# Sticky  How-To: Choosing a Machine Polisher, Pt.2



## Steampunk

*How-To: Choosing a Machine Polisher, Pt.2*
A Steampunk Guide








_Part One_ of my Machine Polishing series talked about what it's like getting started as a newbie to machine polishing: https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=5656204#post5656204. In this article, we'll go deeper into how to choose the right polisher or polisher(s) for you, and your specific needs... As I said in Part 1, this is a decision that unites us detailers, as it's one we all agonize over. Whether you're a newbie, or a seasoned pro, choosing a polisher is a big decision. In this article, I want to compile what I've experienced and learned from all the different sorts of polishers, in hopes to make your decision easier.

*Get Your Head In The Right Place*​
Sometimes, you find yourself thrust into detailing as it were, but want to up your game… Maybe you were a painter or worked in a bodyshop, and started out with a rotary that you developed muscle memory with. Now you want to get a better tool that still feels familiar. Maybe you bought some sort of rotary or DA machine years ago, and after some absence are coming back into detailing. However, you still want to make good use of your old kit... The good news is, whilst detailing has changed much in the past two decades, the core of it is still the same. Rotaries are still rotaries (They've just gotten lighter, with better speed control, and ergonomics, which is admittedly a huge upgrade.), and even if you have a PC 7424 running on an inverter, some of the new tech with pads/polishes can still help to upgrade your old tools… Kind of like putting modern performance tyres on an old car.

If you've never polished before, and are buying your first polisher, there are so many options on the market… It's utterly overwhelming. Even if you've been polishing for years, and are looking to buy a new machine, it's a hard decision! Before you buy a new machine, though, you need to sit down, and get your head in the right place...

When you're getting a new machine, the first thing you underestimate is the accessories. We all do this… This is the most expensive part of buying a polisher; the pads, and the polishes/compounds, and sometimes the associated gear (If you're using MF pads, you need an air compressor to clean them properly as you go. Wool pads need air, brushes, or spurs. Foam pads need 'dud' short pile microfibers to keep them clean… There's also spray bottles for water misting on certain polishes… Even the little stuff adds up.)... It's kind of like buying a car. Don't blow the whole wad on a premium vehicle before doing the math on what it costs to actually drive it. Leave enough in reserve for the tyres, fuel, services, detailing/care, and any upgrades you know off the bat you'll want. Buy a machine you can 'run', and not just 'own'. A cheap polisher that has been optimized for performance, is a way more impressive machine than a more expensive polisher being run on budget peripherals. It's like buying a GT2, then running it on budget tyres, and only being able to afford low-octane fuel that strangles the engine's power, because every last cent went into the initial investment… If you're on a GTi budget, get a GTi, and run it on good tyres/fuel, and make the upgrades you want. If you're on a GT2 budget, get the GT2, and make sure you have the money for the stuff that lets you enjoy it... Tyres/petrol, and the fact that you might also need a daily driver alongside your hardcore sportscar, to handle the things it cannot. Buying a polisher is just like buying a car… First step, budget what the machine needs. Second step, buy the machine with the money left. Your pads/polishes/peripherals are always the first concern.

Like a properly setup Civic/Focus/Golf at the Nurburgring, a well configured polishing rig will run rings around more expensive tools that haven't been setup well. Spend the money on the setup. Not the platform. Only when you have the money to blow on the premium platform, or your usage necessitates that upgrade, should you budget for the top-class machine. Otherwise, it's a combination of technique and proper setup with pads/polishes/techniques that makes your machine a capable tool.

I'll talk about how to buy the right peripherals for your machine in the 3rd part of this series, but for now, look at prices for name brand pads and polishes, and realize these items are your 1st priority. Also, don't assume you can always reuse your existing kit if you want your machine to run right. You can't put your old Nissan Micra wheels/tyres on your new M3, and expect it to still behave like the M3 you dreamed of. If you're upgrading from a Micra to an M3, plan on starting over from scratch with your ancillaries from the get-go, so you can actually enjoy the benefits of your upgrade.

*The Right Machine for You​*
Once you budget for your peripherals, what money is left over gives you some options… If you have something hovering around 100 Euros/Dollars/Pounds remaining for your polisher, there are various 8-9mm Free-Rotation DA's, and Rotary machines coming out of China that are on the table. If you have closer to 200, there are some Chinese long-throw and forced-rotation DA's, and some heavy old Japanese workhorse rotaries, or maybe alternatively you can throw a bit more money at pads/polishes for a 100-quid machine to get even more performance out of it. If money is less of an object, and you just need the _right_ machine for you at any price, the world is your oyster… There are various tools from China, Italy, and Germany that in their category are without peer. Before you decide whether such an investment will pay-off for you, though, you first need to decide whether or not you do truly need _the best_ tool?









