A friend of mine is asking for a recommendation for a buffer/polisher. I've got a DeWalt DW849 rotary model that I get great results with, but I'm a little leery of suggesting it to him because it requires a fair amount of practice and patience to avoid damaging the paint.
I've used orbital buffers in the past, and still have an older Black & Decker in my toolchest. I find that the orbital models are nice for applying thin, even coats of wax or mild polishes, but they don't seem to be well-suited for serious finish restoration, like buffing and polishing after wet-sanding with 1500- or 2000-grit sandpaper.
Are any of the newer orbital models good enough that they could *completely* replace a rotary buffer? I see that Griot's Garage sells a Porter-Cable orbital model, but it seems to be geared towards finish maintenance (polishes/waxes), rather than removing serious clearcoat scratches or heavy oxidation.
If he is a novice, I would definitely steer him away from a rotary. A nice DA model like Porter Cable 7424 should suit his needs nicely. You can pick up one at Lowes or Home Depot for just under $100. You can use it for serious removal tasks with the right medium, several steps and patience.
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Also setup him up with polishes that break down as you use them so you can't overpolish an area like Meguiars #80 (mild) and #83 (medium) and some nice soft 6" pads. You can do some great swirl removal with these products and you don't need a rotary but you will need some elbo grease and time so if you work it quickly with light pressure like a rotary it won't do anything. Here's a good link on how to use a DA buffer -
Hi Scott...Ive enjoyed many of your posts ive read. I was thinking on your friend that wants to leard how to buff...How bout having someone else do the buffing and then have him stay well on top of things by claying/hand waxing more frequently so he doesnt have to buff? Otherwise, send him off to a junkyard and have him go to town w/ a high speed machine. With so many things, feel is something some just never get the hang of. You got it or you dont, might get a little better, or never get it. Is your buddy mechanically inclined? If so, i still like the junkyard idea w/ the high speed as IMO, will almost always prouduce better results. bc
Thanks for the comments. Based on his experience level and what he wants to do, my friend has decided on an orbital buffer. I think he liked the idea of the orbital being safer for him to use for wax application and the occasional polishing, but still giving him the option of doing more serious work as long as he knows it will take more time/effort than it would with a rotary.
I'll stick with my DeWalt rotary, though. I've spent a long time learning how to get great results out of it, and it's just been through a full factory rebuild, so it's basically new again.
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