Orbital Polisher question from a newbie

[nebula72]

Hi,

This is my very first post. As a hooby Ive done some restoration to muscle cars which kinda sparked my interest in doing auto detailing as a side job until I get a good customer base. I currently have a dewalt 849 for compounding, but wanted to get a good orbital polisher for polishing/waxing. Im not sure what to get. I was told to get one of those big 10 inch ones from Gem but i see a lot of people like the porter cable. I also see tons of cheaper polishers at stores (10") but Im not sure what makes a polisher/waxer better than others. What do you recommend?? Im I missing out on something by getting the smaller porter cable?


Also what products do you recommend that I should get for my aresenal. (compounds, wax/sealers, dressings, etc) and the best online places to purchase. Up until now I would send my projects out to detailers after wet sanding my cars so I have little experience with the detailing part. (I have only used 3M Compounds on occasion when my detailer was unavailable but he would always polish/wax). I want to know the best practice to get the best results. (waxes vs sealers etc).


thanks for your help and patience.

Tom

[groebuck]

Best place online is www.premiumautocare.com

Those 10" waxers are nuttin compared to a porter cable. It`s more expensive but with that, the right pads and products and there is almost nothing you can`t do to make a car glow. The 10" ones are basically wax on wax off. The PC is a Dual Action tool with adjustable speed settings and with a velcro backing plate you can swap out pads for cutting/polishing/finsihing. You would not be missing out on anything by going the PC route.

Products are a matter of taste - I prefer 4 Star platinum line and Poorboy`s line - both awesome awesome products!

and Welcome!

[onthespot]

Tom,

Welcome to Detail City. Hopefully this will prove to be the right place to answer many, if not all, of your questions.

I started out using a Gem Orbital Polisher. Wasn`t long before I realized that I `outgrew` it - my skills had surpassed it`s capabilities.

I was hesitant to buy a Porter Cable. The machine looked so small, and I felt that it would take forever to polish with it due to it`s size... However, after buying one - I realized that I had made a great choice. Currently, I have only begun to realize it`s full potential. I`m constantly learning new techniques with it...
Put simply, the machine rocks!

Besides the variable speeds, the loop backing for the various velcro pads, and the amazing power of this little PC - - - It`s lightweight! Which is a great thing when you hold one for hours at a time. Recently, in addition to using it as a polisher - I started using it as a carpet scrubber.... (Won`t be too long before I figure out how to make coffee with the thing I guess )

Use the search function on the site to learn all about it. There`s some great tutorials out there on it.

As far as products for your arsenal - start out by checking out the online store that sponsors this site:

CLICK HERE FOR PREMIUM AUTO CARE ONLINE STORE


And check out the product reviews here on these forums to see which ones seem to be working the best for everyone.

Again, welcome to DC - - You`ve landed at the right place. :cool

Onthespot
(On The Spot Mobile Detailing - Western North Carolina)

nthespot

[Don]

Originally posted by onthespot

I started out using a Gem Orbital Polisher. Wasn`t long before I realized that I `outgrew` it - my skills had surpassed it`s capabilities.

Damn that sounds familiar....I realized (and said) the same thing some time ago. It didn`t sink in just how much I had outgrown the GEM until after I started using the PC and getting the hang of it

[CharlesW]

Interesting comments from Onthe spot and Don.
Granted, most of the 10" orbitals are toys, but I always thought the GEM was a heavy duty detailing machine. In fact heavy was a word I often heard used to describe it.
Since the limited experience I have is with the PC, I`m glad it seems to be the right choice for what I do.
Oh, yeah. I have had some experience with a rotary as well.
Very bad experience, but I learned a lot from it. Never touched a rotary since.

Charles

[JimS]

I just got deeply into this hobby a year ago and I hesitated to spend $200 or so on a polisher when I could get one for $15 at Wal Mart. But......I read and read and read and constantly was referred to the PC. I did finally buy one, from premium by the way, and I`ll never be sorry I spent that $200 or so. It is NECESSARY!. Would you try to build an engine without a good torque wrench? Same thing.

Beyond that I choose Poorboys products. Great products, great service, really nice guy to serve you. ....and I mean serve you. He`s a fountain of experienced knowledge and is willing to share it at any time.

[nebula72]

good analogy Jim . That really makes me understand the importance of a good buffer. I spent a great deal of money on the torque wrench that built my 502 Big Block. That settles it.. Im buyin one. Cant wait til it comes in. I was considering the poorboys line of compounds/polish/waxes. Was gonna get the pro polish and ex sealer. Not sure which SSR to get. Is SSR 2 the most diverse, or must I get all three. Would I be able to have diversity by using different pads with the same SSR? Im not afraid to spend the money on the stuff, I would just like to spend the money on the stuff I would need the most and try not to waste much.

Thanks so much for you help guys.. This site is the BEST!!!

[groebuck]

SSR2 is probably the best to go with - that and a polishing pad can accomplish a lot - if you plan to go with EX I would also invest in some Polish With Carnuba as it is a great step bewteen SSR2 and EX.

PwC is great becuase it lays down some carnuba on it`s own and you can PC apply then follow with a hand application for some filling ability. Top that off with a PC application of Ex and hoohaaa!

FYI (if you plan to layer EX after the inital application you should apply the additional layers by hand).