# Ultimate Detailing Machine - Try outs



## Johnnyopolis

Hi Guys, 

As you all know I am in possession (sp) of an Ultimate Detailing Machine. 

I thought rather than me write my own review I would put this machine out some of the guys on Detailing World who deal with us at Clean and Shiny.

Yesterday I gave the machine to Reg Hollis as he lives about 2 miles from me who is going to give it a whirl and let the forum know what he thinks. After this Whizzer is going to take it for a couple of days and give it a go on his X5 and I know Andy C said he would like to pass you guys his comments too and said he would take a look. 

What I thougth would be nice is if a few guys from DW wanted to come over to Wokingham one night NEXT week after work for an hour and give the machine a go on their own cars and then write a little review for the site? 

Sorry you guys that are a bit further away but I worked out if I started sending this out and getting it back then we couldnt cover so many people and it would actual cost a fair amount of money in courier charges.

So, what I am looking for is 5 testers who could meet at Wokingham RG41 2QZ one night next week (probably Thursday) at 6pm 

Johnny


----------



## WHIZZER

Top idea john ....Thanks it gives the members a chance to try the machine ...


----------



## Detail My Ride

Shame 120 miles away LOL


----------



## Alan W

Nice idea John and should result in some informative and unbiased reviews!

Looking forward to this!

Alan W


----------



## burns863

Great work John, looking forward to hearing the results 

I would love to travel over but sadly cant make it next week. Plus.. I think it may be better to leave the testing to the more experienced 

Although on the other hand, I suppose maybe a review from someone who is new to machine polishing would also be good as it would sort of show how easy/hard it is to use!

Just my 2 shillings 

Dan


----------



## Grizzle

Alan W said:


> Nice idea John and should result in some informative and unbiased reviews!
> 
> Looking forward to this!
> 
> Alan W


Fancy a drive down alan lol


----------



## freshprince

I'd love to give it a go, as a beginner, see what its like with compared to by hand, let people who didnt bother with a PC know how it is compared to doing it by hand.  

either way, i look forward to hearing reviews about it.


----------



## WHIZZER

Freshprince is number 1 volunteer then


----------



## freshprince

works for me, im just down the road. Wednesday is by far best evening for me, but im pretty flexible. and as there are more experienced people probably keen i'll do whenever


----------



## tompinney

Depending upon what night, I'm happy to give it a whirl if I'm about. 

My car has been lacking attention on the paint front lately due to the need to sort out some mechanical jobs.


----------



## dave c

count me in for this mate


----------



## nogrille

The Passat is always available for testing on!


----------



## WHIZZER

bring it down then


----------



## mzm70

If you settle on a night then it's more than likely I can be there.


----------



## King Eric

I AM THERE BABY

WhizzerBillyBoy has PM'd me saying its Thursday, but there is no mention of the day

I'm not coming to test it (as I have already used it courtesy of John) but there is some fun and games happening after so I am told  

WhooHa!


----------



## Johnnyopolis

We will do it on Thursday.


----------



## King Eric

Johnnyopolis said:


> We will do it on Thursday.


Nice one!


----------



## Paul-T

I'll be along Thursday. I have a Lotus to detail in Redhill that day so please excuse me if I arrive dirty and smelly (i.e. more than usual). 

I did try the UDM briefly yesterday whilst doing an Elise, wasn't impressed. This was what I put on Shaun's post elsewhere:




Ok, just to add to the mix, Johnny Clean & Shiny has given me a UDM to test for a couple of days, to see what I think.

Same as Shaun, picking the thing up it immediately feels heavier than a PC. I hadn't got around to weighting yet, so interesting to see Shaun's figures there. I think it also feels more weighted to the head than the PC, possibly something to do with the unreasonably large collar that surrounds the counterwight?

Yesterday I was working on a Lotus Elise, it simply couldn't cut the mustard for any serious correction, but then I didn't expect it to. I only use my PC these days for finishing (glaze & sealants), so I did the correction with the rotary and used the UDM to apply a sealant. 

This is where it really let itself down. Not sure where these few come in the scheme of things, i.e. finished production ready or pre-production, but at speed 4 I found the frequency of vibration thoroughly uncomfortable. Not only was it affecting my hands, but it was travelling up my forearms to my elbows. I was happy the pad was centred (finishing pad), but just to experiement I used the same pad on my PC. Of course there is still vibration, but no-where near as much, or at least not at the same frequency that made it so unpleasant. Turning the speed up to 5 on the UDM just made things worse so it went back in its bag.