_Wetsanded, corrected, and finished entirely with Meguiar's G110 V2... Even basic tools can do amazing things._​
If you have a polisher in your hands less than 20-hours a year, a premium polisher is just an ego-trip. It's just not enough time to build or maintain the muscle memories you need to really get great results from your machine. Each time you pick it up again, it feels like trying to remember to ride a bike you only spent five minutes on decades ago. The best thing you can do is pick up a machine you can re-learn again quickly from scratch, so you can sorta get back into a groove, without spending your whole time detailing just trying to get to grips with the tool again… No matter how much money you have to spend, if you fit into this category, get an 8-9mm orbit free-rotation DA. Maybe a cheap one like a DAS-6; maybe a more expensive one like a MT300/MT320. You can pick these machines up in a heartbeat, and get alright results with them. However, if you want to spend the time to master the craft, and want a tool to really grow into, look elsewhere. This is a starting place; not the end.

If you're dirt broke, and want to become a full-time detailer or work in a bodyshop doing correction, get a cheap rotary. 100-300 quid buys you anything from an alright Chinese machine, to an old-school Japanese workhorse, to a more modern German or maybe even Italian machine like a Metabo or Rupes depending on what sales/discounts you can take advantage of… This is a machine that will be harder to exploit at the beginning, but has an almost unlimited ceiling for growth, and won't destroy your body working long hours behind it like similarly cheap DA's can. I recommend this not because it's the machine you'll be able to pick up and start making money with the fastest, but because I've been detailing awhile, and I know that it's better to reap the results of your career after a few years rather than to peak early, and find yourself a physical wreck by the time you actually start getting good. I lost some chances because of this. Learn from my mistakes… If you really want to become a great detailer, get a cheap rotary, and spend every single spare second practicing on scrap panels. If you do need that immediate reward a cheap DA can give you, plan on upgrading to a smoother tool after your first few paychecks, because that upgrade isn't an option if you want to keep doing this in a few years time.

If you polish 40+ hours a year, you're getting into that zone where you really owe yourself good tools… If your pockets are deep or it's a long-term business investment, you can choose whatever you want that makes the most sense for your needs… Probably the easiest premium machine system for a moderate DIY'er to get into and exploit with part-time usage, is the Rupes Bigfoot long-throw kit. If you can afford three machines/pad sets (iBrid, LHR75, & Duetto/LHR15/LHR21), and want something that's pretty much 'plug & play', with most of the thought around having to set it up right already being done for you, it doesn't really get better… For a bit less money, you can buy a Chinese knock-off system, or for a bit more, a German one.

If you're willing to do a bit more trial and error, and learn to manage multiple polisher systems together, your options get even better… Mixing up long throw or rotary for spot work and forced rotation for your main, is probably the best of all worlds in terms of maximum do-everything performance. It just requires the largest investment in time, and also the most trial & error in optimizing each system to work as a whole. Again, there are various options at all price levels, from machines made in China, to Japan, to Italy, to Germany. However, I'd suggest only the most dedicated detailers apply themselves to this route, as it is the most elaborate, and requires maintaining multiple machine skills and pad/polish systems.

When choosing a polisher, do not _ever_ underestimate your health and safety… HAVS and Carpal Tunnel can make you into a cripple, and _will_ leave you in the scary place of having to reevaluate everything you wanted to do in life. If using your hands to make a living, or do what you loved was a part of the future you assumed would exist, don't take this lightly… Upgrading a polisher is worth your long-term health. So, if you enjoy machine polishing or want to make money doing so, get good polishers and set them up right, with suitable pads/polishes so they run smooth. It's better to spend 1K now, than not be able to detail in 3-5 years. Trust me on this one… I've made this mistake before you.

If you're looking to use the same sorts of combos as you did by hand (SRP, glazes, AIO's, apply LSP's, etc.), but want to do so faster/better, stick with short-medium throw free-rotation DA's. These sorts of activities you knew before don't work as well on more powerful tools, like rotaries or forced rotation DA's, and even sometimes long-throw machines… However, even light 'pure' correction combos (Light-medium polishes on light-medium foam pads… Things like M205, Menz SF3500, Scholl S20 Black, Menz MC2500, etc. Stuff that doesn't do anything by hand, and does only a little on an entry level machine.), take on a whole new lease of life on more powerful machines, and start finishing/cutting WAY better than they did on less powerful tools.

Pick the machine that matches what you want to do with it. Also, pick the machine that fits the pads/polishes you want to use, and how you like to work… If you're a big fan of MF pads, stick with 8-9mm throw free-rotation DA's. These get the widest cut/finish potential from them. If you like to use pressure, use 8-9mm free-rotation DA's, or forced rotation DA's. You can really lean into these… If you like to use foam pads, use long-throw or forced rotation DA's to get the most from them. If you don't like to use pressure, use long-throw or rotary machines, where you can let their speed work to your advantage… Look closely into your preferred technique, and pick the machine that best matches it.

