Griot's G6 vs Meguiars g110v2 vs PCXP

[Bert]

so i want to get another DA polisher....I have the PCXP already and like it. I have the hitachi rotary which works really well

should i try out the griots one or get another PCXP???

Why do you want a second DA polisher? If you think you can afford it, I would go with a Flex. My arsenal is a Makita Rotary, my Flex and my UDM (very similar to the PC). Each one has its own specific place when I polish. In many cases I will have all three out with pads on them to select from when I am at different points in polishing a car.



If I am polishing a large area like a hood, roof, door, etc., I will generally go with the rotary with an 8 inch pad so I can polish a large amount of area faster. When I get to smaller areas, I will switch to my Flex with a six inch pad. When I get to really tight areas where I really need to be careful, I reach for my UDM with a 4 inch pad.

 

[snoboarder8232]

Note that there are two versions of the Griot's 6" RO; one has a longer cord.

HD and non-HD. I just got the base model with the 10' cord. I have extension cords.

 

[Accumulator]

HD and non-HD. I just got the base model with the 10' cord. I have extension cords.

Yeah....I ended up using the same extension cord as usual even *with* the HD model's longer cord!

Why do you want a second DA polisher? If you think you can afford it, I would go with a Flex.

That does come to mind, huh?

 

[Bert]

That does come to mind, huh?

? - I must be missing something.

 

[Ardorius]

I am still trying to pick between G110 or Griots. Correct me if I am wrong, but I am a total newbie, so wouldn't the extra power of Griots may be more than I can 'handle', lol?



I have the XP now, and I don't really like it too much, I have a friend buying it.

 

[Accumulator]

bert31- Sorry, didn't mean to be inscrutable I just meant that whenever somebody already has a polisher and wants another one, the Flex 3401 comes to mind.

I am still trying to pick between G110 or Griots. Correct me if I am wrong, but I am a total newbie, so wouldn't the extra power of Griots may be more than I can 'handle', lol?



I have the XP now, and I don't really like it too much....

Absolutely, positively *NOT*!



If you currently have a PCXP, and want more power, I can't help but wonder if even the Griot's will be enough for you. I'd be considering the Flex 3401.

 

[Woob]

I am still trying to pick between G110 or Griots. Correct me if I am wrong, but I am a total newbie, so wouldn't the extra power of Griots may be more than I can 'handle', lol?



I have the XP now, and I don't really like it too much, I have a friend buying it.

Doubted, both are not as strong as the Flex in general. Some might say the Griots has a huge amount of raw power, enough to match the Flex. However the fact is the G110v2/Griots are NOT Forced driven like the Flex.



If you are brand new to polishing any orbital may seem too strong to try, but like your first experience with an electric toothbrush once you get use to an orbital its quite fun/easy to use.

 

[Accumulator]

.. Some might say the Griots has a huge amount of raw power, enough to match the Flex...

Heh heh, the only people I can imagine saying *that* are vendors and armchair experts who've never actually used the thing

If you are brand new to polishing any orbital may seem too strong to try, but like your first experience with an electric toothbrush once you get use to an orbital its quite fun/easy to use.

Hey, that's a good way to express it! Though I wouldn't go so far as to call it "fun" :grinno:

 

[John_K]

This is a great thread... Thanks to the OP that made it.



Another question or two from a newb to this: Why upgrade to the Flex? Does it just have so much more power that it can be used on even the most difficult swirls? Is it a D/A buffer as well?



Also, why is power important, because wouldn't too much power cause burns / buffer marks?

 

[Accumulator]

Another question or two from a newb to this: Why upgrade to the Flex? Does it just have so much more power that it can be used on even the most difficult swirls? Is it a D/A buffer as well?



Also, why is power important, because wouldn't too much power cause burns / buffer marks?

IMO it's a matter of using the correct tool for the job. The "weaker" of these machines weren't designed to polish autopaint; they were designed as finish sanders (primarily for woodworking), which is a completely different situation. The more powerful machines that recently became commonly available were designed for detailing and are simply better suited to that task.



More power (or, in the case of the Flex 3401, power being applied to both the rotation and the orbital motion) makes it a lot easier to get the work done in a timely manner. Make that "in a remotely timely manner" or even a "feasibly timely manner".