To be honest, thats where it would stay, but in the name of science I shall have a little experiment this afternoon with some light correction on my own car, to see how it goes.

First impression? It wouldn't be getting my money. Sorry.




Further testing required before a ********** answer. See you Thursday.


----------



## m500dpp

> I did try the flex briefly yesterday


Reg, did you mean the UDM?


----------



## Paul-T

I did mean UDM, sorry. I'll amend my post.

( I was thinking I want to try the Flex!)


----------



## freshprince

yep, i'll be there


----------



## WHIZZER

I might just bring it along for a few to try .... (the flex that is)


----------



## AndyC

Can't make this chaps - sorry


----------



## King Eric

AndyC said:


> Can't make this chaps - sorry


NOOOOOOOoooooooooooooOOOOOooooo

You'll be there :wave:


----------



## WHIZZER

AndyC said:


> Can't make this chaps - sorry


cause you'll be there


----------



## tompinney

Thursday is fine by me, might have to pop over to Woking that night if I win an ebay auction I'm watching, so I can kill two birds with one stone 

What sort of time we looking at?


----------



## sidewalkdances

I'll come down, see how it tackles the scratch on my drivers door and some imperfections on the front bumper.


----------



## Daffy

I may pop along to this, work pending. Hand 2 out of 3 pieces of work in that day so will be nice to have a break.


----------



## AndyC

King Eric said:


> NOOOOOOOoooooooooooooOOOOOooooo
> 
> You'll be there :wave:


Mate I have to drive to Skipton and back that day as I don't want to be away overnight so I'll be completely fubar'd :wall:


----------



## nogrille

lightweight!


----------



## AndyC

Yeah yeah whatever  

Skipton's now cancelled so I'm in chaps - let's hope the weather improves, in fact I may perform a naked sundance in my garden Wednesday night - now there's a picture to leave y'all


----------



## Johnnyopolis

AndyC said:


> Yeah yeah whatever
> 
> Skipton's now cancelled so I'm in chaps - let's hope the weather improves, in fact I may perform a naked sundance in my garden Wednesday night - now there's a picture to leave y'all


I did one of those in my garden and look at the weather today


----------



## nogrille

small & shrivelled?


----------



## King Eric

And Andy is there...predictable!


----------



## AndyC

Only because I'm not driving 450 odd miles mate


----------



## tompinney

Do we have a time yet?


----------



## Johnnyopolis

johnnyopolis said:


> So, what I am looking for is 5 testers who could meet at Wokingham RG41 2QZ one night next week (probably Thursday) at 6pm


So we will do one hour from 6pm to 7pm Thursday 

Johnny


----------



## Johnnyopolis

So we have.

1) Fresh Prince
2) Sidewalk Dances
3) Dave C
4) No Grille 
5) Tom Pinney 

See you chaps tomorrow night. 

Johnny


----------



## freshprince

alright if i come at half 5 til 6ish??


----------



## Johnnyopolis

freshprince said:


> alright if i come at half 5 til 6ish??


Yep, your first :thumb:


----------



## nogrille

damn, that means I'm going to have to clean the car now!


----------



## tompinney

Johnnyopolis said:


> So we will do one hour from 6pm to 7pm Thursday
> 
> Johnny


:wall: My bad! I must have missed that when I read the post the first time.

I'll be over sometime around 6-ish.


----------



## freshprince

Johnnyopolis said:


> Yep, your first :thumb:


Do i need to bring anything with me? ie products or owt?


----------



## Johnnyopolis

Ill supply the machine, power, backing plate and a polishing pad, if you have any polishes you want to try bring em with ya


----------



## freshprince

Ok, is there anyone who can let me try some polishes out, i dont have any really which will work with the UDM. I only have SRP and megs step 1or2 whichever the polish is. I want to try something a little stronger, especially if i'm going to be touching any of my car.  I want to see how the UDM tackles my lightly scratched bonnet. 

any offers????


----------



## tompinney

I have a selection I can bring along; SSR2.5, Sonus SFX2, Menzerna IP and some others.


----------



## donnyboy

Remember to take some pics guys. :thumb:


----------



## freshprince

cheers Tom.


