Just got myself a Meguiars Dual Action Polisher!

[Speedandstealth]

After years of hand detailing I have given into the temptation of a DA polisher and I have to say WOW!!.....much easier to use than I thought after reading some horror stories!

Gives me something to do in the long cold evenings ahead!

[St.Char]

Are you using it with a cordless drill? Been looking at the Meguiars DA myself, I have an 8" DA now that's not cordless.

[Speedandstealth]

Hi....no it like an angle grinder with a polishing head and has a power cord for hours of fun!

We have 240 volts here but the 110v version is the same http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?38257-Dual-Action-Polisher-G110v2

Cheap and simple whilst giving excellent results......Christmas just came early for my Vipers!

[viperr]

I have a similar version from Griot's Garage and it is the greatest invention since sliced bread. It allows you to do so much precision polishing without wearing out your back or shoulders. What a great tool to use during the cold weather. Your car will dazzle when it comes out of the garage.

[eric@thompsonracing.us]

Congrats on the purchase! Polishers have come a long way in the past few years. Technique will play a large part in your results, so take your time.

Remember to check for impurities before polishing, or you will be simply pushing them around and embedding them into the paint. Stick your hand in a thin bag and feel the paint. If you feel anything, use clay bar to remove.

[100]

Make sure you have a high-amp power cord.

[St.Char]

Anyone try the Meguiars DA that is used by attaching your drill? Been looking at this one. Just purchased a 20 volt cordless drill and wondering how well it would work. I like the idea of the cord not dragging and getting in the way.

[pony23]

Love my DA. Greatest car polishing product ever. I have had it for years and it is still running strong. Tons of use every year with all three cars In the driveway.

[eucharistos]

Congrats on the purchase! Polishers have come a long way in the past few years. Technique will play a large part in your results, so take your time.

Remember to check for impurities before polishing, or you will be simply pushing them around and embedding them into the paint. Stick your hand in a thin bag and feel the paint. If you feel anything, use clay bar to remove.

thanks for the tip

[Junkman2008]

Anyone try the Meguiars DA that is used by attaching your drill? Been looking at this one. Just purchased a 20 volt cordless drill and wondering how well it would work. I like the idea of the cord not dragging and getting in the way.

You do not want that contraption, especially if you are planning on doing your entire car. Buy a standard orbital polisher like the PC-7424XP or the Meguiar's polisher the OP purchased. Griot's makes one similar. That thing that you're looking at is like putting a fart can on your Toyota and calling it a sports car.

[Leslie]

I have the Griot's orbital and I love it!

Post pics after you get done, nothing like a beautifully detailed Viper, that's for sure.

[St.Char]

You do not want that contraption, especially if you are planning on doing your entire car. Buy a standard orbital polisher like the PC-7424XP or the Meguiar's polisher the OP purchased. Griot's makes one similar. Th thing that you're looking at is like putting a fart can on your Toyota and calling it a sports car.

Lol! Will do Junkman....

[100]

I picked up a DA polisher at Harbor Freight and I like it. It has a variable-speed dial and they have three sets of hook and loop foam pads. Be careful when buying a corded DA polisher, read the manual and make sure you get a high-amp extension cord or you'll burn up the polisher.

[Junkman2008]

I picked up a DA polisher at Harbor Freight and I like it. It has a variable-speed dial and they have three sets of hook and loop foam pads. Be careful when buying a corded DA polisher, read the manual and make sure you get a high-amp extension cord or you'll burn up the polisher.

That polisher from Harbor Freight has gotten a lot of bad reviews on the various detailing forums. I can't speak for it personally as I have not used one but the pads I can speak for. They are not what you want to use on your Viper. Get some quality pads from a company that specializes in making pads. I always suggest Hex-Logic pads from Buff N Shine. Chemical Guys sells them. They work best on orbital polishers.

[RevHeat]

I just got finished detailing my 96 GTS. To remove minor surface scratches, I used Menzerna SF4000 with a white CCS pad.

Before:
1710

After:
1711

[Glen97]

1736
I picked up a double head cyclo a few years ago. It works like a champ! When done pop the buffing pads off and machine wash. www.cyclotoolmakers.com
Glen

[100]

1736
I picked up a double head cyclo a few years ago. It works like a champ! When done pop the buffing pads off and machine wash. www.cyclotoolmakers.com (http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com)
Glen
Looks good Glen, the Cyclo also has a "clay bar" attachment.

[PittsburghRT]

Bought a Flex 3401 last year and love it! I also have a PC 7424 and it takes forever in comparison.