*The Right Machine For The Vehicle*








The venn diagram between the right machine for you, as a person, and the right machine for the vehicle you want to detail doesn't always add up. Sometimes you either don't have the 'best' tool, or it's the one you struggle with the most, or don't have the right pads/polishes to use… At best, you can line up that venn-diagram, and pick the one that's the best compromise. Here's how to figure out what the best tool for the job is, and then make the compromises you need to select the right tool for the car/bike you want to correct.

The best tool for the job has nothing to do with your comfort/safety/wallet, so for this section, I'll ignore these factors entirely…

First step… Throw away everything 'popular knowledge' told you about all the types of polishers. Open your mind, and start from new. The universe of machines is far more varied than 'popular knowledge' ever could imagine.

There's a lot of hyperbole about what machines will finish down on 'soft paint', and what will correct aggressively enough on 'hard paint'... Most of it doesn't line up with my own experiences, at least. They say that DA's finish better on soft paint, and rotaries cut better on hard paint… I've actually found the reverse to often be true. I can often get better results on soft/heat sensitive paint with rotaries using the right products/techniques, and sometimes more cut on hard paints using DA's with suitable pads/compounds, which defies popular logic… These are the same people who say that forced rotation DA's don't finish as well as free-rotating short or long throw ones, and again - with the right pads/polishes/techniques - that doesn't line up with my experiences…

If you're trying to correct defects in super-soft, super heat-sensitive paints, or gloss plastics, my first pick is a rotary with highly lubricated polishes, using absolutely no pressure, and wool pads. With the right polishes, surface temperatures remain cooler than most any DA option… Second choice would be free-throw DA's, with foam pads. You can use a bit more pressure, and get controllable temperature increases, without the deep marring you get with DA's and textile pads on these materials. Honestly, though, to equal the finish you could get with pure abrasives on a rotary, a DA will need to resort to fillers to achieve it. For ultimate finishing on these materials, again, rotary with pure polishes on foam pads, or DA's with filler polishes.









_P1500 Sanding Scratches corrected with Festool Rotex in 1-step_​
If you're trying to correct rock-hard paint, or similarly unforgiving non-paint materials, a forced-rotation DA is actually the machine I'd pick… It's the one I know I can lean hardest into without generating unsafe heat levels, and the width of the cut/finish spectrum with either short-pile wool, or heavy cut foam is the highest I could get on these sorts of finishes… If you're tackling hard finishes with either long-throw or rotary machines, I'd recommend using non-diminishing compounds with long run times, and very aggressive pads. Use time and machine speed, rather than pressure to your advantage if trying to tackle hard-paint defects with these sorts of polishers… Play to their strengths. Even a basic 8-9mm orbit free-throw DA, with a super aggressive wool/MF hybrid pad and a super aggressive non-diminishing compound (Like M101), can sometimes take rotaries to school unless you ignore sensible working temperatures on vehicle paint. To get max correction out of rotaries, you need to tilt and apply isolated pressure, which can create more extreme spikes in surface temp on most paint materials than DA's. Metals and composite-stone materials can survive higher temps, so can take more advantage of rotary correction in extremis, but auto paints whether old or new, hard or soft, need more care. You can definitely correct heavy defects on stubborn paints with a rotary, but you need to have your brain engaged. Sometimes you need to take several lighter hits, rather than do it all in one go like you could with a powerful DA.

If you're looking for a 1-step monster machine to save you time, and still create great results, get the most powerful DA you can… Either a long-throw, or forced rotation. Rotary has a much narrower band of potential for 1-stepping, and entry level 8-9mm machines lack the power to take advantage of the 1-step pad/polish combos that powerful long-throw/forced rotation machines can extract.

If you're polishing a smaller, curvier vehicle, with a lot of complex details to the panels… Let's say it's a classic European sportscar, or a modern MINI, or something of this ilk… Long-throw DA's stall, and can't fit into as tight spots as other sorts of machines... If you've got a lot of concave curves, small panels, or obstructions to polish up to and around (Like trim, antenna, oblique panel transitions, etc.), you need the right machine… #1 Choice = Rotary. #2 Choice = Forced Rotation DA. #3 Choice = 8-9mm free-throw DA. In that order…

If you're polishing a vehicle with huge, flat panels, and a lot of surface area to cover, my advice would be long-throw DA's (The longer the throw, the better!), and rotaries… You'll cover ground the fastest. Long-throw DA's will be better for one-steps on huge surface areas, and rotaries for fast correction on 2-3 step jobs… When I talk about large surface areas, I mean vans, SUV's, full-size muscle cars, boats, airplanes, trailers, RV's, etc.