----------



## scottc

Johnny,

I will pop along mate


----------



## Paul-T

nogrille said:


> damn, that means I'm going to have to clean the car now!


Don't sweat it. My Beemer looks like I've just dragged it off a river bed thanks to doing about a 1000 miles in the last 8 days, nearly all in the hammering rain. Chances are it isn't going to get washed tomorrow either!

Even my detail I had booked for tomorrow has been cancelled thanks to the weather forecast.


----------



## AndyC

Reg Hollis said:


> Don't sweat it. My Beemer looks like I've just dragged it off a river bed thanks to doing about a 1000 miles in the last 8 days, nearly all in the hammering rain. Chances are it isn't going to get washed tomorrow either!
> 
> Even my detail I had booked for tomorrow has been cancelled thanks to the weather forecast.


Me neither - filthy and the interior looks like it's been slept in


----------



## dave c

my car is a state anyway havent had time to wash it yet:wave:


----------



## Johnnyopolis

Just so you all know, I dont know whether we will be able to get the wash stuff out tomorrow 

Johnny


----------



## AndyC

No sweat big man - wasn't hinting anyways


----------



## Paul-T

Me neither, I'm liking driving a shed. When it comes to the cut and thrust of someoine trying to cut me up in traffic, they look a my car and back off. Every time!

Saying that, looks like I've got the Leon to play in today.


----------



## tompinney

Looks like I'll be working my lunch break today if I want to be up there by 6pm; A3 was gridlocked this morning, was nearly an hour later than usual getting into work


----------



## Johnnyopolis

Ok. 

So I have bought with me.... 

Meguiars #83 DACP 
Menzerna 106FA
Menzerna 85RD
Menzerna 85RD 3.02 

A couple of Megs polishing and Finishing Pads. 

Johnny


----------



## WHIZZER

ive got the flex if people want to have a play with that too


----------



## nogrille

Spent 2 hours on the big beast last night. It's going to take me a LONG time to get it how I want it. So many nooks and cranny's.....

See you all later!


----------



## freshprince

Johnnyopolis said:


> Ok.
> 
> So I have bought with me....
> 
> Meguiars #83 DACP
> Menzerna 106FA
> Menzerna 85RD
> Menzerna 85RD 3.02
> 
> A couple of Megs polishing and Finishing Pads.
> 
> Johnny


sweet, You remember the silver vectra I was in the other week, i'm after a new paste wax for it. Have you got anything in stock?


----------



## WHIZZER

I might even bring along my bottle of UQD from megs to try


----------



## Alan W

Don't break this tonight guys as it's heading up to Scotland for a tour once you've finished with it! :lol: 

Alan W


----------



## AndyC

Sounds good - see y'all later. Weather's not looking too shabby either!


----------



## Phil H

too far for me  look forward to the results


----------



## easytease

Jonny, can you slap davec for me and tell him to call me


----------



## WHIZZER

Ok this is the second time i have a go with the udm ...

What came apparent last night is just how short the lead was ( i know its being fixed) as it took two people to operate it one to machine polish and one to hold the extension lead .

I still find it vibrates a lot more than the pc especially at high speeds and would not personally want to polish an entire care as it gives an almost unpleasent feeling in your hands after several minutes.

It corrects in a similar manner to a pc , it isnt any quieter either.

Would i buy one ? 

Hmmmm as i already have a pc i wouldnt purchase one as the only plus side for me is that you can plug it straight in rather than having a transformer .

Having tested a few machines now i think that if i was starting out again i would either take the FLex machine or actually buy a rotary and get somebody to teach me how to use it properly and then buy a spare panel to practise on ..

Thanks to john at C+S .

And then there wasthe Road trip afterwards :car: .....Reg the cupra goes well and KE thanks for the peppered car I think me and MR O seem to take most of the stones ... although i was tucked up nicley behind the gti :driver: and thats all im going to say on that ...


----------



## freshprince

So i tried out the UDM yesterday, as a beginner having no previous experience with a PC or any other machine polisher. 

First impressions were,

I ended up on my knees the whole way through my test, as the lead was unbelievably short. This lead to problems with other people needing to get another person to hold the extension lead. Quite a pain in the rear as i'm sure you can imagine. 
The vibrations were quite extreme, but compared to an angle grinder, (what i'm used to using on a car) it wasn't all that bad. However I only really used this for about 10 minutes, and found that my hand was a little bit numb. Hopefully I will get a chance to try using it on a full vehicle and see how it acts. 
In terms of performance, (on a passat) it didn't appear to be doing a great deal, but the paint was very hard, and it was my first attempt. 

