PC, life expectancy

G

gav'spurplez

New member
thinking about purchasing a couple pc's for the detail dept for the dealer i know work at.



we are going to try to detail about 80 -100 cars per month, so the pc's are going to be getting a workout. although the detail quality will not be up to autopian standards, we are still going to be polishing and waxing, so how long will it last.



taking into consideration, they will be well kept and used properly,



thanks
 
Well, we have a lot of members that detail a *lot* of cars, usually spending anywhere from 1-4 hours of actual polishing on each of them, and I've never heard of one dying. Just like any tool, the answer is dependant on how it's used, and how well maintained it is. I believe after so many hours of use, it is recommended to have it serviced, which should include checking for any excess wear. Bottom line, I wouldn't worry about it. Use the heck out of it!!
 
You can always pick up a G-100, which is just a re-badged Porter Cable 7424 with Meguiar's name on it. You spend a little more, but you get a lifetime warranty. Its supposed to be for manufacturing defects, but Mike Phillips (from Meguiar's) has told me that if you send one in because its broken, they aren't going to ask you how or why its broken, they'll just fix or replace it. You can pick them up for a good deal at www.autodetailingsolutions.com
 
JDookie said:
Well, we have a lot of members that detail a *lot* of cars, usually spending anywhere from 1-4 hours of actual polishing on each of them, and I've never heard of one dying... I believe after so many hours of use, it is recommended to have it serviced, which should include checking for any excess wear. Bottom line, I wouldn't worry about it....
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Well, my older one didn't completely *die* but it was making all sorts of nasty noises when I had it rebuilt. This was after maybe five years (sorry, I forget the specifics) of noncommercial use. My newer one is making rattley-bearing noises and I think I'm just gonna keep using it until it dies to see how long that takes.



Note that Meguiar's has a large pile of dead PCs that they've replaced under warranty.



gav'spurplez- If you're gonna do commercial duty, I'd consider a Cyclo. Mine proved to be absolutely indestructible, even in a commercial setting with irresponsible employees abusing the thing. Twenty years of use and when I sent it in they said it didn't really need any rebuilding.
 
I have a Cyclo and love it! I spoke in great lengths with a professional detailer that sponsors my car club regarding this machine and what they found was that the PC didn't offer anywhere near the life the cyclo which is why they switched to the cyclo. I have never used the PC but they did mention the motor would struggle a bit if you applied pressure. I forgot how long they said the PC lasted them, but they have several Cyclos and after 10 yrs of running them all day everday, they only recently had to disgard one. I believe they get a few years out of them before having to replace the brushes (internally near motor) and thae parts are easy to change.



The cyclo will be more expensive then the PC but my vote goes to the cyclo. I love it! You can also shampoo carpets with it as well with the brush attachments. I don't know if the PC offers that as well.
 
thanks for all of the comments and information guys, very helpful.



use the cyclo the same way you would a pc, since it is random orbit ?? just 2 pads ??



only thing is, isn't the cyclo a tad bulky ??
 
I've had mine about a year and a half. I put about 5-6 hours of use on it each week on average. Seems to work just as well as the day I bought it. The cords are delicate though. I've had to open my PC up a couple of times to reattach the wires. Too easy to step on the cord, I guess.
 
i own two of THESE and i know that alot of dealers use them also ................

ive been dealing with these for a long time (12+years) and not many problems if any at all.
 
gav'spurplez said:
use the cyclo the same way you would a pc, since it is random orbit ?? just 2 pads ??
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Yep. The only issue with the Cyclo is that it doesn't conform to weird contours as well as the PC. If I were setting up a shop I'd get one PC and one or more Cyclos and only use the PC when I had to. That's what I did at my home shop and I hardly ever use the PCs except on my XJS's weird body lines.



..only thing is, isn't the cyclo a tad bulky ??
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It is literally bulkier, as in larger, but that doesn't factor in when you're actually using it.

IMO it's much easier to handle than you'd guess by its looks. I use mine with one hand all the time. I find it easier to manipulate than the PC but then it's all personal preference.
 
gav'spurplez said:
ok, so the question that i am still curious about is the speed of the cyclo



can you adjust it ??
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One speed.



BTW, now that there is no longer set pricing, you should start seeing Cyclos in the $200 range. Even better, excel detail has Propel pads for it. :)
 
And the one speed is between 2,800-3,200 OPM depending on the load (how hard you're bearing down on it). But it's a bit too fast for AIO, flashes it too quickly because of the forceful action of the machine. That's the only product I can recall having Cyclo issues with though.



ScottWax- Any chance that Santa might bring you a Cyclo this year?
 
Accumulator said:
And the one speed is between 2,800-3,200 OPM depending on the load (how hard you're bearing down on it). But it's a bit too fast for AIO, flashes it too quickly because of the forceful action of the machine. That's the only product I can recall having Cyclo issues with though.
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That's exactly why I used my PC, most recently on that 500SL, just for AIO application. Other than that, after rotary correction, it's the Cyclo for me.
 
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