Porter Cable Really Worth The Money??

7

71chevelle

New member
Well I am considering buying a porter cable if I can find one for the right amount and all the stuff along with it wont be over 130. I would even buy one used, but thats beside the point. My question is, does a porter cable actually make a huge difference in the way your car looks? With the right products and pads taken into mind and with someone who knows a bit about how to use one with mild experience. Would it actually make that huge reflective, no swirls, awesome look that i have been looking for?? And is it worth the extra money?
 
71chevelle - Basically, what blkZ28Conv said :xyxthumbs



I WILL, however throw out a few caveats. The PC is REALLY just a "fast hand" that doesn't get tired/careless/sloppy (but the PC's USER still can). It's NOT like a rotary, where you can actually DO things that you CAN'T really do by hand (rotary= heat + speed = different, and risky). And it's not QUITE as simple to get eye-popping results with as some might make it sound. It IS pretty foolproof, though; you won't hurt your car with it. The "problem" is usually that someone spends (what seems like) forever without getting the swirls/scratches out NEARLY as quickly/easily as they expected to.



I probably couldn't get by without my random orbitals, even use them to apply paste wax (!), but I want you to have realistic expectations. Yes, you'll probably see a marked improvement in your car, and I say get one. Lynn just used a PC to do her car for the first time and she LOVED it. Get plenty of different pads and put some real thought into the polishes/compounds you buy (some work a LOT better/easier than others).
 
Don't listen to these guys. They're wimpy. It's not worth the money. It's way over rated. Just use your hands in a really fast orbital motion and you'll easily achieve the same results. Go spend your money on malts and baseball cards.



























:p :lol - honestly, it's a great investment. Easy to use and nice results. Just be careful if your paint is original. Start with a light abrasive polish and work your way up if you need to.
 
How do I post pictures that I have on my desktop??

*EDIT* Its non-original paint. If i could only figure out how to post pics that i have on my desktop...
 
The PC was a great investment for me. I strongly recommend it.



You may want to have a realistic discussion with your Chevelle about the condition of her paint. ;) If it is original then that's 32+ years of use. If it has been resprayed then you'll need to evaluate the quality. I say this because you'll be able to improve the finish quite significantly, however, you might want to check your expectations a bit as unless you paint is in pretty fine condition it will be tough getting a finish that compares to some of the newer cars you see here.



Don't let me dissuade you as there are several older cars here that look amazing. I just wanted to make a point to be realistic about what you have, what its potential for improvement is and what your expectations are before you spend your hard earned money.



Good luck,



Russ
 
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Hope this works, Sorry its so fuzzy...
 
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Thats me in the background by the trunk.. Sorry for the fuzziness again...I try to keep it looking good.... These are after the megs step three and two coats of s100...tell me what u think... thanks:)
 
Its a 110% great investment. Well worth the money. It doesnt have the cutting action of a rotary but it can repair swirls and scratches that cant be removed by hand. Its fast enough and generates enough friction to use mild polishes and abrasives effectively.
 
Nice, nice ride!



On the pics you'll want to:



1. Right click on the pic

2. Left click on properties

3. Copy address

4. Paste into the image script prompt



11288show.jpg




Looks like your paint is in good shape so I would say a PC would be a good investment and would help you improve your finish.



Good luck,



Russ
 
Accumulator -- Could you expand and provide your recommendations on the section below from your previous post. Thanks.



"Get plenty of different pads and put some real thought into the polishes/compounds you buy (some work a LOT better/easier than others)."





- rajs
 
In general, I think it is a good investment, but you wont be able to get it and all the accessories for less than $130.



PC 7336 at lows was $109. 10% coupon brought it to $98. Then you need a backing plate. I bought adhesive hook and loop conversion kit, ~$5.00.



Pads: You are probably going to get more than one: TOL 6/$45. I think CMA has a pad starter kit with backing plate for ~$60.



Stuff: Meguiars DACP (32oz $18.99), etc. for swirl removal, and while you are at it some MF's- more $$



When all is said and done, you are probably going to be spending close to $200.00.



Dom
 
From my recent experience: If you're going for pads, get the "variable-contact pads" manufactured by Lake Country; don't waste your time on the "flat" 6" pads. I got mine at a great price from TOL. Unfortunately, I thought I would "save money" by buying the flat 6" Buff & Shine pads; they're getting returned to TOL tomorrow (and TOL was most gracious about taking the return, though it had been my stupidity that placed the order).



Yeah, Accumulator related my experience accurately. The PC is not completely a "miracle cure," but it does quickly and carefully what my hands/arms did very slowly and tiresomely.
 
I have used my rotary polisher just twice since getting my PC!



It's a matter of proper product choices, skill and technique to remove scratches and otrher paint defects from a finish.



Get it..your Chevelle is "PCworthy"
 
Great post as always Accumulator. :)



Besides the good points made by others, here is an alternative view I'd like to offer. I finally came to see the PC as a "long term" investment. I resisted the "Buy a PC it RULZ!! :bow" trend for a reasonably long time (months :p). I figured my paint was in good enough condition to be correctable by hand, and that I don't really see a use for it. The thing is though, polishing by hand even with milder products is still a lot of work and time consuming. It all came to a head one day when I naively tried tackling badly swirled friend's car with too weak of a product by hand. It took forever and didn't work of course. I suddenly realized then that if I were to polish even one or two cars every year this way for the next several years, it would cost me a LOT of hours and buckets of sweat over time. This year I redid that car and with DACP and the PC. I finally got those swirls out while doing it much quicker, and did not even break out a sweat this time! Imagine these savings over years and years of detailing not only your own cars, but the cars of friends and family as well.



My point is that if you enjoy detailing, and think you will continue to detail cars into the forseeable future, then it is a very wise long-term purchase. Your car or cars will always need repolishing at some point. Sure the entry fee of the PC is relatively steep, but once you buy the machine it should last you a very long time, and pads don't have to be replaced all that often.



HTH :)
 
I agree with everyone who said the PC if a good investment. Like everyone said, with the right products you will get great results.



I won't do any car by hand anymore - did a family members "never been detailed before" 1999 Subaru in three and a half hours with my Porter Cable, and considering the interior work I had to do (over an hour to clean the interior from three years of neglect) , there was no way the paint was going to get done by hand in less than a full day -Link Here .
 
rajs said:
Accumulator -- Could you expand and provide your recommendations on the section below from your previous post. Thanks.



"Get plenty of different pads and put some real thought into the polishes/compounds you buy (some work a LOT better/easier than others)."





- rajs
Click to expand...



The stuff that flat-out WORKS is pretty easy to find here. FCRC, PI-III MG, EinsZett's polishes, Menzerna (sp?), Meg's #9 and others I'm not thinking of. For pads, some people like 6", others like 7.5". Some like variable-contact, others like flat. But if you get the wrong stuff, or not enough of the right pads, you can REALLY have a hassle, or at least waste time.



Examples: Griot's polishes are pretty hard to get off (the residue, that is). With Griot's orange pads, they are FAR too mild for any but the lightest swirls (not what you'd think from the catalog). Some people LOVE DACP, others (who might not work it long enough) think it leaves too much marring and/or doesn't get scratches/swirls out well enough. Some LOVE FI-II, but *I* found it too "middle of the road" for any of my applications.



*I* use cutting pads a LOT. I DON'T use finishing pads too much.



It's always best to start mild and only use aggressive stuff if you NEED it. But have it on hand for when you do.



4DSC- Heh heh, some would sure take issue with your "as always" compliment :D :cool:
 
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