Porter cable or not?
Author
Discussion

coffeepot

Original Poster:

77 posts

215 months

Monday 25th February 2013
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I'm in the process of building a kit car and have ticked the option of finishing the GRP body myself. So the question is what polisher, the Porter Cable seems to have the best name but is it worth the delivery from the States?

The machine will probably get a months work then be used once or twice a year after that,
Other info
I don't mind spending money on tools
Already have transformer
Sister lives in States so might be able to improve on delivery/import duty (if any)

Any suggestions on heads and compounds appreciated

Phil

Far Cough

2,469 posts

190 months

Monday 25th February 2013
quotequote all
I recently got a DAS 6 as part of a kit which seemed the best value out there. Arrived the next day. Here is the link : http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/poorboys/poorbo...


Xtremescoobys

123 posts

156 months

Monday 25th February 2013
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The Meguires polisher is pretty good had mine for two years and get on great with it.Look on Egay normally loads on there

mneame

1,486 posts

233 months

Tuesday 26th February 2013
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If you've aready got the transformer and can get one over here cheaply then go for it. I had one up until it was stolen and I prefered it over my Kestral DA which I have now.

However I replaced it with the Kestral mentioned about as there was less hassle in having to mess about with the transformer, UK warrenty etc.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

277 months

Tuesday 26th February 2013
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Get a Silverline rotary polisher. A perfectly useable tool at a fraction of the cost.

mneame

1,486 posts

233 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Mr2Mike said:
Get a Silverline rotary polisher. A perfectly useable tool at a fraction of the cost.
Not advisable for begginers to go straight onto a car with a rotary without a lot of prior practice on scrap pannels.

grand cherokee

2,432 posts

221 months

Thursday 28th February 2013
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mneame said:
Not advisable for begginers to go straight onto a car with a rotary without a lot of prior practice on scrap pannels.
oh so true!

grand cherokee

2,432 posts

221 months

Thursday 28th February 2013
quotequote all
i've got a Porter Cable 7424

its now considered 'old hat' by the machine tarts - but its one hell of a machine with superb build quality

and its ALMOST impossible to burn/damage paint

but the 'new kids on the block' want to go straight to a rotary - well being a bit long in the tooth i've seen the damage a rotary can do in inexperienced hands!

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

277 months

Thursday 28th February 2013
quotequote all
mneame said:
Not advisable for begginers to go straight onto a car with a rotary without a lot of prior practice on scrap pannels.
Sorry but I really am getting fed up of this utter tripe being repeated ad nauseum. Unless you are quite literaly a clueless, ham fisted baboon then a rotary polisher isn't going to rip all your paint off in the blink of an eye. if you are a clueless ham fisted baboon, then you have no business using polishing tool, be it rotary or dual action.

I bought a rotary polisher a few years back and got stuck in with it, and I've polished numerous cars since then with excellent results. Don't lean on it, keep the paint cool and moist and hold back on corners/creases and it's fine. i.e. apply common sense.

mneame

1,486 posts

233 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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Mr2Mike said:
Sorry but I really am getting fed up of this utter tripe being repeated ad nauseum. Unless you are quite literaly a clueless, ham fisted baboon then a rotary polisher isn't going to rip all your paint off in the blink of an eye. if you are a clueless ham fisted baboon, then you have no business using polishing tool, be it rotary or dual action.

I bought a rotary polisher a few years back and got stuck in with it, and I've polished numerous cars since then with excellent results. Don't lean on it, keep the paint cool and moist and hold back on corners/creases and it's fine. i.e. apply common sense.
Well done you, however there's far more to it than common sense I'm afraid. It's not all about burning through paint as the only error. It's about getting a buffer trail / hologram / un-marred & defect free finish. Fine you may be fairly savvy but not everyone is. A DA machine is plenty capable of burning through paint in the hands of one of your ham fisted baboons. But what is far easier to achieve with a DA is a superior finish over a rotary until you know what you're doing.

grand cherokee

2,432 posts

221 months

Monday 4th March 2013
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mneame said:
Well done you, however there's far more to it than common sense I'm afraid. It's not all about burning through paint as the only error. It's about getting a buffer trail / hologram / un-marred & defect free finish. Fine you may be fairly savvy but not everyone is. A DA machine is plenty capable of burning through paint in the hands of one of your ham fisted baboons. But what is far easier to achieve with a DA is a superior finish over a rotary until you know what you're doing.
well said

posters like Mr2Mike seem to see a rotary as a right of passage and a sign that they are a 'pro' (bullstter?)

buffer trails are common from even so called pro body shops