Another Australian PC Question

M

mikeypom

New member
First of all let me say a big thank you to everyone on this board, it has to be the most informative detailing forum on the net. Anyway I have a couple of questions, which hopefully someone will be able to help me with.



My fist question is in regards to the Porter-Cable and alternatives available. As Iâ€â„¢m based in Brisbane the Porter may not be the best value for money (VFM) polisher for me. Let me explain. The porter cable would cost the following to Australia.



Porter Cable - $125 US = $160.26 AUD

Delivery - $40 US = $51.00 AUD

Power converter $140.40 US = $180.00 AUD

Total $305.40 US = $391.26 AUD



Please note currency conversion is based on $0.78 AUD = $1.00 US



Alternatives available in Australia in 240 volt.



Dewalt 443 $344.00 AUD

Fein WPO 12-27E $525.00 AUD

Makita 6040 $540.00 AUD



Based on the above information would the Dewalt be a suitable alternative, or would I need to steep up to the Makita or the Fein to get similar performace to the PC?

Are the Fein and the Makita superior to the PC?

Is the PC the tool of choice in the states due to the $125 price tag(VFM)?

On paper the Dewalt is the VFM polisher in Aus, is it a quality alternative to the PC? A lot of the questions may have been raised already and I apologise, if that is the case.



Everyoneâ€â„¢s feedback will appreciated.
 
I recommend the GMC 515w. It's cheap and does the job. It is more powerful than the PC, though, so keep that in mind when you're using it. I use speed settings of 1-2 for LSP and pure polish, up to 3-4 for swirl/defect removal.
 
Hi,



Go for the PC because you will be able to get the edge 2000 pads with the adapter in Australia with a month or so. I have the Dewalt and although its a great machine i go through so many pads because the backing plate is a bigger size and 6" pads are eaten up.



For that sort of price you may also want to look at a cyclo. There is a member here by the name of WCD that was going to organise one for me and shipping. Great service and the best prices I could find. Give me a pm and Ill send you the details.
 
Mizzuri said:


Go for the PC because you will be able to get the edge 2000 pads with the adapter in Australia with a month or so.

Click to expand...



what are these edge 2000 pads? how do they compare to meg, LC, sonus etc.? They would have to be pretty good to warrant going to the trouble/cost of importing a PC + transformer.
 
The Edge system looks good and convienient, but is it worth the $.....? For me, the Hitachi and a good set of velcro backed pads is hard to beat for price and convieience. I am also not reliant on sending it overseas for warranty claims ( should the unthinkable happen ), I dont need a voltage convertor, its cheaper and I can get pads locally if I want to - but most importantly I have proven its worth!



The PC may be a better unit than my Hitachi, but for all the reasons mentioned above, the Hitachi is streets ahead IMO.



Edge Adaptor ( pic from PAC )



premiumautocare_1830_4171519
 
I have the Dewalt and although its a great machine i go through so many pads because the backing plate is a bigger size and 6" pads are eaten up.
Click to expand...



What brand pads have you been using? How do you find the dewalt apart from that?



6cyl's - What pads do you use on the hitachi?
 
right now I am using a mix of Lake Country pads I bought from the Autopia store and Megs pads I bought locally.



I also have a few pads from Patrick at www.exceldetail.com on the water heading my way - I have heard nothing but good things about Propel pads and Patrick is more than a pleasure to deal with. Looking at the Propel pads, they have a recess for a 5" backing plate - perfect for my Hitachi. Thats why I ended up buying Megs pads, the backing plate was eating into the LC pads I had.



At US$7.50 ( $10 ) a pad for the Propels, its great value compared to paying $30/pad locally for Megs.......
 
6cyls,



I have had trouble with LC pads and the Hitachi with the velcro starting to tear due the adhesion of the Hitachi backing plate. Megs pads are fine as are Edge.



With the PC all the pads I have tried, MEGS, LC and Edge are fine in this regard.





Mike,



Welcome aboard, good to see you posting.



Cheers

Dave.
 
Yeah I have been on and off, but I promise to be more active and fly that Aussie flag! But I have cracked 500 posts - not too shabby!



