Orbital Polishers

A

AutoNova

New member
I recently purchased a polisher from Wal-Mart to use on my cars. It was $20 so I thought this could work. What am I in for with this polisher? Can it work or should I return it while I can? I wonder if there are people who can work with these and do a good job? What are some good tips to follow when using a polisher when it comes to pressure and speed?



Thanks,



AutoNova
 
A $20 polisher is not much more than a toy that jiggles. There's not enough OPM or torque to obtain any significant results.



They're OK for applying one step cleaner waxes like NuFinish or for applying a liquid carnauba wax as a final step, but that's about it.



Pressure and speed? I don't think that machine allows you to control speed, it's ON or OFF, right? And applying any amount of pressure will probably stall the machine so little or no pressure should be used.
 
I agree with bretfraz, its more of a finishing tool than anything else...But, then again, it's a step up from the hand application method.



I received one from Sears as a gift for detailing a friends car...I didn't care too much for it until I got a chance to try it...It did a good job of applying wax, much better than doing it by hand IMO.
 
Ya what they said ^^^^ if it has a 4" pad you can use it for paste wax application too. I bought a Simoniz Cordless .. it did the job for me ( very slow) .. *until* I got serious.. the PC arrived 2 days ago, now the cordless is used for wax on only . I applied a nice even coat of #26 paste today to the whole car in less than 10 min. Advice .. take it back and look up Coastal Tool for a 7424 PC and CMA for a few pads.
 
http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17421&highlight=cheap+orbital

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19141&highlight=cheap+orbital

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28326&highlight=cheap+orbital

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22911&highlight=orbital+bonnets

http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29771&highlight=orbital+bonnets



Here are just a few threads I dug up for you in a couple quick searches. Try it, you might like it. ;) I didn't read them though, so take a peek at them and see if they help you.



It's not just that a $20 buffer won't "perform", it's that it is not capable of doing as much as the Porter Cable. It costs a lot less, but you are very limited. It is very weak by comparison, often slower and single speed, it uses bonnets and not the different grades of velcro foam pads, and is less sturdy.



I was facing the same question too a while ago, but ultimately went and bought a PC because it's so well suited for what we use it for while the cheaper orbitals had so many compromises. Try running a search or two with my user name as I've commented on this dilemma on numerous occasions.
 
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