Just can't make up my mind?

M

miguelgf

New member
OK - when I mentioned I'd like to buy a heater to heat the garage during winter, so I could work on my cars, my wife told me I was crazy.



Don't be insulted - but when I heard crazy, I thought of you guys ;)



Anyone here heating their garage, either electrically or via propane/kerosene? It's a detached, two-car garage, but fairly well insulated. The wiring running to the garage supports 30A, so I think I should be OK for most electrical heaters (except anything industrial, which would be out of the price range anyhow).



Any recommendations?



Thanks

-J
 
Keep in mind that anything with a flame like a propane or kerosene heater will use up the oxygen in the room is being used and therefore requires ventilation. I wouldn't go the kerosene route I've used them before and they get fumey and can make you feel sick. Propane is a little bit better. Both will work better if they are ignited and brought up to temperature outdoors then brought inside. That cuts down on the fumes from fuel which isn't completely burned.



I currently use a propane heater in my garage but of course it doesn't get as cold here as it does in NY. Typically I use it on high to just take the main chill off then I shut it down. If I need it again later I'll take it back outside to start it then repeat. A good way to monitor the fuminess (is that a word) of the garage is to occasionally go to another room or outside. When you return to the garage you will be able to monitor the air quality better than if you just stay in the garage.



With that said an electrical heater will be the best for cleanliness and safety but certain kinds of electrical heaters really suck up the electric juice and are therefore expensive to operate. I've also seen electric radiator style heaters. They look like and old fashioned boiler radiator heater but they are self contained and the fluid inside is oil.
 
A friend of mine has one of the electric heaters that look like a radiator. They are sealed with oil, so the never need refilling. His has a bunch of setting for the temp, and saftey features. It works pretty well, and I think you can find them for around $50-$60. If you have a big garage, you might need 2.



I don't know if I would use a propane or kerosene heater for the reasons Short Cut described. You must have proper ventilation or you can have a dangerous problem on your hands.
 
Also anytime you have combustion or burning of any kind, carbon monoxide needs to be considered and since you can't detect it a detector would be advisable.
 
I installed a gas/electric heat/air conditioning system in my garage. The same system found in most houses. Routing of the ductwork was simple and the unit cheaper than you would think. I have an electronic thermostat that allows me to keep the garage as low as 40 degrees in winter to give some cost savings but keep the cars from freezing. It will heat up to 65 degrees in less than 15 minutes. The system is safe, even and efficient.



<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=781637&a=13481471&p=51647257>
 
I am absolutely stuck on which poiisher to go with. It will be my FIRST and ONLY polisher. I have read and researched on the meguiars g110v2 or the flex xc3401. I know I will be HAPPY with both, but don't know which one to go with! I am not looking for 100% correction, just to get the swirls out from the new car dealership and to lay a fresh couple layers of sealant/nuba.

I know the downfalls of both and I really just can't decide. I will be doing work on 4 cars right away, but then not much after that unless I decide to start doing things on the side. It's main use will be 4-6 corrections a year (Primary cars are a 2010 GTI and 2005 Honda Civic). I will use it to apply a sealant every 1-2 months. The main thing stopping me from just buying the flex is the fact that the backing plate is only set for 6.5" pads and the price. I can't really decide if it is worth the extra money over a standard DA.

The other main issue that I am concerned about is time. I live in hawaii and I do not really have any ideal area (no garage) to detail/polish my car, so I would have to work around the sun (early morning/evening time). For this reason i would like to be able to correct/apply product in the quickest way possible while still getting great results.

Opinions?
 
Had a 3401, great machine but I sold it and purchased the G110 V2 which I find much nicer to use and the ability to change backing plate size is a no brainer.

I vote to the V2, non negotiable :wizard:
 
I wanted one of the newer models. Which is really strange considering my pc has so little hours on it, and it's 8 years old. A client just recently gave me his Griots polisher, the older model. I still wanted to get my hands on either the new pc or the megs polisher, I didn't give it much thought as to which one however, I just asked a few guys like Todd what they thought and they seemed to favor the Meguiars, so I went with it. Should be here Tuesday or Wednesday.
 
I will first say that I have very little experience with either machine. With that out of the way, I will say that I would get a Meg's G110 V2 if my PC busted today! David mentioned my main consideration and that's the backing plate versatility. Plus many of the pro's seem to favor the Meg's unit.