The problem I had with the LC pads was the "cookie cutting" - I dont think the problem would have been any worse or any better with any machine buffer. It only has 125mm velcro on it and the baciing plate is 125mm - it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that unless you get it perfectly aligned, the backing plate will be on the foam. Pics of what I mean....



13602pad_1-med.jpg




13602pad_2-med.jpg
 
mikeypom:

On the dewalt orbital I have used edge, LC, Meg, 3m pads. 3m is a waffle 6" pad, didnt fall apart but for my uses not the best. LC and meg have both fallen apart with any decent use, both the adhesive in the backing and the foam degrading and falling off in little pieces.



The edge pads lasted the best as their back goes further to the edge of the pad. The dewalt has a larger backing plate that eats away at the pads.



The Dewalt buffer is good, plenty of power for what I need. I only use it for hollowgram removal as a last polishing step after swirl removal with the rotary, normaly with menzerna FP. Sometimes use it for a one step AIO or MEG Speed Glaze.



I like the edge 2000 pads because for more intense work they are made with Durafoam that can handle the pressure of cutting and polishing.



You can use the larger 7 and 8" pads but it really loads down the buffer and doesnt work well with any pressure.



I, with the help of an engineer friend of mine have been trying to develop a way use the Edge 2000 adapter with the Dewalt. I can see it involving removing the existing plate and manufacturing some sort of plate with a connector to the Edge Adapter. I will keep you all informed of the progress.
 
Okay, I finally ordered the PC from Autopia. I do have a question regarding the tranformer required.



On the weekend I tripped over the treadmill's power supply. When I finally recovered from the pain of nearing breaking all of my toes on my left foot, I realised it may be a suitable transformer to run the PC.



The following information is from the CE label.



Atco OGTE160D602-08

Enclosed Isolating Transformer

Input voltage - 240V 50/60Hz

Input Current - 5.2 Amp internally fused

Output Voltage - 120V

Output Current - 10.0 A



On the output side the plug is actually a 3 pin setup, 2 vertical flats and one round. Any advise would be appreciated.
 
Hello, I've been reading & learning a lot from this Web-site. Thankyou to all who contribute to it... (It's almost becoming an addiction.) This is my first post, I'm usually the guy sitting at the back of the class!



Just wanted to let you know that there are many models of RO available here in Oz, through tool shops and hardware chains such as Bunnings.This can help reduce your purchase costs and especially shipping & handling charges. No need for electricity transformers either.



I've checked the specks on many and they all matchup fairly closely to those of the Porter-Cable. They range in price from $96-$120 Aus & upwards. Brands such as Ozito(Bunnings own brand)$96, GMC $125, Hitachi & Makita et al are available. Most have a OPM from 1000-1500 OPM to 3000-4000 OPM or more. It is worthwile checking these out.



I had intended on purchasing the GMC unit. Last Friday I was in my local Bunnings and spotted a yellow coloured RO in a shopping trolley! It was a Dewalt DW443 and had been reduced to $150 (RRP was $329) It was an ex-display item, had no box, no instructions and no dustbag. I bought it and am really happy with this RO.



I used it this weekend on my Dads car and it no longer has any swirls and shines better than when it was brand new! The best part is that my arms don't feel like they're gonna fall out of their sockets. Bonus. I wonder why I waited so long to get one of these? As a well known Oz celebrity often says "do yourself a favour..." and get one.



As for pads, the US is the cheapest route to take. However, if you check some local auto-paint shops you can find Aussie made foam pads at a very competitive price! I purchased 3 "Contour" brand pads for $17.95 each. They had compounding, polishing & finishing pads available in 7"-7.5" sizes with Velcro attachments. so far they have done the job asked of them. I may try some meg's pads in the future, but really are too expensive here at $35+ a pop.



Sorry for the essay, just wanted to let you blokes know there are alternatives / options available to you that may save you some money. I'm sure the same goes for other countries as well. Just need to look around a bit. Happy driving!
 
VFM - Propel Pads hands down.

had a look at those Edge 2000 pads recently, seems like that will be the way to go in the future, dual sided pads, no velcro to cut into the pad, quick change over time... GREAT! ;)
 
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