Harbor Freight buffer

[schuylkill]

Has anyone used this? I ran over the top skin of a furniture delivery box truck which "floated" onto the highway in front of me and have a light scrape down the side of my car. You can't feel it with your nail but it feels rough when you slide your finger over it. It's not obvious unless you're looking for it but then it's in my face. It's a 2012 Elantra which is a highway warrior so I'm not freaking out about it but I want to do what I can to get it out. I've only ever done finish work by hand. I am considering getting a Groit 6" DA but for the little I'll probably use it are there any opinions on this unit?
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-variable-speed-dual-action-polisher-69924.html

 

[97prizm]

If you just want to use it once in a while I'd say go for it. I Got a killer deal on a porter Cable a few years back and like it alot. I don't know if it has the option to change counter weights like my porter cable or not. Look around sometimes you can find porter cable or other brands that are better for a little more on sale.

 

[Rolla07]

Looks like a good unit based on reviews. Personally id give it a go at that price. Its 1/3rd the cost of the griot one. Please post back to share your experience if you buy it! Im looking for one that can really take care of swirls and scratches.

 

[VicVinegar]

Personally I'm going to buy a Griots one of these days. Lifetime warranty. There is a kit on Advance with some Griots products and two pads for $200. HUGE50 coupon code knocks $50 off. There may be better polishes/waxes, and Lake Country pads might be better, but the Griots pads and products have good reviews too.

 

[schuylkill]

Based on this:
http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/142910-harbor-freight-6-da.html
and getting 25% off yesterday I got one for $45 plus tax and $6.95 shipping.

 

[bustednutz]

Its not so much the DA polisher as it is the type of pads and polish you use.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: schuylkill
Has anyone used this? I ran over the top skin of a furniture delivery box truck which "floated" onto the highway in front of me and have a light scrape down the side of my car. You can't feel it with your nail but it feels rough when you slide your finger over it. It's not obvious unless you're looking for it but then it's in my face. It's a 2012 Elantra which is a highway warrior so I'm not freaking out about it but I want to do what I can to get it out. I've only ever done finish work by hand. I am considering getting a Groit 6" DA but for the little I'll probably use it are there any opinions on this unit?
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-variable-speed-dual-action-polisher-69924.html
You don't "polish a scratch out" you actually smooth the edges so it becomes harder to see.

 

[schuylkill]

I am happy with the results I got for a first time user. I used HD Uno as a polish and used the HF pads. I applied Collinite 845 with the buffer for the wax. I sprayed the pads lightly with some Eagle One Spray Wax I had stashed before applying the Uno. I used very little of the Uno. The scrape had some sections which were deeper than others so the results varied also, but if you didn't know about them, you wouldn't notice them now. Before dust would hang up on the scraped area and highlight it, now that doesn't occur. Most of the light swirls I had in the paint are now gone or reduced. And most importantly I don't think I did any damage anywhere. It also helps that the car is silver. I'll probably buy a new disk and pads from another source once these pads are shot. I went too long with one of the polishing pads, otherwise they held up pretty well. I hand washed them and sun dried them and they are now stored in zip bags.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: schuylkill
Has anyone used this? I ran over the top skin of a furniture delivery box truck which "floated" onto the highway in front of me and have a light scrape down the side of my car. You can't feel it with your nail but it feels rough when you slide your finger over it. It's not obvious unless you're looking for it but then it's in my face. It's a 2012 Elantra which is a highway warrior so I'm not freaking out about it but I want to do what I can to get it out. I've only ever done finish work by hand. I am considering getting a Groit 6" DA but for the little I'll probably use it are there any opinions on this unit?
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-variable-speed-dual-action-polisher-69924.html
You don't "polish a scratch out" you actually smooth the edges so it becomes harder to see.


+1 Yes and no. If the scratch is down to the paint that is correct. If it is a clearcoat scratch you can "polish" it out but some people go a little crazy and polish the clearcoat away

 

[cutlassvillager]

I just bought a (different) harbor freight rotary buffer for our detail department at work. We usually bought much more expensive DeWalt buffers, but I found out our body shop guy has been using the same Chicago Electric (same as Harbor Freight's Drill Master) for years without any issues.

I compared them side by side with the one our body shop guy uses and they are the exact same except for the outer casing being orange on the Chicago Electric one.

This is the one I just bought