If you want to polish small areas, your options are #1 Rotary, #2 Long-Throw, and #3 8-9mm Orbit Free-Throw DA's, in that order… There's currently no forced-rotation DA option that can handle less than a 4" pad, so if you're trying to do spot work, your options are limited to these motions… Rotaries are best in this regard, simply because their contact area is always 100%. DA's in motion feature a ring around the pad - the PCZ (Partial Contact Zone) - that's only sometimes in contact with the paint, by nature of their design, which makes the outer ¼-1" around the pad (Depending on the throw length and pad deflection.) correct and finish vastly less than the central pad area. This means with DA's, there will always be a relatively uncorrected band around the outside of their contact patch, matching or slightly in excess of their throw length. That's not good if you want to make sure no nook or cranny is left uncorrected, which makes rotaries the ideal tools for detail work. However, if you're not comfortable managing rotary heat by balancing the pad precisely, you should still look at a DA that can accommodate a smaller pad. Tools like the Rupes iBrid are ideal tools for those looking to up their detail-polishing game, as they give you three motions to choose from (Rotary, short-throw, and long-throw), and the chance to figure out what works best depending upon your application. Furthermore, realize that on a 12mm long-throw polisher, a 70mm pad gives you the equivalent coverage of a 3.5" pad on a rotary polisher.








The 8-9mm Orbit Free-Rotation DA is the last resort of detail polishing… It can technically accommodate a 3" BP, and be fit into tighter areas than a 12-15mm throw Free-Rotation DA, but suffers more from vibration than other sorts of spot machines.

Part of what makes a polisher capable of being able to get into tight spots, is your ability to tilt the machine, to shrink the contact patch of the pad from a full-size circle, to a smaller oval… The longer the throw of the machine, the less you can shrink the contact batch of the pad… Rotaries can shrink the contact patch almost infinitely with good control and the right shape of pad. Shorter-throw DA's can shrink the contact patch a lot more than long-throw DA's.

This same concept applies to 5-6" BP DA machines. Forced rotation DA's can overcome the friction that would stall the pad on free-rotation DA's, which means they can be tilted more, and the area they cover shrunk more, but are still limited by their throw length to an extent. The shorter throw machines (3.6-5.5mm) will always achieve better results in tight spots than the longer throw (8mm) models. Long-throw, free-rotation DA's can withstand their contact patch being shrunk through tilting the least of all DA models.

*To Be Continued...​*


----------



## Steampunk

*Polisher Categories*​
There are too many brands and models of machine polishers available around the globe to address individually. However, they all can be categorized quite simply into several different mechanical sorts. Let's delve into this, to figure out the right sort of polisher for your application. Like in George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', all the animals are equal (In and that all polishers can do the job, if setup well.), but some animals are more equal than others for certain users, and in certain fields…

*8-9mm Free-Rotation DA's - *

Such machines falling under this category are various DAS-6/Pro models, Meguiar's G110/G220/MT300/MT320, etc… These are random-orbit machines, featuring a 8-9mm offset, and a free-running bearing that lets the pad spin (RPM) freely, while orbit is driven under power (OPM). In essence, they work like gyrocopters, where the rotor rotation is a side-effect driven by friction, and the motive force causing that rotation is driven directly. 8-9mm free-throw DA's demonstrate a high OPM to RPM ratio during usage, meaning the pad orbits much more than it spins under pressure. This reduces the heat generated while polishing (As heat is almost always a negative force in paintwork correction.), but also limits the correction potential. As such, 8-9mm Free-Rotation DA's often behave as under-powered, but are also relatively idiot-proof.

Such tools are often suggested as a 'my first polisher', and I actually agree with this suggestion for a lot of newbies, as vehemently as I would suggest that if you intend to use a polisher more seriously, you avoid them like the plague… The reason is, this sort of machine is the classic 'Swiss Army Knife'. It can do a lot of things, but none of them that well individually, and if you're a professional you can't rely on a tool this compromised to perform as well as you need it to.

On the plus side of 8-9mm Free-Throw DA's, they're quite easy and forgiving to pick up. Even if you only pick up a polisher once or twice a year, this sort of machine is one you can re-learn very quickly, and punishes you with lack of performance, more than potentially causing harm to paint (You can still burn through thin paint with one easily, but if you're being totally ham-fisted, it'll stall rather than keep digging like more powerful tools..)… Its biggest advantage, though, is its versatility. It'll handle tight spots (You can change out the backing plates to accommodate larger or smaller pads.), contours,, and hard/sensitive paints, without having to invest in more than one machine. They also are pretty forgiving of heat-sensitive products, so can apply LSP's, AIO's, and Glazes, just as well as heavy compounds/polishes. They just do a little bit of everything, but nothing that great. As I said, they're a 'Swiss Army Knife'. If you want to get the best out of one, you have to be a 'MacGyver'. You have to get creative, and realize you're 'getting yourself out of a jam' every time, rather than using the right tool for the job. You can still get the job done, but there's always a compromise involved…

When you're doing heavy correction, you need to sacrifice smooth operation on this sort of machine to match the outright power of other tools by using the most aggressive, but also most abusive pad/product combos. Finishing on soft paints can also push your skills to the limits, as these machines are just not engineered to run as precisely as some other polishers. However, they can always be relied upon to do a little bit of everything, and that's an amazing thing.