[Junkman2008]

Bought a Flex 3401 last year and love it! I also have a PC 7424 and it takes forever in comparison.

Yes, but they are two different machines and operate in different ways. I already have a thread about the differences between the various machines mentioned within this forum so I won't go into that here but for anyone reading this, know that one would take an act of congress to damage your paint and the other will take only a slight bit of inattention to do so. For a novice, the PC-7424 is the SAFEST route to go.

[FLATOUT]

Bought a Flex 3401 last year and love it! I also have a PC 7424 and it takes forever in comparison.

Been detailing with both machines above for years and I have never had an issue with the 3401 damaging paint. Might be because I learned how to detail using rotary's so I carried the same fundamentals over to DA machines.

The 3401 does create more heat which assists in breaking down product, but nothing like a wool pad on a rotary.

[Junkman2008]

Been detailing with both machines above for years and I have never had an issue with the 3401 damaging paint. Might be because I learned how to detail using rotary's so I carried the same fundamentals over to DA machines.

Which is experience that a complete novice won't have. With all the detailing forums that I frequent, I have seen novices do just about every crazy thing that can be done wrong with a polisher. Because of that, I follow one rule. I never tell a novice to do to their paint what I wouldn't allow them to do to mine. I wouldn't let a novice work on my paint with a Flex 3401 but I will allow a child to work on my paint with a PC-7424XP. It's not only the polisher that can be dangerous, it's the compounds and polishes that you choose also, which contribute to the possibility of paint damage. The only way they are going to damage anything with a PC-7424XP is to beat the car with it. That's exactly what I show at all my clinics. ;)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/carlisle17.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/angelin_buffer.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/c5fest6a_zpsafd0b3d6.jpg

I even let the big and the old kids try it. :D

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Detailing%20Pics/fordshow31.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Detailing%20Pics/thompson_clinic16.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Detailing%20Pics/thompson_clinic17.jpg


The PC-7424XP. Safe enough for all ages. :D

[phnx428]

I agree with Junkman2008... a friend of mine purchased one and I have heard nothing but complaints, after hearing his complaints, I decided to go get a Porter Cable DA polisher.

[Luisv]

Just chiming in... I'm another DA user. I have the Porter Cable 7346 unit. I swear by it! I run foam pads on mine, a couple of densities for different stages of the process. As for products... I agree, I have tried a few but, for me, I go with Meguiar's pro line. I go with M105, M205 for compound and polish and then go with their polymer sealant before I hit it with the yellow wax. I love it.

Technique is important, covering up plastics, prep, etc. A lot of great videos on Junkman's YouTube page... well worth the view! Lots of great info there and he was the one that turned me onto the Meguiars pro line.

BTW... that brings me to something I recall.... Mr Junkman.... I recall your videos and you working on that C5 Vette that you love... You have a Viper now? Hmmmmm.... nobody givin' you grief on that here??? :D LOL... just messin' with ya... I have a C3 I am resto-modding so I cant throw stones.... lol... I can just say the Vette is the wife's car...

[Junkman2008]

... BTW... that brings me to something I recall.... Mr Junkman.... I recall your videos and you working on that C5 Vette that you love... You have a Viper now? Hmmmmm.... nobody givin' you grief on that here??? :D LOL... just messin' with ya... I have a C3 I am resto-modding so I cant throw stones.... lol... I can just say the Vette is the wife's car...

LOL!!!

Well as I was told at the Chrysler Nationals one year by a buddy and fellow Viper owner, "I like Corvettes. They taste like chicken." http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/lol.gif http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/lol.gif http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/lol.gif

[Luisv]

LOL!!!

Well as I was told at the Chrysler Nationals one year by a buddy and fellow Viper owner, "I like Corvettes. They taste like chicken." http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/lol.gif http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/lol.gif http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/lol.gif

:D...... Awesome!

[100]

After 19681964Before 19651969
I used a 3m cutting compound and then 2 Maguire's products with my Harbor Freight DA and HF pads. I'm going to order the Hexagon pads for future jobs because the creases allow the pads to conform to complex shapes. This was my first detailing project -- the car looks good but has "spiderwebs".

[Junkman2008]

19681964After 1965Before
I used a 3m cutting compound and then 2 Maguire's products with my Harbor Freight DA and HF pads. I'm going to order the Hexagon pads for future jobs because the creases allow the pads to conform to complex shapes. This was my first detailing project -- the car looks good but has "spiderwebs".

