Buffer

[cliff]

Can anyone recommend a battery or corded buffer?
thanks

[Tcoat]

I have a 20 year old Black and Decker that probably has a couple of thousand hours on it that is still serving well. I am considering retiring it in favour of a rechargeable one though. Not sure it matters what brand it is as long as you get certain features.
Make sure it is a random orbital. Some are really just low speed grinders and only go in circles.


Check the availability and cost of pads. There is nothing worse than getting a tool that you can only buy the needed accessories at one place (and usually at a premium).
Variable speeds are very nice.
Watch carefully for what brand they are. Often an off brand name is the exact same tool as the branded one at half the price.

[krayzie]

This is what I used for years and years (it wasn't mine I borrowed it from a friend):

Ultimate Detailing Machine™ Dual Action Orbital Polisher

https://www.autogeek.net/udm-ultimat...g-machine.html

The BRZ panels are kinda thin so I haven't used a buffer on it, only applying compound by hand.

BTW battery will never beat a proper corded power tool.

[Azzudien]

Agree with krayzie, go with corded, battery is significantly heavier and you will feel that extra weight quickly.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by krayzie

BTW battery will never beat a proper corded power tool.

Maybe, but based on the performance I'm getting out of my Milwaukee M18 Fuel tools, I'd be willing to give their polisher the benefit of the doubt if I used buffers. That line of tools is fantastic.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by krayzie

This is what I used for years and years (it wasn't mine I borrowed it from a friend):

Ultimate Detailing Machine™ Dual Action Orbital Polisher

https://www.autogeek.net/udm-ultimat...g-machine.html

The BRZ panels are kinda thin so I haven't used a buffer on it, only applying compound by hand.

BTW battery will never beat a proper corded power tool.

Originally Posted by Azzudien

Agree with krayzie, go with corded, battery is significantly heavier and you will feel that extra weight quickly.

Maybe I should rethink my cordless plan then. I have never used a cordless one but there are some pretty lightweight batteries out there now so I figured they may be easier.
I guess ol' Buffy get's to hang in until her death by natural causes.

[Teseo]

What about Griots?

[Tcoat]

http://guidetodetailing.com/detailin...-buyers-guide/

[Tcoat]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Google ads is right on the ball!

[Ultramaroon]

Just make sure it's a DA, right angle-type something like what @krayzie mentioned.


Safer than a rotary.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Maybe, but based on the performance I'm getting out of my Milwaukee M18 Fuel tools, I'd be willing to give their polisher the benefit of the doubt if I used buffers. That line of tools is fantastic.

I have a 18V Festool cordless drill and it's fantastic on the field (although it will never beat my corded Ryobi hammer drill from the 80's for real work) but I'm not sure if I want to deal with the extra weight as a DA polisher is already quite heavy. I always remove the product by hand and it's tiring, the machine is only used to apply.

[Gunman]

The porter cable is pretty much the standard:

https://www.portercable.com/products...olisher/7424xp

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Azzudien

Agree with krayzie, go with corded, battery is significantly heavier and you will feel that extra weight quickly.

I was curious about this, so I looked up some weights on the manufacturers' websites to see for myself. There were three corded polishers mentioned in that buyer's guide Tcoat posted:

Porter Cable 7424XP - 5-1/2 lbs
Meguiar’s G110v2 - 5.5 lbs.
Griot’s Garage - 7.73 lbs.

Here are three cordless polishers:
M18 FUEL™ 7” Variable Speed Polisher - 6.4 lbs w/ 5.0 Battery
Ryobi 18V ONE+™ ORBITAL BUFFER - 4.2 lbs (not indicated whether that's with or without battery)
Makita 18V Cordless 5" Random Orbit Sander - 3.6 lbs (with battery)

So whether it's corded or cordless doesn't seem to be the determining factor in the weight. Although I haven't used any of these myself, I have used grinders quite a bit in my welding, and it seems to me the ergonomics would be similar. With that in mind, NONE of those corded buffers look comfortable at all. They're too heavy and don't seem to be shaped correctly to use one-handed, but there doesn't seem to be any thought at all in the design of the case for the second hand. We had a big 7" grinder at the shop that was designed that way, and despite it being the most powerful grinder we had, nobody would use it because of how unwieldy it was.

Maybe you guys who use them regularly see something else I don't, but from what I'm seeing online the only disadvantage I see in cordless is that the Milwaukee only goes up to 2200 RPM. The two cheap cordless ones both go higher, though, and still seem like they'd be easier to handle than the corded ones.

[Tcoat]

Damnit now I am back to thinking cordless. The Makita was on my shortlist before and it is the lightest.