If you intend to use a machine a lot, either because you really enjoy detailing and want to practice to learn to do it better, or because you're a pro, this is the wrong sort of machine. The vibration levels, and lack of power, which slows down certain correction combos, is more risky than the money saving is worth.









_Meguiar's G110 V2, M205, LC Crimson HT Pad; no LSP..._​
*12-21mm Free Rotation DA's - *

People assume that long-throw machines, being free-rotating just like short-medium throw machines, are just more powerful versions of their already familiar intro-level 8-9mm throw DA's… Nothing could be further from the truth. Long throw is an entirely different animal.

Where 8-9mm throw DA's are Swiss Army Knives (Usable for everything, great at nothing.), long-throw DA's are actually very specific tools, and behave in a totally different fashion despite sharing the same mechanism. If you're used to 8-9mm free-throw DA's and want to try long-throw, abandon everything you learned, because the world you're about to enter is totally new.

8-9mm throw DA's can be tilted to surprising angles without losing pad rotation entirely, and since their PCZ (Partial Contact Zone - the area of the pad that is only sometimes in contact with the paint, due to the orbit.) is still relatively small, this means they can be used on concave contours and pressed relatively close to obstacles to achieve more thorough correction of a vehicle. Long-throw on the other hand, can be tilted only a fraction of what shorter throw machines can, stall out utterly on concave panels, and have a much larger PCZ that leaves a largely uncorrected border around obstacles. One also cannot apply as much pressure as one can with shorter-throw tools to get more cut, as this results in a stall. Instead, one has outright pad speed, almost like a rotary; just with less heat.

The large throw length also places a much higher importance on pad/polish combos offering minimal friction, so one cannot use the same, aggressive combos on a long-throw DA, as one does on a standard throw DA. Aggressive pad/polish combos with high surface friction on long throw, can result in some of the most unpleasant kickback I've ever experienced with any tool, that's basically uncontrollable. However, if you use lower-friction combos, long-throw machines are often designed with a level of mechanical precision that allows for extremely smooth operation. With the right combos, nearly rotary-like smoothness is possible. As such, I'd categorize long-throw DA's as being highly pad/polish sensitive machines. There's a reason why Rupes made their pads/polishes specifically around their tools.

Long-throw DA's suit a technique largely resembling rotary polishing. One utilizing low pressure, and a lot of observance around conditions that can create spikes in surface pressure; constantly trying to keep the pad level. If you've never liked to apply pressure while polishing, and work on cars with relatively flat panels, this is the DA for you. Unlike a rotary, pressure spikes are fairly safe, but result in a stall of RPM that causes the loss of at least 80% of one's corrective power. However, unlike rotaries, long-throw DA's provide excellent 1-step performance. As long as you keep them on relatively flat panels, or ones with only convex contours, long-throw's are the _fastest and easiest_ correcting DA's you can buy.

When you invest in a long-throw DA system, you have to realize that the backing plate/pad diameter will no longer correspond with your previous experience with 8-9mm throw DA's, or any other polisher system… 2" BP's on long throw, are more equal to 3" BP's on standard throw. 3" BP's on long-throw, are more equal to 5" BP's on standard throw. 5-6" BP's on long-throw, are made to cover huge, flat surface areas… To get into the tight areas you sometimes could cram a 3" standard-throw machine into, you really need a 1" BP long-throw machine. This necessity for multiple machines makes this a really expensive system.

Because long-throw machines often feature fixed backing plates and cannot be tilted to shrink their contact patch like shorter-throw machines can, you have to plan on buying multiple machines to do the same job that one standard-throw, 8-9mm DA could have done. 12-21mm DA's can do the job faster, and with less physical strain, but the investment in multiple machines means that long-throw is the most expensive paintwork correction system in the industry to invest into.

Long-throw DA's are a pretty unique system… Simultaneously, they're one of the easiest systems for beginners, and one of the most expensive systems to pick up. They're one of the most powerful, and also one of the most limited. If you've not spent a lot of time with every sort of machine, these sorts of pros and cons might seem very extreme, and be hard to figure out whether these types of tools suit your needs. Here's the bottom line… I'd recommend long-throw machines first to people with very deep pockets, and very high expectations, with very minimal time to gain skills, on vehicles with panels that are mostly flat/convex. Under these sorts of conditions, an out-of-the-box system as well designed as Rupes' Bigfoot, will blow your mind… I'd also recommend it for professionals, working on large, relatively flat surface areas, needing maximum speed (rather than maximum defect correction.) in their 1-step packages. These aren't the machines I'd recommend for 10/10ths correction, for concave contours, or those who like to use pressure while correcting. Surprisingly, they're a pretty easy side-step, for people who are lifelong rotary users, but want to focus less, and want better 1-step results than rotaries can allow.