Now the main question, would i buy one?? Possibly, as someone who has always done cars by hand, it was a lot less hard work than using a hand applicator and as such I can see its benefits. I can not tell you how it would cope doing a full detail yet, but for the short time I used it, I can see it would make my life easier. 
As I have no comparison to a PC I can't say whether i would prefer this, but it seems like it would be an easier way than getting a transformer etc. 

If, they sort out the vibrations, and give it a longer lead I can say i would be much much more inclined to get one. I hope they continue with this idea and make a few modifications. 



I'll update this soon.


----------



## tompinney

First off, thanks to John for providing the machine, pads, polish and facilities for the test.

Due to it taking my an hour and a half to cover the 20 miles from Guildford to Wokingham I drew the short straw and ended up polishing the back centre section of the bonnet. This immediately threw up the first drawback of the machine. The cable is WAY too short. I'm 6'1" and with the cable over my shoulder the it was taut before I got anywhere near the front of the bonnet, let alone my target of the rear of the bonnet! So Dave stepped in and held the extension for me so I could get to work.

Initial impressions were that the machine felt sturdier than my PC, particularly the cap over the head that you hold onto. As for using it, I thought it was possibly fractionally quieter than my PC, although at the lower speeds seemed a little more jerky, similar to the feeling I get with a new 4" pad at slow speeds. You soon learn to control it though. At the higher speeds it felt no more difficult to use than the PC.

As for the vibrations that Whizzer mentioned, they are higher frequency than those you get with a PC and it didn't seem all that bad while using it, however after working with it for about 5-10minutes and then putting it down my hands were actually shaking! That tends to only happed after a marathon full day session with the PC, not after 10minutes!

Overall, I'd say its on a par with the PC for correcting ability and if they damp those high frequency vibrations and sort the lead length out I reckon it will make a worthy successor to the PC.

On a side note, I can see why everyone likes the new Menzerna 3.02 intensive polish, definitely gonna be one to add to my collection soon!


----------



## nogrille

Thanks to:

John
John
Andy
Mark
Bill
Laurence
Tom
Paul
and the bloke in the Escort - sorry didn't catch your name

The bonnet's looking very clean now!

Cheers

Paul


----------



## Paul-T

Confirmed my thoughts really. On a postive note it seems that on speed 4 and up you can apply slightly more pressure than a PC, but still have the pad spinning at an acceptable rate, so thats a good thing. After working an area of Paul's bonnet in was noticeable warmer than I would normally expect it to be after passes with a PC. But the vibration is unacceptable. After my tests during this last week, I wondered if it was just because I'm used to the relatively vibration free Metabo. So I tried my PC on the same areas, and while it does of course vibrate, it doesn't leave me feeling tingly all up and down my hands and arms for 10 minutes after doing just one small area. Above speed 4 it is thoroughly unpleasant to hold.

And as for the little road trip after? Probably the best drive I've had in the Cupra R. Although thats the first time I've really leaned on the Brembo's since fitting the Ferodo pads for any length of time, and while they worked faultlessly, they STINK! Impressed how your Golf goes Johnny boy....


----------



## King Eric

Great night team. Thanks for inviting me

Here are a few pics


----------



## King Eric




----------



## King Eric




----------



## King Eric




----------



## nogrille

King Eric said:


>


I'm definately on the wrong side of the camera!


----------



## King Eric




----------



## King Eric

And some more to comes......


----------



## Paul-T

Must get rid of my Oakley's. They've eaten all my hair.


----------



## King Eric




----------



## Johnnyopolis

King Eric said:


> And some more to comes......


Great looking engine bay! My god its Clean and Shiny - Boom Boom!


----------



## Johnnyopolis

King Eric said:


>


Great Pipes! Oh and I see Jack Bauer has made an appearance too....


----------



## Paul-T

:lol:


----------



## WHIZZER

Johnnyopolis said:


> Great Pipes! Oh and I see Jack Bauer has made an appearance too....


lol :lol:


----------



## WHIZZER

King Eric said:


>


its actuallly looking pretty clean it that photo


----------



## Naddy37

King Eric said:


> And some more to comes......


