no money for PC or similar

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mookie

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I don't have the money to spend on a PC or something like that, is there anything I could get cheaper that would be more effective than using my hand for everything??
 
I would consider the Porter Cable to be the entry level machine in the detailing world. Nothing else even comes close. Its not really that expensive when you think about it. So it costs a little more than $100 dollars. When was the last time you bought a real power tool that cost much less than that? The PC is a tool that will last you for years. Save your nickles and dimes until you can afford a PC. Everything else would be a waste of money in comparison.
 
detail a few neighbors cars then order a pc .. i was skeptical but man im telling ya save up & get one they are AWESOME .. dwayne at PAC can hook you up .. im in ca & i buy stuff from him . the knowledge he can share with you is great , you will be way ahead of the learning curve .. ask lots of questions here & soon you will be SMOOTH LIKE THE FUZZ ..:lmfao :bigscream :phone:
 
I dunno man..... We don't want to get his hopes up too high. Maybe once I put Mullet Wax back on the market then he can be smooth. :naughty Until then I guess he can always use some of your smoothness fortified Nu Finish or something. :lmfao
 
yea i agree with mr.Jngrbrdman in saying that the PC isnt THAT much. i mean, i got my PC about half a year ago, and that was when i was 15. if a 15 year old is old enough to afford that, i think everyone should. you cant build a building without a solid foundation... and i think the PC is a solid foundation to build something.
 
While $100 may not be a lot of money to many people, it is a large amount if you don't have any to spare.
We sometimes forget that there are people that can barely keep things going because of the cost/earnings ratio they face. A single mother I know has about $12 per month that isn't allocated to paying the bills.
OK, off the soapbox.
Don't spend your money on one of the cheaper polishers. Do things by hand until you have saved enough to buy a decent tool such as the Porter Cable. It may mean waiting a while, but it will be well worth the wait.
As far as doing your car-care by hand, it can be done. I did all my polishing by hand for a lot of years. Other than swirl removal, a machine has not made a great deal of difference in my detailing. It makes things easier and faster, but I'm not sure how much better.
As far as swirl removal goes, I have read that Poorboy's swirl removers are not too hard to use by hand. Maybe someone with some experience with them will add some comments.
Several polishes and waxes/sealants are very easy to use by hand so you can get pretty good results with them.

Charles
 
mookie said:
I don't have the money to spend on a PC or something like that, is there anything I could get cheaper that would be more effective than using my hand for everything??
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I'm assuming that you are only considering purchasing a buffer for your own personal use, and not a business. For a business, a PC is almost a must........ for personal use, it's a different story. By the time one buys the PC, pays the shipping and/or taxes, purchases a backing plate and a few pads, the cost will be anywhere from $150 to $200. That can be a considerable expenditure for many people, especially when you consider that one will only use it for polishing paint.

Having said that, I agree with the others............ save your money until you can afford one. The cheaper ones will do "nothing"!

In the meantime, as Charles said, Poorboy's SSR1, SSR2, and Pro Polish can be used by hand very effectively.
 
If you only have $12 a month extra to take care of things, then detailing your car should probably not be one of your priorities. I'm not saying that it is an affordable machine for everybody. I'm just saying that if detailing is the hobby you want to get involved with then you need to be aware that it isn't a cheap one. You can't get by with $20 buffers and cheap (there is a difference between 'cheap' and 'inexpensive') products. Detailing is an expensive hobby and its not someting I would suggest to everybody. When detailing your own car I don't think that buying a machine that saves time would be a major priority. With waxes costing anywhere from $10 to $70 for normal folks and upwards of $2000 for the super suckers out there, this just isn't the hobby for someone with a thin wallet. Just about everything on my shelf could average at at least $15 bucks a bottle. Even products from AutoZone cost some bucks. I'm just saying that if you can't afford the tools then don't get that involved in the hobby. Stick to waxing by hand until you can afford the proper tools. It took me 3 years before I could afford the right tools and products. Buying a PC was the best purchase I have ever made. Immediately I was making twice as much money per detail as I was before because it was taking half as long to do the job. I could offer more services because now I could do swirl removal and real paint cleaning. Save up for the real tool. A PC isn't just a great tool. As far as I'm concerned it is the tool for detailing enthusiasts and professionals. You won't see a professional using a $30 WalMart buffer on a $60,000 car.
 
