Is it worth it to buy an electric polisher?

[shinyred6]

My car has some nasty swirl marks, i dont think they are too deep, but redfire has to be one of the worst colors when it comes to showing imperfections, next to black of course. ive been looking around autopia and of course most of those guys are extreme and many of them detail for a living so they all say that without an electric polisher your just wasting your time, but before i go out and spend all kinds of money on a system like that, i want to know how many of you hand polish and what your results you get. also, what kind of polish do you use, and what kind of wax/sealant do you use?

[Spooner77]

QUOTE (shinyred6 @ Oct 3 2008, 07:22 PM)

My car has some nasty swirl marks, i dont think they are too deep, but redfire has to be one of the worst colors when it comes to showing imperfections, next to black of course. ive been looking around autopia and of course most of those guys are extreme and many of them detail for a living so they all say that without an electric polisher your just wasting your time, but before i go out and spend all kinds of money on a system like that, i want to know how many of you hand polish and what your results you get. also, what kind of polish do you use, and what kind of wax/sealant do you use?[/b]

I purchased an inexpensive Random Orbital machine at AutoZone and while I believe it to do a better job than I could by hand, it didn't remove many of the swirl marks, although that could also be because I'd never used it before. I was using NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0.

[jd42]

QUOTE (shinyred6 @ Oct 3 2008, 07:22 PM)

ive been looking around autopia and of course most of those guys are extreme and many of them detail for a living so they all say that without an electric polisher your just wasting your time[/b]

I picked up a dual-action polisher last year (the Ultimate Detail Machine). This wasn't cheap, but it does a great job and should last a long time as long as I take care of it. This won't do everything a rotary polisher can do, but it is easy to use and avoids the potential damage a rotary can do in the wrong hands. Combining the right pad with the right product (rubbing compound, polish, swirl remover, etc.) allows for some repair work that would be very difficult (if not impossible) by hand. Best of all, the machine saves an immense amount of "elbow grease" that would be necessary if I was polishing and waxing by hand.

The machine is certainly not necessary if all you want to do is apply wax and occasionally polish the paint. But, if you want to be able to repair paint defects and save some very tired arms in the detailing process, I recommend the investment.

QUOTE (Spooner77 @ Oct 3 2008, 09:59 PM)

I purchased an inexpensive Random Orbital machine at AutoZone and while I believe it to do a better job than I could by hand, it didn't remove many of the swirl marks, although that could also be because I'd never used it before. I was using NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0.[/b]

To tackle swirl marks and light scratches, you'll need a swirl mark remover or polish product. Heavier damage may require rubbing compound. Wax is designed to coat and protect the paint, but doesn't have the abrasives necessary to perform defect repair. Some cleaner waxes or other "one step" products combine light abrasives with a wax. In general, you are better off using separate products to accomplish different tasks.

[leadbedr]

I bought a UDM last year also.
If you are going to just use it for waxing, i would just do it by hand (instert all silly jokes here)
If you are going to go all out and do 3-5 stage paint cleaning then get the machine.
Just so you know, I usually make washing and polishing my car a 2 day event.

[MS6-582]

You will never get swirls out by hand, Period!
If you are going to get a buffer get a good one. Don't go cheap. You should have a variable speed buffer cause polishers, swirl removers, and waxes break down at different speeds. It also makes it easier to spread with lower speeds.

[steve2624]

I bought a UDM this past summer and love it. I've done some minor paint correction with it, but I have definitly gotten rid of some swirls. Doing it by hand just seemed to cover them up, if anything. Just my 2cents.

[Mazda Gremlyn]

Since UDM sold out to PC and now is no better than the PC, I decided to go for the Flex polisher. I'm not sorry I did either, it cuts very well, has gobs of power, and is quite comfortable to use. I've not used a PC so I can't compare them, but if you search the Autopia forums you'll find plenty of info comparing the two products.

[bumoftheday]

QUOTE (Mazda Gremlyn @ Oct 21 2008, 12:21 AM)

Since UDM sold out to PC and now is no better than the PC, I decided to go for the Flex polisher. I'm not sorry I did either, it cuts very well, has gobs of power, and is quite comfortable to use. I've not used a PC so I can't compare them, but if you search the Autopia forums you'll find plenty of info comparing the two products.[/b]

The PC is probably the better option for beginners. The forced rotation on the flex can cause problems for those who don't know what they are doing. The flex does have more power than the PC, but the PC can do enough correction for new people.

And yes, if you want to do any correction, you need a polisher. And the prep work is 80% of the final look of a vehicle. Here is a shot from my old 3 after polishing only. No wax, glaze or sealant on it yet. Polished with Wolfgang TSR and FG 3.0.

[awacsdavid]

Has anyone used the "Mothers Power Ball" for paint?

I've heard it pretty good. But that could be a load of crap.

[bumoftheday]

QUOTE (awacsdavid @ Oct 21 2008, 04:44 PM)

Has anyone used the "Mothers Power Ball" for paint?

I've heard it pretty good. But that could be a load of crap.[/b]

Do not expect to get any correction out of the powerball. It can be used for application of product.