Just got my PC 7424XP! (pics and short video included)

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Driven Auto Detail

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Hey guys! I placed my order for the PC 7424xp last Friday from DetailedImage.com and it arrived via FedEx truck today. I have to give George at DI two big thumbs up for his great service and fast delivery!



Anyway, I snapped a few pics and a couple short video's with my Blackberry Bold for you all to see. Sorry, my standard camera kicked the bucket recently so it's the best I can do for right now.



Since the new PC arrived in the late afternoon, I wasn't able to test it on a car just yet. But, I still took 10-15 minutes to test it out by itself and against the old PC. Here's are my initial impressions:



Weight: I don't remember the weight specs of the old PC, but I'm pretty sure the new PC is slightly heavier (5.5 lbs.). That said, it wasn't very noticeable. I really had to concentrate hard with a machine in each hand to notice the difference.

Ergonomics: The new PC feels great. The switch feels and works great and the speed dial is now in a place that is easily viewable when working.

Build Quality: The black plastic covered that rattled like crazy on the old PC is no longer an issue. All plastic covers are securely fastened. It's a very solid feeling machine.

Power & Vibrations: As everyone already knows, power has been increased on the new PC (from the 3.7 amp motor on the original to a new 4.5 amp motor). Compared to the old PC, the new PC is noticeably more powerful. It not only sounds more powerful, but it also feels more powerful. However, that power isn't felt through vibration. Vibrations are actually down considerably. More power with less vibrations! Sounds like a winning combination to me.



So those are my initial thoughts on the new PC. I have cars lined up everyday this week so next week I'll report back with some more thoughts on the machine.



Here are some pics (note: I have different backing plates installed so disregard those):



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And here are a couple short video's comparing the sound of the old PC on speed 6 to the new PC on speed 6. Unfortunately though, my phone buffered the sound a few seconds into it, but you can still hear the difference.



Original PC:

YouTube - PC 7424



New PC:

YouTube - PC 7424XP





Thanks for looking/reading. I'll try to answer any questions that I can regarding the two machines. :2thumbs:
 
Have you used a flex? Im pretty sure it is less powerful than flex by a good bit but interested in hearing your feedback..also how is the power compared to the G110?
 
Ah, that's what I forgot to mention.



I have owned the following machines:



1 - PC 7424 - still have it.

2 - Cyclo - sold it because I didn't care for the odd shape.

3 - Makita rotary - still have it.

4 - Metabo rotary - sold it because I didn't care for the ergonomics.

5 - Flex DA - sold it because I'd rather just use a rotary.

6 - Flex rotary - still have it.

7 - UDM - died less than a year after I bought it so it went in the trash.

8 - PC 7424XP - just got it.



I'm sure the new PC is less powerful than the Flex DA since it doesn't have a direct drive, but it's also less cumbersome of a machine and about $100 (or more?) cheaper.



As far as comparing it the G110, I believe the new PC is slightly more powerful, weighs exactly the same, but has a 3-yr. warranty vs. the G110's 1-yr. warranty.



If I had to recommend a DA to someone right now, it'd definitely be the 7424xp due to cost, usability (smaller machine than Flex), and warranty. For me personally, if I'm going to do heavy paint correction, I'm going to use a rotary. If I just need light correction (say for doing a 1-step), I'll use the PC. Especially now that it has more power, I think the 7424xp will suite the weekend warrior just fine.
 
Sounds like a winner with the KB method.



I might wait a little longer until people get back on actual use.



The added power is always good new though.
 
Very nice review mshu, thanks.



TSC17 said:
Thanks for the info Mike. I'm hoping to do some comparisons this weekend myself...
Click to expand...



Looking forward to your input on it. If it vibrates less than my G110, I would definitely look into it.
 
Still waiting on mine. Pretty excited about it since I have been without a DA for about three months now. Went the route of the UDM and kind of got burnt. I went through three of them in 1 and a half years.



To all of those that keep chiming in about the Flex. I too had a Flex and sold it. The FLex DA is a great machine and when it comes to correction it by far is the hands down winner for DA's. But I use a rotary for 90% of my work. The PC is going to be for tight areas due to the fact it can use smaller pads and can get in smaller areas. Also there are times when I just dont feel like having the stress of the rotary in certain areas. On some of the more expensive vehicles the DA is a great thing to have.



Mike how is the shop coming along. I have relatives in Brownsburg and have thought about stopping by when I am out that way. I am here in Fishers.
 
Ivan - No problem. By the way, I love your website!



fergnation - Shop life is GREAT! Thanks for asking. I don't know how the mobile guys do it (even though I did it for a year and a half). Working indoors is just a night and day difference for all aspects of detailing.