Now I will say that I have been impressed with the Flex machines from what I've heard. I had one in my hands for all of about 10 minutes one time at Brian Brices's get together a few years ago and it was an extremely well built, solid feeling machine.

I don't think you'd go wrong with either machine but I would personally favor the Meg's unit. Plus I think it's a better value for the price.
 
The motor of the G110v2 is basically the same as the G110v1, so not much of a power upgrade. It's just the G110v2 has a "pressure feedback" option that isn't very noticeable. It was still fairly easy to stop the pad from rotating. As far as a DA, the Griot's blows the G110v2 out of the water.

The Flex is more of a hybrid DA. It has the random orbital motion, but also forced rotation which makes a huge difference in correction ability. The only thing is the backing plate issue with the Flex 3401. Technically, you can use 5.5" pads too with the 3401(5.5" backing plate), you just have to be more careful around the edges.

I'd buy the Flex 3401 or Griot's way before the G110v2.
 
I just bought a Griot's. I was going to get the Megs G110v2, but after reading many reviews, I went with it. Plus the $20 I saved went towards some more supplies.

My UDM will get moved to 4" and carpet brush duty. I think I have 4 details coming up in the next month so stay tuned for results.
 
When it comes to DA's I hit the jackpot this Christmas. Got the Meg's g100v2 and the Griots 2nd gen. Until this weekend I haven't had a chance to break out the v2 and had very little time on the Griots. That all changed with my sister having me over to take care of a 1989 Maxium two-tone boat that came from FL. Gelcoat was so faded that it was hard to see what color it was supposed to be.After a wool pad on the Makita , the da's got a workout. I found the Griot had more power but a little more vibration then the g100v2. Both handled a orange LC pad with ease and are more then up to the job. All I had to compare them to was my old PC 7336. Both were superior to my old machine. Now comparing these to a flex is another ballgame. Had the chance to try out both the fixed 3401 and the true flex 3403 rotary at a couple of getogethers I attended last year and liked the feel and quality of both machines. On the negative side was the price (I know you only get what you pay for.)and on the 3401 the limited backing plate size selection. Also on the 3401 I found it harder to tilt the machine to follow certain recessed body lines and it would just bounce off the edges. So am I happy with the new da's I have ? As Sara Palin would say "You betya". The Griot has a slight edge over the Meg's and if I had to replace them price would most likely come into play,they are fairly close. Will I ever buy a Flex ? Well a guy can never have too many tools. LOL
 
Well I just decided to pull the trigger on a GG 6", Meg 105/205, 3 orange, 3 white, 2 black pads. Also picked up Autoglym HD to do an AG + BFWD combo. My brand new GTI needs some correction on the hood along with just some general polishing.

My girlfriends car is going to be the fun one. Swirl marks all over the place.

here are some more questions:

I need a couple things:

-Mobile car cleaner. I need something to keep in my car to clean while I am out (for bird poop etc). ONR in a spray bottle?

- I need a spot cleaner for old wax that is stuck in crevices. P21S TAW?

- What do I need to buy to clean the pads while I am polishing my car?

- Are there any safe brushes that I can use to clean the cracks? I have tried finding some but can't find any that say they are safe for paint services.

Think thats all for now! Can't wait to get my car shiny!
 
Congrats on the purchase and I bet you'll be happy with that machine. You might want to check into a pop up canopy to stay away from that Hawaiian sun.

I would say ONR in a spray bottle would be perfect for "on the road" emergencies. Good idea. I keep a bottle of QD and a MF towel in a ziplock bag in my trunk for the same thing.

I toss a used pad into a soapy bucket solution after it's loaded up with gunk. Once your done with a pad don't let it dry with product and powder still in it. Looks like you ordered enough pads to grab a fresh one and keep going. If you need to reuse one that's been soaking, I'd rinse it out and completely flush the pad, wring it out good and then spin it dry on the machine (while holding it in a bucket to avoid the splatter!).

I like iso alc/water for removing dried up old wax in cracks, crevices, emblems etc.

For brushes, I get pretty creative with MF towels and wrap them around bushes, paint sticks, pointy skewers etc. to get into the nooks and crannies of certain areas. MF won't scratch as long as you don't get too strong armed with them.

Have fun my friend and post up some pics of that little rocket sled GTI if you get the chance. We'd love to see it.
 
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