Yet again, Makita 9227 of Flex 3401 RO?

would you guys recommend a rotary on softer paint cars ( think japanese, honda, mitsu)

what kind of pads and sizes for cutting and finishing on the above ?



what about the movement ? i have seen some vids on youtube and some people are doing really quick sweeping motion. is that the way ?



i'll have to look thru thru Dave's guide over the weekend when i have the time...
 
Rob Tomlin said:
Well I just joined the Makita Owners Club, almost by accident. Made a bid on eBay. I didn't think I had a chance of winning. The last bidder was within 1 dollar of my top bid. If someone had bid a single dollar more over the last day, they would have won the Makita.



So I will be doing a lot of reading/research re the rotary over the next week or so.:help:
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Rob,



Someone like you who obviously knows how to use an orbital well will make the transistion without a problem. I remember when I came to Autopia, I had my Makita and I read so many posts about how rotary polishers are way more than you need and capable of doing such severe damage that I just let it sit....Now it's a different story.... I've been using my Makita for a few years without incident (I've actually owned it for a LONG time, just wasnt confident enough with it). Sometimes I finish with rotary, and sometimes I finish with PC. Depends on what product I'm using (some products I would rather use a PC for) I'm just a little more careful with it.



Scottwax,



I'm suprised you held out as long as you did. With the volume of cars that you do, I figured you'd have a rotary a long time ago. Glad it's working for you. I (among others on the forum) appreciate your willingness to help others.
 
Way2SSlow said:
Rob,



Someone like you who obviously knows how to use an orbital well will make the transistion without a problem. I remember when I came to Autopia, I had my Makita and I read so many posts about how rotary polishers are way more than you need and capable of doing such severe damage that I just let it sit....Now it's a different story.... I've been using my Makita for a few years without incident (I've actually owned it for a LONG time, just wasnt confident enough with it). Sometimes I finish with rotary, and sometimes I finish with PC. Depends on what product I'm using (some products I would rather use a PC for) I'm just a little more careful with it.
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That's good to hear. The more I read, and the more videos that I watch, I think I will be ok. I'm up for a new challenge!
 
Way2SSlow said:
Scottwax,



I'm suprised you held out as long as you did. With the volume of cars that you do, I figured you'd have a rotary a long time ago.
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It is probably safe to say that Scottwax is a little stubborn. :)
 
buja said:
would you guys recommend a rotary on softer paint cars ( think japanese, honda, mitsu)
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A rotary will be fine for soft paint but you will probably go no heaviear than a polishing pad (such as a Lake Country White Pad) and a light polish (such as Optimum Polish, Menzerna Nano Polish or Final Polish). Also, you may need to finish out with a finishing pad (such as Lake Country Black or Blue) and a Finish Polish (such as 3M Ultrafina or Menzerna PO85RD). Not sure about all Japanese cars having soft paint. My white Mitsubishi Eclipse is dang near like polishing a diamond.



buja said:
what kind of pads and sizes for cutting and finishing on the above ?
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Six inch or so pads should be fine. Whether you want to use foam or wool does not matter, just make sure they are no stronger than polishing pads if your paint is truly soft.
 
fishbonezken said:
does anyone here agrees with this statement ?



" You cannot replace a rotary with a DA

but you can replace a DA with a rotary "
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At one point, I would have said "yes". Now I'm not so sure. Especially when you consider that people like Scottwax did some very fine work without using a rotary for many years, and also considering how much correcting ability tools like the Flex DA have. It kinda muddies the waters a bit.
 
