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  1. #1
    Newbie Member Perfectionista's Avatar
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    Exclamation Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Greetings everyone,

    I purchased LHR15 Mark 2 few months back as I found a decent deal for it on eBay with the mark 3 is little pricey for someone who isn't using it daily. So the unit is used by a reputable detailing forum who is selling it after it had been refurbished by Rupes USA just few months before I bought it

    "It came with a certificate for refurbishment".


    Now I know the unit was properly used and abused but the way I got it was looking almost brand new great job on the refurbishment on the part of Rupes USA it was also greased properly. Here is my issues with it after a marathon detail of 5 days of 14 hour work per day using this machine on my personal car.

    The unit was just struggling to rotate properly I mean I was using almost no pressure on side panels and still it kept on bugging down and the marker I put on the backing plate was just not spinning. it would spin but then as soon as the angle changes or I reach any edges raised or lowered it would just not spin.

    The unit looks and feels fine and new so I don't think it's the unit but the design. You might suggest there is extra drag from the Rupes pads I was using, I was using a Pad Washer after every panel so the pads were nice and moist.

    I cannot think of doing a detail without a pad washer anyway. So that's my experience with LHR15 Mark 2. I ordered a washer mod by Kevin Brown hoping it might help for the future yet to see it in action.


    As for the Rupes Ibrid Nano I am in love

    I definitely don't know how to polish without it anymore it is so versatile and effective I was blown away and couldn't wait to reach a panel to begin using it further, I even had an area with dried paint that pulled down the clear coat above so I sanded with the included disks which worked flawlessly compared if it was done by hand. I know I will be using it more for spot repairs in the future which it is so handy for!

    beware though the small pads clog up super fast and without a pad washer on stand-by it would have been a nightmare.

    Looking forward to your thoughts on the LHR15 Mark2 and my experience with it.

  2. #2
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Quote Originally Posted by Perfectionista View Post

    G Here is my issues with it after a marathon detail of 5 days of 14 hour work per day using this machine on my personal car.
    Wow!

    That's a lot of time to detail any car. Is this a daily driver? Or a show car?



    Quote Originally Posted by Perfectionista View Post

    The unit was just struggling to rotate properly I mean I was using almost no pressure on side panels and still it kept on bugging down and the marker I put on the backing plate was just not spinning. it would spin but then as soon as the angle changes or I reach any edges raised or lowered it would just not spin.

    The unit looks and feels fine and new so I don't think it's the unit but the design. You might suggest there is extra drag from the Rupes pads I was using,

    I was using a Pad Washer after every panel so the pads were nice and moist.
    Wet pads don't rotate well or function well.

    Next time try using only clean DRY pads. Switch pads often.



    Quote Originally Posted by Perfectionista View Post

    I cannot think of doing a detail without a pad washer anyway.
    In my opinion and experience, a pad washer is for use at the end of the day, not during the machine work. Wet FOAM pads don't rotate well and when a foam cutting pad is wet it's not longer a cutting pad. When a foam "polishing" pad is wet it's no longer a polishing pad. Pads loose their cut when they are wet and don't rotate well.

    Dry pads rotate best on free spinning random orbital polishers.


    I use free spinning random orbital polishers for finishing out on softer or finicky/sticky paints. I use gear-driven to get the job done and plow through a car.



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  4. #3
    Newbie Member Perfectionista's Avatar
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Phillips View Post
    Wow!

    That's a lot of time to detail any car. Is this a daily driver? Or a show car?
    It is a DD Mike and I kept on thinking it is impossible some of you pro's do a show car detail in 12 or less hours
    I even stopped and looked in the forums to make sure my brain is not playing tricks on me by taking this long!
    I will post the detail later in the appropriate section of AG forum.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Phillips View Post
    Wet pads don't rotate well or function well.

    Next time try using only clean DRY pads. Switch pads often.
    wow that is new and I thought the pad washer to be used during the detail if like me you are limited by the number of pads you have.
    If I had spare pads I would most likely have used 30+ yellow and white pads.
    I made sure they are not dripping they are just moist on the polishing face. I kept the water level below the grit guard so you only get
    the wash solution when you press/pump down firmly as to not saturate the pad and velcro.

    The other issue I forgot to mention is the Rupes Pads, I really need 5" polishing face, the once I have are 6" face and kept looking
    for Rupes 5" polishing face but did not find any, this could also be contributing to the rotation issue I was having.
    Do Rupes make them or is it only in 1,2,3,4 inch and 6 inch face?

  5. #4
    Mike Phillips
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Quote Originally Posted by Perfectionista View Post

    It is a DD Mike and I kept on thinking it is impossible some of you pro's do a show car detail in 12 or less hours


    I knock all my stuff out really fast but I use the BEAST, the Supa BEAST or the CBEAST - all are 8mm gear driven



    If you're RUPES guy - get the gear-driven Mille. Zero pad stalling = zero wasted time and 2 kinds of energy.



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  7. #5
    Super Member Bruno Soares's Avatar
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    I agree with Mike, don’t use wet pads. Using the washer while detailing is not good.
    You might be struggling a bit with technique on a long throw machine, especially a MK II which is said to stall easier than the MK III.
    Bruno Soares


  8. #6
    Newbie Member Perfectionista's Avatar
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Phillips View Post
    Wow!

