I'm looking for an orbital buffer to use for polishing and waxing. Not sure what brands and models are good? Need help there. I am an amateur of course, so rotary is out of the picture. Need something simple and great results.

I seen results from a friend who has a turtle wax one (used zymbol). It looks much greater than what hand can do, and faster. I was so impressed. I also looked at the video on the meguiars website on buffers. I want something liek that. A dual so it can prevent swirls. I did a search and the only recommandations are the Porter-Cable 7424P. A bit pricey.

So what is good and bad that i should avoid or buy? Do I need to rebuy pads each time. The meguiars video said for theirs, you keep the foam pad, but get one for each type. Need advice.

Thanks for all your future replies.

Thomas

no replies :(

The Meguiars buffer looked pretty good to me. Cordless, too, which is a plus. It's $90.00. What were you looking to spend?

hopefully under 50. I am a noob to it. so nothing too expensive yet. Im looking into craftsmen or turtle wax. Not sure what else is out there

Best one for the money is the Porter Cable 7424 random orbit polisher/sander. You can buy a separate velcro-backed plate to attach polishing/waxing pads.

Bought mine at Lowes about 3 years ago. It works very well on the curves of the 8. I have the black, and using the Porter Cable (PC) with 3M Swirl Mark Remover (dark cars) makes it look like you can stick your hand down through the paint.

Top it with a good polish and wax, and it's unbelievable. I use the PC for application of the swirl mark remover, polish application, and wax application. I remove/buff all products by hand.

As to pads, you can use them multiple times... Just need to hand wash them with Dawn after each use and let them air dry. I can usually get 4-5 uses out of each pad. There are different pads for different uses.

BTW, not a fan of Zaino for dark cars... leaves a "hard" shine as opposed to a deep gloss, imho.

where do you get your pads at?

I agree with you about Zany Zaino!

Originally posted by flatso
where do you get your pads at?

I agree with you about Zany Zaino!

There are lots of sources... I like these guys.

ProperAutoCare (http://www.properautocare.com)

thanks a lot carolina8. How much did u buy ur Porter Cable 7424? Cheapest place online that i can find is amazon for 120. Would an amateur use this fine? Thanks a lot for your help and advice. Nice website also.

$120 is about right. But remember, you get what you pay for. ;)

It's really easy to use, just always start with the "more is less" philosophy.... less wax/polish on the pad, less pressure pushing down on the PC, less speed on the PC.... you get the picture.

As you get better at it, you can vary speeds and techniques. For example, when I'm using a swirl mark remover (SMR), I start a panel with medium pressure and low speed. As the SMR breaks down (they're all mildly abrasive), I increase the speed on the PC and lighten the pressure. Takes a while to perfect a technique, but if you take your time, the results can be astounding.

Let me know if you get one... would be more than happy to answer questions, offer advice, etc.

EDIT:

One quick piece of advice... stay away from the wool pads when using a buffer or orbital until you are REALLY good at it. You can burn the clearcoat and/or paint if you're not careful.

Here is an alternative ... never used it personally, but may be worth looking into. By the way, this site is chock full of detail products ...

http://www.topoftheline.com/cycorpol.html