detailfanatic said:
I think this is where the issue lies. Why not just pay a good dollar for a quality machine instead of buying made in China crap? I paid $225 for my PC ( a long time ago! LOL ) and used it hard in my shop for a few years before it died. Then the Griots comes out at $129 and we all know how that has worked out. Lots of power but sketchy reliability. My on/off switch went rendering the machine useless. Now we have a $70 machine. Who cares if the warranty is for 10 years. I want the machine to work. Period. Charge me what you need to in order to sell me a quality machine. We have done this to ourselves by insisting on the lowest possible price and refusing to pay for quality.
I totally get where you're coming from, and I do agree that as a consumer society we've put ourselves in the position of having available low price instead of high quality. Generally folks tend to look at the short term (I want it cheap and want it now) instead of the long term (paying more now for something that can be repaired/kept in service is cheaper than having to replace the whole unit later because I can't fix it). My original PC (Meguiar's G100) I bought 11 years ago for right around $300, and I still use that machine regularly today, but it doesn't have anywhere near the power of some of the newer offerings.
That is where this whole issue becomes a double-edged sword. We have to look at the fact that even though this machine is "cheap" and has a few quality issues, it still has the potential capacity to out-perform other "PC-style" DAs on the market and get more correction done faster, which for a professional is key (time is money). Sure, you could go with other types of polishers (long-stroke DA, forced rotation DA, rotary) to get more done faster as well, but each of those comes with trade-offs that must be dealt with too.
At the end of the day it's all a matter of preference since there is no single "perfect" tool or type of tool.
David Fermani said:
I don’t think it’s fair to discredit a product just because something is Chinese made and if that aspect bothers you then by all means then be my guest and avoid this tool. I think many people have lost sight of the target audience that 3D is focusing their machine towards and that’s primarily the clients they hands on service at their storefront and on location (detail shops/dealerships).
For the most part, professional mechanics and other technicians spend their money on high grade tools (think Snap-On, Matco, MAC, Cornwell, etc.) because they value high reliability and longevity. If 3D is focusing this machine toward the professional-user market, a higher quality offering would seemingly make more sense. A detailer wouldn't want to spend the money for a quality tool (with which they will earn their living), but a mechanic would?
I fully realize there are professional mechanics/etc. and pro detailers out there relying on lower grade tools to do their jobs and are getting along fine with them, but that doesn't mean it is or even should be the norm.
3D’s internet sales account for less than 1% of their overall global reach. Out of the several 100’s that have already been sold in their main venue, I’ve been told that only 2 have been returned due to issues. I’d say that’s quite low, especially considering most of these sectors(dealers/high volume shops) tend to be quite rough on their equipment in general. And 3D is also working on bringing this kit to large retail merchandisers and the price point they are (or will be) at is one of value and performance which I feel confident in saying this machine is not lacking in. Otherwise they would certainly be providing an ala carte machine offering.
I would think, though, that even dealerships and detail shops wouldn't really want or need to keep buying these in kit form. Most of those customers probably buy their MF towels and chemicals in bulk anyway. In a retail setting though, absolutely a kit has value.
Thomas Dekany said:
Unfortunately, just because the product is "made better" and cost more, they still break down and break often. That includes my flex polishers, metabo products, Festool etc....
OK.... but then let's look at what breaks down and why. Are we talking about mechanical parts in your Flex/Metabo/Festool stuff breaking? Or is it electrical components?
The weaknesses the HD Polisher seems to have (in my opinion) are mechanical in nature due to the fact that the castings are of a lower grade metal and machining done to the parts is minimal and rough. Both of those factors invite accelerated wear and higher NVH (to borrow a term from automotive engineering), and that seems to be what separates better tools from lesser ones and contributes to a difference in operator experience.
