Which Polisher Should You Use?

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Күн бұрын

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@dwayneh1095 7 ай бұрын

Good Morning, great topic with loads of information for both the beginner and intermediate. Your Vids walked me through my first purchase, a Porter cable 7424 back in 1998. Then the Beast, the Flex 3401 VRG around 2005. A Christmas gift to myself last year was the Lake Country UDOS 51E. Im 62 years old and still learning from your videos. Thanks for the journey of detailing.

@MikePhillips-Dr.Beasleys 6 ай бұрын

Sounds like you're doing great at 62! I'm 63 and still very thankful I'm in good shape and can continue to so the things I love. -Mike Phillips

@petreticu6008 6 ай бұрын

I use the FLEX XCE 10-8 forced rotation, i love it, great correction power and doesnt stalh on curved areas. I used rotary, free speinning da's 8 and 21 mm, forced rotation is the perfect balance bettween the rotaries and da's. You have good control, precision, fast correction and great finish. Also the FLEX seems like a reliable machine, with low vibrations, not too loud, it doesnt overheat and doesnt stahl. For someone who only buffs now and then it would be too much in terms of the price, but you cant have it all. To be honest, all you could want from a polisher as a detailer, if you work at a body shop.

@MikePhillips-Dr.Beasleys 6 ай бұрын

Nice summary of your tools and experience. I agree with everything. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@J1Z06 2 ай бұрын

I still love My 3401 beast!!! I'm a long time Cyclo user too. I'd love to learn the rotary.

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 2 ай бұрын

The BEAST is a money making tool. The rotary is a must-have when the right tool for the job is a rotary. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@davidvelez6923 5 ай бұрын

Mike Where is your Trusty MAKITA rotary Super Duper machine ?

@HoosierDaddyDetailing 6 ай бұрын

Great idea about using a magic marker to center the pad on a rotary!

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 6 ай бұрын

It definitely helps. The circular line on the backing of the pad will wear off, especially if you machine wash your wool cutting pads. BUT - it still helps and even as it fades, it still helps you to recenter and then RE-MARK. One of the MOST important techniques I can share when it comes to using a rotary polisher is to take the time to perfectly CENTER you pad onto the backing plate. It makes the buffing smoother and more effective. When the pad is not centered, it feels like you're driving in a car with a completely flat tire. (yeah, been there done that). So take the time to center your pad. -Mike Phillips

@rustygood6336 Ай бұрын

Just found your videos and enjoy learning from you. My question is this. Im a harley guy and am wondering what polisher/buffer would you would suggest for doing motorcycles? I have a bauer longthrow and as one of your videos say. Its not the best to use. Im needing one for finishing up my new paint jobs i do and also for paint correction on old harleys as well. Thanks

@VictorHernandez-nt3tw 6 ай бұрын

Love this video. Great information. Thanks for the tip on sanding. I was using a rotary to sand my healdlights but next time ill use an 8mm DA. Thanks Mike!

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 5 ай бұрын

I use rotary to sand headlights and teach this in our classes. The key is to use 3" sanding discs and 2-3 interface pads. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Mike Phillips

@PREDATOR07 Ай бұрын

The one and only is missing. Makita PO5000C The only one with switch to go from orbital to forced rotation.

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing Ай бұрын

I did prototype testing for this tool for Makita. I'm sad to say, the free spinning mode will not maintain pad rotation and the gear-driven mode is 5mm orbit stroke and while some people like short throw gear-driven orbital polishes, I'm not one of them. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@PREDATOR07 Ай бұрын

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing I saw that video 👍🏼 and I admire how you use any polisher without being scared of damage the paint. So far you're the only real professional car detailer. I've been doing detailing for 20 years. Keep it up 👍🏼.

@BubblezzAutoSpa Ай бұрын

Which wool pad are you using on the rotary ?

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing Ай бұрын

That's a 7.5" Lake Country Wool Pad -Mike

@billbuss7542 5 ай бұрын

Mike, what’s your opinion of the small hand held battery powered polishers? Are they good for anything other than applying wax?

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 5 ай бұрын

Great question and in my opinion, most small hand-held battery powered polishers are only good for spreading out a coat of car wax or a synthetic paint sealant. We WISH they could do more, but alas, they just don't have the power to remove swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation. At least not in a time-efficient manner. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@carlmazziotti221 7 ай бұрын

Is it worth investing in a 3" or smaller polisher? I have a nice 5.5" and sometimes when dealing with a small scratch feel like I shouod be using a micro polisher. I've been looking on Amazon for a decent one for home use not commercial.