With a very gentle approach (e.g., PC/6" pads), it's not uncommon to spend many hours correcting fairly mild marring on hard clear (BTDT), and by "many hours" I don't mean just three or four. How many hours of work do you really want to spend on *one* door?



A more powerful machine can also help break down a product's abrasives in a thorough/proper manner (it's not uncommon for very gentle machines to have issues on very fragile paints because the initial bite of a product can leave "pigtail" scratches which don't come out as the abrasive breaks down), actually making said (more powerful) machine *safer* or at least more likely to give good results.



Yeah, it's possible to burn/damage paint with any polisher, even a (pre-XP) PC. And even the most experienced expert, using the most gentle machine, can have an "oops!". But "possible" and "can" are a LOOONG way from "likely". IMO all these polishers are perfectly safe in the hands of anybody with a modicum of common sense who's willing/able to develop a decent knowledge base, apply some thought, and keep focused on the task at hand. That's not to say that a better knowledge base, above-average sense, and experience aren't beneficial But if somebody is, uhm.... the sort of person in whose hands any of these polishers is likely to cause problems, then that person has issues far beyond the scope of this thread.



Study the subject before you do anything, consider what you're about to do (how and why), stay focused/pay attention, and deal with anything unexpected right away, and there shouldn't be any problems.

 

[John_K]

Thanks for the explanation. Would the time saved by going straight for a Flex be worth the difference in price? I mean, are we talking 3 or 4 hours saved on a job by going with the Flex over Griots? It sounds like for sure the Griots is the superior piece of equipment based on the entry level power comparisons. So for me it is either Griots or this.

 

[Accumulator]

Thanks for the explanation. Would the time saved by going straight for a Flex be worth the difference in price? I mean, are we talking 3 or 4 hours saved on a job by going with the Flex over Griots? It sounds like for sure the Griots is the superior piece of equipment based on the entry level power comparisons. So for me it is either Griots or this.

IMO it'd probably depend on two things- 1) the hardness of the paint you'll normally be working on (Audi/VW/GM, get the Flex) and 2) how often you'd feel the need to use 4" pads (the Flex only uses pads ~6" and larger).



Noting that I've hardly used my Griot's at all, and only for waxing so far....yeah, I can easily imagine the Flex saving at least 3-4 hours over the Griot's. I can even imagine it being the difference between getting a job done at all or not.



I could easily live without the Griot's, doubt I'd miss it much at all (I've had it since Christmas and all I've done with it is one wax application/buff-off). But I'd simply *hate* to be without the Flex; I'd be back to doing a lot of my correction by rotary in its absence. I can't remember what the Flex cost, but it was absolutely worth it to me (says the guy with *eight* other polishers).

 

[Bert]

bert31- Sorry, didn't mean to be inscrutable I just meant that whenever somebody already has a polisher and wants another one, the Flex 3401 comes to mind.

Gotcha and agree completely.

 

[John_K]

IMO it'd probably depend on two things- 1) the hardness of the paint you'll normally be working on (Audi/VW/GM, get the Flex) and 2) how often you'd feel the need to use 4" pads (the Flex only uses pads ~6" and larger).



Noting that I've hardly used my Griot's at all, and only for waxing so far....yeah, I can easily imagine the Flex saving at least 3-4 hours over the Griot's. I can even imagine it being the difference between getting a job done at all or not.



I could easily live without the Griot's, doubt I'd miss it much at all (I've had it since Christmas and all I've done with it is one wax application/buff-off). But I'd simply *hate* to be without the Flex; I'd be back to doing a lot of my correction by rotary in its absence. I can't remember what the Flex cost, but it was absolutely worth it to me (says the guy with *eight* other polishers).

Thanks again for the fast response, I'll be sure to save up for a Flex starter Kit! I found one on Autogeek with a bag and 3 pads for $330.



I know I can make a lot more in my detailing business if I offer swirl removal, and I also know that the quality of my waxes will go up with a buffer too!! So to me, this is definitely an important purchase. I want to do it right the first time.

 

[Bert]

Another question or two from a newb to this: Why upgrade to the Flex? Does it just have so much more power that it can be used on even the most difficult swirls?

