Porter Cable 7424, or something bigger?

[tpsk8er]

I tried searching but ended up getting more confused. I want to remove swirl/spider web scratches off of my car and i am looking into getting a polisher and learning to do it myself. I just wanted to know if the PC 7424 will be enough, or if i`ll need something a little more heavy duty like the 7428. Thank you.

[Slinky]

The only difference in the 2 is the counter-weight IIRC, which is interchangable anyways. 7424 is the winner. :)

[squimper]

I can`t answer the OP`s question, but I just wanted to point out that the 7424 and the 7428 are not similar machines.



The 7424 is a dual action polisher.

The 7428 is a rotary buffer.



The 7336 is similar to the 7424.

[Shftup]

Whats the main difference from the 7336 and the 7424??

[squimper]

As Slinky said, the only difference appears to be the size of the counterweight.

[tpsk8er]

So then the 7424 would be fine for swirl removing and general buffing.

[squimper]

I`m new to all of this (been reading and practicing for 3 months). I have a PC7424, but I don`t have a rotary. So take anything I say with a grain of salt as it most likely isn`t from personal experience. Yet! ;)



The PC 7424 with the right products works well to remove swirls, but from what I`ve read, there can be cases where it won`t be able to remove them effectively. In those cases you`d probably need a rotary.



The PC is a safe tool to use. Meaning that with minimal use of common sense, you will find it difficult to damage your vehicle`s paint. The rotary buffer is a different animal and will very quickly damage your paint if you don`t know what you`re doing (which is why I don`t have one yet :laugh: ).



In any case, I`ve detailed 4 cars so far with my PC7424 and I love it. No problems for me so far and my friends and family are very happy to have shiny clean paint on their cars. :buffing:

[awahl63]

Get the 7424 definately. The 7336 is the same machine but is marketed as a sander not a polisher and the 7428 is a rotary polisher. Stick with the 7424

[tpsk8er]

So from what i understand, a rotary polisher is a little more heavy duty, and needs a bit more experience to use effectively. Has anyone had expierence with removing swirls with the 7424?

[Scottwax]

Get the 7424 definately. The 7336 is the same machine but is marketed as a sander not a polisher and the 7428 is a rotary polisher. Stick with the 7424



I`ve used both the 7424 and 7336. The larger counterweight is the only difference and it makes the vibrations smoother.

[squimper]

So from what i understand, a rotary polisher is a little more heavy duty, and needs a bit more experience to use effectively. Has anyone had expierence with removing swirls with the 7424?



That`s correct.



A lot of people remove swirls and small scratches using a PC7424 with a large variety of pads and products. It just takes more time, but it`s much easier to use safely.



There are dozens and dozens of posts on this site where people have given step by step accounts of how they removed swirls and scratches using a PC7424/PC7336 and varying products. Get a couple Tylenol and start reading. :dance It was a lot of information to absorb for me, but I think I`m starting to float! Soon, I might be able to start swimming. :lol

[imported_Picus]

Almost everyone on this site has removed swirls with the 7424/7336 (same machine, different CW). It`s the most popular random orbital around by far. Having recently started detailing again with a rotary I find it isn`t so much that the PC7424 can`t remove the same degree of marring as a rotary more than it takes much longer. A rotary *can* remove slightly deeper marring, but the main advantage is it`s speed. With it you can do one entire pass in 30-40 minutes whereas with the PC you might take 3x as long.



The tradeoff is that a rotary requires much more finesse. There is a higher potential for damage since it removes paint so much quicker, there is also the potential of halograming the paints finish etc... A RO like the 7424 is virtually fool proof, it doesn`t have the power to burn paint (unless you clip a really thin edge or something), it`ll bog down before it can create halograms...



So ya, I`d always recommend the 7424/7336 to beginners. First, it`s easy to use. Second, there is tons of info on how to use it. Third, it`s esentially impossible to damage paint with it. Forth, even if you move to a rotary in the future you will still use it. I still use it almost every detail for finishing polishes and wax/sealant applications.



Cheers.

[tpsk8er]

After a little more research, i`ve decided to go with the 7424. I don`t mind taking a longer time to do my car, rather than messing the paint up. The swirls on my car aren`t too bad, there is just a whole lot of them. Thanks for the help.