*Forced Rotation - *








If I was in a polishing competition, I'd want a forced rotation machine in my hands. They're like donkey-engines… They'll just haul all day no matter what you ask of them, but you have to be mechanically sensitive with them and figure out how they want to work, or they'll dominate you like a bronco.

There's nothing that can maximize a compound like a forced rotation machine with the right pad. You can get a 100% spread of correction/finish potential with these sorts of tools, no matter the paint, as long as your polish/pad is paired well… Nothing else will really do that.

Forced rotation machines are of a short-medium throw variety. They can get into tighter spots than their pad size suggests, just as well or better than entry-level, 8-9mm machines. They can be tilted at extreme angles and not stop spinning. They can be leaned into HARD, with manageable, and more progressive levels of heat generation. That added pressure that can be applied, over long-throw DA's, takes them to a new level.

The skills you learn with a 8-9mm Free-Rotation DA, apply more to forced rotation machines, than they do to long throw… If you've learned how to maximize your entry-level machine, and want to step up, forced-rotation is probably the smoothest transition. There will still be a huge learning curve, and many of the pad/polish combos you knew before will no longer apply (As happens with every machine transition.), but you'll get a HUGE bump in performance.

Before I really knew rotary, I used to describe forced rotation as being a halfway point between rotary and free-rotation DA polishers since that's what I imagined, but this isn't true… Once you get past 8-9mm DA's, the skill of keeping the pad level/balanced on the paint irregardless the contour, and having feel over the surface pressure you're applying, becomes mission critical. Whether you're using a Forced Rotation, Long-Throw, or Rotary machine. It's still a really important skill, but the tool doesn't spank you as bad when you're dealing with a short-medium throw DA… Today, I'd describe forced rotation differently. Yes, it can haul you around like a rotary if you don't balance the machine right, and give it its head, but it's still really different than a rotary. With forced rotation, you can use pressure with relative impunity, just like a short or standard throw, free-rotation DA. However, the tool is more sensitive to pad/polish friction, like any more powerful tool… Whether it be forced-rotation, long-throw, or rotary.

The compromise, is that forced-rotation DA's start to become less forgiving under circumstances that free-rotation DA's can excel… Free-rotation DA's can be used to apply liquid LSP's, glazes, paintwork cleaners, and filler AIO's (Like SRP), that are mostly designed to be applied by hand. Forced rotation balks with the vast majority of these products… Forced rotation is a little less safe with polishes that require being worked down to almost nothing, in the hands of a beginner, like CarPro Essence.

Again, these are a confusing lot of pros and cons, but here's the bottom line… I'd recommend a forced rotation machine to those who have already truly mastered a 8-9mm free-rotation DA, or are inclined to using heavy pressure while polishing. I'd recommend it for pros doing 1-step corrections that demand maximum exploitation of the abrasive, rather than just achieving a moderate result quickly, and those working on vehicles with complex, tight, or concave panels.

The myth with forced-rotation is that they don't finish as well, especially on sensitive paints, as free-rotating DA's… This hasn't been my experience. They just need more lubricated polishes than free-throw machines on sticky paints.

*Rotaries - *

Rotary polishers, in real life, are the opposite of what people imagine. They're the first sort of polisher ever made, and have similarly age-old mythos surrounding them… One fears they are material-hoggers, like angle grinders, but in reality they are finesse tools. It's actually harder to hog-off material with them than with most DA's, which is opposite of how they're billed. If you're ham-fisted, you should avoid them like the plague, as stuff happens with rotaries fast if you lack physical sensitivity. However, if you're maybe overly delicate with DA's, you probably have the right level of sensitivity for rotaries, and can use them to their full… If you polish with a gentle touch, rotaries are the single most amazing detailing machine you'll ever use. There's a reason why they were favored by the real, old-school pros.

Next to nothing you learn with a DA, applies to a rotary… Rotaries excel in three areas. They're extraordinary finishing/light polishing tools, with medium or fine polishing/finishing foam pads, and medium-fine polishes. No DA can really equal a rotary finish, unless relying upon fillers… At the opposite end of that spectrum, with wool pads, rotaries can correct paint very efficiently. Not using pressure, but just outright speed. They tackle RIDS and medium-heavy swirls amazingly well with wool and the right medium polish or heavy compound. You just give these products time, rather than pressure, and have to be more careful balancing the machine on contours than with a DA. Lastly, as they have no orbit, rotaries can fit their pads into tighter spots, and polish closer to obstacles than any DA can.

However, with rotaries, between finishing and compounding, there is a gulf of 1-stepping performance that DA's can simply do much better. Rotaries are amazing 2-3 step tools, but incredibly limited, nearly terrible 1-step tools. 1-stepping with a rotary always creates less correction, more risk of holograms/swirls, and more damaging heat than with a DA. I never look at a vehicle as being a 1-step job with a rotary, unless the defects are extremely mild.

