Best buffer for basic detailing use

TAftw · Dec 12, 2012

The paint on my truck is milked up and kinda crappy looking, I was going to hit it with a buffer and some compound to try and bring out some shine. I know you're supposed to start with nice paint in first, but we're talking about a truck here.

I was looking at a cheap-o Craftsman palm RA sander for $50, but everyone I hear says the Porter Cable ones are the cat's meow. So who makes a decently priced buffer, and what are things to look for when buying one? Is a bigger pad better, and what RPM's should it be run at?

Orangestang · Dec 12, 2012

I own a porter cable orbital one it uses 6 1/2" pads it works great. If the paint is worn it usually takes a two-three step process. Start with some fine compound,very fine and then some wax along with various pads. My truck is black 10yrs old and it still looks good. Check out Autogeek.net thats how I got started.

rider9195 · Dec 12, 2012

I highly recommend to check out the forum at Autogeek Online. I have been on there for over a year and it is by the best source for detailing information.

89MustangGX · Dec 12, 2012

I have and use a Griot's Garage setup. I really like their products and I think you will find many people consider either the GG setup or PC setup to be the most commonly liked ones out there.

I also use GG polishes and sealant/wax as well. Check out their website. They have a lot of good videos and if you purchase a polisher they include instructional DVDs as well.

I picked up a lot of good info from www.autopia.org in addition.

Be careful though, you might get hooked! Your "just a truck" can be looking better than new with a little work and you might find yourself wanting to do a lot more cars!

Adam

Danglerb · Dec 12, 2012

HF just came out with a 6" DA, dual action, $49 with coupon. I am sure the $150 Dewalt is wonderful, but if you start into detailing a car expect the money to flow freely in ways you never imagined, so you may want to save at all practical opportunities, or you may decide its going to cost so why not get the best.

Flex or Griots DA are very nice, same for Macquires. I have a Cyclo, so naturally I think its the best, but no matter what you get its easy to spend another $100 on each supporting group of items; buffing pads and brushes, goops like polishes and waxes, and applicators and towels.

Your typical cheap polisher will not serve a new user well starting with bad or poor paint. You need a dual action with the power to cut the old paint without leaving swirls.

BrokewrenchLS1 · Dec 12, 2012

The Porter Cable 7424 is pretty hard to beat unless you're a professional. That, a decent selection of foam pads, and some good liquids (I liked Tropi-Care, but they changed to Showroom FX and seem to be out of business now) will get you going pretty well.

You're not really worried about detailing until you spend 10 hours on a weekend doing nothing but running a claybar over every single body panel.

CamarosRus · Dec 12, 2012

Another good site for knowledge how-to's and
products is www.detailedimage.com

Ironhorse · Dec 12, 2012

TAftw said:
The paint on my truck is milked up and kinda crappy looking, I was going to hit it with a buffer and some compound to try and bring out some shine. I know you're supposed to start with nice paint in first, but we're talking about a truck here.

I was looking at a cheap-o Craftsman palm RA sander for $50, but everyone I hear says the Porter Cable ones are the cat's meow. So who makes a decently priced buffer, and what are things to look for when buying one? Is a bigger pad better, and what RPM's should it be run at?

The best is made in Germany...I think it is We____ something...that would be the best I have seen

FiendFX · Dec 12, 2012

porter cable for starters. if you need something stronger, get the flex.

xurusaibobx · Dec 13, 2012

festool is the best but i personal use the flex tools one

TAftw · Dec 13, 2012

Wow thanks for the responses guys. The truck has some rust issues that really stand out with the shoddy paint, I figure if the paint looks nicer it will draw people away from the rust problems

.

The thing is a half step above a farm tractor, a typical wash for me is a hose down with an old dirty towel to loosen all the big dirt, then heavy spray to get it all off. I think I've only used soap once. As you can see, with the amount of use I put it through almost anything will make it look good.

I don't want to spend ten hours washing and detailing the thing, but what is a proper wash procedure, especially after I come out of the woods and everything is caked in mud?

HaroRider · Dec 13, 2012

BrokewrenchLS1 said:
The Porter Cable 7424 is pretty hard to beat unless you're a professional. That, a decent selection of foam pads, and some good liquids (I liked Tropi-Care, but they changed to Showroom FX and seem to be out of business now) will get you going pretty well.

You're not really worried about detailing until you spend 10 hours on a weekend doing nothing but running a claybar over every single body panel.

Ill second the Porter Cable 7424. I have one and its awesome, not too pricey either.

Danglerb · Dec 13, 2012

For a good step by step you really should visit one of the detail sites people have posted, lots of how to etc.

