Which machine polisher/kit

[Nobbles]

This will be my first machine polisher and I notice that clean your car is doing kits etc. What do you recommend to start with, also it states hard paints, Mercedes/Audi - is it the same for Porsche?

Is it much easier than by hand, if I polish 2 times per year, very thoroughly is it worth the outlay and does it lose some of the pleasure of doing it by hand?

[Slobberchops]

Would be interested to know about Porsche paint too.

Got my eye on the Meguiars DA one but just struggling to decide whether I can justify one.

[Nobbles]

Me too, have you looked at the packs on cleanyourcar?

[lordlee]

My Porsche has quite sticky paint but my silverline works very well with it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-Soft-Start-Sa...
You can spend a load more if you feel the need but if you buy the right pads (3M) and get the right polishes then the silverline will deliver great results.

[anonymous-user]

Practise on an old panel to learn the ropes!

I had a PC (random orbital) for many years and got good results with it, when I switched to a fixed head polisher I went through the clear coat in about 30 seconds on my almost brand new Range Rover. Doh!

[grand cherokee]

D3fender said:

Practise on an old panel to learn the ropes!

I had a PC (random orbital) for many years and got good results with it, when I switched to a fixed head polisher I went through the clear coat in about 30 seconds on my almost brand new Range Rover. Doh!

bloody hell - feel for you

my advice for a novice would be a DA type - nearly impossible to 'burn' paint etc

[lordlee]

There is a real myth around fixed head polishers vs DA's - you'd have to be really unlucky and hold a fixed head polisher in the same place at high speed for quite a while to burn the paint through on a modern car. Just keep your speeds down until you get the hang of it or as someone else mentioned get yourself a panel from the scrap yard and practice with that.

[grand cherokee]

lordlee said:

There is a real myth around fixed head polishers vs DA's - you'd have to be really unlucky and hold a fixed head polisher in the same place at high speed for quite a while to burn the paint through on a modern car. Just keep your speeds down until you get the hang of it or as someone else mentioned get yourself a panel from the scrap yard and practice with that.

a professional detailer managed to 'burn' the 'late' Grand Cherokee wheel arch with a rotary - cost him £150 for respray

its easily done on 'angles' etc!

[anonymous-user]

grand cherokee said:

a professional detailer managed to 'burn' the 'late' Grand Cherokee wheel arch with a rotary - cost him £150 for respray

its easily done on 'angles' etc!

Exactly, mine was a wheel arch too, with a cutting pad and some compound. I had 75% of the scratch taken out, but couldn't help going back for one last go and then.... fk!

Check your work, often.

[JackP1]

i have a meguiars g220 and its an excellent Da, managed to do some excellent swirl correction with it. Only had a go woth a rotary a handfull of times but the general idea on them is they get the job done alot quicker, although you must watch what you are doing as it can burn through paint!