The Fuzz said:
I dunno man..... We don't want to get his hopes up too high. Maybe once I put Mullet Wax back on the market then he can be smooth. :naughty Until then I guess he can always use some of your smoothness fortified Nu Finish or something. :lmfao
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Hey Fuzz, when is Mullet wax coming back, any changes to make it smoother, any new product, scent , packaging ;)
 
It will be awhile. We want to make sure we have the time and money to launch it right and get it more widely distributed this time. I've still got three or four complete kits that I am going to be giving away. As soon as Dwayne gets back we are goingn to start a contest for kit number 2. :headbang
 
Unless you are doing swirl removal, there's no need for a PC. Everything else can be accomplished by hand, it will just take a little longer and, in my opinion, be more enjoyable. I personally don't enjoy using the PC as much as I enjoy laying down wax by hand. The PC can be loud, cumbersome, and just seems like a pain to drag it out. Unless you have swirlmarks that are driving you crazy, or there is a premium on your time because you are detailing professionally, don't worry about getting a PC.
 
I would include oxidation removal and waterspot etching and all that fun stuff in the list of things you need a PC for. If you are just using waxes then there is no need, but if you have anything on the surface to repair then you are going to need the PC.
 
nickis said:
Unless you are doing swirl removal, there's no need for a PC. Everything else can be accomplished by hand, it will just take a little longer and, in my opinion, be more enjoyable. I personally don't enjoy using the PC as much as I enjoy laying down wax by hand. The PC can be loud, cumbersome, and just seems like a pain to drag it out. Unless you have swirlmarks that are driving you crazy, or there is a premium on your time because you are detailing professionally, don't worry about getting a PC.
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I'm the exact opposite. I'm sure that I detail my personal cars "way more often" because of the PC than without. I also try more products/combinations, put more coats down, get a better finished product and overall enjoy detailing more. Just my two cents.
 
Thank you, Charles, for your words of encouragement on the "joys of doing it by hand" and your understanding of "real world" economics. You are a kind and wise man!


That said . . .I will apologize now for the following rant, but the tone of those replying that "it's only $100" & "If I can afford it, anybody can (Zesty - you're 16 & still living at home - lucky you!!), just has me riled . . .

Jngrbrdman said:
. . . this just isn't the hobby for someone with a thin wallet.
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While maybe I could swing the "just a $100" for a PC, I realize that is just the initial investment, and that I will need pads, backing plate, etc. So quickly that $100 grows to $200, and that is just out of my budget right now. I have other expenses which must take priority right now.

I thought I had found an activity which I could enjoy with my 17 year old son and teach him some valuable "life lessons" which his father won't be around to teach him. But now you're telling me that my wallet is "too thin" to be allowed in this elitist group. Well, phooey on you, Jngrbrdman!

I will continue to enjoy the time with my son, and even when he is not out there with me, and I'm working alone, I find some peace & solace in the "hand" work. I may not achieve the "ideal" results possible with a PC, but I can still look with pride on what I have accomplished.

I hope that I have not offended anybody, merely opened a few eyes. Thank you for allowing me to vent!
 
i see we have some differences of opinion here. many of us here are detailing for money & we have some money tied up in our equipment ..some our simply obsessed with getting the most out of there paint job & many are somewhere in the middle .. im detailing for money and ive spent some money on equipment this year . many people use certain products & i dont know what the heck they are talking about . i use p&s . they are a west coast company that sell to dealerships &pros .. it doesnt matter .. i think that most people here just want to be helpful & the pc polisher is quite a machine .. if you dont really want one thats cool ..but many of us talk alot about it so we can learn to get the most out of it without learning the hard way by ourselves .. if i find a new way ,or pad , product combo that gets great results im going to share it so someone else can use it to get cars done faster, better .thats all ,some people here are a little tightassed but i igmore it .. i read the stuff that is helpful to me .. good luck & take what ya need & leave the rest behind .. good luck
 
I got one of those cheaper Craftsman buffers for Christmas a couple years ago and have been making due with that until I can afford the PC.. Didn't know the PC even existed until recently!

The PC has a stronger motor.. My Craftsman bogs down as soon as I even turn it towards the car. The PC accepts those nifty foam pads with variable "strengths" to them.. I'm stuck with one type of foam bonnet to use for everything. I just use it for polishing my car, sealants and waxes are done by hand. Even with the polishes, I don't think it really does that great of a job :dunno You'd eventually, probably sooner rather than later, become annoyed with the cheaper buffer and wish you had just saved that money and put it towards the PC.

Detailing is a hobby (profession for some folks here) so it should be fun.. If you have a few extra bucks to throw at your hobby then go ahead and do it.. But without all the fancy tools and a thick wallet, you can still have fun :up

Besides, by not having a PC and having to spend more time doing things by hand, you'll get to spend more time with your son :)
 
Maybe Detail City should add a forum for "hobby" detailers or people who are not so much into detailing that they do it for money. This could allow people with similar interests and experiences to share with each other their methods for doing things without all the equipment. Eventually some of these guys may move up to using more advnaced techniques. When anyone starts out in any sort of hobby they always can't start out with the best. So, instead of conveying the message of "hey you can't ever have a perfect car without a PC" why not convey a message of encouragement and try to help poeple who are new to detailing their vehicles. I'm not taking sides, I'm just offering an opinion.
 
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