Polisher other than a PC?

J

jdthompson

New member
As subject really. Is there any "middle ground" between doing the car by hand and spending £170 or so on a Porter-Cable?



I can't justify spending that sort of money, but I'm unsure how good or bad these orbital polishers you see at Argos and Halfords are.



cheers,

Paul
 
You could always buy a rotary for less than £100 but it wont be as safe to use as a PC. My biggest regret with the PC was delaying buying one for nearly two years.



They are occasionally sold on the Meguairs UK site (second hand)
 
hutchingsp said:
As subject really. Is there any "middle ground" between doing the car by hand and spending £170 or so on a Porter-Cable?



I can't justify spending that sort of money, but I'm unsure how good or bad these orbital polishers you see at Argos and Halfords are.



cheers,

Paul
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The cheap orbitals you are referring to will most definitely be too weak to do much good. They're great/fine for applying LSPs, but there's no way you can correct defects with it adequately. By comparison with the PC, they aren't worth the money, IMO.
 
Hi Paul- I've read excellent things about the DeWalt DW443. You might want to do a search and see what you think. I don't know if it's cheaper for you though. Hope that helps!
 
hutchingsp said:
I was looking at something like this - http://www.motor-world.co.uk/outdoor_world/show_prod.php?prod_id=4120



I thought random orbit meant safer as the pad varies rather than just spinning on a single axis?
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Yes, a random orbital buffer is safer compared to a rotary. The motor-world unit looks like a useful tool for applying wax but little else but I could be wrong as I cannot find any published data on it.



Maybe it is worth buying a rotary and trying it on a bonnet from a scrap yard. My understanding is that as long as you keep the speed below 1000rpm and use a normal polishing pad you are less likely to get into trouble. I have not tried a rotary but there is a huge amount of detail here on techniques etc for using one.



As for a PC, it has not only made the polishing process a lot quicker, it also took the shine level up by a large margin. A PC is not a cost, it is an investment
 
Like Steven I delayed getting a PC for a long time and now think WHY!!!!! It will pay for itself in no time at all IMO - just in time saving and results. It is a inital outlay, but if it is too much to strech to now I would put aside the money you are prepared to spend on a UK alternative for now and add a bit each month till you have the PC funds, you wont regret it.
 
It's not the money itself, it's whether I can justify one. I'm also wondering if there are alternatives to importing, buying transformers etc.



I'm not suggesting they aren't good, but Autopia is 99% a US userbase so it's going to focus on products available in the US - I'm wondering if there aren't UK products available that are just as good but simply don't get the exposure/coverage as, other than bodyshops, most people over here wash their car on a Sunday once a month if that, IYSWIM? :)



Paul
 
hutchingsp said:
It's not the money itself, it's whether I can justify one. I'm also wondering if there are alternatives to importing, buying transformers etc.



I'm not suggesting they aren't good, but Autopia is 99% a US userbase so it's going to focus on products available in the US - I'm wondering if there aren't UK products available that are just as good but simply don't get the exposure/coverage as, other than bodyshops, most people over here wash their car on a Sunday once a month if that, IYSWIM? :)



Paul
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As far as I've ever read, there are no tools that would be a direct comparison to the PC; though I've heard of similar tools like the Rotex (don't recall what model number -- you may want to search) that are native to Europe. If there are any stores that are equivalent to Home Depot or a tool vendor, you may just want to stop in and see what they've got in an orbital/random-orbital/dual-action sanding/polishing tool. Even if it isn't advertised as a polisher, if you can adapt a backing plate to it you probably could use it for polishing.
 
Are there any bodyshop supply places in the UK that you could consult. I'm sure they use something that would be equivilant. Or maybe a detail shop thats local could give you an idea or two. I forgot about the power conversion. Running a PC there sounds like a pain, there's got to be a better solution for you folks ni the UK.
 
How about something like this...

Rotary Polisher

70 "quid" including VAT. :D Might be something to start with. I started with an old Black and Decker rotary before moving to a PC. Rotaries are fine if you use your noodle and dont' sit in one spot. For the money it's worth a shot.