 Is that car actually used, jesus, thats clean.


----------



## Johnnyopolis

neilos said:


> Is that car actually used, jesus, thats clean.


Its done 19,100 miles now.... :thumb:


----------



## King Eric

neilos said:


> Is that car actually used, jesus, thats clean.


LOL!

Ask him how long it took to get it that clean! :detailer:


----------



## drive 'n' shine

neilos said:


> Is that car actually used, jesus, thats clean.


Could have done with a wash when i saw it yesterday morning


----------



## Daffy

Sorry about the early JB disappearance and any concerns caused. Have contacted a couple of you so hope all is well now.
Anyway as for UDM, lead is very short and therefore requires 2 to do a car. Hopefully this will be resolved before they go on sale. That is not the biggest gripe I have though. The vibrations this thing kicks out is unbelievable, my hands were shaking after one small section of the bonnet. It usually only occurs after doing most of a large car with a pc. In use it seems to have quite a big throw but also seems to pull up at the edges which did not fill me with much confidence.
All in all I was quite disappointed as I had high hopes and there is a gap in the market for such a product, unfortunately I don't think this is the one. Also there are a couple more products in the pipeline so I hear and I think I would hang out for one of these especially if buying British is important. If it ain't then get a pc. Sorry, but only my opinion.


----------



## Beemer4me

> Anyway as for UDM, lead is very short and therefore requires 2 to do a car. Hopefully this will be resolved before they go on sale.That is not the biggest gripe I have though. The vibrations this thing kicks out is unbelievable, my hands were shaking after one small section of the bonnet. It usually only occurs after doing most of a large car with a pc. In use it seems to have quite a big throw but also seems to pull up at the edges which did not fill me with much confidence.
> All in all I was quite disappointed as I had high hopes and there is a gap in the market for such a product, unfortunately I don't think this is the one.


Where and by whom is this UDM being manufactured?

Is Mickey Mouse by any chance the chief designer??:lol:

Am I the only one thinking that here we have a very much hyped polishing machine that has the most obvious of negative points to its name, that being a short lead and horrendous vibration:speechles

Clearly the engineers who designed and bought this machine to the table had not done their homework

If what I am hearing is right no wonder Meguairs decided not to buy the UDM and rebrand it, they have had their fair share of crap polishers in time gone by and obviously do not want to get stung again.

I have recently refrained from buying a PC from Autopia in anticipation of this machines iminent introduction to the market. Looks like I may have to buy a tried and tested PC after all.

B4M


----------



## CleanYourCar

The UDM will ship with a thick rubberised lead identical in length to the Porter Cable i.e 10ft, the one I have and Johnny has is 7ft three less than the PC. I'm wondering if Johnny got a 'bad' machine as mine is no worse for vibration than a PC. I've had a mad week, but will look to getting my one out to testers this next week.

David B over on Autopia is looking to get resolve vibration through use of rubbersised plugs, a new design of handle and internal improvements also.


----------



## dave c

well after taking pics and watching the guys test the machine im in agreement with all of them about it. as saw first hand the noise /vibration the unit has it was nice to meet all of u lot even if i did not catch all ur names. was a a great evening many thanks to jhonny for him checking out my paint thicknest on the car to find i had more paint on my car compared to most of the members that were there :thumb: il get pics up later on for all to see lol


----------



## freshprince

dave c said:


> well after taking pics and watching the guys test the machine im in agreement with all of them about it. as saw first hand the noise /vibration the unit has it was nice to meet all of u lot even if i did not catch all ur names. was a a great evening many thanks to jhonny for him checking out my paint thicknest on the car to find i had more paint on my car compared to most of the members that were there :thumb: il get pics up later on for all to see lol


cough 100000000 microns to me


----------



## Daffy

Beemer4me said:


> Where and by whom is this UDM being manufactured?
> 
> Is Mickey Mouse by any chance the chief designer??:lol:
> 
> Am I the only one thinking that here we have a very much hyped polishing machine that has the most obvious of negative points to its name, that being a short lead and horrendous vibration:speechles
> 
> Clearly the engineers who designed and bought this machine to the table had not done their homework
> 
> If what I am hearing is right no wonder Meguairs decided not to buy the UDM and rebrand it, they have had their fair share of crap polishers in time gone by and obviously do not want to get stung again.
> 
> I have recently refrained from buying a PC from Autopia in anticipation of this machines iminent introduction to the market. Looks like I may have to buy a tried and tested PC after all.
> 
> B4M


