Dispatch
Member
Who makes the smallest, best quality polisher and what retailer carries it at the cheapest price? 
Smallest/Best Quality Polisher?
- Thread starter Dispatch
- Start date
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Random Orbital, or Rotary Power ?
Dan F
Dan F
bswombaugh
New member
I owned one of the GG 3" electric polishers and ended up selling it. It just didn't have enough power for my taste. I ended up buying a 3" backing plate for my Porter Cable 7424 to use 3" pads. It has much more power than the GG and serves my purposes for when I need to use a 3" pad.
Forgot to mention I did the same thing to achieve a smaller size. If you just need a smaller pad size and not an overall smaller machine, a smaller backing plate will be both cost effective and produce great results.
tropicsteve
New member
i have both griot's 6" and 3" polishers. the 3" is definitely underpowered but fills a specialty place in my detailing. i was able to try out ronkh's rupes mini and it performed much better.
to me, rupes and flex get highest marks for quality, but their price also reflects this. i believe most prices for the flex and rupes are set pretty close to list. ACC and AGO still have sales with no restrictions on polishers from time to time. that combined with free shipping can be hard to beat.
to me, rupes and flex get highest marks for quality, but their price also reflects this. i believe most prices for the flex and rupes are set pretty close to list. ACC and AGO still have sales with no restrictions on polishers from time to time. that combined with free shipping can be hard to beat.
Dispatch
Member
tropicsteve
New member
if you're thinking of going with a mini size polisher, check out this comparison todd helme did on a mini rupes vs. mini griot's showdown. http://www.autopiaforums.com/forums...duetto-mini-vs-griots-6-3-inch-polishers.html
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
The "no restrictions" sales always exclude the Rupes polishers (although apparently if you call in your order you can get around that).
XxBoostinxX
New member
Not true. Last ACC no restriction sale I bought my Rupes mini with the discount.
Dispatch
Member
Do you believe in using a polishing pad washer like the Grit Guard brand?
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
Pad washers are a MUST if you have a limited supply of pads. They will save you ALOT of time in the long run.
Dispatch
Member
Yes but the cost for one is exorbitant ($135.00 average), for a plastic pail with a plastic spring board center to me..... just isn't justified.
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
Depends, do you detail? or is this a hobby? As a detailer I believe in giving my clients the best. All it takes is one dirty pad to screw up a panel, repaint = way more then a standard 1 pass.
That said, I've had every pad washer on the market from the grit guard to the system 3000. The grit guard works the best an yet I built my own after all of them. It cost me 50$ an works better then any of them.
tropicsteve
New member
i have one and like it, but i agree, they are overpriced. you'll actually do better by buying a lot of extra pads and toss them into a bucket of pad cleaner as you use them. i don't stop to clean pads when i'm detailing, just move on to a new pad. saves time for sure.
acc= Autopia Car Care Products - Car Detailing Supplies, Car Wax, Car Polishers, Auto Detailing
acc= Autopia Car Care Products - Car Detailing Supplies, Car Wax, Car Polishers, Auto Detailing
Dispatch
Member
I do it for myself, family and some close friends.
I want the best I just don't want to over pay for anything.
See... you built one for $50, why can't they mass produce one for 'about' that price and still make a profit?
Under $100 is more realistic.
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
Well, the problem is middle men, shipping an overhead. People need to eat these days. I can see why they do charge that much, you have to think about not only raw materials but molding costs etc.
An here's a good DIY. I tweaked mine a little from the original though...
DIY Pad Washer - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum
The Driver
Detailers Workshop
Also as far as cleaning pads made simple...
1. A good cleaner is meg's super degreaser, very cost efficient. A VERY good cleaner if your ballin is PRS cleaning solution. On Rupe's pads it's magic.
2. Pre-soaking in hot water is KEY, it will cut the abrasion needed by half and in the interim you'll be saving life of the pad.
3. For very dirty pads a small electric power washer with a wide angle is very use full. I have a velcro plastic wall, I mount them up an blast them down. Keep in mind with very fine pads keep this method out as you will rip up the pads. I use this method a lot for cleaning metal polishing pads along with APC/nylon brush as this is the only method that gets all the metallic grey out of the white pads.
Hope this helps.
1. A good cleaner is meg's super degreaser, very cost efficient. A VERY good cleaner if your ballin is PRS cleaning solution. On Rupe's pads it's magic.
2. Pre-soaking in hot water is KEY, it will cut the abrasion needed by half and in the interim you'll be saving life of the pad.
3. For very dirty pads a small electric power washer with a wide angle is very use full. I have a velcro plastic wall, I mount them up an blast them down. Keep in mind with very fine pads keep this method out as you will rip up the pads. I use this method a lot for cleaning metal polishing pads along with APC/nylon brush as this is the only method that gets all the metallic grey out of the white pads.
Hope this helps.
Dispatch
Member
We all need to eat but when you have to fork over $135 which is half the price of a brand new polisher, it takes food out of our mouths!
We're just detailers some who do it for ourselves with no pay off except the fantastic end results.
Neither one of us knows what it takes to mass produce them and the guy in that link built his for $43.32 but for me its still just a little more than a fancy plastic pail Wal-Mart sells equal to for $2.58.
XxBoostinxX
New member
I found that thread sometime last week and plan on making mine in the next few days
. Still not sure how that guy made his lid later on in the thread?