Other orbital buffers than the PC

**Goleafsgo** · 06-25-2004, 06:49 PM

I`ve seen a few other threads about this and I know what most people are going to say already.. "Get the PC". I only have my one car which has slight swirls which I would like to polish out. Has anyone ever used something like a Craftsman 6" orbital buffer to get swirls out before? The one I have seen is 1 amp, and does only 3800 opm.

I only have my one car that I`d like to remove swirls on.. and once you polish the swirls out you`re supposed to try and make sure it doesnt happen again right? I really don`t want to spend $150+ for a PC and accessories for something that I won`t likely use very often.

Will a cheaper orbital buffer work to remove swirls? Or will it not do anything at all.. They must be able to work well

**ncal** · 06-25-2004, 11:45 PM

I would say that if you aren`t planning on purchasing the PC or Cyclo you might as well stick to doing it by hand. Personally I think the PC and Cyclo are really useful tools but if don`t feel they would be for you, I wouldn`t mess with anything else. Just remember that by hand you will be more limited and will need to exercise patience.

**travisdecpn** · 06-25-2004, 11:51 PM

The thing about the PC is that it is like a magnet, it draws you to your car. You will find yourself detailing more often than before. However, using an orbital buffer is great at reducing the time it takes removing swirls compared to hand. As long as you use the right products you will do fine either way.

**6cyl's_of_fury** · 06-26-2004, 01:20 AM

Mate, if you can find an adjustable speed random orbital sander ( they usually come with a standard 5" backing plate already ) then you can successfully use it in place of a PC.

**Goleafsgo** · 06-26-2004, 03:25 PM

Hmm.. I don`t know. I just might go try this Craftsman out if I can return it if it doesn`t work as well as I would want it to.

**shaf** · 06-27-2004, 06:38 AM

Will they let you do that even if the bonnets and stuff are used (and probably a bit dirty)?

Here`s my take on this, because I was in pretty much the same debate as you some time ago....

If you are fairly sure you are not going to do much polishing, either on your vehicle or others over the years, then just give it a shot by hand or with the Craftsman. I am not sure how effective the Craftsman will be, given its slower speed and use of cloth bonnets, but you can try it if you want. Hand application is sometimes more effective (so I have heard) but you have to budget a lot more time and you`d better stock up on Gatorade. Either way, it is possible to do swirl removal without a PC, just not necessarily easy.

On the other hand, if you think you like detailing, and might want to detail other cars (friends, family, etc.), you might want to consider the PC. Over the years it pays for itself in saved time and labour, and becomes an investment - kind of like a circular saw. And remember, try as you might to prevent it, you will have to re-polish the car some time in the future. Most people here usually do it yearly at least. It doesn`t have to be serious swirl removal, but it`s at least a light polishing, and that still takes up time and labour.

Hand polishing my own vehicle back when I first joined was a lot of work. I decided I liked this hobby though, so I attempted a friend`s car later that year. The car was black and had a serious case of swirls that laughed at my inadequate attempts at removing them. This wasn`t really because I did not have a PC, but because it was such a seemingly monumental amount of work that I broke right then and there, and changed my mind - I needed a PC. I don`t get in as much detailing time now as I used to, but the PC still saves me time and beats polishing by hand when I have to.

Do you have to shell out the money for a PC and all the pads and stuff? Absolutely not. Time and sweat can replace it most of the time. Like all power tools, it is a convenience, but it`s up to you if you think it`s worth it or not.

Hope that gives you some food for thought.

**freedre** · 06-27-2004, 07:58 AM

IMHO, the Craftsman is a waste of money. I think your options are: 1. Do it by hand and get the benefit of the exercise, 2. Go to a detailer and have the paint properly `prepped` - if you keep it clean and waxed/sealed, minor labour will keep it looking good. 3. Buy a PC.

The cost of options 2 and 3 are about the same.

The secret to a good looking ride is in the "Prepping"