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Rupes Polishers Help!
Hello,
this is what I have researched ,
1) Rupes LHR15 ES-----$390.00
2) Rupes LHR15 Mark ll----$535.00
3) Rupes LHR15 Mark lll----$565.00
now can someone help me to make a wise decision on which one I should go with what would be the Pro's & Cons having a hard time which one to choose I don't want to purchase a machine and have a change of heart couple weeks after using it should 've went with a different machine.
Thanks for all your help,
greatly appreciated :-)
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Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
Here's my 2 cents...
If you're going to go with RUPES then go with the Mark III version. I have not used the Mark III version of the RUPES BigFoot 15 but I have used the Mark III version of the BigFoot 21 and it was easily better at maintaining pad rotation than the Legacy, (original version), and the Mark II.
When removing swirls and scratches you must have BOTH actions.
Pad rotation
Pad oscillation
If the pad is not rotating it is also not oscillating, at least not enough to make the tool effective at removing paint and thus paint defects in a time-efficient manner.
So go with the Mark III
See my review of the BigFoot 21 Mark III by clicking the link below
Review: RUPES Mark III BigFoot 21 Polisher by Mike Phillips
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Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
Here's another tip...
Mark the sides of your backing plates and the sides of your buffing pads. This makes it easier for your eyeballs to look and SEE if the pad is rotating or not. If you have good pad rotation you have good defect removal.
Here's my article on this topic,
How to Monitor Pad Rotation? Mark Your Buffing Pads
Anytime you're using a free spinning orbital polisher there is the chance that the buffing pad can slow down and if stall out to the point where there's simple no pad rotation. When this happens you are no longer removing paint defects at an effective rate, if at all. Paint defects like swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation are removed best, fastest and most effectively when the pad is both rotating and oscillating against the surface.
It used to be you could simply place a mark on the back of the backing plate and by doing this your eyes could easily monitor pad rotation by looking at the backing plate. Now days a lot of tools have dark or black backing plate making it hard to mark and hard to see. Some backing plates are very thin or exact fit and there's simply very little backing plate surface area to mark and thus monitor. And some tools have a protective cover or shroud over the top of the backing plate covering up the majority of the backing plate blocking your view.
Here's a very simple fix - mark your buffing pads
Even though this is an incredibly simple fix, sometimes the little things are the big things and in order to be working at maximum efficiency anytime you're doing correction or polishing work with any free spinning orbital polisher you want to visibly see pad rotation. As simple mark on the side of your buffing pad will make it a lot easier for your eyes to monitor for pad rotation.
If you don't see pad rotation then you need to change something,
- Perhaps the way you're holding the tool.
- The speed your buffing at - increase the speed.
- Or if your pad is becoming saturated with product, switch to a clean, dry pad. Wet pads on free spinning orbital polishers don't rotate well.
This is one reason it's a good idea to have plenty of buffing pads ready to go before starting any full correction detail.
Buffing pads on Autogeek.com
If you don't know which type of pads you need or how many, call Autogeek's customer service help line and they can assist you.
1-800-869-3011
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Super Member
Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
My two cents...........go with the Rupes Mille LK900. /thread and thank me later. Yes....I'm biased on forced rotation units. I use both a Flex and Rupes regularly.
2019 Pearl White Accord 2.0T Touring (mine)
2023 Snowflake Pearl White CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus(wife)
2010 Urban Platinum Metallic CRV EX-L & 2014 Mica Black Metallic Toyota Corolla S (kids)
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Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
Originally Posted by
TTQ B4U
My two cents...........go with the Rupes Mille LK900. /thread and thank me later. Yes....I'm biased on forced rotation units. I use both a Flex and Rupes regularly.
Hello,
what can you tell me about the Rupes Mille LK900 the end result is the same?
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Super Member
Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
Originally Posted by
spanky1
Hello,
what can you tell me about the Rupes Mille LK900 the end result is the same?
It's not about the end result as much as it is the ease of getting there.
Here's one link with a nice thread. I'm sure there's more. Forced Rotation VS Free Spinning...
2019 Pearl White Accord 2.0T Touring (mine)
2023 Snowflake Pearl White CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus(wife)
2010 Urban Platinum Metallic CRV EX-L & 2014 Mica Black Metallic Toyota Corolla S (kids)
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Super Member
Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
Honestly, you didn’t ask - but if this is your first polisher you’d be much better served by a Griots 6”. OT has more power and the ability to use smaller pads - which make it significantly more versatile, useful, and by the way cheaper.
I’ve had M1 & M2. There is a noticeable difference in power between those 2 machines. Most criticism of Rupes’ DAs is difficulty keeping the pad spinning on complex surfaces.
Is that price for a machine or a kit? If it’s for a machine they went up a lot. I think I paid $ three something for my M2 and that was pushing it for what it is for me.
Knowing what I know now as a hobbyist - it wouldn’t be worth it to pay $500+ for that machine for me. It’s nice and all, but you could buy a GG6, some good polishes, and several pads in various sizes for less.
I think the main differences between the 2 & 3 are some ergonomics. But if you’re going to spend $530 - May as well spend $560 & get the latest & greatest IMHO.
I’m surprised they are still making all of these 3 still. It’s sort of silly. They are very similar. Everyone else just upgrades their stuff prn
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Rupes Polishers Help!
Originally Posted by
swanicyouth
I think the main differences between the 2 & 3 are some ergonomics. But if you’re going to spend $530 - May as well spend $560 & get the latest & greatest
Nope, Rupes remapped the brain of the motors. They moved the higher OPM’s of the II into the midrange of the III.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
I have both a GG 6 inch Random Orbital that I learned on and then bought a Rupes LHR 15 Mark III and the Mark III saves me allot of time. I looked a a forced rotation unit and they are the best, but they also vibrate allot more.
You are basically trading off between Speed and Vibration.
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Re: Rupes Polishers Help!
would I be better off going with the Flex-3401 instead?
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