Ok, first off let me say a couple of things. First I had a Griot`s 2nd Gen 6 inch for over a year an half with no issues (It was my back up unless using the first gen series of MF pads, all you detailers know why). Secondly I did not request a replacement but just asked for my unit to be fixed. Lastly, I`m an extremely patient but persistent person, which is also why this worked out I`m sure.

The Company ~ Griot`s Garage 8/10

I have to say they really did come through. The customer service is top notch, very attentive and always nice (Overly nice). The woman I spoke to was like that woman Jane from the Toyota commercials.

The story ~ Broken Polisher & the guarantee for LIFE

I broke my polisher at the end of September and sent it back in mid october. I called them a month later asking what was going on with my unit, apparently they couldn`t find it inventory (However they did trace my original order, very good records). They said they would get back to me immediately, they never did so I followed up again around mid December or so. At this point I figured ups lost the unit and I was basically sol.

Long story short, I don`t know if they ever found out if they actually received it but January 5th I received a brand new griot`s garage 3rd Gen 6 inch. They really came through but I did have to stay on them. Overall I`m very impressed but remember persistence is KEY!

The Unit ~

The griots 3rd Gen is a HUGE improvement over the 2nd Gen, not in terms of power but in terms of design and build quality. First the new head grip cuts the effort down by over half. The second is the new BP that is now ventilated, it`s a far better design which kills weight, heat and vibration. Lastly and most important, build quality. The new 3rd Gen feels 10x better, the old 2nd vibrated a lot and could serve equally as a back massager under heavy load. Yes, it had power but you always felt half of it was being directed to your arms instead of the paint. The new 3rd gen feels smooth, calm, solid at all levels of operation. That quality translates to control and thus allows for far more precision & confidence in tight spaces. The new 3rd gen feels like the build quality of a 3401 compared to the 2nd gen which honestly felt like a pc without a counter weight! Even though it obviously doesn`t have the throw of the rupes, I would strongly recommend this to any beginner as the quality of this machine is just awesome!