Best buffer for cheap?

pontman43

pontman43

New member
I know most of you guys use the PC but I dont think I wanna spend that much money. I am 17 and recently started a small detailing business with friends and right now we do everything by hand. We usually only do about 1 car each a month, not really anything major just something on the side to make a extra buck. Anyway I am looking into buying a buffer for the harder jobs, but doubt I will use it too much. I have a crappy Sears random orbital buffer that you cant even hold because it vibrates too much, so I want a buffer that doesn't vibrate too much. I kinda want a variable speed buffer, so I can use it for waxing, polishing, etc.

So to put it into simpler terms I want a cheap buffer for under $100 that is variable speed, doesn't vibrate too much, and wont break. Does anyone know of one? PS I saw some on ebay, but dont know whether it would even work.

Thanks a lot
 
Yeah, those Sears and Waxmaster orbitals bring back not so fond memories for me.



I think a used PC on Ebay may be your best bet. It is true you don't know for certain what you're going to get, so I suppose you'd have to rely on the rating of the seller.



Harbor Freight sells a rotary polisher --I think somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 but I would suggest getting proficient at a PC first before practicing with a rotary, especially since you are doing other people's cars.
 
Get the PC. It is pricey to purchase new, but if you consider it an investment then it'll pay off because it has much more capabilites than a cheap buffer. It's a solidly built machine and if you're going to be detailing, then not many customers are gonna be happy about letting someone polish their car by hand for long hours, especially if the results aren't close to what you could get with a PC.



I got a 7336SP for $120 at Lowe's, but it may be cheaper depending on your area.
 
truzoom said:
Get the PC. It is pricey to purchase new, but if you consider it an investment then it'll pay off because it has much more capabilites than a cheap buffer. It's a solidly built machine and if you're going to be detailing, then not many customers are gonna be happy about letting someone polish their car by hand for long hours, especially if the results aren't close to what you could get with a PC.



I got a 7336SP for $120 at Lowe's, but it may be cheaper depending on your area.
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Your probably right, but right now I dont offer polishing. I would have to practice on my car first with a buffer. How is the PC with waxing? And how long do those pads last?
 
:buffing: Pads will last as long as you take care of them.. Just try not to catch the pad on sharp pieces of trim, chunks will fly !! :buffing: (ask me how I know)



The PC is soooooo worth the extra money.
 
you can get the PC at lowes for 97 i believe. compounded with the 10% coupon that you can get, it came out to be like.. 95 dollars or something in that range. Go look in the good deals forum and there is a post on how to get the 10% coupon. The title should be about PC's at lowes. However, don't forget the price of pads, although if you are not planning on polishing, you'll only need 2 or 3 pads.
 
Pontman43 said:
Your probably right, but right now I dont offer polishing. I would have to practice on my car first with a buffer. How is the PC with waxing? And how long do those pads last?
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The PC will help you save money on wax because it lets you use less and take it further than if you were to apply by hand. And as squashed said, the pads last long as you take care of them, which should be pretty long if you aren't bashing them or cleaning them too harshly.



THe PC is a very easy to use tool..hell the hardest part would be figuring out what pad+polish combo would work best for the situation.
 
How much does the PC vibrate? I cant use the cheap Sears orbital because it vibrates too much and cant be held too long.
 
The PC vibrates "enough as expected of its operation" if that means much. Because it's a random orbital, it probably vibrates more than a rotary, but its not jarring. I started out using the optional handle to keep things controlled, but I can already use it without it and it's only been a few weeks.
 
mataku said:
you can get the PC at lowes for 97 i believe. compounded with the 10% coupon that you can get, it came out to be like.. 95 dollars or something in that range. Go look in the good deals forum and there is a post on how to get the 10% coupon. The title should be about PC's at lowes. However, don't forget the price of pads, although if you are not planning on polishing, you'll only need 2 or 3 pads.
Click to expand...



hey, I didnt find that post.



do you happen to have a link to it? TIA
 
PC's work through mechanical action, it has to shake violently to do it's job and it's slow. If you did this professionally and did it all day your hands would tire. Get a rotary buffer with good pads and product, learn how to use it. If you start with a really mild product like Meg's #80 or 83 and use a small mild polishing pad like from Lake Country and keep the buffer flat, you'll do OK. Maybe watch a pro do it elsewhere or look at one of the training videos like http://www.automagic.biz/Training/compounding.htm
 
EGPrelude said:
hey, I didnt find that post.



do you happen to have a link to it? TIA
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sorry, i'm pretty new to this forum. I didn't know that they delete the deals even though they don't really expire.



here's the link to the PC:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=51472-41735-7336SP&lpage=none



and here's the link to get the coupon:

https://www.lowesmoving.com/lowesmoving/registration.jsp



you don't actually have to be moving. You can even put in random addresses and such, since the coupon gets sent via email.





very good deal indeed.



cheers.
 
mataku said:
sorry, i'm pretty new to this forum. I didn't know that they delete the deals even though they don't really expire.



here's the link to the PC:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=51472-41735-7336SP&lpage=none



and here's the link to get the coupon:

https://www.lowesmoving.com/lowesmoving/registration.jsp



you don't actually have to be moving. You can even put in random addresses and such, since the coupon gets sent via email.





very good deal indeed.



cheers.
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Where do you get the pads for waxing and buffing?
 
truzoom said:
The PC vibrates "enough as expected of its operation" if that means much. Because it's a random orbital, it probably vibrates more than a rotary, but its not jarring. I started out using the optional handle to keep things controlled, but I can already use it without it and it's only been a few weeks.
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I mainly asked because the Sears one is constantly at 3krpm (I think) and its a 10" pad and it is nearly impossible to hold. It is almost like getting shocked and you cant let go of the thing or like holding a piece of wood in mid air while someone is using a power saw to cut it. What I am trying to say is it is not bareable at all and you cant get used to it. As long as the PC is bareable to hold I will be ok.
 
Don't go cheap on tools and equipment , they'll only let you down.

Look at it like this : the cheap one will not wear as well and will need to be replaced sooner , thereby negating the original savings when you have to buy another one.

Like the others said , look at it as an investment ,not an expense. It will pay for itself within a few detail jobs. Besides , it makes the work A LOT easier than doing it by hand and , if you have the right backing plate/pad set-up , you get very little vibration.

I don't want to spend your money for you , but the PC is worth the extra $$$.



Hope this helps and good luck to you.
 
The best alternative to a PC is to go into the power tools section of your local hardware store and get a 5" or 6" orbital sander with varible speed adjustment. Most can be had for under $50 and do an excellent job with the right foam pads. A orbital sander will have much more power and versitility than those cheap auto polishers and most come with a hook backplate for looping onto the pads.
 
It's basically a PC 7224 with a different label, lifetime warranty and comes with the backing plate and pad. If you catch it on sale for $149 it's a pretty good deal specially since Lowe's raised the price on the PC 7224/7336.
 
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