Best Orbital Polisher
01-17-13, 09:39 PM
#1
Best Orbital Polisher
What is the best orbital polisher out there right now, that's the best bang for the bucks??
I was looking at the porter cable 7424XP, griots garage random orbital.. any others? What should I be choosing, I'm not to familar with detailing cars, but I'm just using it for my personal car on a IS250. Thank you
I was looking at the porter cable 7424XP, griots garage random orbital.. any others? What should I be choosing, I'm not to familar with detailing cars, but I'm just using it for my personal car on a IS250. Thank you
01-17-13, 09:45 PM
#2
Lexus Champion
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porter cable has always been my recommendation for newbies. its also great even if you are a pro because it will come in handy.
the griot, the great thing about theirs is lifetime warranty and it's really a hassle free warranty. Griots is a great company.
if you are mechanically inclined and usually get things faster than most people, i would tell you to get the FLEX XC3401. it has a bit better cutting action that the porter cable and is quieter.
the griot, the great thing about theirs is lifetime warranty and it's really a hassle free warranty. Griots is a great company.
if you are mechanically inclined and usually get things faster than most people, i would tell you to get the FLEX XC3401. it has a bit better cutting action that the porter cable and is quieter.
01-17-13, 09:51 PM
#3
porter cable has always been my recommendation for newbies. its also great even if you are a pro because it will come in handy.
the griot, the great thing about theirs is lifetime warranty and it's really a hassle free warranty. Griots is a great company.
if you are mechanically inclined and usually get things faster than most people, i would tell you to get the FLEX XC3401. it has a bit better cutting action that the porter cable and is quieter.
the griot, the great thing about theirs is lifetime warranty and it's really a hassle free warranty. Griots is a great company.
if you are mechanically inclined and usually get things faster than most people, i would tell you to get the FLEX XC3401. it has a bit better cutting action that the porter cable and is quieter.
01-17-13, 09:57 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (20)
yes there is a lot of vibration , especially when you are polishing on metal panels. your hands will also get numb everytime you stop the machine to put more polish or wiping off panels.
you will get a normal yellow backing plate depending on what size panels you are doing. i like 4 inch pads on the PC for better cutting power and i use 5-6 inch pads if im doing glazes and sealants.
you will get a normal yellow backing plate depending on what size panels you are doing. i like 4 inch pads on the PC for better cutting power and i use 5-6 inch pads if im doing glazes and sealants.
01-17-13, 10:49 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (20)
it's not bad, i was just listing the negatives on it. I honestly would buy the PC if i was you. it's very reliable and people have been using it for years and it's a trusted name in home improvement. but griots if you can find a deal on one
it's very versatile and should be able to do everything you want if your paint is not in poor condition.
it's very versatile and should be able to do everything you want if your paint is not in poor condition.
01-17-13, 11:05 PM
#7
okay thanks a lot, ill be going for the porter cable on amazon for about like 110$ brand new and i think the price is cheaper than griots, and the PC could basically do everything that I'll ever need correct? besides just waxing the car, it could do swirl marks and such??
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01-18-13, 06:14 AM
#8
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If you are with a price budget I would say the Griots 6 inch Random Orbital Polisher would be your best bet.
We have not used our PC in about 2 years, it lacks power. The Griots is light years ahead of it, as well it is backed by a lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects.
Now is you want the BEST Orbital on the market right now you would have to go with either the Rupes BigFoot LHR 15ES (smaller throw) or the Rupes BigFoot LHR 21ES (21mm throw)
We have not used our PC in about 2 years, it lacks power. The Griots is light years ahead of it, as well it is backed by a lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects.
Now is you want the BEST Orbital on the market right now you would have to go with either the Rupes BigFoot LHR 15ES (smaller throw) or the Rupes BigFoot LHR 21ES (21mm throw)
01-18-13, 06:15 AM
#9
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01-21-13, 10:00 PM
#10
As a first time user, you'll probably never notice the power difference when you use the machine. I'm still on a second generation PC7424. Was one of the first to remove sanding marks prior to Kevin Brown method with it, melted 5 backing plates that gave birth to the ones we have now due to pushing the machine to its limits, and also snapped the rotation shaft. Rebuilt it and its still going strong and I purchased it in 08 
What I'm saying is that you'll be fine with whatever you buy!
What I'm saying is that you'll be fine with whatever you buy!
01-22-13, 06:25 AM
#11
Absolutely right. I bought my first DA in spring of 2005. It was a Meguiar's G100 (Porter-Cable 7336) identical to the P-C 7424. Aside from a power cord or two and a few sets of brushes it is still running well today. Surprisingly, I preferred it to my Makita rotary which I recently sold due to non-use. Ever since the microfiber pads and the newer SMAT polishes arrived on the scene, my DA is now once again my go to choice, even for removal of sanding marks.
Today the differences among the polishers are not as great as they once were and when it comes time to replace polishers, I'll go with the one I can get repaired quickly if I need to. In my area, the local ACE hardware store is an authorized Porter-Cable repair center. If I need service, I don't need to send my unit away for weeks while it gets repaired. I can get it serviced in hours and get back to work. This is more important to me than handle design or a fractional amount of increased rotation under extra-heavy pressure.