One of the biggest reasons for me to get a Flex (besides the fact that I was able to get a used one so cheap) was the ability to adequately correct paint using 6 or 6.5 inch pads. If you read many of the threads on here, many posters (Accumulator especially) will state that to get real correction with a PC/PCXP/UDM/G110/Griots is to use 4 inch pads due to the limited power of those machines. When you are using a four inch pad, you are not covering alot of area while polishing and that can make correcting paint a really slow process.



The Flex has more than enough power to handle 6 or 6.5 inch pads so with using a larger pad, the Flex having forced rotation, and the Flex having faster orbits, you will get the job done much quicker.



I like using large pads so much I will often take care of a hood, roof, trunk, door or other very large/flat panel with an 8 inch pad on my rotary. 8 inch pads do not work to well on a Flex due to the counter weight designed for 6 inch pads.

Is it a D/A buffer as well?

The Flex is a Dual Action polisher. It both orbits and rotates unlike a rotary which only rotates.

 

[John_K]

^^



You know, this is kind of embarrassing to admit, but when I was a neophyte about a year ago, I bought an orbital buffer from Autozone (10 inches) for about $45 and used the "pad cover" on my car... Never again.

 

[jose206]

I have owned the flex 3401, and the pcxp, in the end I am more than satisfied with my griots polisher (the new model, never tried the old one). I feel there's no need to spend that much money on the flex when you can get great results at rather quick speeds using the right pad and product on the griots polisher. Great price, outstanding results/quality/warranty. I vote griots, read accumulators posts and your set for the most part I would say when it comes to pain correction.

 

[Woob]

Heh heh, the only people I can imagine saying *that* are vendors and armchair experts who've never actually used the thing







Hey, that's a good way to express it! Though I wouldn't go so far as to call it "fun" :grinno:

That hurts Accumulator :sadwavey:, but I understand where you are coming from. I'm just conveying some views of the newer Griots polisher I've heard. It seems everyone is pushing for the Flex, however how does a new user to polishing get use to such a powerful machine?



All polishes & polishers aside, user knowledge & skill is so much more important.

 

[Accumulator]

That hurts Accumulator :sadwavey:, but I understand where you are coming from...

Oh jeeze...sorry I put it that way Every time I give in to the urge to be a smart-@$$ I seem to end up offending somebody, which is never my intention.



Please accept my apology, I never intended for anyone here to take my comment personally and I sure didn't mean it as a slam towards you.



I just get frustrated by all the "I bought a PC/6.5" combo and it doesn't fix anything!" posts.

I'm just conveying some views of the newer Griots polisher I've heard...

The same opinions are what prompted me to get the Griot's (as a Christmas gift, I wasn't about to spend my own money on it ). People had said how it doesn't bog, it's sooo much more powerful, etc. etc. Imagine my surprise when I had to be careful not to bog it down when just applying 845! Yeah, it *is* a lot better in this regard than either of my PCs, but it'll still merely "jiggle" if I don't watch the applied pressure (which sure wasn't much when just applying/buffing off 845).

It seems everyone is pushing for the Flex, however how does a new user to polishing get use to such a powerful machine?

I might be in the minority here, but I don't find the Flex all that powerful. Yeah, it has a bit of "recoil" and you have to put a little muscle behind it or it can "wander" on you. But it's not any big deal *IMO*.



BUT, note that I didn't find the rotary all that big a deal either; first time I ever used on on B/C (and the first time I'd touched on in over 20 years) I just took it out of the box and did my beloved S8, no problems other than some light holgrams.



I just don't see car polishers as being all that big a challenge :nixweiss Yeah, doing a black car hologram-free via rotary is a huge challenge, one I can't meet, but D/A and R/O type polishers always seem easy enough to me, other than getting sufficiently aggressive correction out of 'em.

All polishes & polishers aside, user knowledge & skill is so much more important.

Yeah, no doubt :xyxthumbs



But as I keep saying, *IMO* unless you're doing something that's *really* challenging for some reason, or something that's borderline risky (or worse), or aiming for absolute perfection, it shouldn't be a big deal. Those people I've lent my polisher(s) to, who do fine with zero experience/training/etc. probably don't know *nearly* as much about this stuff as anybody who's lurked here for a little while.

 

[Junebug]

Hey thanks for the review on the Griots, the "specs" look awsome, but real world experience is more important. I'm holding out for a Makita BO6040.