Rant on Hitachi Rotary !

**EdLancer** · 03-27-2006, 11:22 AM

Ok, I just taken the plunge and ordered the Hitachi from CoastalTools.

What should I expect from it compared to the Mikita and the Dewalt and who here has one !

Should be expecting it sometimes next week.

**SpoiledMan** · 03-27-2006, 11:27 AM

I have both and the Hitachi is lighter and quieter. *I* find the bail style handle easier to control and easier on the hands.

**hood rich** · 03-27-2006, 02:01 PM

the only nice thing i can say about this unit is that it is quieter than the dewalt.... other than that the dewalt is better in every single aspect. the dewalt is about as light of a buffer that you would want, you don`t ever want to apply an pressure when you`re using a rotary. the dial on the hitachi is lame like the makita... doesn`t have actual rpms, it has numbers that represent different speeds. very lame. and the thing i hate most about the makita and hitachi is the fact that they that progressive start or whatever you call it. and they both have absolutely no power. you can literally stop your pad from spinning if you press hard on the edge of something. I was messing around when i bought a makita and pressed the pad on the corner of my desk and i got it to stop. bottom line... the hitachi and makita feel much cheaper than the dewalt. my dewalt has been dropped from the top of a 12 foot ladder a time or two when i was doing a motorhome... the thing still works perfectly. I was really surprised. my dewalt has been used almost every single day for the past two years and I still don`t have a complaint.... the only thing i`ve replaced were the brushes... and that was like a month ago. but that`s abnormal for a buffer that gets used as much as mine.

**SpoiledMan** · 03-27-2006, 02:06 PM

Funny, I find that it feels just as good or better. Question though. How do you polish the sides of a car without applying pressure?

**EdLancer** · 03-27-2006, 02:29 PM

I don`t know if its quality or market demands, but I can locally get a Dewalt for $275cdn and the Hitachi is $425cdn a significiant difference in price. :hm

**i_needit** · 03-27-2006, 11:36 PM

Well I can`t compare it to the Dewalt or the Makita, but I also bought the Hitachi. I took it out last week with some LC VC pads and went to it on the the wifeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s accord. For me it did the job that I wanted especially since it has been 15+ years since I have handled a rotary and my first time with an electric. I think I must have been real lucky with the results i.e. pad and the product choices on Honda paint that have had its share of crapy car wash jobs. I will take pics when I get time to do my truck. As for the rpm`s markings, mine has the numbers and rpms on the handle. Oh and I bought my pads and stuff through www.dansing.com , he is one of the sponsors of the website and is extremely helpful.

Steve

**MichaelM** · 03-28-2006, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by hood rich

and they both have absolutely no power.

Yet they both have more powerful motors then the Dewalt. I`m on the other side of the fence then you. I don`t think the Makita feels cheap at all, it`s held up quite well for me so far. The numbered speed dial hasn`t been a hinderence for me either. Once you know what you`re doing absolute speed isn`t as important as knowing when the buffer is spinning too fast or too slow. The paint, post buffing, will tell you that.

**eShine** · 03-30-2006, 01:19 AM

The progressive start is there for a reason and I like it very much. It prolongs the life of the internals. Just try stopping my Hitachi with your hand and you will be visiting a plastic surgen. The 5 year warranty is the best around also. The whole "The dial has no numbers...". There is a label right above the dial!

1=600RPM

2=900RPM

etc

That is real complicated....