Im now on both sides of the fence...:dance







DSC03399.jpg






Will post a comparison after I play around with the Makita for a while, I have always wanted to know how the 2 machines compare side by side
 
I'm currently riding the fence between a Flex RO and a rotary also. My goal is to reduce the time spent with paint correction, obviously. I have success with my UDM but it just takes too long. I've never used a rotary and will be doing work on cars that are not mine, which is why I am considering the Flex. The Flex is going to cost me more upfront though...
 
shine said:
I'm currently riding the fence between a Flex RO and a rotary also. My goal is to reduce the time spent with paint correction, obviously. I have success with my UDM but it just takes too long. I've never used a rotary and will be doing work on cars that are not mine, which is why I am considering the Flex. The Flex is going to cost me more upfront though...
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I think you should go for the rotary. Already having a UDM is good because you have some experience with machine polishing and if you ever feel unsure using the rotary you could always revert back to your UDM. I just got my Makita today and have been reading that Dave KG guide non stop and have learned quite a bit. I also went to my local bodyshop and picked up 3 dark panels to practice on, so far I am not that intimidated by the rotary, im gonna take it nice and slow and work my way up.
 
shine said:
I'm currently riding the fence between a Flex RO and a rotary also. My goal is to reduce the time spent with paint correction, obviously. I have success with my UDM but it just takes too long. I've never used a rotary and will be doing work on cars that are not mine, which is why I am considering the Flex. The Flex is going to cost me more upfront though...
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I got a Makita off eBay for 1/3 of what I would have to pay for the Flex RO.
 
Congratulations on your purchase dsms! after you practice on the hood try to get someone's car to work on because controlling a rotary on a flat horizontal panel and on a vertical or curved panel are quite different.

I wish you all the best, you'll be hooked to the rotary ...hehe....
 
TTWAGN said:
SuperBee364 may be able to answer this.



With the flex 3403 lightweight rotary, when you have it on the lowest speed setting it runs at 1100rpm if the trigger is held down flat.



Now this is a normal speed which is fine, however is the trigger variable, so u can effectively get the buffer to spin at 600rpm by pulsing the trigger on and off?



That would be good to spread the polish out to avoid slinging and then just pull the trigger down and go straight to 1100rpm which is normal speed. Is this the same for the Makita as well?



My Metabo cant do this which is frustrating at times as the on/off switch gives less control when spreading the polish out.



Also are you limiting the 3403 buffers to 6inch pads? I use 8inch pads with my metabo and people say its more likely to go into thermal protection than the flex 3403 ligthweight rotary. Anyone use 8inch pads?
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Anyone have an answer to this??
 
Rob Tomlin said:
I got a Makita off eBay for 1/3 of what I would have to pay for the Flex RO.
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DA_ROT.jpg






The 9227 is off Coastal, everything else is priced from AG. I could get the rotary off eBay a little cheaper..... Maybe I'm overdoing it on the rotary side as far as pads, but eh...I'm tired of making more orders because of forgetting stuff I should of had. What does anyone think of these two setups? Goal: safely reduce correction time...maybe not even relevant if I always start out with a mild combo with rotary..ok, I'll stop rambling. :nervous:
 
shine said:
DA_ROT.jpg
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Also the Ultra Fine white wool is a bit more costly (per the folks at edge). Not sure how much more AG charges for it.



Don't forget to factor in shipping. With your Makita/AutoGeek combo you'll pay 10 to ship the makita from Coastaltool and another 15+ to ship the stuff from Autogeek. Where as with your A.G order alone, you'll spend just the shipping on autogeek.



It still comes out close though.



*Edit: I can't believe A.G sells two 6" Wool edge pads for 19.99. I just paid 17.50 a pop from Edge since A.G was out of green when I wanted it all last week.



Ho hum. Oh well.
 
"$16.99, 2/$19.99" Doesn't make much sense, but seems like deal there. Your right about shipping. I'm not sure how much the white wool is as AG doesn't list it but they apparently have it if you call/email?
 
shine said:
"$16.99, 2/$19.99" Doesn't make much sense, but seems like deal there. Your right about shipping. I'm not sure how much the white wool is as AG doesn't list it but they apparently have it if you call/email?
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Yep.



You can see the 8" white wool they don't do the 'two fer' pricing. Some of the other 8" it's 19.99, 2/ 36.99 (not quite the bargain as the 6").



That is quite a deal. Makes me :cry:. Oh well. I wonder if that's a special right now or their typical pricing.



Also why do the CCS Buffing pads? Why not grab the white/blue Edge (finishing pads) and not have to buy another backing plate? I guess if you really need the foamed it makes more sense.
 
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