Just used my new Makita rotary today on my dad's 2005 Escape and had some issues with it. Well, not really with IT, but the polish I used. I tried M105 for the first time on an orange LC CCS smart pad and the compound kept caking up on me. I tried using a greater and lesser amount, still caking, which would lead to chattering. I think it may have been that I spread the polish too thin, causing it to dry on the paint before I was able to hit it with the buffer, but if I didn't, it would sling like mad. I switched to SSR 2.5 and it worked like a charm. I tried another pad too, with and without spritzing it with a quick detailer (S&G) before starting. Anyone have any ideas of what I may have been doing wrong?
Especially if you are learning to use the rotary, I don't care for the orange LC pad. The older ones were a little softer and wouldn't hop, but the recent versions are a little stiffer and have a tendency to hop a bit. The foam being a little bit stiffer, when the pad isn't totally flat, will try to "bite" into the surface. This is exaggerated by the fact that you still haven't got the "feel" for the rotary and you usually "force" it around, instead of guiding it. A PFW is MUCH easier to use. It helps ease the learning curve with the rotary, does some good correction and leaves a pretty good finish. It will "flow" over the paint much easier.
Now to the 105. It sounds like you are trying to spread it like a conventional polish/compound. 105 doesn't work that way. It flashes too quickly. I don't know if you have the newer or older version. I use and love the older (original) version. The new version has a longer working time, because people were complaining that it flashed too quickly. But it also has a little less cut. Anyways....work on small sections at a time.
Make sure your pad is clean. Don't prime it with a QD or water. Lay down a bead on the paint. Set your rotary to your desired rpm (I use 1500 - speed 3) and "hit the ground running" so to speak. Pick the bead up and start working immediately. Don't try to spread it. It doesn't work that way. With the original version, it literally takes me 8-12 seconds to do a polishing cycle or pass, depending on what you call it. Also, 105 doesn't leave a "film" behind. Conventional polishes go "clear or opaque", but you can still see them on the surface. When used correctly, 105 doesn't. It literally looks like you don't have anything to wipe off.
Luckily for me, I "got it" with 105 the first time I used it. I personally think it is the greatest compound/polish made right now. Others have a little more difficult time getting the hang of it, but even if it takes you a little bit, I think it is worth it. It is a great product that is extremely versatile.
Another thing that I just noticed. If you corrected them with SSR2.5, you could easily do it with 105 on a white LC pad. I have actually replaced my "medium" polish with this combo. The white pad is a lot more forgiving, so you shouldn't have any hop issues. 105 on an orange pad is going to remove quite a bit of paint rather quickly, so try a less aggressive method before stepping up to the orange or PFW.
Nothing against the SSRs, as they are great polishes that are very user friendly, but they (and other conventional polishes) can't finish in under 20 seconds. You have to break them down properly and that takes time. I'm all about achieving the same final product in less time. Work smarter not harder.
Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