If you just want to clean it and nothing fancy;

Use a hose and water and get the big stuff off and all the loose dirt.
Put some good car wash stuff in a bucket following mix directions and I like to use a microfiber mop, wash from bottom to top, do it in the shade, and slosh the mop frequently in the bucket of wash soap.
Put on a coat of any decent wax.

I'd so something with the rust areas, rustoleum or what I don't know.

icanski2 · Dec 13, 2012

I do a lot of polishing at home and have a Porter Cable 7424 and a FLEX XC3401 VRG. The Porter Cable is a good tool but the Flex blows it away performance wise. It does cost more though. I buy a lot of my detailing supplies from chemicalguys.com , detailed image and autogeek.

cajunfirehawk · Dec 13, 2012

icanski2 said:
I do a lot of polishing at home and have a Porter Cable 7424 and a FLEX XC3401 VRG. The Porter Cable is a good tool but the Flex blows it away performance wise. It does cost more though. I buy a lot of my detailing supplies from chemicalguys.com , detailed image and autogeek.

I have the FLEX and it IS made in Germany! These two are the most popular in the detailing world with weekend warriors :beer:

good reading on car detailing:

autopia.org/forum

cgv69 · Dec 13, 2012

icanski2 said:
I do a lot of polishing at home and have a Porter Cable 7424 and a FLEX XC3401 VRG. The Porter Cable is a good tool but the Flex blows it away performance wise. It does cost more though. I buy a lot of my detailing supplies from chemicalguys.com , detailed image and autogeek.

For the average home DIY'er, the Porter Cable 7424 is the way to go. Sure there are buffers with a lot more power and cutting ability but IMO, that's not necessarily a good thing. In the hand of the average novice, those more powerful buffers will do more harm then good.

The average DIY'er isn't buffing out a new paint job or trying to restore a 20 years old paint job. They are using it for light buffing (swirl removal) and waxing and for that kind of work, the PC is perfect IMO.

BrokewrenchLS1 · Dec 13, 2012

TAftw said:
I don't want to spend ten hours washing and detailing the thing, but what is a proper wash procedure, especially after I come out of the woods and everything is caked in mud?

Make sure to be parked in the shade for the duration.

Use a hose to get the majority of the mud off; if it's the first time washing it, use Dawn first to cut a lot of the junk on the surface of the paint off. You don't want to use a whole lot, and follow it with another wash using regular car wash soap.

If you can get it, distilled or deionized water will mean you'll only have minimal waterspots to deal with; if that's not available, a good squeegee and microfiber drying towels work.

After you've gotten everything dried (this is assuming you've already used the DA to get the majority of the swirls and spiderwebs out of the paint), a good synthetic polish applied in 2-3 coats, followed by a coat of either carnauba or synthetic wax, will top the polish pretty well. Once you've washed the truck a few times and have a solid coat of polish on the paint, you'll notice the dirt/bugs/bird **** comes off a lot more easily, and the whole truck will have a better gloss and the paint will look like it has more depth.

That's a really fast run-down of a basic wash; when I still had the time to do it, I'd normally spend about 14-18 hours every other weekend cleaning my Trans Am up. Even at 7-8 years old, the paint looked significantly better than new cars sitting on the lot.

beerdog · Dec 13, 2012

Porter Cable is great for he beginner. You can't mess up the paint but it take smuch longer to get great results. I use mine with adam's Polishes although there are many good products. another even better machine is the Flex machine. Same as the PC, almost impossible to mess up your paint and works faster.....also more expensive. Autogeek.net is a great place to buy products. plus they have a really good forum section with many pros posting.

RKA · Dec 13, 2012

Well, from the sounds of it, a polisher isn't really going to help you. You can spend $100 or so on a PC polisher, and maybe another $150 on 2 levels of polish, 2 pads, wax/sealant, a claybar and lube, some MF towels. But at the end of the day, it's used as a work truck and treated as such and you already said you don't want to spend 10 hours on it (which is nothing when it comes to neglected paint). It sounds like soap and water is the first step, and maybe that should be a weekly routine? If you still decide you're willing to go a step further, then consider the $250 investment in polishing equipment and go to town. The right combination of pads and polishes will be the key, not necessarily the machine. The random orbital griots or PC 7424xp will both work fine (the flex is good, and I have it, but unless you plan to polish regularly, it probably won't be worth it). The tool isn't a magic pill here...it's time and elbow grease (even if you're using a machine).

As to your rpm question, with these random orbital machines, you can max out the speed on them without doing any damage. And based on your description of the paint, I would do just that for the first stage of polishing. They don't have a forced rotation they just gyrate, so it's really hard to burn through the paint. The rotary polishers (like an angle grinder with a polishing pad attached) require much more care and that takes some practice.

