A polisher for one hand.

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Dynoguy

New member
I have Multiple Sclerosis and only have the use of one hand, what would be a good machine for me to use with one hand, I was think of the Rupes 12 inch Duetto or the 75 mini would those be a good choice ?
 
Hi - welcome and all that stuff

Rupes are very smooth, not sure about boss. Don't bother with flex, it needs 2 hands.

As Tuxedo sad, where you from. Maybe one of our member is close and can let you try it out, or help.
 
Dynoguy- Welcome to Autopia!

Like mjlinane, I think you oughta look into a pneumatic unit, even if it means buying a compressor (which, IMO, everybody oughta have anyhow..and I do mean *everybody* including grandmas ;) ).
 
Welcome and as others have said .. there are usually very helpful people located all around the country ...

Depending on the level of work you plan on doing (and you might just want to do it yourself) I would recommend a Porter Cable 7424xp if you are just doing light polishing and for Glazes and Liquid waxes ... on the slower speeds it's pretty smooth and it's also not too expensive...
 
Welcome to Autopia!!!! It would be great if you could locate someone in your area so you could try out some polishers. If not -- standard short stroke polishers like the Porter Cable and the Griots Garage with an 8mm throw do vibrate allot and require pressure to be applied for effective correction.

I moved to the Griots Boss G15 with a 15mm throw. It requires little to no pressure to be effective and with Buff & Shine Low Pro pads is extremely smooth and vibration free.
 
I don't think i'd feel comfortable handling either my Rupes 15 or 21 with one hand... Maybe on speeds 1-2, but that's about it. The mini would probably be your best bet.
 
jrock645 said:
I don't think i'd feel comfortable handling either my Rupes 15 or 21 with one hand... Maybe on speeds 1-2, but that's about it. The mini would probably be your best bet.
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I can one hand my Rupes mini bit it does get tiresome and have to switch... Atleast when doing the roof on an SUV..
I can one hand my G21 but you need to hold it straight.
If you HD it at an angle or dont have it level it will walk on you

For smoothness, you probably can't beat a cyclo from what I've read it it may not be the best at getting trashed paint jobs even with a surbuff pad
New flex 15mm or any Rupes Mark 2 should be next in smoothness run ability..
 
I simply *LOVE* my Cyclos, and I can run that polisher pretty well with one hand.

BUT...

Unless I'm somehow missing something here, the "palm-style" pneumatics are *designed* for one-hand use...aren't they?

And if we're talking about something small, my 3" pneumatic (OK, that little thing's really only for spot-correction..) is *strictly* a one-hand tool.

I've one-handed all my polishers except my Flex 3401 (and I've tried it with that too). Rotaries, the old PC, my GG 6"..but they aren't what I'd recommend for such use at present.
 
I have a Craftsman 5" variable speed random orbital palm sander, that I used a few years back.

Definitely able to be used one handed, and the hook and loop backing pad allows 5" pads of your choosing.

It's actually here on the shelf with me.

5" VS RO Sander.
Model No 315.112180.

I had pretty good success with harder pads, like orange, and white ccs pads. It didn't like soft pads.

It also has a removable shroud (like a Rupes, but different) that keeps the plate from spinning like crazy. Because the offset is so small (guessing 3-5mm), you might be ok removing the shroud to get more rotation. I've used it with and without, and remember it doing fine with the shroud in place.

Check it out. I got mine for about $45.00. Not a huge investment if you decide you don't like it.
 
Thanks guys I live in Michigan and was thinking that maybe the Rupes Duetto or the 75 mini would be a good choice this is mostly for myself and my cars. I do have a good size air compressor too, I will look into the pneumatic ones.
 
Dynoguy said:
Thanks guys I live in Michigan and was thinking that maybe the Rupes Duetto or the 75 mini would be a good choice this is mostly for myself and my cars. I do have a good size air compressor too, I will look into the pneumatic ones.
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If you're near Shelby Twp, or Rochester Hills, you can try the Duetto to see how you like it. You can also try the Craftsman if you like.

Honestly, I absolutely love that machine. Their whole system of pads and compounds really impresses me.

If you can get your hands on a first generation Porter Cable 7424, those are really manageable one handed too.
 
Dynoguy said:
I live in Richmond, which is about 40 miles Northeast of Detroit, I am very close to Shelby Township ..
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Ah, yes! I sometimes go that route through Gratiot when heading to band rehearsal in St. Clair.

You're more than welcome to come down to our place, or I could swing by Richmond.
 
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