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Had the opportunity to try a few machines
Last week I had the opportunity to play with a few new to me machines -
G110 ($149.99)
As a conventional DA polisher in the family of the venerable Porter Cable 7424 this baby shines - literally and figuratively. It is smoother in operation than the conventional PC and has a bit more power. There is noticeably less shake and vibration and it does the same great job of defect removal that a machine at this power level is capable of. For $150 with a backing plate and hard case I think it's a must have for any weekend warrior who cares about their vehicles. Definitely an improvement over the PC 7424.
Flex XC3401 ($279.99)
Basically a lightweight but more powerful alternative to a conventional DA polisher. No doubt this had more oomph than the 7424/G110 DA polishers and I was really excited at the prospect of giving this baby a go after all the great things I've read about it, but I have two issues with this machine. It rotates counterclockwise, which is opposite the rotation direction of both conventional DA polishers and rotary polishers like the DeWalt, Makita, etc. Maybe not a big deal for someone with very little machine experience but when you've spent a lot of time working with a clockwise rotating machine it's funny how your body just adapts and the thing becomes almost an extension of yourself. Working with the Flex was like working while looking into a mirror. Any time I'd get the slightest bit of drag on the machine it did the opposite of what I was expecting. Am I being nitpicky here? Maybe. Perhaps I've already gotten a bit too set in my ways. But what really annoyed me was the high pitched vibration of this machine. I used it for about 10 minutes and when I shut it off my hands continued to buzz and tingle as if they'd fallen asleep. Honestly, I can't imagine what I'd feel like after polishing an entire car with this machine. I'm sure it would do an excellent job of defect removal, and the machine seems really well built - it oozes quality. Certainly the forced rotation aspect has its benefits too - it won't bog down under heavy pressure like a conventional DA will. But that annoying feeling of pins and needles as if my hands had fallen asleep....... really not a good thing for me.
Dynabrade Rotary with the Random Orbital Head Kit ($121.99 for the Random Orbital Head Kit)
I can't really make an honest assessment of the Dynabrade Rotary in pure rotary trim since I only used it with the Random Orbital Head kit attached so I'll just speak to that attachment here. The attachment is just that, an accessory that converts any rotary with a 5/8" spindle to a dual action orbital polisher. You get the same forced rotation of the Flex along with the added power of the rotary machine it's attached to. This is also a very high quality piece of hardware, no doubt about it. But it offers something the Flex doesn't - it is smooooth. No buzzing, no tingling in the hands. Yes, the combination of adapter and rotary is heavier and normally weight is a negative, but for me at least it's a smaller negative than the numb feeling I got with the Flex. Furthermore (and I admit to being either very frugal or a cheap old bugger, depending on your point of view) for basically the same money as the Flex you can pick up a Makita rotary ($169.99 ebay) and add the Dynabrade Random Orbital Head kit to it, meaning you get both the forced rotation random orbital features of the Flex and a full blown, high quality rotary for when you really need/want one. Win-win, and that's always a good thing in my book.
Conclusions:
If you've ever considered getting a machine for polishing but were afraid to do so, stop worrying and get a G110 - you'll never regret it. Trying to correct defects by hand is overly time consuming, back breaking work. You deserve better, and so does your car/truck/suv/boat/motorcycle.
If you've ever thought about stepping up to a rotary but were terrified by all the paint burning stories you've read, stop worrying. Get a decent rotary and take your time learning. Work on your little sister's old beater car first, or your neighbor's car (you know, the guy who borrowed your leaf blower and cordless drill two years ago but never returned them?). The rotary does amazing things, especially in skilled hands. It does things a DA simply can not do, and it does it all in less time. If you're really serious about finish care, and especially if you have the opportunity to pick up some cash on the side by detailing a car every now and then, get a rotary. If you're thinking of going pro, then of course a rotary is a must.
If the rotary scares you and the Flex intrigues you because of the dual action nature of it..........get a rotary and the Dynabrade adapter. I may be the first person here to say negative things about the Flex but it's my honest opinion folks. Yes, the Flex seems a logical step between the DA and rotary but I think the alternative of the Dynabrade adapter is a much better choice, both from a comfort standpoint and a financial one. I've already got a DA and I've already got a rotary. If I really wanted something inbetween I'd get the Dynabrade adapter for $121.99 and use the $158 saved by not getting the Flex for more pads, polish, microfiber..........beer.