Interestingly, every combo you use with rotary, will initially feel it _cuts less _than it can on DA. Your finishing combos can finish a bit better, due to the motion of the machine, but will become 'pure finishing' combos, rather than ones that can also fix light defects at the same time. Compounds will also feel neutered, unless you apply levels of tilt/pressure that can quickly get dangerous. Instead you learn to correct things with multiple, low-pressure 'hits', which happen so quickly due to the speed of a rotary, that the overall time is similar to performing just one 'hit' with a DA… Really, though, rotaries excel when they can be allowed to run at high speed, with next to no pressure, and no real diminishment of the abrasives. This means using SMAT polishes/compounds. Work products with no pressure for a long time, rather than with high pressure for a short time, and rotaries start to show their real superiority over DA's.

Unless you're using fillers, working a rotary for a long, gentle cycle can deliver a better finish, with less heat than a DA using pure abrasive polishes/compounds. Rotaries can also get closer to obstacles while providing full correction, unlike DA's… It's like shaving with a straight rather than a Double-Edge razor. It's more fiddly, and takes longer, but is more precise, and ultimately creates a result you can see a difference with.









_Full rotary corrected finish; no LSP..._​
The myth of rotaries correcting more on hard paint largely comes from a distant time, but there's still a glimmer of truth in it… If the material can take the heat, or is so abrasion resistant it doesn't create as much friction, you can apply offset-pressure with rotaries using wool pads, and aggressive compounds, that can make them into nuclear-level cutting machines. However, unlike DA's that can utilize very aggressive combos even on soft paints, the materials that can safely take that aggressive of an approach are limited.

There's also a myth with rotaries, that they're unsuitable for soft paint. I'd say that's horse-hockey… You just have to use them with well lubricated polishes. Unfortunately, some of the best lubricated polishes I've known have been discontinued lately, as almost all the energy in polish/compound development is for DA machines, so the ground keeps getting taken out from under rotaries… That is actually the one real downside with rotaries at the time of writing. Because DA's have gotten so popular, pad/polish manufacturers have largely stopped developing pads/polishes that suit Rotary. What works well with them tends to have been developed some years ago.

The last mythos, is that rotaries are hard/impossible to learn for amateurs… Again, that's nonsense. What rotaries ask of you is more tactile observation and care. That's all… I wouldn't put a rotary in the hands of someone who's never polished before, wants to correct a car once a year in a few hours, and never intends to polish again. That person won't extract good results from any tool. Some tools will simply reward such impatience more. At the same time, if you're going to practice, and listen to the feedback the rotary gives you (Feel the paint a lot… Feel when the machine starts to fight you. It'll tell you exactly how to use it in a safe way, if you're paying attention.), newbies can pick up rotaries as their first machine and learn to get amazing results with them. As long as you listen to them, they're not that dangerous… You can burn through paint with any tool, and it can happen fast with rotaries if the paint's thin, but only if you're using them in a really aggressive way.

*Cyclo - *

Cyclo's, and copies thereof, are the Rube Goldberg contraptions of the detailing world. They've been around forever, but frankly, they've never caught on, or stopped being weird… They have a pair of 4" pads, with long-throw, free-rotation DA actions, running side-by-side. They were a technological cul-de-sac, and it's amazing they still exist, but at the same time I will never put down a detailer using such a contraption. With enough practice with their machine of choice, people can achieve amazing results, and underestimating this is foolish.

In a way, they're the worst of all things. They have poor pad availability, don't fit into areas as small as their pads suggest, don't cover large ones in the same way that bigger, single-pad machines do, are heavy, cumbersome, and because they're developmentally crippled in regards to new pads/polishes being designed around them, lack the ultimate potential of any other sort of polisher technology....

Using one of these tools requires overcoming great compromises, and experts with Rube Goldberg machines can be truly formidable craftsman. Sometimes, compromise makes you stronger, and if you've got one of these machines, and have really dedicated yourself to learning it, you might be a stronger user than someone with a more common machine. I wouldn't recommend these tools over something else to someone starting, but I'll never put down anyone who's figured out how to make them work for them.

*Next Up…*








Whatever machine you buy, you're not going to get the best from it, unless you optimize that tool with the right pads, the right polishes, and the right techniques… Getting the right polisher for you is only the first step. Dialing it in is the real hurdle… This will be covered in the next article in this series.

_Thanks for Reading! _

*-Steampunk-*​


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## Steveom2

Wow what a write up 👌 many thanks for your time and effort mate 👏


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## AndyN01

What a gent you are for taking the time to write up your experiences, observations and thoughts for our benefit. :thumb: 

Your comments about looking after yourself ring particularly true for me. I struggle with Carpal Tunnel syndrome from time to time. The change to a quality rotary made such a difference from my "toe in the water" entry level DA.

