I have some minor scratches and swirl marks on my mustang. I am interested in buying a polisher and I have looked at Porter Cables and some others. I have found some much cheaper ones on eBay. I don't think I want to spend almost $200 right now, I would rather just take it to a detail shop and let them do the work. Do any of you have any experience with cheaper polishers or any reasons why I shouldn't buy a cheaper one?

Thanks!

 

cheap polisher are a waste of money the cheapest on i would get is a porter cable

if you take it to a detailer they will probly charge over a 100 dollars

your best bet would be to get a porter cable it will be cheaper in the long run

 

Go to Obsessive Detail's thread and their site offers detail packages, to include the porter cable,with all the goodies you'll need to make your car look practically new.

 

All the cheaper buffer/polishers I've seen are really not intended for anything more than applying wax. They just don't have the power you need to do the job you're after. That's why the PC is so widely recommended, as there are other units that are more expensive (and sometimes a little more powerful). The Flex comes to mind.

The PC isthe most budget-friendly tool for the job. If something else was cheaper, and worked well, it would be just as widely recommended. Don't waste your time with trying to find "cheaper", you're only going to be disappointed in the long run.

 

save up some money for a couple of months and get a dewalt it will be worth it and will last a long time

 

I wouldn't recommend using a Dewalt circular polisher for a beginner. You can damage the paint so easy with one.

For a beginner, I would go with a Porter Cable or a Flex. You can't go wrong with either one.

 

Picked up a Porter Cable 7424 on ebay brand new in the box for $95. Then go to properautocare.com for lots of instructions and recommendations as to products and applications. I went with Menzerna products. Very happy with them.

 

Hey guys

I do test alot on different things and with different techniques and have been posting all my work on a detailing forum. I kept reading where people would ask about using one of the cheap orbital buffers and everone would say that you can't do thos or you can't do that so I wanted to prove a little point so I used one of my test hoods and started a how to post on removing swirls from a red clear coat late 80's trans-am hood and showed step by step and did a test spot so when I was done with by process I removed the tape and use my dual xenon light to show that I had infact removed about 95% of the swirls.

Don't know if I can post the site on which I've done these test on so for respect to this site I wont. And until I can fiqure out how to post the pictures up or a moderator tells me that it's ok to post the link up I'll keep trying to fiqure out what I'm doing wrong or not doing right.

Since I've fiqured it out now is is a couple pics.
What I was using.

The hood.

First I clayed, just clayed the side I was working on didn't do the right side.

Here is what I used to remove the swirl marks.

This picture is after 3 or 4 application of the meguiars deep crystal step 1 cleaner/foam bonnet& a dual xenon light to help show up the swirls better in paint. And if you've removed them all.

Also applied 1 coat of DC step-2 polish, but here is the finished left side of the hood and with the painter's tape removed to show just what was done using a orbital buffer with the right technique.

And there are no swirl filling properties in a cleaner you just have to remove the top layer of paint or clear coat to the bottom depth of the scratch or swirls to eliminate it with the right products and start with the least aggressive and if that doesn't try a second application or third and if still no improvement then step up to a more aggressive product. Because if you start with a to agressive product you can remove more then you need to and if you remove to much clear coat your also taken away your paints UV protection.

 

I use these random orbital polishers. One is a 6" for large areas...the other is a 3" for smaller places like the license plate area. You can do your entire car with the 3" but it will take longer. On the other hand though, the 3" is lightweight, and easy on your arms....and unbeatable for $80.00

6" professional random orbital
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...dom+orbital.do

3" professional random orbital
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...dom+orbital.do

Porter isn't the only random orbital on the market, you have options.

I would just go to OBSESSIVE DETAIL and get a Porter cable polisher if I were you. You can't go wrong. Justin is a site sponsor, and a great member. He always takes good care of us, and sells great products. I would have bought a Porter from OBSESSIVE DETAIL if I hadn't already bought my machines somewhere else.

I get all my products from Justin now. Optimum No rinse is great, and his prices on micro-fiber towels beats the competition hands down.
Here is a pic of my ride after using OBSESSIVE DETAIL products.

and