Dual-Action Car Polisher in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Products sampled from this guide:

Griot's Garage 10765STDCRD 6" Random Orbital with 10' Cord 

Meguiar's Professional Dual Action Polisher

PORTER-CABLE 7346SP 6-Inch Random Orbit Sander with Polishing Pad

So, you want to safely polish your car with a car polisher, but you don't know which polisher to buy? This guide will help.

IN THE BEGINNING...

The Porter Cable 7424 dual-action car polisher was the first true pro-consumer car polisher available. Although the machine started as a sander for woodworkers, it quickly became the defacto standard among professionals and car enthusiasts, alike. Today there are more dual-action car polisher options available, including the Meguiar's G110v2 Professional Dual-Action Polisher and the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbit Polisher.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: Please notice that I recommend the Porter Cable 7346SP, not the 7424xp. It is exactly the same tool, however, model 7346SP contains both the polishing pad and a Velcro backing plate. You need the Velcro backing plate to attach Velcro backed foam pads. If you purchase the 7424xp you will need to purchase a backing plate separately at a cost of RM45 to RM60. The 7346SP will save you money!
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MEGUIAR'S VELCRO FOAM POLISHING PADS LIT THE FIRE!

With Meguiar's introduction of foam polishing pads into the paint and body industry in the 1970's, it’s not hard to see how the Porter Cable 7424 came into use on car finishes. Since the late 1990's, the Porter Cable 7424 polisher has gained recognition as one of the most effective and safest polishers for car enthusiasts and car detailers alike.

Why did the Porter Cable 7424 car polisher become so popular within the car enthusiast hobby? Let’s explore the inner workings of a dual-action car polisher and find out.

A dual-action car polisher is a machine that operates by orbiting the polishing pad around a center spindle while the pad freely spins on its own axis. A counterweight on the opposite side of the center spindle dampens vibration for smooth operation.

The tool head action, often called orbital, prevents the creation of holograms (symmetrical buffing marks), paint burns and other forms of paint damage often associated with high-speed buffing machines. When used with proper care, the dual-action polisher design virtually eliminates the possibility of paint damage.

The polishing action of a dual-action polisher closely mimics that of circular hand polishing. Imagine being able to make 2,500 to 6,000 tight hand circles in a single minute and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how these dual-action polishers do their job. They work just like your hand, only at super-human speed!

If you have previously owned a random-orbit car polisher that made a lot of NOISE, but did little else for your car’s finish, you will appreciate the dual-action car polishers presented here as professional grade machines. Most consumer car polishers don’t have enough power, have a very small orbit (often less than 1/4 inch), and have limited accessories.

What do I mean by "consumer car polisher?" If you have visited an auto parts store in recent years, I'm sure you're probably seen the kind of car polisher I'm talking about. They are two handed machines with the motor situated over the pad. Typically the pad is quite large (8" to 10"), and they carry names like "Wax Master". These machines are really electric car waxing machines, not proper car polishers.

DUAL ACTION CAR POLISHER FEATURES

The original Porter Cable 7424 was fitted with a pretty powerful motor for its size (3.7 amps). However, as both professionals and consumers started demanding more paint correction capabilities from their dual-action polishers, the motor sizes have increased. Meguiar's was the first to introduce a more powerful product with their original G110 polisher. Now all three manufacturers offer machines with 4+ AMP motors. More power is not always better, as it also introduces more noise and more vibration.

These machines function at 2,500 to 6,000 operations per minutes (OPM), controllable by a thumb wheel on the rear end of the machine. The OPM measurement is used instead of revolutions per minute (RPM) to distinguish the difference between orbits and center shaft revolutions. At 6,000 OPM, these car polishers are doing a lot of work.

INDUSTRY STANDARD ATTACHMENTS

One of the features that made the Porter Cable 7424 a defacto industry was it's use of a 5/16-24 spindle for attachments. As a result, a lot of different attachments fit the Porter Cable, making it more versatile. For example, Velcro backing plates in many different sizes, and brushes (for scrubbing carpet), are available with a 5/16-24 fitment.

ERGONOMICS

All three brands have made significant improvements in ergonomic design, but the Porter Cable 7424XP is the only unit that I feel is vastly improved. All three units are now more slim and trim, but only Porter Cable figured out that the speed dial need to be on the top side of the unit, not the end. The ability to see the speed dial is a very convenient feature. Also, Porter Cable invented and patented the original oscillating head mechanism with a replaceable counterbalance weight. All others are adaptations of the Porter Cable design that do not approach its strength or versatility.

CAR POLISHER SIZE & WEIGHT

In pictures, the Porter Cable 7424 and other dual-action car polishers look larger than they actually are. The machines from Meguiar's Griot's Garage and Porter Cable all measure about 10 inches in length and weigh in at about 6 pounds with a backing plate and pad attached. Unlike a professional rotary polisher, which can weigh in at almost twice the weight, the pro-consumer dual-action polishers are not difficult to handle.

CAR POLISHER HANDLES

One of the big differences between the three machines is their handle. Both Meguiar's and Griot's Garage have chosen a "D" style handle that puts your hand over the top of the machine head. Porter Cable uses a reversible side handle. Most people I know opt to use no handle at all, as these machines work very well when you grip the top of the machine directly.

VELCRO BACKING PLATES AND POLISHING PADS

The Porter Cable 7424 car polisher comes equipped with a single white foam polishing pad that is permanently fixed to a 5” baking plate. This basic white pad is okay for light duty polishing and waxing, but not much else. As a result, a new industry was born.

Today, you can easily find Velco backing plates ranging in size from 3" to 6" that will fit all of these dual action car polishers. However, a word of caution. All of these machines are sensitive to backing plate weight. When you deviate outside of the manufacturer's weight parameters, you may experience higher than normal vibration.

The ideal Velcro backing plate size for all of these machines -- for primary use -- is 4.25" to 5.25". The size backing plate you use is predicated by the polishing pad size. In all cases, you should use a backing plate with a diameter .5" smaller than the polishing pad. This offers sufficient protection to avoid damaging trim, mirrors and paintwork when polishing in tight areas.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is choosing a foam polishing pad by its color. There are no color standards for foam pads, so don't make this mistake. In fact, many foams with different colors are identical. Other foams that look the same and feel the same may have completely different polishing characteristics. In this guide I'm recommending Meguiar's because they are simply the best for anyone using an electric car polisher for the first time.

CONCLUSION

On my website I offer a lot more information with pictures and charts (not possible here). What it all boils down to is best price and best quality. I think Porter Cable offers both.

Meguiar's 6.5-Inch Soft Buff Foam Cutting Pad

Meguiar's 6.5-Inch Soft Buff Foam Polishing Pad

Meguiar's 6.5-Inch Soft Buff Foam Finishing Pad