PC or rotary?

I think a PC can accomplish almost 100% of what a rotary can, it just requires *a lot* more time. I use the rotary on 90% of the jobs I do now because it achieves similar results much more quickly. I am confident with a PC only I'd achieve the same results, I'd just be there a lot longer.



FWIW, I find it is normally easier to finish with a rotary on soft paint. On average or hard paint it doesn't matter.
 
Picus said:
I think a PC can accomplish almost 100% of what a rotary can, it just requires *a lot* more time.
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I was at the Auto Geek Detail Fest and a "Pro" detailer bragged about only using a PC for correction. He offered to demonstrate his abilities on a medium scratch removal on a red Vette. **hardly none of the scratches could be felt with my fingernail** Before starting the job, I asked if he'd be able to remove the scratches. He replied yes! 20-25 minutes later and after literally 8 or more passes, the scratches were still there and noticeable. I asked him why these scatches were still there and he replied "you can hardly see them"? BTW I know for a fact I could have removed every trace of these scratches in about 5 minutes with a rotary/wool pad/medium polish. I'm sorry, but I'm still very sceptical about the whole PC/scratch removal phenomenom. I haven't witnessed any substantial results.



To add fuel to the fire, this same person did a freebie acid rain/water spot removal on another Vette and claimed that it couldn't have come out any better and that he would normally have charged over $300 for his work? Wasn't impressed in any way. Water spots still there and the shine had no depth to it.



This might have been an isolated occurance, but I won't be convinced until I see the results with my own 2 eyes and compare.
 
David F.- Sorry to have been unclear. I use the Cyclo (or, upon occasion, the PC) for the final *polishing* step, to remove any holograms that might be present and/or provide a more gentle (and idiot-proof) final pass.



Note that I hardly ever do serious correction, after I buy something used (e.g., the Blazer or, currently, the M3) I correct it *once* and then it never gets bad enough to need more rotary work; I can keep it nice with just the Cyclo/PC. I've rotaried my wife's '00 A8 once since new, ditto for the S8 (only did that one after the deer-incident repairs). If I used the rotary more often I might be able to get things perfect with just that, but I simply don't polish cars much these days.



FWIW you *can* do 100% correction with the PC/Cyclo, at least on medium/soft paint. I've never rotaried the MPV and the only marring I couldn't remove I was consciously leaving so as to not thin the clear too much (I learned how thin it is by messing it up in one spot trying to remove a bad scratch- *with the PC* ).



Heh heh, when you relate the story of the guy who thought he could fix a bad scratch in just ~half an hour with the PC I had to :chuckle: It can take a lot longer than that, but I damaged the MPV in a lot *less* time than that using a 4" pad...



I removed the last RIDS from the S8 with the PC/4". Took a little while but it came out just fine.



I've been able to remove marring from hard Audi clear *by hand*, it just took an incredibly long time. This was the area behind the door handles where you simply can't fit a machine pad in there (fingernail scratches and they were pretty bad- took *forever*). The whole thing boils down to mechanical abrasion and that can be done without a rotary with the requisite time/effort...which is often a lot more than anybody in their right mind is willing to expend ;) I didn't fix that 1" x 3" area behind the door handles in just half an hour or anything, it took a very, very long time...but I did it.



Consider that people were polishing stone (and gemstones) long before the advent of mechanical/power polishers...back in the days when labor was cheap people did some pretty incredible things by hand ;)
 
mike0565 said:
Hi guys,

I'm a noobee here and I'm looking for some advice. I have been useing a craftsman rotary buffer for about 12 years. I have always gotten good results with it. However, it has seen better days and I will be replacing it. Should I buy another rotary, or will I be able to adjust to a PC, and will I like it. It looks like a nice machine. Thanks.:think:
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I'm surprised that no one has mentioned DavidB's "new and improved" PC. Obviously it's not available quite yet, but it looks like it could be just the ticket for folks like yourself when it is.



http://autopia.org/forum/autopia-car-care/87400-david-b-i-am-calling-you-out.html
 
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