To be honest for a first attempt it's not bad and if I had never had a pc may consider buying one if I knew no better. However I would rather spend the extra few quid for something that is tried and tested by thousands. If they can iron out all the problems then it should be a hit I just think there are too many. As you say if Meguiars didn't want it they must have a good reason


----------



## AndyC

Simple review from me - the UDM is rubbish, fails in pretty much every area and doesn't score a single point over the good old PC other than the CE mark and 3 pin plug which in reality means jack. The vibration it kicks out will I'm sure result in mass litigation against Autopia in a few years' time as it leaves your hand tingling - not good.

Massive disappointment but that's what we needed to find out


----------



## easytease

drive 'n' shine said:


> Could have done with a wash when i saw it yesterday morning


tell me about it, the messy git!



dave c said:


> well after taking pics and watching the guys test the machine im in agreement with all of them about it. as saw first hand the noise /vibration the unit has it was nice to meet all of u lot even if i did not catch all ur names. was a a great evening many thanks to jhonny for him checking out my paint thicknest on the car to find i had more paint on my car compared to most of the members that were there :thumb: il get pics up later on for all to see lol


dave, would that be the DLC paint then? 

I too have hd a VERY brief play with the UDM, on a bench :lol: and the vibration would be best suited to some form of hardcore annesummers catalogue rather then a detailing machine that'll be held for a good few hours at a time.


----------



## WHIZZER

CleanYourCar said:


> The UDM will ship with a thick rubberised lead identical in length to the Porter Cable i.e 10ft, the one I have and Johnny has is 7ft three less than the PC. I'm wondering if Johnny got a 'bad' machine as mine is no worse for vibration than a PC. I've had a mad week, but will look to getting my one out to testers this next week.
> 
> David B over on Autopia is looking to get resolve vibration through use of rubbersised plugs, a new design of handle and internal improvements also.


Tim i dont think Johns machine is a bad one, I think the lead is an easy fix BUT the vibrations are certainly more intense than the PC in the higher range and i believe although i could polish say a bonnet that after this i would really have to rest my hands becasue of the vibrations .I believe that the vibrations are due to the more powerful motor which enhances the vibrations at higher spped and the fact that the machine does not feel as well balanced as the pc for some reason perhaps its the large metal cover ?.We know that the PC also suffers from this (not as much) but the UDM has been pitched as a better machine all round and simply *its not *. I personally think its exactly what it is a chinese copy  albeit it has one plus point the fact that its got a 240v plug and that you do not have to have a transformer to run it .

Whats also bad is the fact that this machine when marketed was hyped as the best thing since sliced bread polisher equall almost to a rotary and far superior to the pc. Its not even close to have the correcting power of a rotary and personally i think its no better than the already ok PC.It originally said that the vibrations were reduced and i think its only because of the *Honest *reviews on DW that the statement has now been withdrawn and the machine is being relooked into with a delayed launch date ....... Lets hope that a new design comes out then holds to the truth of the marketing !


----------



## Porta

If the hands become numb after a couple of minutes, I would never use it.


----------



## Beemer4me

Beemer4me said:


> Where and by whom is this UDM being manufactured?
> 
> Is Mickey Mouse by any chance the chief designer??:lol:
> 
> Am I the only one thinking that here we have a very much hyped polishing machine that has the most obvious of negative points to its name, that being a short lead and horrendous vibration:speechles
> 
> Clearly the engineers who designed and bought this machine to the table had not done their homework
> 
> B4M


Come on, can no one answer any of my questions?:doublesho

By identifying the manufacturer, or the source of components, i.e. motor = Bosch, Makita etc, etc we will all be able to make our own minds up as to how good this machine will be.

On the other hand if the UDM consists of parts made by Challenge, Rockworth (all cheap as their name suggests) then us guys will know to look else where.

With all the negatives about the UDM making the headlines I am of the opinion that the UDM is of the latter.

