DA or Rotary for a newbie

[HSD]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

As a newbie to the world of detailing could someone explain exactly what the differences are between a rotary and a DA.

Thanks in advance.

[BillyJack]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

A lot of info to read, but it's about as comprehensive as you can find:http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-polisher.html

Bill

[scoutfai]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

i agree with alll the above and especially bill. i rarely break out the rotary EXCEPT when doing boats. this is where a rotary is a must.

Why when doing boats a rotary is a must?
Remark: I am complete newbie in power tool. Currently researching what tool to buy as 1st tool.

[groundskeeper willie]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

you need the power and speed of a rotary to turn wool pads on Gel. a DA will work, but not near as effectively or efficiently.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

As a newbie to the world of detailing could someone explain exactly what the differences are between a rotary and a DA.

Thanks in advance.

DA (Dual Action) polishers have concurrent revolving and oscillating motions. The RPM's on a DA polisher (such as a Porter Cable 7424 or Meguiars G110v2) are much lower than a rotary (or direct drive) polisher such as a DeWalt DW849 or a Makita 9227c, making the DA a safe polisher in the hands of a novice. What causes burn through on automotive paint is heat generated at the point of contact. By design, DA polishers simply cannot generate sufficient heat at the poc to cause burn-through while rotary polishers can. And there are plenty of youtube videos posted on proper polishing techniques using these machines.

Rotary polishers are direct-drive machines operate exactly like a power drill, using higher RPM's. Both DA and rotary polishers use foam pads ranging from 3"-7" in diameter. The distinguishing differences between DA's and rotaries can found in their speed settings. DA's typically use single digit speed settings (1-6) which correlate into an OPM (oscillations per minute) speed setting range, while rotaries are single motion machines that use true RPM settings (800-3000). DA's are also manufactured to accept backing plates with 3/8" spindles while rotary polishers are manufactured with spindles to accept 1/2" backing plates.

Orbital buffers with larger 10"-12" diameter pads that can be bought at Sears, Walmart, etc don't have the cutting power of a DA or rotary, and are effective mostly for applying and removing wax as opposed to compounding or polishing.

Pictured below are a Makita 9227c rotary polisher (top), a Rupes 21ES DA polisher (middle), and a Meguiars G110v2 DA polisher (bottom). The Rupes is a newer polisher in the detailing world and boasts a larger throw (oscillation orbit) than previous DA polishers, allowing for greater coverage on correction passes. Combined with microfiber polishing pads, the Rupes can shave hours off average polishing times.



For further definitive information on how to distinguish the polishers/buffers, check out Rotary Buffer vs DA Polisher vs Traditional Orbital Buffer

[HSD]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

Thanks so much for the detailed response and the links.

I think I have a much better understanding of the difference between a rotary and DA now. Having digested the information it certainly seems that the DA is the best choice for me and it seems sensible to choose the Meguiars unit as there is so much info about using it on this forum. In my case this would be the G220 V2 (is there a V3 planned?) as I'm in the UK. As the weather here is now horrible it looks like it'll be Spring before I purchase and can use this. If only we had San Diego weather here

[BrandIdeator]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

Flakey,
I concur with everything said thus far. If you're just getting your feet wet, and not looking to spend a lot of money, go for the 6" DA Polisher from Harbor Freight. With a few tweaks (below), it'll be perfect for the beginner.

I, too, have the DA from HF and I am very pleased with it. However, there are a few things that I'd recommend doing to it if you plan on using it fairly regularly.
1. Re-Grease it! Instructions here I used High-Temp Gear grease from O'Reilly (like $4).
2. I found that the handle got in my way more than it helped. If you agree, you'll want to replace the nylon screw (#2 Screw) on the red top plate with a metal one. The screw size is M8 - 1.25 X 10mm.
3. If you don't have one already, invest in a 12 gauge extension cord to run the polisher. I mistakenly forgot mine and used a 16 gauge and it didn't run as well.
4. As for a backing plate: I use the W67DA with the 6.5" W7006/W8006/W9006 pads

Other than that, enjoy the polisher.

[cvalley]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

where did you hear that?
A DA is a "safe" and an extremely effective tool.

A rotary is an advanced tool, not for noobs.

Get a G110 and the DAMF System and you'll do amazing things with it.

Can you be more specific? I'm interested in the G110V2 and the DAMF, but can't figure out if I need a different backing plate than what the G110 comes with, and whether I should get 5" DAMF pads, or 6".

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

Can you be more specific? I'm interested in the G110V2 and the DAMF, but can't figure out if I need a different backing plate than what the G110 comes with, and whether I should get 5" DAMF pads, or 6".

DAMF (Dual Action Micro-Fiber) is a paint correction system comprising microfiber polishing and finishing pads, D300 polishing compound, and D301 Finishing Wax. It will work with any DA polisher including (naturally) Meguiars G110v2. The pads come in both 5" and 6" diameters, but many detailers here and elsewhere find the 5" pad to be more effective. The pads can be used with your existing hook and loop (velcro) backing plates. The combination of the pads and the specially formulated compound greatly increases the effectiveness of the "cut" while maintaining all of the safety intended (by design) of the dual action polisher

[cvalley]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

Thanks. So what pads and backing plate should I order? I still don't get which backing plate goes with what pad and what size comes on the G110 to begin with. The backing plates are W67DA and W68DA, but don't which is which and what's on the G110 in the box.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

Thanks. So what pads and backing plate should I order? I still don't get which backing plate goes with what pad and what size comes on the G110 to begin with. The backing plates are W67DA and W68DA, but don't which is which and what's on the G110 in the box.

The G110v2 buffer ships with a W68DA backing plate, which is designed to work specifically with the Soft Buff 2.0 foam pads (W8207, W9207). The correct backing plate for use with microfiber pads on this and other DA buffers is the W67DA, which matches up with the 5.5" microfiber pads (DMC5, DMF5, DMX5). If you purchase one of the DAMF System 5" kits it comes with the W67DA backing plate, a bottle of both D300 and D301, and a pair of DMC5 and DMF5 pads.

[HSD]

Re: DA or Rotary for a newbie

Is the spec the same for the UK G220 model.


Also, can someone confirm that this website is officially connected with Meguiars?

http://www.meguiars-online.co.uk

Thanks