Need a new rotary buffer

montero1 · May 20, 2018

Mine burned out after 25 years, recommend me one please. I already Have a Porter Cable, I need something that I can buff scratches and scuffs out with.

Trav · May 20, 2018

Do you want air, electric, big, small? Daily use of just occasional?

montero1 · May 20, 2018

Occasional, electric.

Trav · May 20, 2018

I have this one, it does a great job and is light. It is variable speed, has a constant torque motor and is well made. I did a review of it here a couple of years ago and its still going strong with more than occasional use. When I got it you could find it for $39 so look around. https://www.toolsource.com/pads-sanding-...t-p-161098.html

ecotourist · May 20, 2018

I have a Porter Cable random orbital sander that I use to buff scratches and scuffs out with. I apply polishes and waxes with Lake Country pads. Combination works great.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 24, 2018

Originally Posted By: ecotourist

I have a Porter Cable random orbital sander that I use to buff scratches and scuffs out with. I apply polishes and waxes with Lake Country pads. Combination works great.

Thanks for your info. After numerous other such positive testimonies...I'm getting that polisher delivered here tomorrow.

The Critic · May 24, 2018

I really like my Flex PE14 rotary. It is super lightweight and is an excellent choice for the light to moderate user. By no means is it a workhorse though.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 24, 2018

Originally Posted By: The Critic

I really like my Flex PE14 rotary. It is super lightweight and is an excellent choice for the light to moderate user. By no means is it a workhorse though.

WOW - that one sounds like a great unit (but out of my budget). The specs on it are top shelf.

FastEddie · May 24, 2018

I beat the heck out of my Flex PE14, from boats to what it is mainly used for, compounding and polishing for auto restoration shops. It is one heck of a workhorse for me.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 24, 2018

Originally Posted By: FastEddie

I beat the heck out of my Flex PE14, from boats to what it is mainly used for, compounding and polishing for auto restoration shops. It is one heck of a workhorse for me.

Based on the specs...I can believe its quite the unit. But at triple the price (over $400) of some others mentioned in this thread...it should be.

FastEddie · May 24, 2018

Originally Posted By: HYUNDAIFAN0001

Originally Posted By: FastEddie

I beat the heck out of my Flex PE14, from boats to what it is mainly used for, compounding and polishing for auto restoration shops. It is one heck of a workhorse for me.

Based on the specs...I can believe its quite the unit. But at triple the price (over $400) of some others mentioned in this thread...it should be.

I can get the same results with a Harbor Freight rotary, but since I use this machine almost every day, it is worth it to me. If I wasn't a full time auto detailer, I would not have spent that much money on a rotary.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 25, 2018

Originally Posted By: FastEddie

Originally Posted By: HYUNDAIFAN0001

Originally Posted By: FastEddie

I beat the heck out of my Flex PE14, from boats to what it is mainly used for, compounding and polishing for auto restoration shops. It is one heck of a workhorse for me.

Based on the specs...I can believe its quite the unit. But at triple the price (over $400) of some others mentioned in this thread...it should be.

I can get the same results with a Harbor Freight rotary, but since I use this machine almost every day, it is worth it to me. If I wasn't a full time auto detailer, I would not have spent that much money on a rotary.

Makes perfect sense. I noted that the FLEX is virtually identical in weight to the Porter Cable (5 1/2 lbs) - nice - which they point out as desirable to reduce user fatigue, in contrast to heavier DA polishers for car detailing. I almost ordered a new Harbor Freight...and considered a Griots until I learned about the need to remove the factory lubrication that comes with the Harbor Freight unit to get ideal performance and the added 2 lbs of weight with the Griots (and questionable warranty support). The idea of having to redo something on a new product didn't seem appealing, nor did the bulkier Griots unit. Ended up ordering a Porter Cable DA polisher.

JetStar · May 26, 2018

I have a 20 year old Milwaukee and a 3 year old Makita. Both are variable speed. The Milwaukee suffered a meltdown within the first year, which they took care of, and has been fine ever since. I like the Makita better.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 26, 2018

Originally Posted By: JetStar

I have a 20 year old Milwaukee and a 3 year old Makita. Both are variable speed. The Milwaukee suffered a meltdown within the first year, which they took care of, and has been fine ever since. I like the Makita better.

