I think if the DeWalt had a handle like the Hitachi or Makita it would feel alot better to me. I might try to make or retrofit one and see. Yes it is quieter and that is good and you cant beat the warranty Hitachi gives. I might just order another and see if it reacts the same with the trigger.
Hitachi SP18VA 7" Rotary Polisher
- Thread starter chml17l
- Start date
SpoiledMan
New member
If you're having a trigger issue, I'd call them up and see if you can resolve it that way. I would think that they would warranty if for such an issue.
For me, the weight of the Dewalt becomes an issue when working on side panels. I get tired of holding it and my results suffer. A bail style handle would be beneficial with the Dewalt when working horizontal panels though. *I* feel more in control with the bail handle than the side handle. I have never been comfortable with holding the head of the rotary.
For me, the weight of the Dewalt becomes an issue when working on side panels. I get tired of holding it and my results suffer. A bail style handle would be beneficial with the Dewalt when working horizontal panels though. *I* feel more in control with the bail handle than the side handle. I have never been comfortable with holding the head of the rotary.
GTScott
New member
gmblack3a said:
Thanks to GM, I did as well. I can't wait 4-5 business days!
-GT
Thanks for the link guys, I was looking over the forums.. saw it on eBay for 134.00 (119.00 + 15.00 S&H/Insurance) and thought it was an ok deal.. but thanks to you guys I got it from Coastal for 107.50 (99.99 + 8.50 S&H). Thanks again :xyxthumbs I can't wait to get started :woohoo:
gmblack3a said:
I was too, and now they have a speed label on them:
One of the things I noticed reading about the SP18VA was the lack of speed settings on the machine. Not that I thought I'd have a problem remembering, other thought it was an inconvenience. Obviously Hitachi heard everyone’s concerns and answered with the addition of the sticker. :goodjob
$108 Shipped!!Just took delivery of my $100.00 Hitachi from Coastal. I wanted it to help in removal of red rubbing compound induced scratches on a white, ten year old car that has never been polished.
I was turned onto Malco Tru-Grit cutting cream by a local paint shop. I saw that it could remove the scratches by hand, but decided to buy a machine to handle it. After reading this forum for a while, I decided to skip to the circular instead of the DA. With much trepidation, I loaded the polish onto a wool pad and had at it. I followed the technique used with the PC/DA at PaintCare-n-Detailing. That was a big help, but I'd love to see the same procedure done with a rotary.
I got 90% of the scratches removed, and that was fine with me. Used Malco Plum Crazy Hand Glaze on a Wizards Foam Finish Gray Pad. That went swimmingly. Both products were applied at 600RPM, and broken down at about 1,200RPM.
Used Wizards Supreme Seal for sealer.
What things went wrong during this new adventure? Well, I set the polisher down on the floor using the loop handle to keep the pad off the dirt. I kicked it over and got dirt on one edge. Decided to rinse the edge in warm water, then, genius that I am, I put it back on the polisher to spin dry. Might have been a good idea, but I didn't have it tight, because I wanted to center it better. When I goosed the trigger, it spun water all over the place, then whipped the pad onto the floor "jelly side down".
I took the whole thing and rinsed it completely clean with warm water. Did the spin it dry trick again, complete with water spray all over the place. Then, started on the hood. From then on, it didn't work the same. Even though I had a good amount of compound on it, she would start to jump and skip as the compound was breaking down. I limped through the rest of the hood, but wasn't too happy with that last performance. Ended up using about 4 ounces of Tru-Grit just for the trunk and hood, and most of that was to get the hood done. I'm pretty sure the damp pad was the culprit.
Anyway, my first attempt wasn't too bad. I know now to put on an apron, and not to drop the pad on the floor at all costs! Any suggestions at this point would be appreciated, and I appreciate all the current posts and replies on the subject as well. :bigups
I was turned onto Malco Tru-Grit cutting cream by a local paint shop. I saw that it could remove the scratches by hand, but decided to buy a machine to handle it. After reading this forum for a while, I decided to skip to the circular instead of the DA. With much trepidation, I loaded the polish onto a wool pad and had at it. I followed the technique used with the PC/DA at PaintCare-n-Detailing. That was a big help, but I'd love to see the same procedure done with a rotary.
I got 90% of the scratches removed, and that was fine with me. Used Malco Plum Crazy Hand Glaze on a Wizards Foam Finish Gray Pad. That went swimmingly. Both products were applied at 600RPM, and broken down at about 1,200RPM.
Used Wizards Supreme Seal for sealer.
What things went wrong during this new adventure? Well, I set the polisher down on the floor using the loop handle to keep the pad off the dirt. I kicked it over and got dirt on one edge. Decided to rinse the edge in warm water, then, genius that I am, I put it back on the polisher to spin dry. Might have been a good idea, but I didn't have it tight, because I wanted to center it better. When I goosed the trigger, it spun water all over the place, then whipped the pad onto the floor "jelly side down".
I took the whole thing and rinsed it completely clean with warm water. Did the spin it dry trick again, complete with water spray all over the place. Then, started on the hood. From then on, it didn't work the same. Even though I had a good amount of compound on it, she would start to jump and skip as the compound was breaking down. I limped through the rest of the hood, but wasn't too happy with that last performance. Ended up using about 4 ounces of Tru-Grit just for the trunk and hood, and most of that was to get the hood done. I'm pretty sure the damp pad was the culprit.
Anyway, my first attempt wasn't too bad. I know now to put on an apron, and not to drop the pad on the floor at all costs! Any suggestions at this point would be appreciated, and I appreciate all the current posts and replies on the subject as well. :bigups
I ordered the kit from autogeek with the backing plate.
BFPK-300 Kit With 6" Rotary Plate (Lake Country 7.5" Curved edge pads)
ITEMS IN THIS KIT:
1 Orange Pad
1 Yellow Pad
1 White Pad
1 Black Pad
1 Blue Final Finishing
2 Microfiber Towels
1 Snappy Clean Packet
1 6" Rotary Backing Plate LC-43-160
Availability: Usually ships the same business day
BFPK-300-CIRSuggested Retail Price $93.65Our Price $74.99
----And used "autopia" coupon too for an extra 10% off....
BFPK-300 Kit With 6" Rotary Plate (Lake Country 7.5" Curved edge pads)
ITEMS IN THIS KIT:
1 Orange Pad
1 Yellow Pad
1 White Pad
1 Black Pad
1 Blue Final Finishing
2 Microfiber Towels
1 Snappy Clean Packet
1 6" Rotary Backing Plate LC-43-160
Availability: Usually ships the same business day
BFPK-300-CIRSuggested Retail Price $93.65Our Price $74.99
----And used "autopia" coupon too for an extra 10% off....
imported_95legend
New member
I finally bought the Hitachi and Lake Country pad just now. Finally moving away from the PC.
The PC was great, but it took forever to get swirls and defects out that by the time I was done with applying my polish, the sun was up and the paint got too hot to apply any wax. I dont have a canopy big enough, nor have the space to set one up. I'm hoping this rotary will speed up the process a bit.
It's going to be the first time I use a rotary, but of course, I'm going to try it on a junky car first
The PC was great, but it took forever to get swirls and defects out that by the time I was done with applying my polish, the sun was up and the paint got too hot to apply any wax. I dont have a canopy big enough, nor have the space to set one up. I'm hoping this rotary will speed up the process a bit.
It's going to be the first time I use a rotary, but of course, I'm going to try it on a junky car first