Funny how your preferences change - PC vs. Cyclo

JasonD

JasonD

New member
Until today, my machine of preference has been the PC. My first attempts with both the rotary and the cyclo were not good ones, and blamed both negative experiences on poor quality pads and/or poor pad choice. I haven't purchased new rotary pads yet, but I have recently purchased a few new Cyclo pads (LC) and wow what a difference these made. The Cyclo is so much more powerful than the PC, it's really like night and day. It's a bit cumbersome at first, but once you get the hang of it, it really isn't that bad at all.



Today was detail day for me and a few friends, so I decided to give the Cyclo a try with the new pads. My brother's white 98' Cobra was the first up, and it isn't really in bad shape at all so my polish of choice was #80, but I had a little bit of marring to knock out so I decided to use the yellow cutting pads for some extra bite.



I don't really know what went wrong when I originally tried out the Cyclo, but this time it was so easy it was ridiculous. I just kind of held the handle with one hand and let the machine just glide across the surface and I could literally watch the swirls and scratches disappear. Some areas were harder than others and all I had to do was apply a little more pressure with my right hand on the top handle, done deal. Just like the PC, I just took my time and moved very slowly, letting the machine and polish do their job and it was so easy that I was having a conversation at the same time without even thinking about what I was doing with the Cyclo.......try that with a rotary!:nono



About halfway through the detail, the pads got a little loaded so I took them off, hosed them out, dried them as best as I could, and then put them back on for the rest of the detail.



After finishing with #80, the next step was VM and I decided to do this with the PC thinking I could get it done a little faster. Going from the Cyclo to the PC was like going from a freight train to a go kart, it's that much of a difference. The PC bogs with even the slightest pressure and you have to move the PC around probably twice as much as the bigger Cyclo, which covers a lot more surface area.



Bottom line, I am amazed at the ease of use and quality of the results that the Cyclo produces and am extremely glad I gave it a second chance with some better pads. I still love the PC, but will probably keep it for the last few steps of the detail and start using the Cyclo for all of the polishing duties.



Now all that's left to conqueor is the rotary! :xyxthumbs



By the way, I finished up this detail with Ex-P+ applied via PC, and it was amazing. Top notch products and tools make all the difference! :D
 
I still need to get me a Cyclo. I need to replace my car's a/c compressor first though. :(



Thanks for the update. I too found the Cyclo a real joy to use once I got the hang of it, too bad it wasn't mine and I had to send it along to the owner.



I'll have to try the LC pads when I get a Cyclo.
 
Jason, how much faster do you think a Cyclo is compared to a PC?



Does it leave a better finish (burnish)?
 
Alfisti said:
Jason, how much faster do you think a Cyclo is compared to a PC?



Does it leave a better finish (burnish)?
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Believe it or not, this is actually a hard question to answer because there a lot more factors that played into my *preference* change than just speed. Actual time from start to finish was probably the same for the full polishing procedure, but it's *how* it gets you there that makes a difference. The PC seems to want to be all over the place vs. the Cyclo that follows a nice straight line. The weight, size, and power of the Cyclo also have a lot to do with this since it does all the work for you, instead of having to constantly fight the PC or having to move at a snail's pace to get anything done. I also find that the Cyclo keeps the product workable longer since the actual movement of the pads is somewhat slower, yet with a longer stroke so the product doesn't flash anywhere near as fast and allows you to work for longer periods of time, thus giving you better end results.



Like I said, the Cyclo isn't going to replace my PC but it's definitely a tool that will have a permanent place in my arsenal.
 
To be honest, I would consider the PC and Cyclo the same in terms of paint correction, I would say the Cyclo does a slightly better job but not by much. However, where the Cyclo excells is it is much smoother to use, with no vibration to speak of, and it is such a nice weight and balance, its a real pleasure to use. I find that I can bog the Cyclo down just as easy as I can bog down the PC unfortunately though.
 
I did not want to read this.....more $$$$ down the detailing drain lol.



Movie tickets and popcorn for you and a date $35



Being able to have one hand on a buffer and casually carry on with a conversation...Priceless :)
 
Axe said:
I find that I can bog the Cyclo down just as easy as I can bog down the PC unfortunately though.
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I am surprised to hear that. I am afraid to put that much pressure on mine. I wonder if yours needs some work. In my experience the Cyclo will not bog down short of laying down across it.:xyxthumbs
 
I've never had troubles with the PC bogging down much at all either. Sometimes it gets warm, so I ease up on it a little more. Seems to work the same either way.



Now for the big question, who wants to send me their Cyclo to test out?
 
Buick_guy1 said:
I've never had troubles with the PC bogging down much at all either. Sometimes it gets warm, so I ease up on it a little more. Seems to work the same either way.



Now for the big question, who wants to send me their Cyclo to test out?
Click to expand...



It's bogging, you just don't know it. It still *looks* like it is spinning. Place a mark on your BP with a grease pencil or some other marker, white works best. That way you can see when the PC boggs down and stops spinning. Trust me if at any time the machine is pressed on or gets out of balance, it is not spinng, just vibrating in palce.



Axe, I wonder if your cyclo is defective too. I can bogg my cyclo, but only if I REALLY stand on it. I also feel that it does much more defect removal compared to the PC. It is no rotary, but IMO has more "umph" than the PC. :nixweiss
 
Much less than $300. $249 is the min. selling price without pads, but there is some good competition out there these days for packages. Many are offering free shipping, or discounts that make up for the shipping.



Rob
 
Well that is interesting about the bogging down, I wonder if it is because I have to go through a 110V transformer and it's not getting quite as much juice as perhaps you guys in the states get from your mains?



Regardless, yes I can definatly bog down the Cyclo, almost as easy as the PC. With maybe 8 - 10 lbs of pressure something like that, it is still rotating but much slower, maybe a third slower.
 
Axe- Yeah, IMO the transformer is doing something to compromise the Cyclo. I use it and the PC back-to-back (two of each) all the time and there is truly no comparison between the machines when it come to bogging down. The only way the PC can even *remotely* approch the Cyclo is to fit the PC with a 4" pad.



Maybe you oughta consider swapping your Cylco for one with Euro-voltage.
 
I have a Cyclo with 220V and it's strong as a bull. It wont bogg down if it's working properly.

I love the Cyclo and see no need to get a PC(i would have to convert it to 220v).

I have an orbital polisher that's ok for LSP, but the cyclo is so much faster at removing swirls and scratches. Easy to use also.
 
Mark77 said:
I have a Cyclo with 220V and it's strong as a bull. It wont bogg down if it's working properly.
Click to expand...



Thanks for posting that. I wanted to see something from somebody who uses the 220V model.



Axe- you gotta get one with the proper voltage; you won't believe the difference.
 
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