Harbor Freight DA Polisher - New

[onthespotbg]

Hey all, Newbie here, I have the Harbor Freight DA Polisher and am planning on ordering the following for my black Jeep Wrangler (need to remove some trail scratches). Any opinions or recomendations would be appreciated.

Also what speed setting for the two Menzerna products for this DA

Menzerna SIP - Super Intensive Polish (IS 1500) PO 83
Menzerna Super Finish (SF-4000) PO 106 FA

Meguiars Rotary Buffer W64 Backing Plate, 5 Inches
Hi-Gloss CCS Orange 5.5 Inch Power Pad
Hi-Gloss CCS White 5.5 Inch Polishing Pad

The scratches appear to be in the clear coat only. I am also thingking of putting on the Optimum opti-coat as an extra layer of protection so next time I have to buff it out I won't be wearing the paint thin.

Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0 Permanent Paint Coatin

Hello and welcome! The Mezerna products should have their own specs on what speed and pad combo to use. The Meg's backing plate would be the one to go with. Also, make sure you use and IPA after polishing to make sure the paint is clean before you apply the opti coat.
I could go on for hours about the buffing process, I actually just did a 10' black 4 door jeep. Overspray and Scratch swirl removal. The polisher is great for it but its pretty standard with other machines the magic comes from the pad and polish combo.

[BillE]

Ralph, the backing plate you have listed is for a rotary polisher, not a DA. The correct Meguiar's backing plate for the HF DA would be this one:

Meguiars Mirror Glaze W67DA G110 DA Polisher 5 inch Backing Plate

I have this same DA/backing plate combo myself, and it's worked great for me. I'm pretty new around here myself, so don't feel comfortable giving advice about the Menzerna products, but just wanted to make sure you don't buy the wrong backing plate. Good luck!

Just FYI...the BP for a rotary is a female thread, whereas for a DA it is male thread.

Bill

[AntC]

all there stuff is junk if you just use it on your own car may last 1/2 yr

I geniunely doubt it will last that long, and they dont stand behind there stuff at all !!

[ski2]

I geniunely doubt it will last that long, and they dont stand behind there stuff at all !!

In many cases I'd agree with you, but this unit seems to be a cut above many of their products. Also, there are a number of pro detailers using this unit on a full time bases for over 6 months with no problems and good results. As a backup it is a good deal, as a primary DA they consider it a throw away if they get 6 months out of it for $48. As a first DA for a beginner it makes sense if someone is trying to keep the cost down. You can get a 2 year replacement warranty for I think $10.

So a beginner could get the HF DA, a 5" backing plate and 10 pads for about $130.

On the other hand I got my GG6 V2 from Amazon for $80 and BJs.com sometimes has the same special and it comes with the lifetime warranty, but you have to be willing to wait for the deals to appear and act quickly as they go fast.

[swanicyouth]

I have a Griots and I don't think the HF machine is any "less quality" than the Griots, Meg's, 3D, etc... They all come out of China. As of a few days ago, 3D was selling "their" DA (looks exactly the same as the HF machine, just different colors) for $99 with a case and some accessories. For $99 you get:



The price of the machine (if you consider all the other stuff) is pretty much the same as the HF unit now. Here are the two machines:

3D:



HF:



The machines are coming out of the same exact place using the same exact parts and tooling. The plastic is just a different color. We were told the 3D machine was going to be a top notch DA, that was better than anything on the market. People were waiting for it for months. Maybe they were a bit embarrassed when HF started selling the same machine for as low as $40 and maybe that was why you couldn't get it for quite a while - because the Chinese factory(ies) was(were) busy making them for their big American customer - HF.

This isn't a slam to 3D or the machine. In fact just the opposite, I'm saying the 3D/HF machine is as good or better as anything else out there coming out of China. Actually, the kit is an excellent deal and if I did t have a polisher I would be ordering it now. Or, if I didn't need the accessories, I would have no problem buying the machine from HF and calling it the same.

