mith

Well now, you have a valid point... however (said the noobie)... if this is what professionals use, then that's what I'm going to use. If the other buffers worked better, the professionals would use them right?

Now if you're saying that the other buffers (DA's?) work just as well, then I'll reconsider using them.

teetertotter

Can you afford to have a professional do it for you once a year. Buy a marine/saltwater quality exterior treatment product and have local detailer do it for you. It will last for a year+ in snow/salt country.

AJ06GT

Well if you want to use a rotary, then go for it. Certainly no one should discourage you as rotaries do work very well. Just know that even when you know how to use it, it just takes one slip up to mess up your paint. It's one thing to learn how to use one and have some success, it's another to have years of experience to know you won't make a mistake. DAs do work just as well on most jobs, but maybe just not as fast. Rotaries are more aggressive so you can do more intensive work faster, but you can also damage easily. If you're just looking to clean up your car and take out some swirls, a DA most definitely works just as well as a rotary. If you do choose to use a rotary I'd seriously suggest you practice on something you don't mind damaging. If it's your first time you can probably count on putting some holograms in your paint.

mith

Touché! Sonic, you're correct. But I think outside the box on this issue. If you want to learn to drive, you can start with a Pinto and work your way up knowing full well that the Pinto's not the best car, nor will you end up using it once you learn how to drive it. I have decided to start with the Ferrari and learn from my mistakes (and I've already made some BIG mistakes since I'm a noobie).

But once I learn to drive the Ferrari, the pay-off is going to be phenomenal! Once I learn from my mistakes, I'll already have the tools I need to do what I need to do properly and most effectively.

Having said that... some people can't afford to make the mistakes that I've made, so yea, they should get the, "error-free" buffers. But eventually, they'll want to advance and go to the next level. I feel that I have gotten pretty good with my buffer. I no longer screw up and mess up my paint.

Bottom line is this. If you want to be safe, get a DA buffer. But if you want to advance your "paint correction" skills, get the best quality buffer and learn how to use it. As I said before, you can always off-set the pad and effectively make your regular buffer, a DA or orbital buffer.