Rotary polisher?

As described in my recent post, I've ordered a sealant, glaze, and wax from Griots and Adams.

I'm dreading all of the elbow greese that it will take to do the three steps on the Raptor. I'm considering a Rotary polisher, yet I worry about doing more harm than good because i've never used one.

Griot's was kind enough to send me a 15% off coupon for my next order. I'm considering ordering the following machine:

Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital - Griot's Garage

Whats ya'lls opinion on this?

I have heard that the porter cable 7424xp was one of the best to get for the money.

I have that Griots and it works great. Lifetime warranty too unless they changed policy in last 6 months.

the meguiars g110v2 is fantastic, I had one and it was a dream to use on my old M3's, S2000's, and WRX's paint

The harbor freight one has a little bit more power than the g110v2 or the PC 7424xp, and is quite a bit cheaper. Easier to remove swirls and such, but no idea about reliability.

I'd strongly suggest against a high speed rotary if you've never machine polished before. The risk/reward ratio is just too high in my opinion. Yes, they offer a fast rate of correction, but spend just a second too long on an edge where your clear coat/paint is thin and you'll have a strike though. Bad news.

Take a look at the Flex 3401. It's a true dual action machine, it orbits and rotates at the same time, making it a much more powerful machine than an orbital like the PC 7424XP.

The Flex is the workhorse in my garage, and is a VERY popular machine with our customers. Also, any machine purchased though us comes with a backing plate included and we warranty it FOR LIFE!

Machine Polisher Kits

I might just do it the hard way by hand. All of my polishes/protectants have arrived. There sure are mixed reviews on whether to apply griots sealant before or after the glaze and wax. I've pretty much decided against applying over the hood and bed graphics.

Nick - why do u say the Griots is not a true dual action?

I can and will buy the best product that exists for a specific task when it comes to keeping the vehicles perfect. After my research and using a few my tool at home that i use at least 3 times a month is the Makita 6040.

Some may be lighter but for me it is the perfect machine.

debordj said:

Nick - why do u say the Griots is not a true dual action?

Click to expand...

I don't think I said that...but at any rate, the Griot's is a random orbital polisher like the PC 7424XP, just with a more powerful motor in it.

The Flex both rotates (RPM) and orbits (OPM), hence the dual action moniker. That forced rotation makes it a much more powerful machine, while still remaining safe for use in the hands of a novice since the RPMs at which it spins remains well under that of a high speed rotary buffer.

I bought the Flex. Simply amazing machine and made the Raptor look better than the day I bought it. Highly recommend it!