I've seen some talk about the PC rotory polisher. What model should I be looking for and how much are they?

Any other recommendations?

Thanks, looking for a good Christmas suggestion to the wife.

 

Rotary = bad for a person with no training. I've seen finishes destroyed by an un-trained person w/ a rotary polisher. Leave these to the professionals.

The "PC" polisher you are looking for is the PCDA (Porter-Cable Dual Action) Polisher.

They sell kits at www.autopia-carcare.com that come with the polisher, Sonus pads and more. Meguiars has a re-branded version of this polisher. Detailers Paradise has it as well w/ a nice pad/polisher bundle at a fair price (http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...071-2491365464). The owner of the shop is a NAM sponsor and is active on this board (very helpful and knows her stuff!).

The PCDA is a very well-built tool with a nice weight and balance (you gotta love Porter Cable).

 

I have the Porter Cable, really like it.

I had heard that Porter Cable was bought out by Delta tools.
But I don't think they are re-branding the PC tool line.

Mark

 

Agree on the Porter Cable RANDOM ORBITAL suggestion from Detailers Paradise. That's the kit *I* want.

 

I bought the Detailers Paradise Porter Cable kit with pads and case. Very nice price and I really like the case for storage. So incredibly easy to use too - but get Octaneguy's DVD to really learn the ropes.

 

im using the Griots random orbital. works great and i like the red color. lol

 

Santa's bringing me that one. Yes, it matches both my MINI and my garage. And... it's supposed to be a really nice machine at a fair price. That counts for something, too.

 

I've used the Griot's and found it to be very nice indeed... Very PC-like (although they claim it's not technically the same company that manufacturers them).

 

Almost!

Porter Cable and Delta have shared a parent company for numerous years. Recently (1-2 years ago), Porter Cable was purchased by Dewalt.

However, Porter Cable's tools remain under the Porter Cable domain, from a manufacturing standpoint. Their polishers are still made in the USA and have not changed or been affected by the merger with Dewalt. The PC 7336SP or 7424 (nearly identical models of the dual-action orbital, of which everyone speaks on this forum) purchased today would be identical to the one purchased 5 or even 10 years ago.

Just a little industry info!

-Heather

 

See... I said that she was helpful and knew her stuff!

 

Check out that brain on Heather !!

 

I was close. Thanks for getting it straight

Mark

 

Although the Griot's polisher sold today is indeed similar to the Porter Cable polisher, it is a fact that it is not made by Porter Cable. From what I understand, Griot's commisioned a company in China to manufacturer a polisher based on the Dewalt polisher (Dewalt also has a dual-action orbital which is another top quality tool).

It should be noted that this is somewhat recent... previously Griot's sold the Porter Cable polisher, which was branded as such. The can't remember how long ago the switch was made though.

I haven't yet used the Griot's polisher myself. However, I understand that it is a decent machine. It isn't made by Porter Cable though. It's made in China specifically for Griot's.

Another tidbit from the industry.

-Heather

 

I agree... the rotary (by Porter Cable or any other company) is a dangerous machine for the unexperienced. Even many of the more humble experienced pros will agree that it can be sometimes dangerous for even the experienced!

The PCDA is the way to go, IMO. It orbits, instead of rotating, as well as vibrates. It also has sufficient torque to move a polish around effectively (both non-abrasive, cleanser polishes and abrasive polishes). Its level of torque is what separates it from lesser brands, such as the common 10" 2-handle style orbital that you can get from department stores, etc. In addition to the Porter Cable version, Dewalt and Griot's both have a similar polisher- similar in mechanical style and torque (although I have not yet used the Griot's polisher myself).

The Porter Cable DA polisher comes in 2 models: 7424 and 7336SP. The two models are exactly identical in every way except one: the counterweight.

The 7424 lacks the 6" counterweight which makes it have slightly more vibration than the 7336SP. It's really hard to tell the difference unless you've used both models on the same day though. For those with the 7424, you can buy the counterweight separately and put it into the 7424. Then, you would have the exact same polisher as the 7336SP.

There is one other very small difference: the 7336SP includes a white polishing pad. It's a screw-in pad (vs hook & loop, aka velcro) and most people prefer the hook & loop style. Nonetheless, it's an extra free pad.

With either model, you can't go wrong. I agree with agranger- Porter Cable makes great tools!

-Heather

 

yep, i like mine. its a quality product. im pretty sure it is
manufactured at the same plant as the Hitachi units.

 

Thanks for the correct terminology! That PCDA is actually what I had been reading about, but couln't remember the name!

I'm adding it to my Christmas wish list.

Thanks guys!

 

I've got both polisher (2 PC's) and the difference is very slight--I think most noticeable in sound/vibration, but definitely not noticeable in any resulting positive effects on the paint.

As for the rotary buffer, I got one of them too. It's the Makita 9227C. I love this tool, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone here on NAM, except for maybe Skitelluride...cause unless you aren't a professional and use it all the time, it will only get you into serious trouble.

However there is something else I wouldn't recommend even more and that's wetsanding!!! LOL, but that's a different topic. That's even more aggressive than the PC or the Rotary, yet you need them both (or one of them in skilled hands) to finish off a proper wetsanding job--yet some NAM members, ahem, like to recommend this, yet say, don't use the rotary buffer!

Glad the original poster realized it was the PC, or PCDA, or DA, or Dual Action Orbital Polisher that he wanted. I wouldn't want to see someone posting after christmas that they burned through their paint with a new polisher and wanted to know what to do about it!

Thanks MiniMayBee for the DVD plug.

Richard

 

I may have advocated wetsanding at some point in time on the board, but it ALWAYS (well... ALMOST ALWAYS) comes with a warning to practice on a car you don't care that much for... I practiced on my old Nissan Altima before I sold it and I would never recommend it for anything larger than smoothing over a touch-up. Anything requiring large-scale wetsanding (requiring more than 1 square inch of paper at a time) I leave to the pros. I've seen thousands of dollars of dammage caused by a rotary sander in the hands of a moron (a new, black BMW 7-series paintjob ruined by the dealer's detailer), so I'll leave it to those who are well insured!

 

hey octaneguy, touchup to you is like you trying PDR. i don't recommend it. jk.. (dont be an ***)

 

hahah, for sure. I know my limits. I got a dedicated PDR guy.

 

^^ hehe i push my limits to get better... well, usually.