KPSquared · Dec 13, 2012

Why bother? You've got all these guys dumping detailing advice on a guy who doesn't even want to take the time to wash his truck.

You've abused it and now it looks like it was abused. I don't see the point of trying to clean it up.

A good detail (you're going to have to take some paint off to get ANY results) is going to take several hours. Just throwing some wax at it won't do much.

I think you want to eat your cake AND have it stay shiny. . .not really possible.

Post pics of the truck. Maybe we won't think it's as bad as you do.

TAftw · Dec 13, 2012

Here's how it sits now. I haven't touched it with the hose in maybe 4 or 5 days:

Here is a spot I cleaned on the hood with my hand:

Here's a spot I cleaned on the bed. Some scratches, a little paint wearing out at the top of the bed rail:

Here's the contrast between the cab and the bed:

It was in an accident at some point, so the front paint is better than the cab and bed. It has an aftermarket hood which is rust free and shines better than the rest of the truck.

I don't want to spend 10 hours every time I want it to shine, I want to be able to put in a day of detailing and have it so I can hit it with the hose and some soap and everything falls off. I understand that detailing takes a lot of time, especially the first few times you dig into it.

rshadd · Dec 13, 2012

By the time you factor in your time, the cost of the machine, pads and polish, etc, you may find it more cost effective to let a "pro" do it for you.

I get great results with the Portal Cable 7424XP, 5.5" lake country pads and meguiars 105/205 polish. Polishing isn't difficult but it is labor intensive if you want it "perfect". General rule for scratches is that if your finger nail catches, it won't polish out.

cgv69 · Dec 13, 2012

That truck would take a **** load of work and time and honestly still wouldn't look that great in the end. Some of those scratches are too deep to rub out and there is nothing you can do about those areas where the paint is already gone and showing primer\bare metal. By the time you bought all of the stuff you will need and assuming you value your time, it would be cheaper (not to mention a better end result) to just get a cheap paint job

BrokewrenchLS1 · Dec 13, 2012

cgv69 said:
That truck would take a **** load of work and time and honestly still wouldn't look that great in the end. Some of those scratches are too deep to rub out and there is nothing you can do about those areas where the paint is already gone and showing primer\bare metal. By the time you bought all of the stuff you will need and assuming you value your time, it would be cheaper (not to mention a better end result) to just get a cheap paint job

Yep. Without wet sanding, buffing, and possibly respraying clear/wet sanding/buffing/polishing, it's never going to look great, or even really good.

Black paint on trucks never works out too well, since black will show every single imperfection, and trucks normally get used hard and not cleaned too well.

TAftw · Dec 13, 2012

Aside from the spots on the bed rails, there is no primer showing anywhere, and none of the clear is peeling like on some Dodges.

There are only a few scratches that I can feel with my nail. Everything else I'd say is from rubbing dirt around.

The paint on the bed is milked up, I think from using too much soap the first time I washed it. For some reason the front is better.

The eventual plan is to have it repainted, but that's not for a while. Is there any type of paint that is more durable and not as easy to scratch than the factory stuff?

BrokewrenchLS1 · Dec 13, 2012

TAftw said:
The paint on the bed is milked up, I think from using too much soap the first time I washed it. For some reason the front is better.

Was it the cab or the bed that was repainted previously?

The Grand Cherokee my parents have was in an accident before they bought it, and the front fender and passenger front door were both repainted. It's been about 6 years now, and the clear is severely cracked and chipping off in places, and there are even spots where the paint itself has chipped off.

If the bed was what got repainted, it might be that the clear just wasn't very good, and has hazed up over the years. You can wetsand and buff the oxidation out, but it'll come back eventually.

TAftw · Dec 13, 2012

It's the cab that was repainted. The bed doesn't look as nice. None of the clear is chipped or peeling off.

A lot of people are saying it won't look good, well compared to what? Obviously it's not off the showroom floor, but it WILL look better than it is now, right?

KPSquared · Dec 13, 2012

Wet sand, buff, polish. It will look better than it has in a long time. YouTube up some vids. It's not complex, just takes the right tools and TONS of elbow grease. It will be way better and you should be able to keep it clean with just a pressure washer and soap.

