What Rotary Should I Get?

tubafeak

tubafeak

Weight is the enemy.
I had my graduation party last night/this morning and I am now well enough gifted :dancin to be able to afford a nice high quality rotary outfit. I was wondering what everyone considers to be the best rotary for these requirements: Low maintenance, user friendliness (Learning curve and ease of use), durability, etc. I will be using this machine for some time to come and would like to have a machine that will last me as long as I can stand to use it. Also, locations where I can purchase them would be great appreciated though not mandatory.

Thanks.
 
tuba,

There are several good ones... as with most things, it's a matter of choice.

I happen to have an older Milwaukee rotary and love it. It is a extremely durable, solid machine. However it is heavy.

The DeWalt DW849 is another favorite... and for good reasons! It is also well built and durable. I've had the chance to use one, and still prefer the Milwaukee. However, if I had never used the Milwaukee, I would be very satisfied with the DeWalt

I was also recently given a brand new Makita 9227 for my B-day. While I've only had the chance to use it twice, I've found it to be very handy. It is considerably lighter than the Milwaukee or the DeWalt. Many people use this one and prefer it for this reason. I like to use the rotary (and PC) without a handle. The lighter weight makes it a bit easier to do that. We'll see how it holds up.

As for where to get them, that depends. Dwayne has the Makita and DeWalt at Premium. Of course, there are tons of other places to get them, including locally.

Hope this helps.
 
Hey boss on the PC without the handle what do you do with it when you are not using it. I like it without handle too but have been using the handle to prop it up when I sit it down.
 
i use a makita at work and i love it. we bought around 3 years ago and it runs perfect. i use it on average for about 2 hours a day at least
 
PhaRO said:
Hey boss on the PC without the handle what do you do with it when you are not using it. I like it without handle too but have been using the handle to prop it up when I sit it down.
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PhaRO,

I made a quick "buffer" holder by taking a 5" wide, 1" board (18" long). Then I cut two 4" wide 1" boards and screwed them into the each side of the 5" wide board... works great!

A long, narrow box of any sort would work... for a while. Even the box that the PC or rotary comes in would work.
 
I bought this ONE
from Harbor Freight. I'm just a weekend enthusiast and may only use a rotary 5 times a year whenever a friend need serious work done but, for the price, you can't beat it. It has all the functional features of the Makita at 1/6 the cost. I plan to do a full review of the machine when it arrives. I ordered the 4.75 inch backing plate from Autogeek so I can use my PC pads with the machine. All-in-all, it was about a $60 investment. Not bad IMO, even if it doesn't last!

JJ
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IM planning on getting that same one soon. I figure it will be good to try out. I have to say im a little nervous about it though. I am going to get a test hood and such but it will be a nervous activity for a while.

Greg
 
GregCavi said:
IM planning on getting that same one soon. I figure it will be good to try out. I have to say im a little nervous about it though. I am going to get a test hood and such but it will be a nervous activity for a while.

Greg
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Use slower speeds (around 1000 RPM)
Use light pressure.
Use milder polishes at first.
At first, err on the side of a little "too much product", rather than "too little".
Have plenty of pads so you can change them when they get gummed up with polish... and they will if you are using too much polish... you will get the knack.
Keep foam pads "flat" when working the paint.

Your plan of practicing on some "klunker" is a good idea! :D
 
I wrote a review on the DeWalt 849 not too long ago. It is a great machine. I have also use a Milwaukee, not sure on the model, but also a good machine. I think the DeWalt was the quietest of all to work with, which is nice especially on a larger vehicle. Don't be afraid to put your hands on a rotary. Boss had some great advice. Make sure your lighting is also good so you can tell right away if you are putting some holograms in your paint. Then, you can take corrective action insted of moving on. I have never used the one from Harbor Freight, but if you have the coin, just get the DeWalt or another quality machine. It will last you forever and shouldn't break down on you. Pads and accessories are also very easy to find.

Mike
 
I think I'm leaning towards the Makita as of right now. I like the lighter weight, I am thinking that it will give me more control over how much pressure goes into the pad because more of it will be added by me. Handily enough, when I bought my Honda the guy that I bought it from had an extra hood that he threw in with the deal, I have a test panel. I'll be buying the rotary after I get back from California, I'll update you guys on what I get.

Thank you a lot for all of your suggestions, keep them coming. I like to have all of the perspectives when I'm making a big purchase like this.
 
I was just on TOTL and I saw the metabo. Does anyone have any experience with this machine? It seems to be a step above the Makita, I'm not 100% sure what that means but I'm interested.
 
tubafeak said:
I was just on TOTL and I saw the metabo. Does anyone have any experience with this machine? It seems to be a step above the Makita, I'm not 100% sure what that means but I'm interested.
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A metabo is on my wish list. It is VERY light weight, has variable speed control trigger, and every owner I've heard from loves it. It's a bit more expensive, but seem to be worth the extra $$. TOL has the updated model that just came out a few months ago.

I have a DW849 -very good, reliable machine. But after a few hours it can get heavy.
 
A metabo is my dream machine. I will buy one of those after I'm experienced and, ughm!!, not broke.

JJ
 
The metabo is looking great right now. Money's really not a problem right now as I just had my Graduation party and I had about 75-80 people there. 75 people = 75 graduation gifts = 1 new rotary and a TON of product. I could also pay for my first year of tuition at OSU to give you some idea of the thoughtfulness of the party attendees. If the Metabo is the dream rotary then that's looking like a winner for the time being. I'm not making the order until I get back from my trip so I may change my mind, but it looks like an awesome machine.
 
If money is not a problem and the Metabo is on your mind, I don't think you can go wrong. Congrats on the Graduation, and I hate you for having the ability to buya' Metabo. I think you're a' butt-rag! J/K :LOLOL

JJ :dancin
 
The metabo seems like a great little machine, however allthough I have not used one I can say I would still more than likely like my milwaukee better. The main reason I went with the milwaukee is because of durabuilaty and availabuilty. They are built about 50 miles from me! The other thing was the weight. A lot of people seem to love the light rotories and I just don't understand why. Sure a heavy rotory is more "work" but weight is what does the work on the car. I almost never apply any pressure to my cars and that keeps my jobs VERY even and percise. The weight is perfect for putting the right pressure on a pad. I learned on a DW849 and it's a good machine. Only needed one rebuild after 5 years of constant use. It's lighter and I could work with it very well, but I've grown to love the ease and smoothness of my milwuakee. The only other option I would consider is another air driven. I hate using electricity. But I hate lugging crompressors around too. Anyways, I say demo them if you can. I know it's not always easy, but find what YOU like. IMHO it's mainly personal prefrence.
 
I actually looked into pneumatic rotaries, they spin WAY too fast. The ones I looked at had speeds between 3000 and 6000 rpm. That's way too fast for work on paint, they're designed for sanding sheet metal.
 
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