Porter-cable vs. ???

GSteg

New member
I don't have the money for a Porter Cable polisher. Well I do have the money, but I don't I want to spend $130 on it just yet. I'm not a hardcore detailer. heh.



Anyways, I have my random orbit sander/polisher, but it's the palm type that has a fixed speed of 12,000 opm. Since I have it with me, can I use that instead of the PC? The only problem I see with it is that its about twice the speed of the PC, I believe. It will probably generate some heat. My question is, if I move my polisher around quick enough (avoid burning the clear coat), will I be able to get the same result as the porter cable?



Thanks.:)
 
In my opinion I would not use that sander on my vehicle. If you want a machine that can reduce the amount of time spent on polishing and waxing, you may look into an entry level orbital buffer. The PC is a great investment if you are willing to part with the change.
 
travisdecpn said:
In my opinion I would not use that sander on my vehicle. If you want a machine that can reduce the amount of time spent on polishing and waxing, you may look into an entry level orbital buffer. The PC is a great investment if you are willing to part with the change.



what kind do you recommend?
 
A small number of Autopians have converted or adapted other sanders (a PC really is a sander too) to polishing duty, but usually that is because they cannot get a PC. Even then, it's better to get something a bit more controllable than one of the single speed (ie, super-fast) ones.



Generally it's recommended to either just do things by hand or save up and get a PC later on if you think you still want it.



Most inexpensive orbital buffers from retail stores tend to be much lighter duty than the PC and suffer several drawbacks (enough that I discounted them as a possible option for myself).



You might find this recent thread interesting: http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40061
 
You might not be able to afford the PC but have you got probably not much less,to waste?

Just save up and get the PC.You will never regret it!THey are better than you can imagine.
 
Its not that i can't afford it, but i can't justify in spending that much on something that i do occasionally. I'm sure the PC is worth the price, but in my situation, its not what I need. Thanks guys. Maybe i'll change my mind later on, but for now, i'll try my buffer :D
 
Keep in mind that the PC is a dangerous machine. Once you use it you will want to buff every car you see!!! LOL
 
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