Danglerb · Dec 13, 2012

Wax it with Rejex, do it maybe 3 times a year and you should be able to hose off almost all of the dirt between treatments.

http://www.rejex.com/

bdamico · Dec 13, 2012

Surprised no one said clay bar as an impt step. In any event, since we're on buffers--I have the griot--this has changed my life as a quick first step

http://www.nanoskinusa.com/_e/AUTOSCRUB_System/product/AS-004/AUTOSCRUB_6_Start_Up_Kit.htm

BrokewrenchLS1 · Dec 14, 2012

bdamico said:
Surprised no one said clay bar as an impt step. In any event, since we're on buffers--I have the griot--this has changed my life as a quick first step

http://www.nanoskinusa.com/_e/AUTOSCRUB_System/product/AS-004/AUTOSCRUB_6_Start_Up_Kit.htm

Using a claybar is important if you want a great finish; not so much if you just want a working "clean truck". Most people wouldn't have the patience for it anyway, since it makes buffing by hand after wetsanding seem quick.

sdguy55 · Dec 14, 2012

I think alot of you guys are reading into this a little deep. He isnt looking for showroom floor results. When i did my cars i didnt want to spend an assload of money either on all these stuff so i simply went out and bought a buffer from walmart and a bunch of different mcguires polishes and waxes. If i were you and you wanted the best results without getting crazy give yourself a whole day in the shade and wash very well i was always told top to bottom but you should ask someone else on techniques. After that clay bar. In my opinion this will give you some great results right away but you have to be diligent and keep pressing forward to get a truely great result. You then simply work from a more aggressive cut to a very light cut of polish. After the second round you will notice a big difference but just keep going into your third round of polish and then wax it

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2

BrokewrenchLS1 · Dec 14, 2012

sdguy55 said:
I think alot of you guys are reading into this a little deep. He isnt looking for showroom floor results. When i did my cars i didnt want to spend an assload of money either on all these stuff so i simply went out and bought a buffer from walmart and a bunch of different mcguires polishes and waxes. If i were you and you wanted the best results without getting crazy give yourself a whole day in the shade and wash very well i was always told top to bottom but you should ask someone else on techniques. After that clay bar. In my opinion this will give you some great results right away but you have to be diligent and keep pressing forward to get a truely great result. You then simply work from a more aggressive cut to a very light cut of polish. After the second round you will notice a big difference but just keep going into your third round of polish and then wax it

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2

Using a claybar before going through a full range of cutting compounds and polishes is pointless - the claybar isn't going to remove anything the cutting compound won't, by design.

A DA with some decent swirl remover and a good polish would be sufficient to make the truck look decent. Any more than that is going to require significantly more work.

DHS · Dec 14, 2012

TAftw I am in the same position and and will be looking forward to your results. Like you I am not looking for perfection, just better. I believe my truck is a little rougher than yours but its red instead of black so it maybe easier to keep looking good.

Heres mine...

Danglerb · Dec 15, 2012

IMHO nothing is going to give cheaper good results than the HF DA, a good car wash soap like Macguires yellow new stuff, and three time a year put a coat of Rejex on it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-variable-speed-dual-action-polisher-69924.html
http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g17748-meguiars-ultimate-wash-wax/
http://www.rejex.com

Andrew LB · Dec 15, 2012

I've been using a Porter Cable 7424XP for over a year now and it is an outstanding DA polisher. I've used many other brands including Meguiars, Flex, Shurhold, and a few pneumatic polishers and for the money, you can't beat the Porter Cable. Don't get me wrong, the Flex XC is amazing, but at a price point that's 2x as much as the 7424XP... I just don't see the point except to let everyone know you have money to burn.

For the cost of the Flex XC, you can buy this kit and still have $50 left over to buy plenty of beer for when you've finished the job...

Kit Includes:
Porter Cable 7424XP Polisher
Porter Cable 7424XP Wrench
Porter Cable 7424XP Counter Weight
Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover 3.0
Wolfgang Finishing Glaze 3.0
Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0
Wolfgang Instant Detail Spritz
1 CCS 6.5 inch Orange Light Cutting Pad
1 CCS 6.5 inch White Polishing Pad
1 CCS 6.5 inch Blue Finessing Pad
2 Microfiber Towels
5" Flex Backing Plate

rider9195 · Dec 15, 2012

And if you want 20% off you can use the code deal20

havinnoj · Dec 15, 2012

Buy a Rupes Bigfoot

Car Collector Chronicles · Dec 15, 2012

BrokewrenchLS1 said:
The Porter Cable 7424 is pretty hard to beat unless you're a professional. That, a decent selection of foam pads, and some good liquids (I liked Tropi-Care, but they changed to Showroom FX and seem to be out of business now) will get you going pretty well.

You're not really worried about detailing until you spend 10 hours on a weekend doing nothing but running a claybar over every single body panel.

Second this one. The PC 7424 is what I use on all my rides. The only way to go!

theknurl · Dec 15, 2012

here you go;
Flex XC 3401VRG vs PC 7424 on youtube

Best buffer for basic detailing use

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