B4M


----------



## WHIZZER

Its being put into production by Autopia and i think they sourced the units from China

MMouse is not the designer its based on the Detailers favorite start out machine the PC from which they have supposed to have taken all the good points and elimnated the bad ones 

I explained what i thought about the marketing in my post above


----------



## drive 'n' shine

After having a (very) brief go on John's UDM on thursday there is no way i would want to have to tackle a car using this machine, the vibrations are just too much, TBH i'm surprised its being allowed onto market with vibrations as bad, wonder if they have thought about possible future lawsuits for white finger.


----------



## RobDom

Can't believe David B would release such a rubbish machine - surely this will tarnish his rep. in a very bad way!?!


----------



## A20 LEE

CleanYourCar said:


> The UDM will ship with a thick rubberised lead identical in length to the Porter Cable i.e 10ft, the one I have and Johnny has is 7ft three less than the PC.


The cables too short on a PC to be honest. Its daft to market a product for polishing a car with a cable that won't reach all the way around it. Can you imagine the same thing with a vacuum cleaner than you couldn't use without an extension. A toothbrush that doesn't reach your back teeth, stairs that don't go all the way up so you need ladders too.

An average car is 14ft + the distance to a powerpoint. 20ft seems the minimum to me to do the job is aimed at.


----------



## Paul-T

The lead thing has been covered, I believe it limited by some regulation. Have a trawl through (might have been in the thread in 'Off Topic Chat')


----------



## timwuk

I thought the UDM was okay, certainly has a little more poke than the PC. It was also a little larger and heavier. 

I don’t know what people were going on about the vibration for? It certainly was no worse than the PC, in fact I could not tell a difference.

For me already owning a PC, I don’t think it’s worth moving to the UDM, but if you don’t have a polisher, then UDM is a great place to start.


----------



## WHIZZER

timwuk said:


> I thought the UDM was okay, certainly has a little more poke than the PC. It was also a little larger and heavier.
> 
> I don't know what people were going on about the vibration for? It certainly was no worse than the PC, in fact I could not tell a difference.
> 
> For me already owning a PC, I don't think it's worth moving to the UDM, but if you don't have a polisher, then UDM is a great place to start.


Its certainly has more vibrations than the PC but what i think the point is this machine was marketed as a large improvement which clearly its not ... better all round , vibrations reduced etc etc but we already know Autopia have put out a statement now that the vibrations are perhaps greater than they thought and they are trying to find a fix ...

What we cant get away from is that the machine should have been tested properly before it hit the market and that the marketing hype behind it should have been accurate which again its not


----------



## dave c

heres my pictures sorry it taken so long

jhonny looking pleased with himself 
































bill doing his bit for the evening 








dafty having a go








the usual suspects sorry i dont know all ur names


----------



## dave c

regs turn 
























tom pinneys hands after using it 








:buffer: ::detailer: thumb:


----------



## Paul-T

Steady Dave, you've nearly got one in focus there!


----------



## WHIZZER

^ pmsl :lol:


----------



## Finerdetails

me drinks one, me takes a picture, me drinks one, me... lol

Thanks for sharing them anyway mate, it gives people an idea of the fun you had!


----------



## nogrille

dave c said:


> heres my pictures sorry it taken so long
> 
> the usual suspects sorry i dont know all ur names


Ah DaveC - didn't catch your name either!

Left to right:

Nogrille
AndyC
King Eric
Daffy
Reg Hollis
Bottle of Megs #83?


----------



## freshprince

dave c said:


> heres my pictures sorry it taken so long


Dont me and the car look lovely haha


----------



## timwuk

WHIZZER said:


> Its certainly has more vibrations than the PC but what i think the point is this machine was marketed as a large improvement which clearly its not ... better all round , vibrations reduced etc etc but we already know Autopia have put out a statement now that the vibrations are perhaps greater than they thought and they are trying to find a fix ...
> 
> What we cant get away from is that the machine should have been tested properly before it hit the market and that the marketing hype behind it should have been accurate which again its not


I personally think that a lot of people were getting very excited about the UDM based on the little snippets of information coming from Autopia. And by the time the pre release test versions arrived with people, they already preconceived ideas before actually using it.

For a version 1 product it's not a bad attempt at replicating a PC. If Autopia continue to develop the UDM then I see no reason why it can't surpass the PC as the first choice for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

While I agree with you that the marketing claims are, let's say a little bit long on promise and short on delivery. I will disagree with you about the vibrations. The group of people I was with also said the vibrations were no worse than the PC, and most of them had been using PC's for many years. Maybe the UDM we were testing was different to the one that you played with, or the fact we were running the UDM of a diesel generator perhaps?

