3 inch pad review

**Barry Theal** · 02-14-2009, 08:36 PM

ok guys so today i was out with the wife and kids doing some shopping and i decided to go to a local harbour freight. i love this store i can walk around for hours just looking thinking of some tool i don`t need but want later to find another tool, then another tool. its addicting, but anyways today i think i found something great! i found a 3 inch backing plate for a rotary $11.99 and it came with a few sanding disks which could be used for headlight restortion, but my reveiw isn`t on that. so i look up in the aisle and found a three inch pad kit with two foam pads a wool pad and a backing plate for a da $17.99! all products were manufactured by chicago pneumatic! now onto the reveiw!

Below is a picture of the backing plate and the sanding disks!

Here is a picture of the 2 foam pads one yellow cut and one white polish and the wool pad and the da backing plate!

On this review i used tomarrows work now this car is untouched. as it came not clayed washed or nothing!

The vw test car!

OK for my first step i used m105 with a the white wool pad! this is one pass on a completly unprepped car. i found that this white wool pad combo was amazing. the pad itself was extreamly soft. almost like the older wool finish pads, but with m105 it was outstanding!!!!!

the 50/50

now the second step i continued with m105 and the yellow fowm pad! this pad felt just like the yellow edge foam pad! ( waffle one) it had some cutting and finished incredible!

now for the 50/50

A close up of the polished side with camera flash

now i used the white foam pad and m205 with just one pass here is a 50/50

now a close up with camera flash

this was a great find i beleive, i have been looking for some 3 inch pads and been reading some reviews on autopia, im really liking the glossit ones but this was only $29.00 so i thought why not try it. im a product junkie and i think this was a great find! i hope you enjoyed the reveiw! these products were found at the harour freight in harrisburg pa. now im not sure about them online i didn`t look. maybe someone could make some other suggestions if there using 3 inch pads. for now i just thought i would share this with you. oh and the little yellow backing plate fits the pc7424 in case anyone was wondering! sorry about the spelling im dislexic!!!!! hope you enjoyed the reveiw!

**heatgain** · 02-14-2009, 09:27 PM

I bought the 3" rotary bp from Harbor freight also. I eyed the 3" DA kit also but didn`t go for the $16.00. Instead I purchased a DA adapter which allows one to use rotary bps on a DA. I didn`t want to pay the $16.00 for 2 (no-name) foam 3" pads and a 3" wool pad. Now I can use any of my rotary bps on my DA.

I also purchased a drill adapter which lets me use any rotary bp on a drill. Both adapters together cost me less than $10.00.

**morven39** · 02-16-2009, 03:50 PM

Heatgain,

Where did you purchase the adapters for the bp? At Harbor Freight or? I don`t have a 3" bp and am going to Harbor Freight tomorrow and didn`t know if you got them there or somewhere else. I couldn`t tell from the picture in the review but he said the 3" yellow bp fit the PC 7424, however the red bp has a 5/8 female arbor so if I get it I will need an adapter. If you can let me know before tomorrow would appreciate it.

**Spilchy** · 02-16-2009, 04:23 PM

Here are similar products as far as backing plates available online at their website.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

**morven39** · 02-16-2009, 04:50 PM

Thanks. Those are the two that were reviewed. I just need to know about where to get the adapter to be able to use those with the 5/8 inch female arbor on a PC 7424.

**Barry Theal** · 02-16-2009, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by morven39

Heatgain,

Where did you purchase the adapters for the bp? At Harbor Freight or? I don`t have a 3" bp and am going to Harbor Freight tomorrow and didn`t know if you got them there or somewhere else. I couldn`t tell from the picture in the review but he said the 3" yellow bp fit the PC 7424, however the red bp has a 5/8 female arbor so if I get it I will need an adapter. If you can let me know before tomorrow would appreciate it.

the 3 inch backing plate dosen`t need an adapter for the rotary which is the red one. its a 5/8 thread. the yellow didn`t need on either.

**heatgain** · 02-16-2009, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by morven39

Heatgain,

Where did you purchase the adapters for the bp? At Harbor Freight or? I don`t have a 3" bp and am going to Harbor Freight tomorrow and didn`t know if you got them there or somewhere else. I couldn`t tell from the picture in the review but he said the 3" yellow bp fit the PC 7424, however the red bp has a 5/8 female arbor so if I get it I will need an adapter. If you can let me know before tomorrow would appreciate it.

I bought both adapters at a PBE store nearby. An automotive paint supply store.

I`ve seen them at Autogeek and other sites too.

**morven39** · 02-16-2009, 09:30 PM

Thanks. Will see what they have tomorrow.

**morven39** · 02-17-2009, 04:41 PM

Bought the 3" Mini Buffing kit item #95394 at Harbor Freight today and the arbor is too small for my PC7424. It looks just like the one in the review but won`t fit. Just did not get lucky. Will just order a small backing plate on my next order from AG.

**mtwedt** · 02-17-2009, 06:10 PM

It`s the red BP that fits the PC that`s in the sanding kit, the buffing kit has the pads. I went and got them yesterday and fitted it to my PC last night, then found another 3" BP in with my Polishing Pal stuff that I used for 4" pads and forgot I had! That red BP pictured is certainly thicker and may handle better than the one I already had. I haven`t tried it out yet. I did have to put my 5/8 adapter on the PC to use that red BP. Does anybody change out the counterweight for quick use of these small BP`s? I`m not sure if there even any that small.

**MorBid** · 02-17-2009, 11:20 PM

Nice review. I visit the local HF store quite often and will look around to see if these are there.

I had one of those adapters to allow you to use a Rotary Backing Plate on a PC and have to give it up. I was using it one day and started to notice more scratches being put into the paint than I was taking out. Upon investigation it saw the adapter was actually shedding little pieces of metal from the threads as it vibrated around inside the Backing Plate.

moRbiD