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Can anyone recommend a lower priced polisher? What type is best to use, random orbital or not? They start at about $30 at Bunnings or eBay and go up to $$$ for German made ones.

Andrew.

nothing wrong with a hand cut/polish but if you want to do a buff job you can pick one of these 5 speed units up at super cheap. buying these items is always the easy part - but knowing how to use them is a different story....so be careful!

MX5 Club Vic.
We had a detailing day at one of Melbourne's top detailing shops a couple of years ago and he had his expensive polishers and also one of the Super Cheap one's we all had a go of each on a spare bonnet and if you wanted to as one member did he polished the whole of his NB himself using the Super Cheap one.
The shop owner said the super cheap one was good buying when they came on special usually $74 -$79 and he used his most of the time, but it pays to use good quality pads.

So most use just a normal buffer not random orbital?

Super cheap has the standard one on sale at the moment, $65 I might get one of those.

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/Rockwell-ShopSeries-Car-Polisher-180mm-1200-Watt/135285

Red Dragon wrote: but it pays to use good quality pads.

How does one determine good quality, I've no idea what I'd be looking for?

Andrew.

I have one of the supercheap ToolPro branded brushless ones and they are pretty impressive.
A bit pricier than the rockwell brand, but the feel of the plastics, the speed control, the quality of the cable even, it all impressed me.

I'm no pro detailer, but I liked how nice it was to use and how well it worked.

Red Dragon wrote:MX5 Club Vic.
We had a detailing day at one of Melbourne's top detailing shops a couple of years ago and he had his expensive polishers and also one of the Super Cheap one's we all had a go of each on a spare bonnet and if you wanted to as one member did he polished the whole of his NB himself using the Super Cheap one.
The shop owner said the super cheap one was good buying when they came on special usually $74 -$79 and he used his most of the time, but it pays to use good quality pads.

Yep, I think it was me and my NB in question here... quite a few people had a go on her that day!

The polisher he was talking about was this one:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/Rockwell-ShopSeries-Car-Polisher-Multi-Function-180mm-600-Watt/344537?menuFrom=1021759

Supercheap had it on special the day after we were at the detailer and I bought one. Our expert recommended a smaller backing pad for it and all manner of specialised polishing pads - of course I've only every used it straight out of the box completely stock. But it has always done a good job for me.

The link above comes up with a price of $119.00 for me, I think I paid around $80 during the promo a couple of years ago. Seems to be good value for money to me.

Go for a random orbital polisher unless you have lots of experience using a rotary. A rotary polisher can easily burn your paint and wreck it in a flash.

if you plan to use it on your ND i'd stick to hand polishing and suffer no damage. although I did use that buffer on the boot and bonnet I actually hand cut/polished the complete car.

even guy's who know what they are doing can have trouble with buffers. its more a carless mistake and like jbt said prior - you can burn your paint/ scuff your edges or if it takes off in position 5 does a bit of twisting etc etc

the pro use these all the time but I wouldn't trust myself using it even to buff that filthy fiat

forgot to add - if you really want to go down this path then youtube is your very best friend. you will find all sorts of tips on using one of these buffers and you then go into it knowing what's up ahead.

billybunter wrote:if you plan to use it on your ND i'd stick to hand polishing and suffer no damage. although I did use that buffer on the boot and bonnet I actually hand cut/polished the complete car.

even guy's who know what they are doing can have trouble with buffers. its more a carless mistake and like jbt said prior - you can burn your paint/ scuff your edges or if it takes off in position 5 does a bit of twisting etc etc

the pro use these all the time but I wouldn't trust myself using it even to buff that filthy fiat

My ND is good, I'll be using it on the Fiats.

JBT wrote:Go for a random orbital polisher unless you have lots of experience using a rotary. A rotary polisher can easily burn your paint and wreck it in a flash.

Yes, I have an old 2 speed Hitachi one, several burn marks on my old cars years ago.

I would not even think of an orbital sander. A standard circular sander / polisher with the right speeds is a multi purpose tool. You grind rust, remove paint and the like and you can get good accuracy with what you do. I have an orbital sander for wood work etc and never use it. My sander is now about 40 years old and I would not have paid much for it. Billys right about technique and erring on the side of being careful.

Mr Morlock - No truer words said!

I've only ever had 3 fiats. a X19 in 1980 - an 850 sports in the early '90's and the new abarth. looking back the worst car I ever bought for rust alone was that 850 sports. if I had that car again I might use that buffer of mine just to buff out the rust!

now 'stan the man' thinks my new abarth with the larger outlet exhaust system fitted yesterday looks more like a star wars storm trooper. the more I look at it- I guess he's right!

now comm'on don't be shy...................I bet you all really like it and the ones who don't will be punished when all they see is those tips on a flyby

you only have to have a love for hairdressing to buy a mx5 BUT to buy an abarth - you have real mental issues

billybunter wrote:now this is a good rear end shot on the Abarth with the new twin 5" outlets

Your comment above from your garage thread earlier today before I'd logged in & could see you pic made me think of 5" wide downward facing tips narrow in depth, which brought to mind a vacuum cleaner.

Random orbitals aren't as strong as a rotary for heavy marks.

BUT, a random is also far more idiot proof and less likely to leave unwanted swirls, or other unwanted marks if you don't have experience using a rotary.


So yeah, I'd recommend a random orbital.

I've got a Bosch pex400ae that's done me well for years, both polishing, and sanding.