Last week I had the opportunity to play with a few new to me machines -
- Flex XC3401 VRG Orbital Polisher (the dual action machine)
- Meguiar's G110 Dual Action Polisher
- Dynabrade Rotary with the Random Orbital Head Kit
G110 ($149.99)
As a conventional DA polisher in the family of the venerable Porter Cable 7424 this baby shines - literally and figuratively. It is smoother in operation than the conventional PC and has a bit more power. There is noticeably less shake and vibration and it does the same great job of defect removal that a machine at this power level is capable of. For $150 with a backing plate and hard case I think it's a must have for any weekend warrior who cares about their vehicles. Definitely an improvement over the PC 7424.
Flex XC3401 ($279.99)
Basically a lightweight but more powerful alternative to a conventional DA polisher. No doubt this had more oomph than the 7424/G110 DA polishers and I was really excited at the prospect of giving this baby a go after all the great things I've read about it, but I have two issues with this machine. It rotates counterclockwise, which is opposite the rotation direction of both conventional DA polishers and rotary polishers like the DeWalt, Makita, etc. Maybe not a big deal for someone with very little machine experience but when you've spent a lot of time working with a clockwise rotating machine it's funny how your body just adapts and the thing becomes almost an extension of yourself. Working with the Flex was like working while looking into a mirror. Any time I'd get the slightest bit of drag on the machine it did the opposite of what I was expecting. Am I being nitpicky here? Maybe. Perhaps I've already gotten a bit too set in my ways. But what really annoyed me was the high pitched vibration of this machine. I used it for about 10 minutes and when I shut it off my hands continued to buzz and tingle as if they'd fallen asleep. Honestly, I can't imagine what I'd feel like after polishing an entire car with this machine. I'm sure it would do an excellent job of defect removal, and the machine seems really well built - it oozes quality. Certainly the forced rotation aspect has its benefits too - it won't bog down under heavy pressure like a conventional DA will. But that annoying feeling of pins and needles as if my hands had fallen asleep....... really not a good thing for me.
Dynabrade Rotary with the Random Orbital Head Kit ($121.99 for the Random Orbital Head Kit)
I can't really make an honest assessment of the Dynabrade Rotary in pure rotary trim since I only used it with the Random Orbital Head kit attached so I'll just speak to that attachment here. The attachment is just that, an accessory that converts any rotary with a 5/8" spindle to a dual action orbital polisher. You get the same forced rotation of the Flex along with the added power of the rotary machine it's attached to. This is also a very high quality piece of hardware, no doubt about it. But it offers something the Flex doesn't - it is smooooth. No buzzing, no tingling in the hands. Yes, the combination of adapter and rotary is heavier and normally weight is a negative, but for me at least it's a smaller negative than the numb feeling I got with the Flex. Furthermore (and I admit to being either very frugal or a cheap old bugger, depending on your point of view) for basically the same money as the Flex you can pick up a Makita rotary ($169.99 ebay) and add the Dynabrade Random Orbital Head kit to it, meaning you get both the forced rotation random orbital features of the Flex and a full blown, high quality rotary for when you really need/want one. Win-win, and that's always a good thing in my book.
Conclusions:
If you've ever considered getting a machine for polishing but were afraid to do so, stop worrying and get a G110 - you'll never regret it. Trying to correct defects by hand is overly time consuming, back breaking work. You deserve better, and so does your car/truck/suv/boat/motorcycle.
If you've ever thought about stepping up to a rotary but were terrified by all the paint burning stories you've read, stop worrying. Get a decent rotary and take your time learning. Work on your little sister's old beater car first, or your neighbor's car (you know, the guy who borrowed your leaf blower and cordless drill two years ago but never returned them?). The rotary does amazing things, especially in skilled hands. It does things a DA simply can not do, and it does it all in less time. If you're really serious about finish care, and especially if you have the opportunity to pick up some cash on the side by detailing a car every now and then, get a rotary. If you're thinking of going pro, then of course a rotary is a must.
If the rotary scares you and the Flex intrigues you because of the dual action nature of it..........get a rotary and the Dynabrade adapter. I may be the first person here to say negative things about the Flex but it's my honest opinion folks. Yes, the Flex seems a logical step between the DA and rotary but I think the alternative of the Dynabrade adapter is a much better choice, both from a comfort standpoint and a financial one. I've already got a DA and I've already got a rotary. If I really wanted something inbetween I'd get the Dynabrade adapter for $121.99 and use the $158 saved by not getting the Flex for more pads, polish, microfiber..........beer.
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