ok so i'm not real sure if this is the right section to post this or not but i'm posting it anyways.

so i work at lowes part time and i was looking for a buffer, well we just so happen to sell a fairly cheap one that is a black and decker and is only 25.00 bucks. it says it spins up to 4400 rpm. is that good for just waxing and buffing or should i try to find one with more rpm?

thanks guys

 

Give me a bit more info if you can. When you say buffer do you mean a Rotary (works exactly like a sander) or a random orbital.

IF you are new to the whole detailing gig of cutting/polishing paint I would steer you away from the rotary simply due to the fact that you can burn right thru the paint in no time than you've caused more bad than good.

What I would advise to you is the ever so popular Porter Cable. It's not 25 bucks but it's worth every penny.

 

the one i'm looking at doesn't look like that. i guess it must be an orbital sander. how much does the porter cable cost?

 

I'm not sure what it runs for in the US....search.

 

Beat me to it, striker. I think one of the sponsors sells a detailing kit with a porter cable, if you want to buy it all in one shot

 

Are you looking to just wax/buff or are you interested in paint correction? There are several DA polishers. PC 7424, the new PC7424xp, Megs G110v2, Flex XC 3401 etc. You'd be looking at around 125 for the PC 7424xp up to around 300 for the Flex.

 

Used, $80-100+
New, $130-160+

Couple used ones on Ebay this week.
But as mentioned, ..., money well spent.

 

The Porter is the best bet for someone who wants to get into detailing their car more than just the usual hand methods, without spending $250+ on one of the high end ones pro exotic car detailers use.

 

i'm just looking for something to just wax and polish for now.

thanks for all the info guys.

 

theyve got those new turtle wax small buffers at walmart for around 20 bucks. not sure if they are any good or not.

 

I'm running a Makita Rotary but I would not advise this for someone with less experience.

 

I'm a noob to these things but want to get one soon as well. So which of the above is for paint correction? And when you say paint correction, that refers to stuff like swirls and scratches, no?

 

Paint correction refers to swirls, scratches, marring, etc etc. Basically any imperfections that you cannot do by simply rubbing some compounds with your hands and what not.

I would honestly start off with the porter cable and a nice two step polishing compound with some pads to go with them. Honestly, here's the best thing anyone can give you as far as a detailing tools go-
http://www.autopia.org/forum/index.php
The guys are great and very helpful!

 

The Porter Cable is a great tool for swirls and light scratches, along with applying polish/wax. The Flex is the next step up. It's not quite to the rotory level but has a tighter rotation and works a little faster. The rotory is not for the beginner. The ones you were looking at will apply polish/wax and that's it. That's fine it that is all you want to do. Any correction at all will take the PC. I sell the the 7424XP new in the box by itself and in a kit. The kit includes backing plate, counterweight, pads and bonnets. The PC is not $20, but will provide a lifetime of use. I have had my PC for almost 6 years. I average 75-100 cars a year. That shows you that for the guy keeping his cars up, it's a lifetime purchase.

 

I'm a PC7336 user (exact same as 7424) and I love it. Great beginner's tool, but if you want more correction capability and want to cut down on time, I'd get a rotary. If you don't have experience and/or don't need that kind of power, a DACP like the 7424 is more than sufficient.

After a few years with a DACP, you may get fed up on the amount of time it takes to do more thorough correction. I know I am.

 

x2 I have the porter but learned what a rotary can do way faster.