what do you guys recommend using a machine to buff your car or by hand and why do you prefer one over the other? also what kinda products are your favorites?

 

MACHINE! If for nothing else, the time it cuts down over hand polishing! If its just for waxing, the cost of a machine probably isnt worth it, but a machine will remove more defects and provide a higher gloss finish (and yea, takes a lot less time).
I have a lot of favorites Just depends on my mood at the time! Thats part of the fun in detailing.. finding stuff you like and dont

 

ya but from wat i hear hand buffing will take more time but it will also stop swirl marks on ur car like a machine buffer will do if not buffed correctly and doing it by hand looks almost as good being my first time buffing a car i prob would end up buffing it wrong lol

 

Polishing by hand will never be as good as machine...Results are night and day difference...

Try washing and throughly claying your car before you attempt to do any type of polishing...You'll be surprise what clay and a good wax job can do...

But, on the other hand, it will never "shine" or be as "deep" as polishing via rotary or PC machine type buffers...Simply put, machine polishing is where 95% of all shine comes from...Hand polishing is not really worth the effort, chances are you'll be introducing new swirls into the paint by improperly using an abrasive polish on your paint...

Good luck

 

definitely the machine will be much more efficient and you'll get way better results.

 

Polishing by hand wont stop the induction of swirls over doing it by machine. The UDM actually mimics a hand motion, just a whole lot faster than you could ever move your hand For this reason, it makes using a machine very safe. What you're thinking of is a rotary, which only spins. What this can do, if used wrong, will induce holograms, buffer/trail marks, etc.
It really is tough to screw up w/ the udm, even if it is your first time. I can go over the whole process and how to use it w/ you to make it easier.
The poorboys udm kit is probably your best bet. Their polishes are very easy to use and produce great results. Additionally, that package has an awesome wax included.

http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/poudmpawfrit.html

 

How can one remove the "holograms, buffer/trail marks, etc." from a rotary?

 

+1 What Chris said.

Rotary buffers are great in experienced hands. Dual Action (DA) buffers are great in virtually anyone's hands. DA's are very safe and if used with the proper products and pads will yield excellent results that cannot be duplicated by hand. I also find the DA to cut the time over hand polishing tenfold or more. I own both, a DA and a Rotary, and I use the DA most often.

My DA (Porter-Cable 7336) is 12 years old and I've used it on well over a thousand vehicles and it has never let me down. I'd consider this DA one of the best tools I've ever purchased for detailing.

Rotaries can produce the same excellent results, and remove even more severe scratches than a DA, but this comes with more risk to the paint. If you choose a rotary, practice on a beater before you work on a nice car.

With either, it is always the best practice to start with the least aggressive pads and polishes and move up only if you need to. Also, never mix polishes on the same pad. I use a permanant marker to designate what polish is used with specific pads so in effect I dedicate a pad to a polish.

As to brands, I own Porter-Cable 7336 (DA) and 7228 (Rotary) and they have performed better than I had ever expected. Besides the Porter-Cable DA's, 7424 and 7336, there are several new products on the market now. The Ultimate Detailing Machine (UDM) and Meguiar's G110 are two that come to mind. One of the things I really appreciated about the PC line is that most ACE hardware stores in the US are authorized service centers. You can bring the PC in for brush replacement and lubrication every couple years and it will keep on trucking.