3" Pads?

A

Accumulator

Well-known member
Accumulatorette recently bought me a little 3" Random Orbital from Griot's, and I like it!



Other than Griot's, and the two offerings at TOL, who sells 3" pads?
 
Hmmm....I used to know the answer to this, I think. I once eyed-up that polisher for the inside of wheels; what do you use it for? Best I can do is Autogeek seems to have some 3.5" pads for the Polishin' Pal but the selection isn't good.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Hmmm....I used to know the answer to this, I think. I once eyed-up that polisher for the inside of wheels; what do you use it for?
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Yeah, I know somebody has them...Kevin Brown mentioned 3" pads in passing the last time I talked with him.



I should qualify/clarify my enthusiasm a little- I like it at first blush and I'm quite certain that I'll like using it for spot-correction. But I've hardly done anything with it so far. It does seem quite capable of maintaining proper pad movement even under considerable applied pressure.



I haven't actually *used* it much yet, it arrived just a bit too late for use on my last correction and the polishing pads for it were backordered anyhow. So far I've only used it (with KAIO and the Griot's "Scrubbing Pads") on the Yukon's runningboards/etc. That was actually a good test as I was leaning on it pretty hard and I had to exercise careful control lest I hit the surrounding areas with those scrubbing pads. Worked well, just great for that, but one thing I'll have to get used to is the way it starts out a bit slow and then, after a few seconds (quite a few, or so it seems) it speeds up to the set level. Their version of "soft start" I guess.



Heh heh, I oughta RTFM some time :o



The small pad size, combined with the size/shape of the housing makes it a bit *less* handy than one might think. Nothing new there as I often discover that when I try small pads for tight spots; it's not the *pad size* but rather the machine size/configuration that becomes the limiting factor. On the running boards, there were areas I simply had to do by hand and the machine's housing would bump into something no matter how I held it.



So...I dunno if it's gonna work all that great for the back/inside of wheels. Well, not that I won't be using it for such stuff so we'll see. But I'm really psyched about using it for spot-correction, seems just the ticket for those little RIDS where a 4" pad is bigger than I need. The Griot's orange pads are *very* good for stuff like that, but, well...I'm curious about my other options.
 
I believe LC makes some *smaller than* 4" pads for polishing headlights and such, but I dont remember the exact size. I saw them on one of the UK forums.



BTW, I read all of your posts in hopes of coming accross bits of humor like "Accumulatorette" :D
 
Ah, thanks for the replies!



Dsoto87- It might be a while before I tackle any RIDS with it, it arrived just a bit too late for my most recent correction and I don't do that stuff all that often these days.



But I *will* post something up once I've tried it out.



craigdt- Yeah, I too thought that LC made smaller pads, but I haven't run across them (not that I've actually checked directly with LC...hey, it's easier to ask you guys :D ).



Now that I think about it, I oughta ask my painter too, he uses 3" stuff.



Oh, and I can't take credit for the "Accumulatorette" tag, it was Danase who came up with that. Good, huh? Perfectly fitting for my better half.





FJF- Seems like Rubbish Boys has all sorts of good stuff. I've never sprung for shipping across the pond, but if I ever *do* order from them I'll get those pads too. Interesting that their orange is similar to Griot's..I figured somebody else must use that particular foam, but I'd never run across any "orange foam" that was the same.



Do 3M pads use "conventional" velcro? I somehow thought that some of their pads use "reverse velcro" or somesuch :think:
 
Accumulator said:
FJF- ...I've never sprung for shipping across the pond.....
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The shipping was much less costly than I'd thought. I ordered 4 3" pads and a foam-backed 75mm backing plate. The shipping came to ~$4.



I figured somebody else must use that particular foam, but I'd never run across any "orange foam" that was the same.
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I was surprised by the similarity.



Do 3M pads use "conventional" velcro? I somehow thought that some of their pads use "reverse velcro" or somesuch :think:
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That's a good question. I know one of their lines uses the reverse Velcro, but I don't think this one does. Perhaps someone with more experience could chime in.
 
The velcro on the 3M pads are the same as LC, Megs.... etc.



I tried all the pads and I have to say that they performed very well. The only thing I didn't like was how the velcro ran all the way to the edge of the foam and was stiff on all the pads but the black one. You had to be VERY careful not to cut into anything with the edge.



As for ordering from Ben at RB's, don't hesitate. I placed an order on 7-10 and recieved it 7-15 (I live in MI). I ordered AB, a couple waxes, his drying towel, wool wash mit, pads and a couple other things I can't think of right now. It came in a medium sized box, well packed and shipping was around 8 dollars give or take.



Unbelieveable! Ben also responded to my emails very quickly. Great service!



Thanks again Ben and good luck with everything.
 
mikemurphy234- Thanks for the confirmation regarding the 3M velcro and for the feedback on RB.



Yeah, the velcro goes all the way on the Griot's pads too. I sure had to be careful using their scrubbing pads on the rubber portions of my Yukon's running boards lest the pad or velcro touch the adjacent painted (well, PPFed) surfaces.
 
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