Which one would you choose and why

Orbital Buffer or Rotary Polisher

There is a place for both a random orbital buffer and a high speed polisher in a detailer?s toolkit, once you are proficient with an orbital all that is required to ?step-up' to the polisher is practice, practice and then more practice, which should be done on a scrap vehicle panel as opposed to your own or someone else?s vehicle

Sometimes a dual-action polisher just isn?t enough for really tough scratches and swirls. You need the cutting power of a rotary polisher to penetrate the clear coat and smooth over rough edges to restore your paint to its original flawless finish.

On a scale 1/10

Porter-Cable - 7424XP
Safety - 9
Correcting time - 10
Correcting ability - 5
Learning curve -2

Flex - L3403 VRG
Safety - 8
Correcting time - 9
Correcting ability - 7
Learning curve - 5

Rotary - Metabo PE-125
Safety - 3
Correcting time - 5
Correcting ability - 9
Learning curve - 8

Like all tools there is a learning curve with it, so first gain experience on a paint surface that doesn?t matter i.e. a scrap panel, practice until you feel confident enough in its use and capabilities to use it on your own vehicle.


An extract from one of a series of in-depth, unbiased detailing articles ? TOGWT ? Ltd Copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved.​
 
bigmikela said:
FLEX L3403 VRG Lightweight Circular Polisher
or
Makita 9227? :confused:
Click to expand...

I was faced with a similar choice a few weeks ago, and also included a Flex LK603 as an option. I decided on the Makita, because it seems to be the industry standard. FWIW, I'm very happy with the machine. Though there's definitely a learning curve, the Makita is much easier to work with than the Chicago rotary I picked up at HF.
 
I own and use both regualary, they are my most frequently used rotaries.

If I could have only one it would be the Makati, hands down, but these are two totally difference machines. I use the miniFlex when I want to change it up or to manuver in tight areas, but the Makita is my workhorse.

The main reason would be that I find it more comfortable. The engine seems 'less strained' when it is working, where as the Flex is loud and high pitched. This isn't to say the miniFlex is weak, it is harder to bog down then the Makita (although if you are bogging either machine nocieably your probably using too much pressure!). The miniFlex will get hot after a while, and given the little handle, you may find yourself burning your finger tips frequently.

Some times I will just use the miniFlex and I really enjoy it. After a while I grab the Makita from the bag, plug it in, and fire it up... Everytime I wonder why I put it away to begin with.
 
Like Todd said the mini-flex can get hot. While the Makita will roll on without a hitch for what seems like hours.

If you must just choose one and are just doing a car or two a week, then the mini-flex should work fine for you. If you are in a shop enviroment and polishing everyday, I would get the Makita.
 
FJF said:
I was faced with a similar choice a few weeks ago, and also included a Flex LK603 as an option. I decided on the Makita, because it seems to be the industry standard. FWIW, I'm very happy with the machine. Though there's definitely a learning curve, the Makita is much easier to work with than the Chicago rotary I picked up at HF.
Click to expand...

FJF,

Your prior post about the Chicago rotary compared to your Makita and the awesome deal PAC is having now is why I am pounding my head :drool5: right now. I also picked up one of the Chicago rotaries (20 bucks) to get my feet wet and have not really been to happy with it. I probably looked at all the same videos you were looking at and was think damn how do they make it look so easy. I know it's the tools (and experience). You get what you pay for right? Well at least most of the times.


Thanks all for helping me out on this one. You guys are great. :clap:
 
From what I see there are two versions of the 9227 - a 9227C and a 9227CY. The last one appears to have a complete variable speed control, while the C model has the pre-set speed dial by RPM. For consistency, would the 9227C be the best one to own? A complete variable speed would offer a lot of control, but it would not be as precise as the pre-set speed control.

[this was from Makita's web site]
 
Slik560 said:
From what I see there are two versions of the 9227 - a 9227C and a 9227CY. The last one appears to have a complete variable speed control, while the C model has the pre-set speed dial by RPM. For consistency, would the 9227C be the best one to own? A complete variable speed would offer a lot of control, but it would not be as precise as the pre-set speed control.

[this was from Makita's web site]
Click to expand...

