Many "how to" sites discuss buffing, but
they don't cover which type of buffing is the best. Unless you've
been a "wheel man" for a while, the last thing you want to do is
get near a car with a high speed wheel buffer. Go high speed orbital
instead!
I know that's probably not the information you were looking for.
Detailers do a large amount of business with customers who mess-up
their paint jobs with high speed buffers. So do body shops. Why does
this happen? Because people get it in their head that high speed wheel
buffers are the only equipment to get the job done. As Tim "The Toolman"
Taylor used to say, "The right tool for the job makes all the difference".
In this case high speed wheel buffing is "old school" when it comes to
probably 90% of the buffing requirements on newer vehicles.
Here's a comparison to consider. If you are looking for a good high
speed wheel buffer, the best one on the market is the Makita 9227C
7" polisher/buffer. It also does double duty as a sander if you ever
need one around the house. This is the cadillac of high speed buffers
with variable speeds up to 3,000 rpm. It can handle anything you can
throw at it. Another very important thing to consider is the weight
of the buffer at only 6 lbs. When you've been buffing cars all day,
you will seriously appreciate the lighter weight of the Makita versus
the other buffer's on the market. Some guys will swear by Milwaukee's
and DeWalt's, but put all three side by side and see how much lighter
the Makita is and you will go this route. It's also built solid and
can take a lot of abuse. We had several at our shop and I swear
somebody dropped each one on a daily basis and they held up for years.
Now the comparison. My personal advice, don't bother getting a high
speed wheel buffer until you get good with a high speed orbital. I know
this sounds like sacrilege to many of the old school detailers out there
since most guys pride themselves on their expertise with a wheel. But
think about all the damage you did when you were still learning to use
a wheel buffer. You can tear off trim, burn the paint, melt plastic,
discolor the rubber window gaskets and even tear them off the windows.
3,000 rpm is pretty fast. My advice is to get a Porter Cable 7424 High
Speed Orbital Polisher. These buffers do a fantastic job and allow you
to rely more on the different grades of pads and the grit of the glaze
or compound you are using. Don't get me wrong, these are still capable
of 3,000 rpm, but they are orbital so you aren't going to get as much
cutting with an orbital. But you also don't get all the negative
potential damage either. You can use a red heavy duty pad with a high
grit compound and do just as good a job on a newer car buffing the
paint back to new condition. Follow-up with a polish glaze and then
finish it off with a great high grade wax or polymer sealant and the
vehicle finish will look new. The other benefit of using Porter Cable
Orbital's is that you won't run the risk of swirling the paint since
it's a high speed orbital. These polishers are truly wonderful to have
in your equipment. I have three just for my own vehicles at home. I use
two for buffing and polishing and the third I have a carpet brush
attachment and it's great for scrubbing stains out of carpets. I still
have my Makita, but it sits on the shelf.
One thing I learned in the detailing business is that many of the
guys in our industry get so used to dealing with certain things that
won't try anything new. Don't let yourself get into that rut. New
technologies come out everyday in this business. The guys that try new
cleaners and equipment are the one's that succeed. One of the benefits
of having your own detailing company is people want you to try their
products out. So anytime somebody stops in to sell you something tell
them you will give it a try as long as they leave you a free sample.
I could always tell the serious companies from the losers with that
simple technique. Serious sellers who want your business will give you
any samples you want and leave equipment for you to try for a week. If
you don't like it they take it back, but if you do that new product
might save you minutes or even hours in your daily work schedule. So don't
be afraid to try new things. That's how I discovered the Porter Cable
Orbital a year before anybody else in my area even knew they were out.
Funny thing is most of the guys in my area still won't use the high
speed orbital because "it's not old school".
