Griot's Orbital 3 Inch Polisher / Metabo 400

[Don D AZ]

I have read that Mike Phillips has done some testing with the Griots 3" polisher and may do a comparison with the Metabo SXE 400. Then another person asked if the Metabo would work on restoring headlights, Mike said "NO" It could not work with the sanding disc's. The Metabo is designed to work with woodworking, that is why they have a vac port and do use a 6 hole sanding disc.

I would like to clear up that the metabo 400 does a good job restoring headlights working with 320 - 4000 grit wet or dry sanding disc's. Polishing to a shine also.

I would like to know if Mike has ever done his one on one comparison with both units and the out come... I am going to be afraid you may lean tword your Griots unit as the fact you sell it.

Have you done you comparison or do you plan on doing one with the two..

I have the Metabo 400 and will be buying another or a Griots if it have more orbital power..

Metabo SXE400 spec:

Sanding Pad Size 3-1/8" Round (6 Hole)
OPM 5,000 - 10,000 OPM
Orbit Size 1/8"
Amperage 2.0 AMP
Rated Input Watts 220 Watts
Tool Length 10-3/4"
Tool Weight 3.3 lbs.

Griot's Garage Professional Random Orbital 3 Inch Polisher Spec:

• Powerful 240W motor
• Variable 6-speed control
• Ergonomic design
• Soft-start, constant speed
• 3,500 - 10,000 orbits/minute
• Long 10 ft. power cord

Don D.

[markm]

I have read that Mike Phillips has done some testing with the Griots 3" polisher and may do a comparison with the Metabo SXE 400. Then another person asked if the Metabo would work on restoring headlights, Mike said "NO" It could not work with the sanding disc's. The Metabo is designed to work with woodworking, that is why they have a vac port and do use a 6 hole sanding disc.

I would like to clear up that the metabo 400 does a good job restoring headlights working with 320 - 4000 grit wet or dry sanding disc's. Polishing to a shine also.

I would like to know if Mike has ever done his one on one comparison with both units and the out come... I am going to be afraid you may lean tword your Griots unit as the fact you sell it.

Have you done you comparison or do you plan on doing one with the two..

I have the Metabo 400 and will be buying another or a Griots if it have more orbital power..

Metabo SXE400 spec:

Sanding Pad Size 3-1/8" Round (6 Hole)
OPM 5,000 - 10,000 OPM
Orbit Size 1/8"
Amperage 2.0 AMP
Rated Input Watts 220 Watts
Tool Length 10-3/4"
Tool Weight 3.3 lbs.

Griot's Garage Professional Random Orbital 3 Inch Polisher Spec:

• Powerful 240W motor
• Variable 6-speed control
• Ergonomic design
• Soft-start, constant speed
• 3,500 - 10,000 orbits/minute
• Long 10 ft. power cord

Don D.

I dont have the Metabo but I do have the Griots 3". I tried to use it to polish the lexan lenses on the light bar of a patrol car. It did not have enough speed-power to correct the surface. I did not wet sand but tried several different cutting compounds. I eventually put a 3" backing plate on the rotary and that worked. Maybe the next generation 3" DA will have more power but for now it is better suited for spreading wax. It does work well for polishing glass with griots glass pads and compounds.

Mark

[Don D AZ]

Mark
Thank you for your response. I do know the metabo works dry and wet sanding.
I just thought that the newer Griot's may be upgraded. If not, I will buy another Metabo.

http://www.cpometabo.com/products/600405420.html?ref=googaw&kw={keyword}&gclid=CPzSr 9GW7KACFSdPgwodeCH0Fg&keyword=MetaboSXE400&sissr=1

[TLMitchell]

I have the Metabo 400 and will be buying another or a Griots if it have more orbital power..

I've got both. I haven't used them for sanding, just for hard to reach places and spreading wax & sealants. I found them comparable, the Griots does have a bit more power but the pad still stops spinning with any real pressure. If you're use is primarily for sanding I'd think sticking with the tool that was developed for that job may be the better option.

