looking to buy a machine polisher which one?

N

nick the swede

New member
I'm wanting to start using a machine polisher to remove swirls and other imperfections in my paint. I will mostly be using it on my Volvo C70 but will also be doing my Fathers 08' Corvette and Moms 03' Expedition.



I've been looking at both the Flex and the Porter Cable. Which one do you recommend for the cars I'm looking to detail? Also what kind of polishes and compounds should I be looking at?
 
I agree with the above statements. You might want the Flex later on.

I was given the G110 as a Christmas present and am looking forward to seeing if the the extra power speeds things up!



If you cant make up your mind, you could always go for the G110. Its a bit more powerful than the PC, but not on the level of the Flex.
 
Nick the Swede- Welcome to Autopia!



One more vote for the Flex (I also have PCs, Cyclos, and rotaries and IMO the Flex 3401 is the hands-down choice). I'd lean towards Meguiar's 105 (for aggressive work) and 1Z polishes (for the less-aggressive work) though.
 
nick the swede said:
I'm wanting to start using a machine polisher to remove swirls and other imperfections in my paint. I will mostly be using it on my Volvo C70 but will also be doing my Fathers 08' Corvette and Moms 03' Expedition.



I've been looking at both the Flex and the Porter Cable. Which one do you recommend for the cars I'm looking to detail? Also what kind of polishes and compounds should I be looking at?
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My only recommendation is to think about what it is you want to do.



I dont know your level of experience with paint correction, but a lot of the pros and people who know say that you can get in trouble real quick if you dont know what you are doing and are not careful with the rotaries. The DA's like the PC's are almost fool proof to burn through the clearcoat and do major damage.



If you are going to be a recreational detailer and just do friends and family cars, I personally would recommend the PC 7424, or UDM or along those lines.



Just my opinion and yes opinions do vary. You asked for recommendations and that is mine
 
The PC is a POS in my opinion. The thing shakes like crazy, and it's weak. Either step up to the plate and get a cyclo or flex. You should also consider a rotary polisher, they cut a little more aggressively, and they're very easy to use. A lot of people on this board are scared stiff of a rotary polisher, but they're not really very hard to use, polish a few cars and you'll have it down.





John
 
nick the swede said:
Do I really need all the power from the Flex? Is Volvo paint hard?
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I don't know about Volvo paint being hard but Corvette Paint tends to very very hard.



I guess the questions you need answering are:



1) How much are you willing to spend? A PC and G110 are about $130 - 150. A Flex is about $270 - 290.



2) How badly swirled are these cars. The worse they are the longer the task will take you. If they are really bad, a PC will work but wow, that would be a long job.



Your answers to these questions will direct you to which machine to buy.





A question for those of you who have Flex's. If someone were to choose the Flex over the PC, would the Flex do OK for applying paint cleaners, AIO's, glazes, sealants and waxes or it is just too much tool for those tasks and should be reserved for paint correction? I own a rotary and all I use my UDM (very similar to the PC) for is those above tasks and carpet scrubbing.



The reason I am asking this is the original poster may want the Flex for correction but also would like to have a PC for non correction tasks. In that case, maybe he should start with a PC and decide from there. However, if the Flex will do all of the mentioned tasks just fine, he may want to skip the PC.
 
I am happy having both a PC and a Flex. I started with the PC, but found that any correction took a long time to complete. The Flex is a big step up.

I'm still using the PC when I need to use 4" pads in areas where the Flex won't get into. Haven't used it on carpets yet.
 
CMA has a 15% off sale going right now that seems to work on the Flex (places like AG usually prevent you from using coupon codes on polishers).
 
bert31 said:
..A question for those of you who have Flex's. If someone were to choose the Flex over the PC, would the Flex do OK for applying paint cleaners, AIO's, glazes, sealants and waxes or it is just too much tool for those tasks and should be reserved for paint correction? .. if the Flex will do all of the mentioned tasks just fine, he may want to skip the PC.
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I haven't tried it (yet) but I can't *imagine* any reason why the Flex 3401 wouldn't be fine for less aggressive work. That's just my guess from having used it for correction, but I didn't discern *anything* that'd make me have doubts about it. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for anything from AIOs to waxes (but *I* still prefer the Cyclo for that, hey, it's just me and not the machines...).
 
i use the flex for everything including lsp. i have a pc that has found its way to carpet cleaning and will probably end up in the work shop for sanding wood projects ( it's original purpose). the flex works great for correction (not quite as fast as a rotary, but a lot faster than a pc), works just as well if not a better than a pc for lsping. if the flex was available at the time i got my pc i would've got that instead.
 
wascallyrabbit said:
i use the flex for everything including lsp. i have a pc that has found its way to carpet cleaning and will probably end up in the work shop for sanding wood projects ( it's original purpose). the flex works great for correction (not quite as fast as a rotary, but a lot faster than a pc), works just as well if not a better than a pc for lsping. if the flex was available at the time i got my pc i would've got that instead.
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Interesting. Well, if my UDM were to ever die, I have a feeling I will replace it with a Flex. I wonder if there is any way to make my carpet brushes work on a Flex.
 
bert31- I dunno...I get the feeling I wouldn't like using brushes on the Flex 3401 all that much, just doesn't seem like it'd be a great combo :think:



You wouldn't *believe* how swell the carpet brushes work on a Cyclo; I keep one of mine set up with brushes most of the time and would even consider buying a *third* one just to have it 100% dedicated to brush-duty. Heh heh, just stirring the pot a little, IMO you need more polishers :chuckle:
 
Accumulator said:
bert31- I dunno...I get the feeling I wouldn't like using brushes on the Flex 3401 all that much, just doesn't seem like it'd be a great combo :think:
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I am assuming the backing plate on a Cyclo or PC cannot be screwed into the Flex so even if I wanted to try, the brushes would not fit without some time of an adapter.



Accumulator said:
You wouldn't *believe* who swell the carpet brushes work on a Cyclo; I keep one of mine set up with brushes most of the time and would even consider buying a *third* one just to have it 100% dedicated to brush-duty. Heh heh, just stirring the pot a little, IMO you need more polishers :chuckle:
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While it sounds tempting, I have spent way to much on detailing stuff over the past few years so I will need to hold off before buying any new tools.
 
bert31 said:
I am assuming the backing plate on a Cyclo or PC cannot be screwed into the Flex so even if I wanted to try, the brushes would not fit without some time of an adapter...
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Correct; the Flex 3401 uses a unique backing plate setup.
 
does this include the PC 7336 OR THE 7424?



I am on a relative budget as I am saving up for a ring, but I need this stuff...lol.



Thanks

Joe
 
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