Do you have access to air? You might be able to find a DA air polisher. IF you can find a good one you can dial in the RPM pretty easily. The problem with air is having to wait for the compressor to catch up. Air DA's use a load of air so if you have a typical 5 gallon tank you'll be lucky to finish a panel before waitting for the air to catch up. Scratch the air idea... sounds worse the more I type! :bolt
 
Hello Paul,



Buy the PC. D'ont, D'ont, D'ont buy any polishers from the Argos or Halfords range. You will regret it big time if you do. Before I bought my PC I got a few of the Meguiar's polishers to retail on my website and I had to send them all back. No matter how many times I charged them, not one ever worked properly. Faulty batch ? I do not know. Think of the adage ... a bad job is an expensive one & you get what you pay for.



Good old fashioned elbow grease and quality foam or microfibre pads & cloths, will do a far better job than a budget polisher. Much more rewarding as well. You will only end up frustrated, f'ing and blinding if you choose the latter.



The PC or long nights burning the midnight oil !!! - You decide.



Regards,



Daragh.
 
chpsk8 said:
How about something like this...

Rotary Polisher

70 "quid" including VAT. :D Might be something to start with. I started with an old Black and Decker rotary before moving to a PC. Rotaries are fine if you use your noodle and dont' sit in one spot. For the money it's worth a shot.
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I'm tempted to try a rotary as there are lots on eBay but I am totally confused by all the specs - many appear to be nothing more than sanders with "polisher" written on the box?



How about this for example - can't see how it diffeers that much from the Clarke that you suggested? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-180MM-SAN...itemZ6023255125QQcategoryZ57219QQcmdZViewItem



Common sense suggests right pads/products and low rpm and keep it moving and you should be OK?



I did grab a £12.99 3200rpm/110w orbital from the local Motor Mania - it'll probably be next to useless but I figured at that sort of money it's a chuck-away job if it's no good.



Sorry if I appear to be a pedantic cheapskate :) but there's a hell of a difference between £50 and £200 and there seems to be little middle ground.



Paul
 
chpsk8 said:
I started with an old Black and Decker rotary before moving to a PC. Rotaries are fine if you use your noodle and dont' sit in one spot. For the money it's worth a shot.
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I have to disagree with you on this; granted rotaries are fine, but there are alot more ways to cause damage than just sitting in one spot. Not to mention moving "TO" a PC after having been with a rotary is to me just back-arsewards. You can't do any damage with a PC for the most part, and you most definitely aren't going to remove as many defects with it as you would with a rotary. It is definitely more wise to start out with a DA machine like the PC before moving to a Rotary, because it will teach you good machine buffer technique and prevent you from making as many mistakes when you use a rotary for the first time.
 
hutchingsp said:
Sorry if I appear to be a pedantic cheapskate :) but there's a hell of a difference between £50 and £200 and there seems to be little middle ground.



Paul
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Have a look at the Autopia shop, they are selling the PC kit (inc SFX-2, backing plate etc ) for about £79 plus postage. Get yourself a transformer for about £40 and your set for a very cheap £120'ish
 
I think I shall keep reading up on rotarys - the more I read the more it suggests keep it low and use the right products and you should be fine.



One thought. The cheap orbital I brought - theoretically I can hack the foam pad off and cover the backing plate with sticky-back velcro allowing me to use Meguiars or any velcro-backed pads.



Does this sound like it might turn it into something even slightly useful or is it still a case of "too little power"?



I've not had chance to try the buffer yet because of the weather.



Paul
 
Lowejackson said:
I guess you could try but the lack of power is always going to be an issue
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I figure that's likely to be the case.



I've asked for opinions in the Machine Polishing forum simply because it's a bit more active - the Autopia 25% off offer makes a Porter Cable more tempting but it's still not a cheap option, though of course if you try enough cheap things that don't work you soon end up spending more than biting the bullet first time.



Paul
 
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