@MikePhillips-Dr.Beasleys 6 ай бұрын

There are no GREAT random orbital polishers. BUT - my criteria for "good" is different than 99.9% of the population. I'm not a big fan of free spinning random orbital polishers because they stall out too easy for my personal preference. This includes all the micro-tools that you're looking at. I do like the RUPES Nano Long Neck for use with the ROTARY DRIVE UNIT and 1" pads for doing paint correction for thin panels. And I do like the FLEX PiXiE for machine sanding with the optional 6mm drive unit. Besides that, if you want to buff with small pads, spoil yourself and purchase the cordless FLEX PE-150 Rotary Polisher and then get some 1", 2" and 3" backing plate. This is my preferred micro-tool. LOL -Mike Phillips

@victoryensured7137 2 ай бұрын

A very informative in depth tutorial on some cool machines, although this is not news to me I still learned some history and interesting information about these tools, I salute you Mr. Mike! Also could you give me your honest opinion on the new Rupes HLR DA polisher? I know your not a super fan of free spinning machines but I just bought it and it is my first cordless one and a big step up for me from my previous Chinese made polishers, the quality, the sound, the smoothness of it ( I own also a Chinese corded 8mm and a 21 corded). It did stall a few times that I used it yesterday on a medium soft Toyota corolla 2023 paint but nothing major, few tweaks in my techniqe and BAM - a great result (induced some clay marring but buffed right off, also removed A LOT of imperfections with some medium cutting foam pads) Please be gentle (I really like it) but honest (I need the truth and I haven't heard you review it yet) it would be greatly appreciated.

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 2 ай бұрын

Hi Victoryensured7137, I have only used the new cordless RUPES polishers at SEMA (last year), and Mobile Tech Expo, (this last Jan/Feb), I like that they were low vibration, very lightweight and very quiet. The pad stalling issue will always be an issue with any type or brand of free spinning random orbital polisher. I do use free spinning random orbital polishers once in a while, usually for soft paints or for the final polishing step on aluminum and clear plastics. I just don't have the time or patience for pad stalling, thus the reason I tend to do my of my work with rotary and gear-driven orbitals. That said, what's really important is what works for you. My buffing style is I want to get the job done as fast as possible while maintaining pro-grade results. Other people are not like me and are not in a hurry, so for them, a little pad stalling is no big deal. It's all about what works best for you, the cars you detail and your buffing style. I don't think there is a right or wrong choice simply because we're humans and thus we're all different. Thank you for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@victoryensured7137 2 ай бұрын

@@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing Thank you very much for an in depth anwser, i really like the HLR but I am looking for a good gear driven machine, currently I am looking at Flex XCE, but i heard some news that the Flex cordless range will be updated soon so I'm trying to be patient! I know your style is different from most but your results speak for themselves. DA where my first and i have most experience behind those machines, but im trying to improve (always) and to learn the rotary and gear driven (i need to buy them first though, just had some practice at local training courses here in Poland). Last question, do you feel that gear driven is a little bit wobbly in the sense that it's guiding you instead of the other way around? Also they have a smaller orbit, is putting pressure on them increase the cut and offset the longer throw DA's?

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 2 ай бұрын

@@victoryensured7137 - The gear-driven orbitals are very different in how they feel when buffing. This difference is called POWER. Some people say a gear-driven orbital will tend to PULL them around, this pulling is POWER. Free spinning random orbital polishers don't pull you around because they simply don't have this type of power. In my classes, which don't help you being in Poland, I teach people how to use gear-driven orbitals without the pulling effect. It something that can be learned in a great hands-on class. You wouldn't want a large stroke gear-driven polisher, it simply won't work. -Mike

@victoryensured7137 2 ай бұрын

@@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing Thank you very much, if I will ever visit the States, I will try to find the time to attend to your classes!

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 2 ай бұрын

@@victoryensured7137 - That would be awesome!

@mutatedgenome 7 ай бұрын

Mike....Burn through caused by improper use of a rotary aside, some well respected detailers advise against using machines and/or techniques that spike paint temperatures more than 30° over the baseline temp. Gear driven machines, especially when applying pressure, will exceed this range. One, do you agreed with the concern, and two, have you ever seen any problems because of this?

@danlc95 6 ай бұрын

You're conducted this experiment yourself?

@c6z061 5 ай бұрын

I've used the Flex 3401 a lot. It DOES get the paint pretty hot. Not burning hot to the touch, but definitely spikes the temps. I've never burned through paint using the 3401, but the heat spiking is always in the back of my mind.

@70fastback94 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video, Mike! Fantastic as always. Which backing plate and pads are you using? It has been too long since I used my 3401 and I'm pretty sure the backing plate, which is falling apart ,is made by Lake Country. At least I still have the two Flex backing plates which are in tact.