Here is an ad from a website that hooks up these Chinese manufacturers with anyone who wants to put their name on this machine:



You can see its yet another color, orange. And, you can get it with a bale handle. Griots is doing the same exact thing. Just buying from a Chinese factory. You can get a supplier to send you their machine under your name in a variety of colors as well:



You can see the minimum order is 1,000 polishers, but the factory claims they can make 10,000 polishers a week. This is likely an impossibility, as Chinese manufacturers over rate their production ability all the time in the hopes of landing a big or high volume client. Here is a factories contact info:

Haining Bal-Mart Machinery Co., Ltd.
[ Zhejiang, China (Mainland) ]
Business Type: Manufacturer, Trading Company
Gold Supplier [10th Year]
A&V Checked
Factory Audit Reports
Production Report
86-573-87296687,86-13067633479
86-13067633479
(supplier's local time is 23:15)

This is who is making these machines. Not Griot's, HF, Meg's, or 3D. The quality, parts, internals, etc... are all of the same benchmark (hit or miss) and are all controlled by the Chinese factories. There is zero difference in the quality of any of these machines.

Here is another example of the HF/3D polisher in yellow:



If you can afford 200 polishers, you too can have your own DA. Harbor Freight is just another company buying from Chinese factories.

You have to understand that most of these cheaper power tools are made in factories in China that are contracted by companies in other countries who just slap their name on it. Whoever slaps there name on the machine has little control or knowledge of the quality or the parts being used in the machine. This same machine is likely being sold under other brand names around the world at different price points.



Here is another example. This is the Griots machine being sold in Europe in blue:



I read the book Poorly Made in China. It tells you how this whole system works, the shenanigans the Chinese manufacturers pull, and how the actual company that is putting their name on the product has little control or knowledge of what is actually in the product or the specs. Also, it talks about how Chinese manufacturers will switch parts / ingredients / specs all the time if they can get a better price on something.

This is why my Griots works fine, but someone else may have power issues or other issues with their machine. The factory can change the internal parts anytime the get a better deal. If a Chinese factory can buy a lot of dodgy or slightly "imperfect" motors, brushes, switches, etc... For a slightly lower price and use it in a machine - they will. Griots, Meg's, 3D, HF, or whoever won't know a thing about it. The factory isn't warrantying the machine - the American firm is.

This is why some machines may blow up the first day and some may last years. We all have read posts were someone received their Chinese made DA and it broke on the first day. Sometimes you will even see a post where that person quickly returns it, gets a brand new machine - only to have the same exact failure or issue. It's because the machines likely came from the same lot and have the same weak part.

The Chinese manufacturers are in charge of the situation. The are able to control whoever is putting their name in that machine, as once they are tooled up to make it - they can sell that same machine to anyone around the world under any brand name and the designer of the machine has little or no recourse.

They can increase the price at anytime and the American company that is putting their label on the machine has to pretty much pay whatever they ask, as now they can just sell the machine to someone else. If you don't pay or question them, they #### you around with delays, issues, quality problems, etc...

That is what happens when a country like America sublets all it's manufacturing to overseas. If that machine was made in the USA to a very high level of quality, likely it would cost $700-$800 or more. In todays world, it allows cheap access to a machine like a DA. The Chinese manufacturers know America's firms need them for product, so they do whatever is best ($$$) for their factory. We (American firms) have little or no control over what we get quality wise. There are good batches - and there are bad batches.

[ski2]

If all this is true then the Lifetime Warranty on the GG6 is of utmost value, wouldn't you say????

[JSou]

Swanicyouth dropping the knowledge! BANG BANG!

I have 2 HF DA's for my carpet and upholstery attachments. They do not feel "low quality" and the backing plates I use on my GG6 fits on them as well.

[onthespotbg]

I geniunely doubt it will last that long, and they dont stand behind there stuff at all !!

I have already proven this to be wrong. Nearly 40 cars and counting! Paid for itself several times over. Fantastic product, HN for the win!

[Purple87SS]

I just visited my local HF for this DA polisher for $49.99 with a coupon specific to the DA(was normally $59.99). The store would not let me double stack it with the 20% off and also wanted $34.99 for the 2 year warranty.

How are you guys getting the extended warranty for $9??? Hell even the 1 yr extended warranty was $19. Any advice?

[feslope]

I just visited my local HF for this DA polisher for $49.99 with a coupon specific to the DA(was normally $59.99). The store would not let me double stack it with the 20% off and also wanted $34.99 for the 2 year warranty.

How are you guys getting the extended warranty for $9??? Hell even the 1 yr extended warranty was $19. Any advice?

Ask for the manager or go to another store or buy online. Mine was on sale for $$49.99 deduct my 20% plus 2 year warranty came to $51.00 and a few cents. I replaced the 6" bp with a 5" I already had and was good to go.