As far as cosmetics and stuff like that, I'm not doing much to the shop right now. I'm keeping a tight grip on my budget. As far as business is concerned, I couldn't be happier. Just last week I started training my first employee(although, I'm just working him part time for now). I've not only been working every day but I've also been working most evenings as well. All that "technician" work doesn't allow much time for "business owner" work so I'm hoping that having an extra set of hands around the shop will help.



Anyway, if you get out here to Brownsburg, please stop by. I always like to meet fellow Autopians! It's probably best to give me a call first because sometimes I have step out to run a quick errand or pick-up/deliver a car.
 
No problem SuperBee!



A little quick report...



I used the new 7424XP last night to apply Poli-Seal to a Toyota Prius. Customer wasn't paying for paint correction so PS was just used more as a paint-cleaner before OS was to be applied. Anyway, I went about applying PS with a green (light polishing) LC 5.5" low profile pad. I always like using the low profile pads with the pc b/c they provide a little more power vs. traditional 6.5" pads. Anyway, the new PC feels taller than the original. And despite what I felt just turning the buffer on by itself (w/no pad) when I first took it out of the box, there is more vibration on speed 6 than with the original PC which makes handling it a little more difficult. Makes sense though since it's much more powerful. I'm going to be doing some light polishing on a black Lincoln Mark LT (F150 re-badge) tomorrow. My plan is to use the new PC, a Meg's yellow polishing pad (6.5") and some Optimum Polish II. I want to see how a standard pad feels on the new machine and also see how much more corrective capabilities it has compared to the original machine.



Anyway, so that's the latest as well as the next plan. I'll report back when I have more info tomorrow.
 
I used mine today for the first time and it like you said Mike it has more vibes at speed 6. I was using M86 for a one step polishing on a jetta. First time I used M86 and I did not have time to do a side by side with the OG 7424.



It is easier to hold the new PC and you can feel the increase in power.
 
Ok, so I gave my new PC 7424xp a little work out today. Just want to show what the upgrade in power can do on some heavily swirled Ford paint. The victim was a 2008 Lincoln Mark LT (aka - rebadged F150) that belonged to my landlord. This was the first time I had worked on this truck. Since he uses this truck as a truck, I was just doing a 1-step polish. Along with the new PC, I used Optimum Polish II on a yellow Meguiar's polishing pad. All polishing was done on speed 6.



Here's how the new PC performed:



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Some more thoughts after today's polishing session with the new PC:



- Definitely more vibrations with the new PC.

- Definitely more power with the new PC.

- People that use the "Kevin Brown Method" for paint correction will LOVE this new machine.

- I still prefer the original PC for applying waxes and sealants since it's a little smaller of a machine.

- Up until now, I would never use the PC for any kind of paint correction. I'd just break out the rotary. With the new PC, I can do considerable paint correction in a single step w/o going back over the paint with the original PC to make sure I didn't leave any buffer trails. I'll still use the rotary for mutli-step paint correction jobs though.



All in all I'm extremely happy with the new PC. Having used the original PC, the Cyclo, the UDM, & the Flex DA, I can say hands down this machine is the best out of all of them. For the money, I don't think this machine can be beat!
 
thanks for the feedback mike, hope all is well... :)



also... if would of used an orange pad and #105, i'm sure the results would of been even better!
 
Man, that is some serious correction and nice finish for a one step. *Very* nicely done. The owner is going to be thrilled. Looks like the Optimum Polish II is capable of finishing down pretty nice, huh?



Hmm... OPII is looking pretty darn tempting about now.
 
Superbee -



Thank you! As you pointed out, I think OP II deserves part of the credit as well. I have been able to use OP II on a couple of vehicles and I'm amazed at how well it cuts. Plus, it still retains it's zero-dusting attributes. Work time is a shorter, which I actually prefer, so it seems to not only cut better but cut faster as well. You should definitely try it, even if you are/were not a fan of the original OP.
 
BigAl3 said:
thanks for the feedback mike, hope all is well... :)



also... if would of used an orange pad and #105, i'm sure the results would of been even better!
Click to expand...



Thanks Al! Hope all is well with you as well!



I'm probably going to flamed for this, but I'm not a fan of orange cutting pads or #105. :bolt



I've always felt like orange pads are too stiff. If I need serious cut, I just bust out my LC PFW pads on the rotary. Maybe I should try the 5.5" low-profile orange pads? As far as #105 is concerned, I think it cuts great but I hate how finicky it is. Instead, I prefer #95. It has the same cut but is much more user-friendly. Plus, it's MUCH cheaper! Although, it's not really a DA product like #105 is these days.
 
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