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 6 ай бұрын

Hi 70fastback94, thank you for watching. The backing plates are what are called *Wear Items* or *Wear Components*. Due to wear-n-tear, the backing plates simply wear out. The first thing to go is the hook, which is part of the hook-n-loop system to hold pads onto the backing plate. Each time you remove a pad, you stretch-out the hooks and over time, they simply don't return to their original shape. You see this as your buffing pads not sticking or attaching to the backing plate with any strength. Next, the adhesive that holds the hook material to the backing plate gives-up. At this point, you really want to swap to a new backing plate. In a worst case scenario, the hook and pad will fly off the backing plate and you could potentially run the now bare backing plate into the paint. The other most common failure for these backing plates is OVER TIME - the foam interface between the hard plastic and the hook material simply disintegrates. This is just something that happens to all type of FOAM over time. Most reputable detailing supply stores carry replacements. And here's a tip, for all you people that use a BEAST polisher for your business, you should have a back-up backing plate so if the backing plate on your tool does wear-out, you can continue working. Over the years, I've had people tell me the backing plate wore out and left them stranded on a job. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@davidboyce6427 7 ай бұрын

Any thoughts on the Makita XOPO22 cordless polisher? It has the ability to mimic random orbital or forced rotation movement at the switch of the knob. Is it too gimmicky?

@MikePhillips-Dr.Beasleys 6 ай бұрын

I haven't used this tool yet so I don't have a real-world opinion. I did the ORIGINAL prototype testing for Makita for the PO5000C Polisher, before it went into production. It's useless in free spinning mode. And I personally do not like short orbit stroke GEAR-DRIVEN orbital polishers because they tend to jerk you around too much when moving over the different planes on a body panel. I MUCH prefer 8mm gear-driven orbital polishers for most paint correction work when not using a rotary polisher. Because I was so disappointed in the PO5000C, I'm probably not ever going to buy anything that's 5mm orbit stroke or smaller. Hope that helps. You can see the picture of the Makita Engineers from the prototype testing I put together for Makita by clicking the link below. The Engineers have a cartoon character face over their real faces - these are the Makita Engineers. I asked them for the prototype we were testing for my personal collection of prototype tools and I'm sorry to say the never took me seriously. Their mistake. themikephillipsforum.com/media/makitaengineersmikephillips-jpg.4577/full -Mike Phillips

@jamess.7415 6 ай бұрын

Mike will be the best one to answer since Makita reached out to him to test the unit before it reached final production but the Makita has a smaller orbit (5.5mm) compared to the Flex Beast tools at 8 mm. Makita has a top OPM speed of 6800 vs the Flex BEAST at 9600. And the random orbit on the Makita is stall city but then again that’s pretty much any random orbital. To sum up, just get the Flex BEAST 3401 or the Flex Supa BEAST. There’s a reason why they dominate as the tool of choice amongst professionals.

@davidboyce6427 4 ай бұрын

@@jamess.7415Thank you for this clarification 👍

@davidboyce6427 4 ай бұрын

Plymouth Fury with a Vinyl hardtop?

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 4 ай бұрын

Close. This is a *1970 Dodge Charger - 30,000 original miles* This is an ALL-ORIGINAL CAR with the ORIGIAL SINGLE STAGE PAINT. This is an incredibly rare car and even more rare opportunity to train on and learn one-step AIO Paint Correction. This was one of the TRAINING CARS for my January 8th, 2024, Paint Correction and Ceramic Coating Class. We don't use demo hoods for classes, I bring in the real deal for our students to train on. And really cool cars at that. Thanks for watching and commenting. -Mike Phillips

@limoman4125 5 ай бұрын

Damn cyclo havnt heard that name in years!! Still have 5. 3 of them still in rotation!! Also have the buff pro!! Never truly learned how to work it but just had to have it!! 😆 great video

@MikePhillips-Dr.Beasleys 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. The Cyclo is a well-built tool. It's kind of one of those tools that you either love it or you like something with a single spinning pad. As for the BuffPro, I tested this polisher when it was brand new and while it worked, I figured it was best for doing production detailing on large flat things like RVs and Boats. -Mike Phillips

@amounifnd 5 ай бұрын

Great vid. Can someone get Mike some better lighting or better cam ? Looks like one of his Autogeek vids from 12 years ago.....

@mikephillipsrealworlddetailing 5 ай бұрын

Working on it. Thanks for watching and commenting! -Mike Phillips

@btbd2785 5 ай бұрын

Ioke the new UDOS 3 in 1 but the issue with that machine and LC even advertised the new model where they were supposed to offer siffernt size backing plates. That was one of the main reasons why I bought UT. Hiwever, after I found out this was not true . I returned it back to them. This would have been the "Ultimate Tool" had they actually did that.