One thing is for sure, it won't be as warmly received as people were hoping for. But there is nothing new there either, as a friend of mine said "It's this weeks new product".


----------



## WHIZZER

timwuk said:


> I personally think that a lot of people were getting very excited about the UDM based on the little snippets of information coming from Autopia. And by the time the pre release test versions arrived with people, they already preconceived ideas before actually using it.
> 
> *Excited agreed,but only by what was originally promised *
> 
> For a version 1 product it's not a bad attempt at replicating a PC. If Autopia continue to develop the UDM then I see no reason why it can't surpass the PC as the first choice for beginners and enthusiasts alike.
> 
> *From the Marketing it was supposed to surpass the PC not replicate *
> 
> While I agree with you that the marketing claims are, let's say a little bit long on promise and short on delivery. I will disagree with you about the vibrations. The group of people I was with also said the vibrations were no worse than the PC, and most of them had been using PC's for many years. Maybe the UDM we were testing was different to the one that you played with, or the fact we were running the UDM of a diesel generator perhaps?
> 
> *The marketing claims are way above where they should be , The vibrations from the orignal statement claimed they had been reduced but its clear that the havent as you are also stating that they are the same as the PC .. Autopia have acknowledge that there are vibration issues*
> 
> One thing is for sure, it won't be as warmly received as people were hoping for. But there is nothing new there either, as a friend of mine said "It's this weeks new product".
> 
> *I guess people expected more from Autopia .. but your right there will always been this weeks products *


As per above


----------



## m500dpp

How about some comments on the Flex I saw in a couple of shots Its another new contender, but I havnt seen much detailed comment on it yet.......


----------



## dave c

Reg Hollis said:


> Steady Dave, you've nearly got one in focus there!


i know mate i was in such a rush to get pics :lol: :wave:


----------



## Alan W

UDM - A Mini Review

Talking with Johnny O at C&S recently he kindly offered to send me a pre-production UDM for trial and review and who was I to refuse such a great opportunity!

I don't own a PC 7424 and enough has been written comparing it to the UDM on size, weight, build quality etc that I can't add anything, especially as I am a novice to machine polishing.

The Car

A friend's Mercedes SL320 was chosen to test the UDM due to the severe swirls, holograming and scratches present. Unfortunately I could only lay my hands on a Lake Country CCS White polishing pad and some Menzerna PO106FF polish. This was to be a tough test!

The Process and Results

The bootlid was masked off down the middle and the process followed was the same as would be used for a PC, ie spread on speed 1, step-up to speed 3 for a couple of passes and then speed 5 or 6 (no discernable difference) to fully work the abrasives in the polish until it went clear. 15 or 20lbs of pressure was mostly applied although 35 or 40lbs force was also tried to see if the UDM would bog down and it didn't. 6 full sets of polishing followed taking the best part of 2 hours! However, it was worth it, and the after photos show that 95% paint correction was achieved. A few deeper scratches remained but, due to the vibration, my hands and arms just couldn't take any more punishment. It really was that bad and didn't matter if I used the side handle or held the head of the machine, both positions were equally uncomfortable by now. I'm led to believe that the machine I tried is not typical of the vibration that should be encountered and I hope this is true.

The Verdict

I found the UDM good to use in all respects other than vibration and would urge DavidB to *replace this particular machine* as soon as possible if further damage is not to be done to the UDM's reputation and hinder potential sales. Sorry David!

The Photos









Swirls and marring









Swirls and marring close-up









50:50 Photo showing correction









50:50 Photo showing correction









Correction under Brinkmann

Many thanks to Johnny at C&S for the loan of the UDM.

Alan W


----------



## Paul-T

Excellent review Alan, and very good point about replacing this particular machine. I'd be more than happy to try another one to see that its not typical behaviour.


----------



## L200 Steve

I got to try Johnny's UDM 'in anger' today, and had to give up after a couple of minutes due to loosing feeling in my fingers. 

I've now had a chance to try out two different UDM's, and have started to form an opinion. I'll type up a proper report tomorrow.


----------



## Grizzle

Reg Hollis said:


> Steady Dave, you've nearly got one in focus there!


The time is 1:37am and i just had a massive laugh out loud to my self at this comment

:lol:


----------

