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I've seen a nubmer of orbital car polishers advertised and have always thought they look very gimmicky. Has anyone out there got any experience of using one of these and, if so, are they any good ? What should you expect to pay for a good unit and what features should you look out for ? Thanks folks!
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Don't know if you're meaning something as basic as the one I used, basically plug into mains, orbital with sheepskin type cover on it. I found it OK on a flat big surface like the bonnet but when it comes to door frames, bumpers, boots round trim etc I found it useless as it just spread polish to the areas you didn't want it.
Just resorted to the old fashioned elbow grease!
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Yep - sounds like it Bobby. The ones I've seen cost about £25 and look as though they do exactly what you've said which is why I haven't bought one.
I just wondered if they were better than they looked but it seems not.
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You'll need an old scrap car to practice on first!
Chances are you'll rub through the paint on door & wing edges & not be able to handle lots of the other contours, either!
Most of the ones you get now have a foam head, rather than the older styly & harder to come by,'proper mops' BobbyG mentions.
A trip down to your local paint factors, clutching £130 should do it.Then theres the compounds & waxes & swirl removers & overauls & wipes & .....
Get the idea?
VB
PS How those little old ladies work those huge, great, heavy floor buffers in offices beats me - they make it look so easy!!
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Interesting VB - I just saw one demonstrated on shopping TV. The presenter was applying the polish with the machine and when he took it off the cover was red. He asked the rep. if it was paint and he said no way it was just oxidised grime etc. and the machine wouldn't damage the paintwork. It did look like paint to me though so I think I'll steer well clear.
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"I found it useless as it just spread polish to the areas you didn't want it."
I'd always assumed they were for polishing off rather than putting it on, i.e. putting an extra bit of shine on. I imagine it would tear through the paintwork pretty quickly if you actually applied the polish with one...
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They seem to vary from 8 to 29 quid for what seems to be the same thing. I got one from a Lidl offer for 8 quid (irresistable bargain) and it has a cotton and a flannel cover that fit over a 10 inch sponge disk.
First test, I applied polish as normal with a damp cloth and polished it off later with the machine - much impressed.
Second test, applied polish with cottom cover - polish to body, not to mop. Yep, can feel the polish working and the cover is getting red. Same test on same panel later on and not so red - so I'd guess the colour is the oxidised top layer of paint.
Last test, resprayed wing, cotton rag over sponge and G3 compound. It's struggling a bit, but taking the donkey work out of a long manual job. Not as good as a proper polisher and a compound sponge, but a lot cheaper
Martin
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I recently got one of the sponge ones for less than £15 for 'T Cutting' my recently aquired old but good condition white Maestro which had dirt ground in to the paint. Great for rubbing down and I then just used 3M Handglaze followed by Autoglym - great results!
KB.
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This is the one I\'ve got tinyurl.com/as7i but I got mine at Woolworths for £15, not the price these people are asking (but I couldn\'t find a picture of it on the Wooly\'s website). It\'s fine for most of the car, both for applying the polish and also removing. However you still need to use some elbowgrease in places like near the mirrors and bumpers where it is impractical to use the orbital polisher. The only thing I have found annoying with it is that it vibrates quite a lot and after a certain amount of usage I tend to get pins and needles and numb hands.
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DD, This is inded the model that you see everywhere at the moment - it's the same as mine and is obviously made by one mnfctr. and badged differently depending on outlet. Probably won't last for ever but for £10/£15 - no matter.
KB.
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