Really looking forward to the next instalment.

Best wishes and thanks again.

Andy.


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## AnthonyUK

Amazing article and one that anyone with even a passing interest should read.

A cheap DA (which I use) is definitely only useable in short bursts so a really valid point that shouldn’t be overlooked.


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## bigman1976

Amazing. An incredibly considered explanation pros and cons of different types of polisher. This should be pinned and all questions relating to “which polisher” should be told to read it. 

Wish I’d been able to read it when I got my DAS6 pro! (Though I am someone who picks it up a few times per year and does what I want it to!)

Thank you, Steampunk, for sharing your wisdom.


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## muzzer

Interesting to read and just reiterates what i've read elsewhere that having an all singing all dancing piece of kit is worthless if you don't have the requisite skill level to go with it.
I bought a cheap and cheerfull DA because i'm probably only going to use it maybe 3 times in my lifetime but even so, articles like this are great and help to understand the difference in machines and techniques and requirements to get the best from those machines.


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## Titanium Htail

Also no one best machine is possible as with #whitedetails an array of suitable machines from 5" to 3/1" a good machine with an improving skill set time will be needed to improve those innate skills. 

I need the lightest machine due to spinal issues, just seen Ted11 do a whole Aston Martin with a Flex plus 3" Meg's MF pad so all good. 

Great post Steampunk thx.

John Tht.

Can we have this as a sticky Muzzer..


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## Steampunk

Thank you all for your kind comments, and your patience in waiting after I posted the first installment! I really appreciate it... I've been wanting to write this article for some time. 



AndyN01 said:


> Your comments about looking after yourself ring particularly true for me. I struggle with Carpal Tunnel syndrome from time to time. The change to a quality rotary made such a difference from my "toe in the water" entry level DA.


Changing to rotary, or at least getting a premium DA system and REALLY dialing it in with pads/polishes that makes it run like a top, is a massive game changer if you suffer from HAVS or Carpal Tunnel. I probably wouldn't be detailing today without this investment. You're definitely not alone, there... :buffer:

- Steampunk


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## Steampunk

Titanium Htail said:


> Also no one best machine is possible as with #whitedetails an array of suitable machines from 5" to 3/1" a good machine with an improving skill set time will be needed to improve those innate skills.
> 
> I need the lightest machine due to spinal issues, just seen Ted11 do a whole Aston Martin with a Flex plus 3" Meg's MF pad so all good.


Very correct about no one best possible machine for everything...

Lightweight is a huge factor when reducing strain on yourself due to injury... This was the main reason why I bought my Festool Rotex RO125. 2-kilos, tons of power, low vibe... :buffer:

If one could afford the huge air compressor needed, the Rupes LHR75 Pneumatic would be such a dream tool for those needing the lightest, lowest vibe polisher possible... A fair number of people are finding that the 3" long-throws are plenty of machine to do whole vehicles, and that they don't get to use their 5-6" long-throws as much as they thought.

- Steampunk


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## Supa Koopa

Excellent information and I thank you for the time you've spent on producing these guides. 

Could you please elaborate on your information on using essence on forced rotation in the hands of a beginner. I'm curious to hear more as this was the route I was thinking of taking.


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## Steampunk

Supa Koopa said:


> Excellent information and I thank you for the time you've spent on producing these guides.
> 
> Could you please elaborate on your information on using essence on forced rotation in the hands of a beginner. I'm curious to hear more as this was the route I was thinking of taking.


Essence needs to be worked down until almost nothing of the fluid film remains... This probably suits it best to free-rotation DA's, including long-throw, which will build up the least heat if minimal lubrication is present. With free rotation DA's, you can get away with using Essence on more aggressive pads like a Rupes Yellow. However, the best gloss/least correction will be achieved on finer pads, like the Rupes White.

On forced rotation, you need to be more cognoscente of heat, and I'd suggest applying Essence with a Scholl NEO Honey Spider pad on more sensitive paints; this will help it run cooler. Pads like the CarPro orange Polishing Pad can be used on less heat sensitive paints for a bit more bite.

Apply a few blobs of product, and work it until the film almost disappears on a fairly low speed (Stay 3 or below.); low pressure.

Essence is a filler polish, and one very much suited to machine usage rather than hand. You just need to be careful with machines like rotary and forced rotation, which can build up too much heat when the lubrication runs almost dry as the product is worked down... These are less suited to it than free-rotating machines of any throw-length, but at the same time it's still usable (Especially on forced rotation.), with sufficient care.

Hope this helps...

- Steampunk


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## pina07

I wish I had the talent to write and explain the way you do buddy......I’ve read it three times now and it’s a fantastic write up. Thanks for taking the time and effort to pass on your wealth of knowledge.
Kind Regards
Paul.


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