per year !.. but if you can recommend somewhere cheap ill buy it id really like to find something similar to the porter or Griot’s in their 130-170$$ price range over here, if not guess ill buy online, not sure if it is 220v or universal 120/220v though, can anyone clarify that ?!...

as for the polishing compound, what suits better, will the meguire's scratchX do it for me, or I need something else to remove the coating/polish paint to remove light swirls and imperfections ??...

I admit am new to this I just don't want to miss things up and really wanna learn how to do this my own instead of keep taking my car to shops to do it for me !...

thanks all...

Scratch X is not something I would use with a machine for a full car. Pick up Ultimate Compound and Ultimate polish from Ace Hardware. Again you can get them cheaper at Meguiars in Sharjah, but ACE in Yas is probably more convenient. These 2 will serve a large variety of needs and applications, read my recent Show and Shine threads to see the capability of these 2 products. They are extremely versatile and user friendly.

Here are my threads for Ultimate Compound:

Audi Q5 3.0T Glacier White Metallic - One step correction and Collinite 845

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...pic-heavy.html

Here is my thread for Ultimate Polish OR (m205):

2016 Honda Accord V6 Sport - My 3rd Detail (With actual pics :P )

My 2nd detail....BMW 328i Sport

Leave the scratch X for the small localized scratches. I have a full bottle of Scratch X and Swirl X and both were horrible products.

As for the polisher, I really do not think something in that range exists here unfortunately. Only ones I have found locally are Flex and Rupes and both are far out of your budget. Maybe you can contact Meguairs and see if they can get you their polisher? I think its called the MT300 or G220 or something like that.

As for the PC, I only know of the basic 110v as its an American product, unless you have some type of converter system that will let you use a 110v here, then don't risk it.

Good on you for wanting to learn yourself, its the best way to do it!

P.S. Don't forget, any abrasive polish will remove your coating. But as you said you plan on recoating the rear bumper right?

All the best, and welcome to the world of DIY, the best way to do it

P.P.S - I remember you looking for the Armor All Speed Detailer - All ENOC's in Dubai stock it if they have an AUTO PRO service center. I saw it the other day and thought of you.