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Reccomend me an orbital buffer.

G

Guitarman19853

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
May 21, 2005
Messages
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Location
Pittsburgh, Pa
I'm looking to get an orbital buffer, but I cannot afford the Porter-Cable model. What other buffers are decent but less cost? I'd like to keep the cost of the buffer itself to ~$50. All of the automotive detailing sites i've looked at only sell the porter cable.

I'd like to hear from people that own something other than the Porter Cable 7424
 
anyone? i'd like to find something in between the $30 wal-mart/pepboys buffers and the $130 porter cable. i would like to have the same design as the PC though. something in the $50-$75 range
 
I know this isnt what you want to hear, but I would just keep saving until you can afford the PC. I have a cheap orbital that I got for free and it blows. Its bad enough that I dont even bother using it.
 
well actually the truth is that i can't actually afford to buy it for myself. I dont have the money. I was going to drop a hint to a family member as a christmas gift but i know that noone would spend the cost of the PC.

I only have minimal cash to live off of until i graduate.
 
See if they'll get you a gift certificate to wherever you saw the PC listed and apply that to your purchase. I plan on getting a PC by next spring. I justify the cost because it is about the same price as an exterior detailing service I've used in the past. The shop does an excellent job but I think I could do just as good or better with the right tools, even if it takes me 4 times as long.

The PC is highly rated by the Viper forum guys and that's good enough for me.
 
so you guys are telling me that there is absolutely no buffer at all that is worth having except the PC? I really find that hard to believe.

When I said that I can't afford it, I really meant that I can't afford it. I have $250 to live off of until I graduate in May.
 
Well, that is my recommendation. If you don't get the PC be sure it says random orbital on the product description. If you were my brother-in-law I'd put one in your Christmas stocking.

I did a Googe search and found the PC7424 for $109, slightly less than the $130 price you mentioned the other day. There might be an even lower price than that. The search was just what popped up when I was trying to find a pic of one to show my wife who asked what I wanted for Christmas.

Here is a link on how to use it for various types of swirl removal. It's not the low price I mentioned but I'd never seen a video of this being used before.

http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html?gclid=CIuy4_XDg4kCFTXWJAodPQ3L4Q
 
Unless you have a medical condition that precludes you from buffing by hand, most of the buffers under $50 aren't really worth much in my opinion.

Even the ones that are costing that little, you'll still probably want an assortment of bonnets... adding to the cost.

I say save your money.
 
JimD said:
Unless you have a medical condition that precludes you from buffing by hand, most of the buffers under $50 aren't really worth much in my opinion.

Even the ones that are costing that little, you'll still probably want an assortment of bonnets... adding to the cost.

I say save your money.
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Not to mention if your pressed for money, then i dont think the products you'll be using would be worth having an orbital polisher.

What products do you use for the car? NXT and the like dont really need a ROP to be effective.
 
I use Klasse All-In-One and Klasse Sealant Glaze for synthetic protection and Pinnacle Signature Series for carnauba. The carnauba isn't a problem but buffing off Sealant Glaze after it sits for 10 hours is a huge pain in the ass. I've never been able to fully buff it out by hand. The closest I can get is buffing with QD but even that leaves some residue.
 
Okay people, so tell me. If you're saying that its better to use nothing at all if i cant get the PC, then tell me what exactly makes the PC better than the cheap $30 pepboys orbital buffers? And don't just say you get what you pay for, tell me WHAT you get for paying $100 more. What makes it worth $100 more?

You can't just tell me that nothing is worth it except for the PC and not tell me why. So now i'm asking.
 
When you have defects to remove, sometimes you need to apply pressure and/or more speed. The cheapies don't have the power, plus you're relying on bonnets which can bunch-up, instead of foam pads of varying aggressiveness. Defect removal is incredibly difficult by hand.

If you're just applying a cleaner wax or don't need defect-removal polishing, you can do a fine job by hand.
 
Well, Santa got me a PC 7424 for Christmas, or at least gave me $100 specifically for the purchase of one. It's on order and I plan on watching the how-to videos several times before I even touch that thing to my car.

There's also a $20 DVD that is about 2.5 hours long which shows how someone restored a luster finish to a 1961 Corvette with a PC 7424 that I might get as well. Then maybe I'll hone my technique on my daily driver before touching my pride and joy with it. Coolness.
 
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