TL

[Don D AZ]

I PM'ed you TLMitchell,


I am not in the detailing service, I am in the W/S repair and headlight Restoration service.

It would be nice to have one for removing the bad topsealer with sanding disc's, then use the other to polish the compound. The compound is a thick paste that is spread on to the foam pad like peanut butter with grit, so at that point it needs the power to work the paste in and still maintain the orbital power to keep the swirl down..

Don D.

[Wax Gorilla]

Just buy the Griot's you will be happy 100% & it has a lifetime warranty !

[Don D AZ]

I am looking at the two spec's and still up in the air here.

Metabo:
OPM 5,000 - 10,000 OPM
Amperage 2.0 AMP
Rated Input Watts 220 Watts
German made.

Griot's:
3,500 - 10,000 orbits/minute
Amp's ???
Powerful 240W motor
Soft-start, constant speed

USA made? or China?


Don D.

[InTheBuff]

Does today's special make this a contest any more?

BTW - I think the Griot's is Chinese.

[CEE DOG]

Does today's special make this a contest any more?

BTW - I think the Griot's is Chinese.

Designed/Engineered in America
Manufactured in China

[Mike Phillips]

I have read that Mike Phillips has done some testing with the Griots 3" polisher and may do a comparison with the Metabo SXE 400. Then another person asked if the Metabo would work on restoring headlights, Mike said "NO" It could not work with
the sanding disc's. The Metabo is designed to work with woodworking, that is why they have a vac port and do use a 6 hole sanding disc.

Can you share a link or the contents of any e-mail or PM where I said I was going to do comparison testing against a Metabo?

Or share a link or an e-mail sharing where I was asked if the Metabo could be used with sandpaper to sand headlights and I stated "NO"?

I don't remember ever posting or saying anything like this on any forum but maybe I'm wrong?

I would like to clear up that the Metabo 400 does a good job restoring headlights working with 320 - 4000 grit wet or dry sanding disc's. Polishing to a shine also.

Thanks for clearing that up except I don't think you're clearing it up for me or anything I ever wrote. Maybe someone else?

I would like to know if Mike has ever done his one on one comparison with both units and the out come... I am going to be afraid you may lean toward your Griots unit as the fact you sell it.

I've never done a side-by-side comparison of any Metabo with any other tool.

I own a Metabo SXE400, (I think that's the part number, it looks just like the first generation of Griot's 3" Mini Polisher), but it's in the garage of my house in Apple Valley, California.

Maybe my memory is failing me but I'm pretty good at this forum/e-mail stuff...

I've rarely talked about the Metabo polisher because just like the first generation Griot's 3" Mini Polisher is just isn't very good at keeping a FOAM pad spinning.

I've been using DA Polishers as long as anyone and air powered DA Polishers longer than most to polish paint and I've also used these tools with sandpaper to sand paint.

There's a HUGE difference in asking one of these tools to spin or rotate a THIN piece of sanding paper as compared to a thick, gushy foam pad. And for those of you reading this that have never done any machine sanding let me be very clear, these types of "wood sanders" can spin or rotate a thin piece of sand paper easily.

It's the thick foam pads that have traditionally been difficult for a DA Sander and now days we call them DA Polishers to keep rotating under pressure.

The foam absorbs and dissipates the power coming out of these types of tools and as such much power is lost and this shows up as the pad not rotating.

I'm pretty confident I've been posting this specific type of information to discussion forums longer than anyone and most of the time when you read it posted by others it's after they've read something I've already written on this topic previously.

My first how to article on the DA Polisher goes back to 2004, I'm not sure one exists before that in written word. I had a chapter on it in how-to manual I wrote in 1999, but that never made it to the Internet. So I'm pretty confident when I post about the capability of these types of tools whether with foam or thin sandpapers and I never posted on a forum or in an e-mail anything about a Metabo NOT being able to sand down soft plastics.