Might want a buffer/polisher

[99saturnsc1]

I might want a buffer/polisher. Is there a difference? I am thinking cordless.

I also would like to know what pads for what and how many.

Grit gaurd...Will that work well with 5 gallon bucket? I usually wax and remove wax and polish by hand with very good results.

Last question. What exactly is clay for?
Is it alot of work?

Will it remove my light swirl marks? (sorry that was three more) Thanx Sorry so many ???? but I think my car looks good but I want stunning. (In gallery)

I guess once you're addicted good enough is never good enough

[Don]

A Porter Cable buffer is probabley THE single best investment you can make to keep your finish looking its best. It is as moron-proof as they come. You practically have to swing it overhead by the cord and bring it down on your car to cause damage.

There are many choices for pads, the most commonly used being Meguiars and Lake Country although the other brands are good as well. I bought 6 of each type (cutting/polishing/finishing) when I started out to make sure I had enough and as insurance against USPD (unforeseen sudden pad destruction).

For the clay question, do a quick search as there is a ton of specific info on it.

[gb387]

You mentioned cordless buffer... Some have said that they are best for application of wax. They don' have the power that a PC has and can not tackle the minor problems a PC can. Just what I have read.

Megs cordless buffer:


Megs PC:


A quick thing on clay... It removes above surface contaminates, easy to use can take some time but well worth it!

Here is a recent post on clay

Also a grit guard fits in a 5 gallon bucket.

[99saturnsc1]

Thanks a bunch

[the other pc]

**** I might want a buffer/polisher. Is there a difference? I am thinking cordless.

The industry tends to use the terms polisher and buffer interchangeably. There are two general classes of polishers, rotaries and orbitals. Rotary polishers are very aggressive and require considerable skill to use. Orbitals are effective and very safe for the novice. Both the G-100 and G-104 are orbital.

As Don and gb387 have pointed out a cordless machine like Meg's G-104 can do an excellent job applying and removing products but it won't have the power/speed the Meg's/Porter-Cable G-100 has for removing significant defects. Still, a cordless can remove some minor defects and is very easy to use.


**** I also would like to know what pads for what and how many.

You should have a separate pad for each product used and if you'll be removing products with bonnets you'll need a pad for that. I would suggest a spare or two as well. Here's a link to the pad/product chart for the G-100 and G-104.


**** Grit gaurd...Will that work well with 5 gallon bucket? I usually wax and remove wax and polish by hand with very good results.

I think so but I don't have one.


**** Last question. What exactly is clay for?
Is it alot of work?

Here's an article on clay. It's a lot easier than hand polishing.


**** Will it remove my light swirl marks? (sorry that was three more) Thanx Sorry so many ???? but I think my car looks good but I want stunning. (In gallery)

Clay does not remove swirls. You need a cleaner/polish like ScratchX, #80, #83, etc to do that.


**** I guess once you're addicted good enough is never good enough

Welcome to the club!


PC.

[99saturnsc1]

Thanx, I just bought the cleaner wax twenty minutes agoe and will be using that, the deep crystal polish and topping with two coats of NXT in about an hour