    That's a lot of time to detail any car. Is this a daily driver? Or a show car?





    Wet pads don't rotate well or function well.

    Next time try using only clean DRY pads. Switch pads often.





    In my opinion and experience, a pad washer is for use at the end of the day, not during the machine work. Wet FOAM pads don't rotate well and when a foam cutting pad is wet it's not longer a cutting pad. When a foam "polishing" pad is wet it's no longer a polishing pad. Pads loose their cut when they are wet and don't rotate well.

    Dry pads rotate best on free spinning random orbital polishers.


    I use free spinning random orbital polishers for finishing out on softer or finicky/sticky paints. I use gear-driven to get the job done and plow through a car.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Phillips View Post
    I knock all my stuff out really fast but I use the BEAST, the Supa BEAST or the CBEAST - all are 8mm gear driven



    If you're RUPES guy - get the gear-driven Mille. Zero pad stalling = zero wasted time and 2 kinds of energy.


    I was just going to ask about that which you mentioned in the first reply, forced rotation vs free spinning DA,
    again I been detailing since 2006 porter cable days and was not aware that the DA's nowadays have these 2 variations,
    I was reading earlier this thread after you mentioned the concept Forced Rotation VS Free Spinning...

    I don't regret the LHR15 purchase if for anything I will use it for finishing work but thank you it will have a new partner now Rupes Mille
    My last experience with forced rotation "I think it was anyway" was the Flex 3401? That machine does cunt very fast for a DA back in the day.

    As for my question about the rupes pads do they come in 5" face that I was not able to find somehow?
    Thank you for all the help and education, this is excellent!

  9. #7
    Newbie Member Perfectionista's Avatar
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Quote Originally Posted by BSoares View Post
    I agree with Mike, don’t use wet pads. Using the washer while detailing is not good.
    You might be struggling a bit with technique on a long throw machine, especially a MK II which is said to stall easier than the MK III.
    Thank you and yes I heard the MK3 has more bite to it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #8
    Super Member Loach's Avatar
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    I have the MK3 and I've also got KB's washer on the way in the mail, looking forward to checking the difference in the stall rate afterwards. I'll report back once it's in hand.

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  12. #9
    Newbie Member Perfectionista's Avatar
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Quote Originally Posted by Loach View Post
    I have the MK3 and I've also got KB's washer on the way in the mail, looking forward to checking the difference in the stall rate afterwards. I'll report back once it's in hand.
    Sounds good as I dont have any detail planned to test it out with the MK2.

    Note: I replied after Mike but I don't know what happened to that post.

  13. #10
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    Re: Rupes LHR15 Mark2 & Ibrid Nano - Issues Concerns and Observations

    Do you have an old rotary polisher laying around or even might also buy a cheap one or borrow one from a friend. After you have polished a panel or 2 and it's time to clean the pad deep. Put the pad on the high speed rotary polisher and in the pad washer. When you have it out from there mist a spray or 2 with a weak IPA or a panel prep wipe product on the pad and massage it in. In steps holding the pad face down in a bucket or the like. And start on the lowest speed setting and higher the speed setting in stages as it's drying the pad and in the finish you have the highest speed setting on the rotary polisher. You can do this with your Rupes polisher as well but a rotary polisher will reach a little higher speed. This is a way to get the pad as dry as possible and maybe have forced air and blowing out the last of the water. You maybe not getting it bone dry but maybe as dry so you don't loose the cutting ability from it by much. You can also use a pad cleaner spray on solution instead of IPA. Just a way to break down the water tension and the capillary holding ability in the pad so it's easier to be getting out of the pad.

    Try to accumulate up pads going forward so you have enough of them for at least a vehical. 1 pad per panel if you are doing compounding and 1 pad per 2-3 panels when you are polishing and finishing polishing in general speaking on the pad amounts. Clean and dry pads after the day and spinn out as much as possible of the water and moisture. Dry them in a room where you have an AC or a higher temperature. So they are able to be dried over night as it takes it time for them to fully dries.

    Just some tips. As Mike mentioned a wet or with a lot of moisture in the pad will degrade the effectiveness from them very much. And that's why it took you so much longer time to get the results as well. With any free spinning DA polisher it's very important to keep the pad flat on the paint and on the edges it's much about how you go up to them and at what angel. So the polishing technique is much more needed to be thinking on and also more important when you have a larger throw. It's a learning curve but try out different approaches. Kevin Brown is on an AMMO NY video with Larry and think that it's called have been polishing the right way or something like that. It's about how Kevin thinks when he polishing on curves and edges which I found very interesting to see and tried out my self with better results after a while. So it's just getting the time behind the polisher to get more experience and being thinking on what and what not boggs down the pad rotation from it the least. Even Mike Phillips has a cool technique when he take the polisher to a 1/4 rotate and polishing with a longthrow polisher on the edge of it. The free spinning rotation change the rotation to counter clockwise instead which is cool technique LOL. But there you have the Rupes Nano instead to do these places where you would go up on the edge with the polisher it self. Also a 3" polisher can come in handy to polishing the edges and raised and lowered body panels. So you then polishing the flatter surfaces with the 6" longthrow polisher.

    / Tony

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