The Rupes BIGFOOT LHR 21E is heading to the USA!!!

[gmblack3]

I went into the chevy dealer and told them they should sell me a new z06 for $40k as ill only drive it once a month.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I just wonder if it`s worth nearly 300% more than a GG6 or maybe Dewalt or Makita Rotary.

Is a box full of Snap-On tools worth nearly 300% more than a box with tools from Harbor Freight?

[imported_WhyteWizard]

At 60 years out, I`ve got a few regrets but buying and using good tools isn`t one of them.



Robert

[mikemurphy234]

I just wonder if it`s worth nearly 300% more than a GG6 or maybe Dewalt or Makita Rotary.

I can tell you this, the machine is VERY well balanced and is MUCH more comfortable to use. But if you have a rotary, for 100 bucks you can get the Dynabrade RO head. It`ll give you an idea of the cut you`d be getting with the Rupes.

[mikemurphy234]

I went into the chevy dealer and told them they should sell me a new z06 for $40k as ill only drive it once a month.

So how`d it go??? :chuckle:

[911fanatic]

Is a box full of Snap-On tools worth nearly 300% more than a box with tools from Harbor Freight?

You mean 3000%, right?

[gmblack3]

So how`d it go??? :chuckle:

They said maybe $100 off.

[C. Charles Hahn]

You mean 3000%, right?

Probably.... I was just illustrating a point.

[CEE DOG]

Kevin, Bravo on bringing this in to the US! And Bravo on the price point relatively speaking! If I needed another machine right now I would be in! As it is its only a matter of time before I call you but it will likely be awhile. I do have one question. Its insignificant to me as I clean my pad so often regardless but you mentioned the pad staying cleaner longer. I don`t follow.. if a pad is cutting paint it is going to be just as clogged over the course of the amount of paint it cuts regardless of machine. It may cut faster or slower but if two identical pads are used on an identical sized section with identical polishes and are used to cut identical amounts of paint they will both contain identical amounts of clear coat and buildup. Do I make sense or am I missing something?

[Kevin Brown]

...I do have one question. Its insignificant to me as I clean my pad so often regardless but you mentioned the pad staying cleaner longer. I don`t follow.. if a pad is cutting paint it is going to be just as clogged over the course of the amount of paint it cuts regardless of machine. It may cut faster or slower but if two identical pads are used on an identical sized section with identical polishes and are used to cut identical amounts of paint they will both contain identical amounts of clear coat and buildup. Do I make sense or am I missing something?...

"Keep pads cleaner (particularly foam pads), as they do not have an ability to become tied or knotted or clumped together the way fibrous pads might (wool, microfinger, microfiber, felt, etc.)"



No, you make sense... I bullet-pointed a lot of things.



Imagine that you are hand sanding a painted panel using a sheet of sandpaper. If you were to only marginally move the hand pad back and forth 1-inch forward and backward, any paint that was scrubbed from the surface would for the most part linger under the paper, stuck between it and the paint surface. Eventually,the paper would clog with abraded paint residue, ceasing to sanding cleanly or efficiently. Certainly, the use of water to help rinse paint residue away would keep the surface and sandpaper mostly debris-free. If instead you went ahead and moved the hand pad back and forth 1-foot (using the same amount of strokes in the same amount of time), the abraded paint residue would be more apt to clear the area between the sandpaper and paint surface. Lots of motion means there`s a better chance that any residue stuck on or stuck under the sandpaper will clear away.



A similar thing happens with large stroke machines when we buff paint using a foam pad and compound. Not only that, but with a larger stroke (all other things being equal) comes an increase in centripetal force (the force that causes the backing plate to rotate). The increase in stroke size and backing plate rotation makes it more difficult for debris to remain on the surface of the foam pad. This is particularly true when we`re comparing residue build-up on foam pads versus pads that use strings (wool, microfiber, microfingers, cotton, etc.) With string-type pads, the individual string can trap the residue, the residue can clump the strings together, the string effectively become thicker, and voila!- We`re seeing scour marks across the paint surface.



With foam, there`s only so much that can be loaded into the pores immediately below the face of the pad or on top of the face structure of the pad. Sure, any particular foam pad might hold onto compound and residue more easily than another pad, but eventually, the thick layer of debris is going to break away from the foam, regardless its design. The debris will either be scuttled away via the pad`s edge (effectively squeegeeing aside), or it will dust away, or it will be wiped away.



It`s why many of us using the smaller Rupes LHR75 3" Air-Powered Mini Random Orbital just cannot believe that the paint surface is not hazed or scoured after we`ve polished using a dinky pad @ 8,000-10,000 RPM. It is a shocker, but what a difference there is between using it compared to a Griot`s 3" machine or a Metabo SXE400.

[chrisguga]

I went into the chevy dealer and told them they should sell me a new z06 for $40k as ill only drive it once a month.

Are you dense? I didn`t tell him he should sell it to me for less. I didn`t tell him he should do anything. I simply wondered if it was likely we`d see a group purchase discount or some other introductory price break.



And no, a box of Snap-On tools probably isn`t worth 3000% more than a box from Harbor Freight for a shade tree mechanic, hence the reason I stated I`m an amateur that only does this for fun.



Tough crowd.

[gmblack3]

Are you dense? I didn`t tell him he should sell it to me for less. I didn`t tell him he should do anything. I simply wondered if it was likely we`d see a group purchase discount or some other introductory price break.



And no, a box of Snap-On tools probably isn`t worth 3000% more than a box from Harbor Freight for a shade tree mechanic, hence the reason I stated I`m an amateur that only does this for fun.



Tough crowd.

I`m the dense one who details enough cars to pay $400 for this great machine. Yep that`s me. If I can help you with anything else please let me know.

[chrisguga]

I`ve seen your work. You do a great job.



I`m a physical therapist so pardon me if I`m not looking to trade careers with you.

[mikenap]

Is this unit likely to receive a price break at some point? I do a car per month at most, usually for family or friends, and occasionally for a car show type car. It`s hard for me to justify ~$400 for a machine I`ll use so little, but I am in the market to upgrade from my Porter Cable so I can chew through defects more quickly. These daily driver cars often take 3-4 steps of compounding to get to a reasonable finish. I don`t have that kind of time.

I just wonder if it`s worth nearly 300% more than a GG6 or maybe Dewalt or Makita Rotary.

I`ve seen your work. You do a great job.



I`m a physical therapist so pardon me if I`m not looking to trade careers with you.

All due respect Chris, but this is a true PROFESSIONAL grade machine, imported at a large expense by Kevin. The price is already discounted, and he`s put up his own money to get these in, refusing to take deposits even though he has probably 40-50 of us on a waiting list to happily pay the $400 when they arrive.



Since you`ve stated yourself that YOU are not a professional or do enough cars to justify it, clearly it isn`t worth the money to YOU. Don`t slam the product or, indirectly, the vendor by comparing it to cheaper alternatives that don`t match this machine in build quality, performance and results, and to a degree, exclusivity. This machine isn`t for everyone, but that doesn`t mean it`s over-priced or a more expensive GG DA or anything of the sort. Two totally different machines and the price difference is completely justified.



Oh yeah, and if you`re on a forum with both enthusiast AND professional detailers, it`s probably not the classiest move to look down your nose at pro detailers by implying that your profession and education are superior.

[chrisguga]

Mike, you`re right and I came back to the computer to edit my last response until I noticed you quoted it.



I only mentioned my profession because it seemed Bryan was implying I couldn`t afford one after stating that *he* gets enough detailing work to afford a $400 machine. I figured if he went there, I would too.