I think that the different letter designations had more to do with the accessories that come with the rotary if I'm remembering correctly from when I got mine.

For what it's worth, I got the Harbour Freight one as well. It was cool and I got pretty comfortable with it, but the first time I fired up the Makita, it was like night and day! It was SO much smoother and SO much easier to control. I really like my Makita.

D!
 
No not yet. I am leaning towards the Makita but the Flex keeps calling my name. I already own the Flex 3401 and I love that machine. I do have a cheap HF rotary and I was using it last night for about 30 mins and boy that thing got real hot. Does anyone know if the Mikata gets really hot after 30 mins of use?

Mike
 
AaaaGGGHHHH!!! :cursing: I can't decide. Now PAC sells the Hitachi as well. I have been trying to read all the reviews I could on the Makita 9227,Flex 3403 VRG and the Flex LK603VVB. I like that fact that the 3403 is so light weight. I like the Makita because it has a very good rep and it's lighter than the Dewalt 849 (also a great machine). The Flex LK603VVB from what I read is like the love child of the Makita & Dewalt. Now I have to read up on the Hitachi. :banghead:

Guys I need your help BAD, because the "DogDays" of summer deal is coming to an end real soon.



Once again thanks for the help on this.

Mike
 
I am VERY partial to the DeWalt.
I do not own the Flex, so I cannot give a fair opinion about it.

I have never liked a "soft start" feature, which the Makita has while the DeWalt does not.

This basically means that the machine rotates slowly initially prior to hitting the designated RPM.
With a soft start, throttling the trigger off and on for brief burst is a real hoot.

I am not sure if the Makita has a "thermal overload protection", but I never liked the "protection" my Hitachi featured.
As a matter of fact, it is the single best thing that I have ever had STOLEN from me!

The Makita is lighter at 6.6 pounds versus 8.25 pounds for the DeWalt.
The Makita is longer at 18.5 inches versus 17.3 inches for the DeWalt.
The Makita is rated 600-3,000 RPM versus 1,000 RPM for the DeWalt.

On paper I think the Makita gets the nod, but I own both.

The one I always reach for first? :confused: No contest here... the DeWalt.:drool5:
 
I started out using a Makita and really like it. The weight and size make it very comfortable.

During the winter, I picked up a Fein rotary. It is a tad longer than a PC. The build quality is phenomenal and nicely balanced. The downfall is that it is a screamer and doesn't have a trigger.

I got the chance to try a Flex rotary, too. While it is very nice, the build quality is not as good as the Fein (but the Fein is twice the price).


For compounding and severe defects, I prefer the Makita. Wool pads just don't feel right on a small machine. The smaller rotaries are nice for tight areas, but they tend to be quite noisy.
 
For your information we now have the Hitachi SP18VAH2 Circular Polisher for $199.95, it's another one to think about........:D
 
For any of you that were interested I went with the Makita.


Thank you all for your help. Also I wanted to thank Angelo for his help and advice with this.

Mike
 
Kevin Brown said:
I am VERY partial to the DeWalt.
I do not own the Flex, so I cannot give a fair opinion about it.

I have never liked a "soft start" feature, which the Makita has while the DeWalt does not.

This basically means that the machine rotates slowly initially prior to hitting the designated RPM.
With a soft start, throttling the trigger off and on for brief burst is a real hoot.

I am not sure if the Makita has a "thermal overload protection", but I never liked the "protection" my Hitachi featured.
As a matter of fact, it is the single best thing that I have ever had STOLEN from me!

The Makita is lighter at 6.6 pounds versus 8.25 pounds for the DeWalt.
The Makita is longer at 18.5 inches versus 17.3 inches for the DeWalt.
The Makita is rated 600-3,000 RPM versus 1,000 RPM for the DeWalt.

On paper I think the Makita gets the nod, but I own both.

The one I always reach for first? :confused: No contest here... the DeWalt.:drool5:
Click to expand...

I have both the Dewalt and Makita and think I like the Makita better now. I had always been a fan of the Dewalt and have been using them for years, but they are so much louder than the Makita and I do like the 600rpm over the 1000rpm.

I never liked the soft start feature either, but now it's really growing on me now! :D
 
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