Porter Cable 7424

P

Prenderville

New member
Hi My wife is thinkung of getting me a Porter Cable 7424 for Christmas, since I have not used this type wondering how much I will benefit from? Next, what is best way to buy, pads etc., and finally with this model which products will bring best results? THANKS ALL INPUT WILL BE APPRECIATED.

prenderville
 
I think the PC 7424 is essential for max results for personal use. With proper products and pads you can remove most, if not all of the swirling, marring, halograms, etc. Check out our sponsors on this site and you'll find all of the products you need. They also offer kits that'll get you into the game all at once.

I'm not going to suggest any specific polishes because I have not seen the shape your vehicles are in but most likely you'll need a few different polishes to fix the defects (Poorboys SSRs, Optimum Polishes, Meguiars, etc.) and a sealant and or a wax to top off the polished finish. Don't forget to get a clay bar and plenty of microfiber towels.

As for pads for the PC, you have 2 routes here. You can get the Edge 2000 kit and adaptor and stick with just Edge pads (availible w/ sponsors). Or you could get lets say a 6" backing plate and get a variety of pads from various manufacturers ranging from 6" up to 7.5" (I use these... LC variable contact 7.5"). At minimum you'll probably want a light cutting pad, 2-3 polishing pads and a finishing pad. The colors vary with each company so make sure you get the proper type. Hope this helped.
 
Budman gave some pretty good advice. Detailing is all about personal preference. You really just have to find out what you like and don't like. I know that can be hard to do when you're first getting into the hobby. I'd suggest that you do a search on all the types of products you're looking for and see what users have to say about them. You should be able to get a better idea of what you want from that.
 
Background info for you:
The 7424 comes with a counterweight geared for pads and backing plates around 5 inches in diameter.
The 7336 comes with a counterweight geared for larger pads or heavier pads.
You can buy the 7424 and retrofit the counterweight to the larger one to handle larger pads when you want to. The counterweight is 4 bucks at autogeek.

The 7424 and 7336 are the same machine, only the counterweights differ, and the prices are usually the same too.

If your hands are sensitive to vibration, you'll want to match counterweight and pad to minimize vibration.
Remember 4 bucks and a few minutes can convert a 7424 to a 7336 and minimize those vibrations if you need to.
-John C.
 
Thanks to all who replied and belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Years are in order. I did get the 7424 PC along with pads, brushes, bonnets and backing plate, now I have some questions, What results can I expect over hand waxing? 2ND, I am looking to get the slickest finish and am understanding DP will give this? 3rd What is time element to do a full size car, doing it right? And, cost. what should one charge to do a car and then extended cab truck? I have been a detailer since 1970, starting where much supplies weren't out there, 3 years ago I became disabled and have worked my wat out of a wheel chair, and although walking I have limitations. Of 6 surgeries two nearly took my life, so I now take nothing for granted. The imfo I have obtained from you guys has been great and I really would appreciate any advice, and since many of my problems have been linked to toxics I urge you all to use rubber disposable gloves and stay in a well vented area, I am not preaching, but please guys pass on your best product usage with the 7424 and any tips, I did just purchase the dvd. Thanks and GOD BLESS YOU ALL prenderville
 
Watch Autogeek's PC vidoes, the DVD and keep on reading :).

Just slow overlapping passes is your best bet. Don't be afraid to turn the speed up to #6. The PC is essentialy fool proof and won't damage the paint. Moving the machine left and right, up and down, and corner to corner is the best way to remove swirls. This way every angle of the swirls are taken down. Read the direction on the polish and also read how people use it. So many times (it isn't funny) people use a product wrong or use the wrong product and say it's the products fault whereas it was all user error.

There are hundreds of products out there that'll produce results. Some people like DP, Poorboys, Zaino, Duragloss, Wolfgang, Optimum, etc. but in the end it's all user preference. The slickest finish that I have found was with using Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (UPP).

Below are pictures of the results that could come from using a PC. Granted the swirls aren't horrible in this picutre the results are nice. The PC can handle some tough stuff when used with the right pad and product combo. I used Poorboys SSR2.5, SSR1, topped with Wolfgang Sealant.

hl4.jpg


hl12.jpg


As for time, you can expect anywhere from 4-6 hours for a full detail inside and out. Sometimes it may be quicker or longer. IT all depends from car to car. The pricing varies as well. $120-$200 seem to be average full detail prices. You could set a dollar amount per hour and base your prices on that as well. I think the average rate is anywhere between $25-60 an hour... depending on the work, area, etc. Hope this helped!!

Other results from PC work:
HPIM0291.jpg


1.jpg
 
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