Today the differences among the polishers are not as great as they once were and when it comes time to replace polishers, I'll go with the one I can get repaired quickly if I need to. In my area, the local ACE hardware store is an authorized Porter-Cable repair center. If I need service, I don't need to send my unit away for weeks while it gets repaired. I can get it serviced in hours and get back to work. This is more important to me than handle design or a fractional amount of increased rotation under extra-heavy pressure.
01-22-13, 07:34 AM
#12
I'm a professional and I find the PC7424XP is great for most all uses (sure the FLEX is great, but not necessary for most people). The vibration of the "cheaper" DA's are not bad at all - my hands have never felt numb, even when using it for hours straight.
The PC7424XP can easily correct swirls, scratches, and even wet sanding marks when used properly with the correct compounds, polishes, and pads.
The difference between "entry level" DA polishers (PC, meguiars, griot's) these days is pretty minimal, however the pad + product combination makes all of the difference! I think that should be your area of focus.
If you are only planning to use this machine & products on your IS250, then you do not need anything too harsh. Toyota/Lexus paint is known to be on the softer side, and will correct easier than some other OEM paints. I find that Meguiar's M205 on a Black Finishing Pad (by Lake Country) at high speed is enough to remove most swirls from our softer paint.
What color is your car? That will also play a factor into which products you may consider, as you will need to finish down much nicer on a black car than you would on a silver or white car.
The PC7424XP can easily correct swirls, scratches, and even wet sanding marks when used properly with the correct compounds, polishes, and pads.
The difference between "entry level" DA polishers (PC, meguiars, griot's) these days is pretty minimal, however the pad + product combination makes all of the difference! I think that should be your area of focus.
If you are only planning to use this machine & products on your IS250, then you do not need anything too harsh. Toyota/Lexus paint is known to be on the softer side, and will correct easier than some other OEM paints. I find that Meguiar's M205 on a Black Finishing Pad (by Lake Country) at high speed is enough to remove most swirls from our softer paint.
What color is your car? That will also play a factor into which products you may consider, as you will need to finish down much nicer on a black car than you would on a silver or white car.
Last edited by eyezack87; 01-23-13 at 03:04 PM.
01-22-13, 09:55 AM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
Absolutely right. I bought my first DA in spring of 2005. It was a Meguiar's G100 (Porter-Cable 7336) identical to the P-C 7424. Aside from a power cord or two and a few sets of brushes it is still running well today. Surprisingly, I preferred it to my Makita rotary which I recently sold due to non-use. Ever since the microfiber pads and the newer SMAT polishes arrived on the scene, my DA is now once again my go to choice, even for removal of sanding marks.
Today the differences among the polishers are not as great as they once were and when it comes time to replace polishers, I'll go with the one I can get repaired quickly if I need to. In my area, the local ACE hardware store is an authorized Porter-Cable repair center. If I need service, I don't need to send my unit away for weeks while it gets repaired. I can get it serviced in hours and get back to work. This is more important to me than handle design or a fractional amount of increased rotation under extra-heavy pressure.
Today the differences among the polishers are not as great as they once were and when it comes time to replace polishers, I'll go with the one I can get repaired quickly if I need to. In my area, the local ACE hardware store is an authorized Porter-Cable repair center. If I need service, I don't need to send my unit away for weeks while it gets repaired. I can get it serviced in hours and get back to work. This is more important to me than handle design or a fractional amount of increased rotation under extra-heavy pressure.
. I have not noticed any severe vibration issues to where it is fatiguing. I have gotten rid of sanding marks, scratches, swirls with my PC with no problems. Porter Cable is a very trusted name in tools/detailing. 3 inch backing plate with 4 inch orange pads would be good for deep correcting, 5 inch baking plate with 5 1/2 pads or 6 in white blue pads would be good for finishing. Lexus clearcoat is very soft, you don't need a lot of power or compounds to correct/polish it.jfelbab, what microfiber pads and polishes have you tried, had the best results with? Every time I do a little research I seem to read 10 different things from 10 different people, some say they are great, others say they are not worth the money at all. I hear so many different things about Megs, LC, surburf, and other companies microfiber pads and polishes it is hard to make a choice what to try, they are pretty pricey just to experiment with.
01-22-13, 10:50 AM
#15
I've used LC MF which is headquartered not far from my WI home and I mostly use Meguiar's MF pads. I believe some early Meg's pads had issues but I've some pads that have done over 50 vehicles and are still usable.
These MF pads require a slightly different method then the foam pads. They work especially well with SMAT polishes and require lots of cleaning. I use my compressor and blow the pad clean after every pass. Clean pads cut really quickly. This is true for foam as well but much more so for MF. I use MF almost exclusively now except for jeweling some soft black paints. I still like to jewel darker colors with finishing foam and frequently use DAT rather than SMAT in that process.
These MF pads work well with the D300/301 polishes and equally well with the 105/205 pair.
These MF pads require a slightly different method then the foam pads. They work especially well with SMAT polishes and require lots of cleaning. I use my compressor and blow the pad clean after every pass. Clean pads cut really quickly. This is true for foam as well but much more so for MF. I use MF almost exclusively now except for jeweling some soft black paints. I still like to jewel darker colors with finishing foam and frequently use DAT rather than SMAT in that process.
These MF pads work well with the D300/301 polishes and equally well with the 105/205 pair.
Last edited by jfelbab; 01-22-13 at 11:19 AM.