4 or 6.5 inch pads

J

jw

New member
I've been using a pc with 6.5 pads for a few years. I've never had amazing success, just marginal results. Lately i've been using 106ff. It seems a lot of people like using 4 inch pads. Why is this? Are they easier to work with? Should I try that or do i just need to break down and buy a rotary?
 
4" pads will give you much better results with the PC. The pressure you can apply to the PC before it starts to bog down will be applied to a smaller surface area which will give you more correction power. If you have a few years experience with a PC, you just might want to consider the rotary. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be amazed at how powerful its correcting power is.
 
Get a Makita. I haven't had a ton of experience with a PC and just started using the rotary and I can't get enough of it.
 
jw said:
I've been using a pc with 6.5 pads for a few years. I've never had amazing success, just marginal results. Lately i've been using 106ff. It seems a lot of people like using 4 inch pads. Why is this? Are they easier to work with? Should I try that or do i just need to break down and buy a rotary?
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What isn't the PC doing that you want?

If its not removing defects, try 4" pads. Or a more aggresive polish, 106ff is't really that much for correction.



Threre are a few times that a rotary is the only tool for the job, but if the PC works why fix it?
 
Yeah, 4" pads make the PC capable of some pretty impressive correction. I've removed RIDS from Audi clear with that combo, though it did take a while. And yeah, gotta use the right product too.



I *never* got good results with the PC using larger pads, not even on the Jag's single stage lacquer.
 
jw said:
If I do decide to go with a rotary what size of pads do most people use?
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Smaller pads, like 6 or 6.5". I've stayed with the smaller size pads. I have a bunch of the bigger ones, but rarely use them. Just a matter of what you're more comfortable with.
 
I LOVE 4" pads with the PC. I could NEVER use 6.5" pads on a D/A again. It really is night and day the difference.
 
buja said:
what about 5.5 ?
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Nah..just not the same as the 4". Griot's sold ~5" pads for the PC back when they first started selling that machine, and I probably have more experience with those than I do with 6-6.5" ones (the ~5" are what I tried on the Jag).
 
5.5" pads work great for me. I've not used 4" pads but compared to a 6.5" pad, I can put about 3-4 times the pressure before it "bogs" down and correction is about 2-3 times better/faster than with the 6.5" pads. I think the 5.5" pads are the best of both worlds........small enough to give good correction, but large enough to not take forever to do a panel.
 
CleanGSR said:
. I think the 5.5" pads are the best of both worlds..
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This is why at some point you gotta just make a leap of faith and try something to see if it works *for you*.



If you ever do try the 4" pads, I'd be interested in your findings. One difference I discovered (gee, guess how :o ) is that with the 4" pads you need to exercise a level of caution that is *never* (well, IME) required with anything larger.
 
Accumulator said:
This is why at some point you gotta just make a leap of faith and try something to see if it works *for you*.



If you ever do try the 4" pads, I'd be interested in your findings. One difference I discovered (gee, guess how :o ) is that with the 4" pads you need to exercise a level of caution that is *never* (well, IME) required with anything larger.
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Yeah, that's what I've heard and even heard of people going through the clear with the 4" pads. I believe it too....with my 5.5" orange I can remove more, but I can also haze the paint more than with the larger pads. I'd imagine dropping another 1.5" would be even more serious.



I'll probably never try the 4" pads though since I'm saving for a rotary at which point the pc will only be used for tight areas and finishing work if needed.
 
CleanGSR said:
..I'll probably never try the 4" pads though since I'm saving for a rotary at which point the pc will only be used for tight areas and finishing work if needed.
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As I just posted on another thread, the 4" pads are handy with the rotary too, so the only additional expense is the small backing plate for the PC.



Even with two rotaries, I find I sometimes reach for the PC/4" to take care of a RIDS..no worries about sling and plenty powerful enough for some vehicles (I've *never* needed a rotary on some of my vehicles).



Oh, and I find that I can cleanly break down some pretty aggressive products with the PC/4", ones that wouldn't work out too well with the ~5" pads I've tried. Just more food for thought, not intended as a hard-sell.
 
Well, pads are fairly cheap, so I might have to pick some up....of course then I'd need a second backing plate for the PC too. Only reason I've never gotten them is that I haven't ever come across anything that I can't remove with the 5.5" orange pad.....it just takes more passes I'm sure.
 
CleanGSR said:
..I haven't ever come across anything that I can't remove with the 5.5" orange pad.....it just takes more passes I'm sure.
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Then you're probably not missing much by not trying the smaller pads. No point in trying to fix what's not broken ;) I, OTOH, simply *need* the smaller pads so maybe our situations are too different for a one-answer-fits-all opinion; I don't want to spend your money on something that's not necessary.
 
My favorites are the 4" and the 5.5" LC Pads.



Plus, Autogeek is having a sale on the 5.5" pads. 3/$15, pretty damn good deal!
 
Bigreebs07 said:
Do you have to purchase a different backing plate for the PC if you are going to use the 4" pads ?
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Only if you dont want to polish your paint with a bp. j/j Yes you need a 3.5" bp.
 
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