You have multiple issues going on here. First, there is absolutely no reason to use the combination of products that you used. Secondly, you completely eliminate the engineering behind the products that you used by mixing those brands. Compounds and polishes are engineered to be used within the same family of products. You don't use a compound from one brand and follow it with a compound or polish from another brand. The different brands are NOT engineered to be used together. Plus, you complicate the whole process by doing so.

Last of all, the 3M cutting compound is made for use with a rotary polisher, not that low powered Harbor Freight polisher that you have. I could go on with why you still have spider-webbing (or swirls as they are called) in your paint but I will do you a bigger favor. I will direct you to this thread (http://driveviper.com/forums/threads/582-The-Mother-of-All-quot-How-to-Remove-Swirls-from-Your-Viper-s-Paint!-quot) so that you can watch and learn the proper way of doing paint correction. The next time you go at this, your results will be MUCH better if you follow the advice, techniques and use the tools outlined in those videos. Right now you're just wasting time and money. I would like to see you make progress. Those videos will show you how. When done correctly, black can be made to pop. That's the color I love to work on. http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Smileys/thumbsup-1.gif


http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Detailing%20Pics/fordshow23.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Detailing%20Pics/fordshow21.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/Detailing%20Pics/fordshow24.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/camry_fix9.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/camry_fix2.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/camry_fix1.jpg

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh216/Junkman2008/camry_fix5.jpg

[100]

Thanks for the link -- I need to watch the entire thread of videos. I didn't want to throw the 3M away it's industrial grade. The Maguires was cool -- if you do it right, you are polishing away the compound -- the last minute is the key to a really fine finish. I'll watch those videos before I touch the paint (train hard, fight easy). Thanks JM.

[Junkman2008]

There's no need to throw the 3M product away, just realize that it is of no use to you with the polisher you have. I would definitely upgrade that polisher too. Harbor Freight is not known for their quality of tools and you can get a PC-7424XP for about $30 more than you paid for the polisher you have. Much better results also.

[eric@thompsonracing.us]

Porter Cable recently moved their manufacturing to China, not a good thing! I bought a few cases of the PC 7424XP before the move. If anyone needs one, PM me.

[Junkman2008]

Porter-Cable was founded in 1906 by R.E. Porter, G.G. Porter, and F.E. Cable, who, starting with a $2,300 investment, opened a jobbing machine and tool shop out of their garage in Syracuse, New York. In 1914, the company began to focus on power tools, starting with a line of power lathes. In 1917, the company bought a plant on North Salina Street in Syracuse.

In 1926, Chief Engineer Art Emmons invented the portable electric belt sander, called the Take-About Sander, and the company began to develop a niche in portable electric power tools. In 1929, Emmons invented the helical-drive circular saw, a compact, lightweight design that is still the most widely used circular saw design produced today.

In 1960, the company was sold to Rockwell International. Rockwell made numerous changes, including phasing out the Porter-Cable name, relocating the company's base of operations to Jackson, Tennessee, and creating a lower end of power tools to compete with Black & Decker. These tools had numerous reliability problems and harmed the brand's image. They were purchased well after the move outside of the USA.

In 1981, Pentair, Inc. acquired Rockwell's power tool group—consisting of Porter-Cable and Delta Machinery—and restored the Porter-Cable name. The company repositioned itself as a manufacturer of professional power tools and ended production of consumer-level tools. In 1989, the company introduced the first electric random orbital sander. Around this time, the company expanded into broader retail channels, including The Home Depot and Lowe's, greatly expanding its production in the process.

In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution established a collection of materials from the company's 90-year history, the first such collection for a power tool company.

In 2000, Porter-Cable consolidated with sister company Delta Machinery, the latter moving its headquarters and distribution center from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Jackson. The same year, Pentair acquired DeVilbiss Air Power Company and, in 2002, Porter-Cable expanded its line-up to include air compressors, air tools, generators, and pressure washers.

In October 2004, the Pentair Tools Group—comprising Porter-Cable, Delta Machinery, DeVilbiss Air Power, and others—was purchased by Black & Decker, now Stanley Black & Decker. Porter-Cable is headquartered in Jackson, Tennessee. Manufacturing in the United States has mostly ceased; tools are now made primarily in Mexico and China.

SOURCE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter-Cable)


So the moral of the story is that the PC has been manufactured in Mexico and China for years and there has been no major fallout in the quality of the PC-7424. Not EVERYTHING coming out of China is garbage. They DO have manufacturing facilities that actually put of products that have to meet rigid quality control standards. Our USA born "big three" get a fair share of parts from China that must meet certain quality control standards. So any PC's that have been bought since around 2005-2006 were already being manufactured outside the USA. I have two of them and have had no issues out of them whatsoever.