Interesting...good to know. It also reinforces what many have said...if a DA polisher has issues...that will tend to surface in the first year or so (well in advance of the warranty period on most units). Once getting past that time period...likely no problems until normal age wear sets in. There are many reports of folks using various polishers more than 10-12 years...which seems to be a good value for a device around $100 - $125. Obviously the frequency these devices get used plays an important factor.

FastEddie · May 26, 2018

This thread is referring to rotary polishers, and as such they tend to last a lot longer than DA polishers. The Makita rotaries are very well built but suffer from cord failures if used a lot. It's a common problem but an easy fix.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 27, 2018

Originally Posted By: FastEddie

This thread is referring to rotary polishers, and as such they tend to last a lot longer than DA polishers. The Makita rotaries are very well built but suffer from cord failures if used a lot. It's a common problem but an easy fix.

Me thinks not. Here's the original post:

Originally Posted By: montero1

Mine burned out after 25 years, recommend me one please. I already Have a Porter Cable, I need something that I can buff scratches and scuffs out with.

Porter Cable doesn't show they even sell a rotary buffer on their site...only DA polishers...which is the appropriate tool that really should be used to buff out scratches and scuffs.

Zeus33 · May 31, 2018

Originally Posted By: HYUNDAIFAN0001

Originally Posted By: FastEddie

This thread is referring to rotary polishers, and as such they tend to last a lot longer than DA polishers. The Makita rotaries are very well built but suffer from cord failures if used a lot. It's a common problem but an easy fix.

Me thinks not. Here's the original post:

Originally Posted By: montero1

Mine burned out after 25 years, recommend me one please. I already Have a Porter Cable, I need something that I can buff scratches and scuffs out with.

Porter Cable doesn't show they even sell a rotary buffer on their site...only DA polishers...which is the appropriate tool that really should be used to buff out scratches and scuffs.

FastEddie is correct. The OP titled the thread "Need a new ROTARY buffer." He has a Porter Cable (a DA polisher). A DA will work, but a rotary is exponentially faster than a DA to remove scratches. Especially any that are more than minor blemishes. Simple laws of physics. Also, Porter Cable made a rotary. The 7428. I don't know if they still make it or not.

HYUNDAIFAN0001 · May 31, 2018

Originally Posted By: Zeus33

FastEddie is correct. The OP titled the thread "Need a new ROTARY buffer." He has a Porter Cable (a DA polisher). A DA will work, but a rotary is exponentially faster than a DA to remove scratches. Especially any that are more than minor blemishes. Simple laws of physics. Also, Porter Cable made a rotary. The 7428. I don't know if they still make it or not.

UH...not exactly. The original poster didn't name a specific device...rather...was seeking something to "buff scratches and scuffs out with" in the very first post. That can get accomplished with more than one specific device. People confuse naming devices buffers and polishers all the time...plenty of thread posts on that topic. You can buff/polish with either device, but a DA polisher actually does a better job with scratches & scuffs in most cases and uses a different design/technology. By the way...the Cable Porter 7428 is called a variable speed polisher, not a rotary buffer. Amazon carried it for a while: Porter Cable 7428 Rotary Polisher Unlike the 7428, the Porter Cable 7424 XP model is called a Random Orbit Buffer here on this site... Porter Cable Random Order Buffer ...while most of the rest of the world calls that exact same model (including Porter Cable's site) a polisher like here: Porter Cable Site Variable Speed Random Polisher So when the folks selling them can't even agree on what they heck they call them...the public can certainly get confused as well. It's somewhat understandable, since they do more than one thing...depending on the user need.

FastEddie · May 31, 2018

Going off thread title, need a new rotary, most references in this thread are to rotary buffers, including the Flex, Makita etc. Porter Cable makes a rotary, Porter Cable 7428. And I have a Porter Cable XP DA as well as the older Porter Cable DA, much favor the Griots as it has more power, is quieter and has less vibration when using a 5 inch backing plate. But I have hundreds of hours on these machines and don't rely much on the internet as I do real world experience by myself.

RooflessVW · Jun 1, 2018

The OP said he needs a rotary (because his burned out), and he already has a Porter Cable. A rotary is much better at removing severe defects than a DA. I've got a Makita and it's a beast. Rarely ever reach for it though.

Need a new rotary buffer

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