# DA or rotary (yes i know!)



## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

Hello,
I need your help!
I want to polish my car with a DA or a rotary but guess what? I dont know which one is better for me, so i ask you the question!

-I think it's very important to know that i have a mazda 2 white with soft paint!
I want to correct swirls and especially make it pop with jeweling!!:argie:
In the beginning i wanted a DA but i read that some get hazing with it so bad finish?!


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

No best of anything. Buy a da. Nothing they can't achieve with modern pads and polishes. More versatile than a rotary. 
Sorry, 3rd time I have answered that question this week


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## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

Yes, i am very confused, i read a lot of threads before, but i had a thought about hazing with DA!
Are you sure i will have no hazing issue on a soft paint with a DA?
That must be frustrating for you answering to the same question, but sometimes having the choice is not always a good thing for a beginner especially when it's our car!


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## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

I also have ultimate compound and ultimate polish (i was using it by hands) do you think that it is good products or i need to buy something else?


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## kgh1977 (May 15, 2011)

I got a DA to start off with, found it took a long time to correct my paint (vw passat inky blue) so decided to get a rotary and some gtechniq P1 along with megs 205, chose 3M pads and bobs yer uncle....car corrected. BUT thats just what worked for me....there are some cracking pads and polishes to use with a DA that will be on par with a rotary. That didnt really answer your question did it 

How about trying a DA first and some good quality pads & polishes, then if thats not working try the rotary.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

stangalang said:


> No best of anything. Buy a da. Nothing they can't achieve with modern pads and polishes. More versatile than a rotary.
> Sorry, 3rd time I have answered that question this week


+1 for me, looking back I should've bought a DAS6 pro rather than a rotary.


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## pawlik (May 16, 2011)

I personally use DA only for sanding and sealing/waxing/glazing. With rotary correcting is 2-3 times faster, and for jeweling rotary is better choice.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

packto said:


> Yes, i am very confused, i read a lot of threads before, but i had a thought about hazing with DA!
> Are you sure i will have no hazing issue on a soft paint with a DA?
> That must be frustrating for you answering to the same question, but sometimes having the choice is not always a good thing for a beginner especially when it's our car!


You should not get hazing with a da, if anything on soft paints its the machine to turn to. And on hard paints with modern pads, if anything it yeilds better results. Only draw back is the vibration, but other than that it is the machine to own trust me


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## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

OK then i think i will listen to you, I will get a kestrel DAS 6 with white and black Hex-Logic Pads with my ultimate compound and ultimate polish and IPA.
Am i right?


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

packto said:


> Yes, i am very confused, i read a lot of threads before, but i had a thought about hazing with DA!
> Are you sure i will have no hazing issue on a soft paint with a DA?
> That must be frustrating for you answering to the same question, but sometimes having the choice is not always a good thing for a beginner especially when it's our car!


Soft paint? Forget the rotary!


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

packto said:


> OK then i think i will listen to you, I will get a kestrel DAS 6 with white and black Hex-Logic Pads with my ultimate compound and ultimate polish and IPA.
> Am i right?


Can't comment on the polishes, but the pad and machine choice should kick ass on soft paint :thumb:


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## pawlik (May 16, 2011)

type[r]+ said:


> Soft paint? Forget the rotary!


Sorry mate but disagree, just use softer pads :thumb:


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

pawlik said:


> Sorry mate but disagree, just use softer pads :thumb:


I own a Honda..... Trust me!


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## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

type[r]+ said:


> I own a Honda..... Trust me!


Ok thank you, maybe you can help me with one more question:
I already have ultimate coumpound (consumer-line 105) and ultimate polish (consumer-line 205) and i am not sure about the pads, i was thinking about Hex-Logic Pads in white and black, do you think it's the best color?

maybe black and green?
or white and orange?
I only want 2 pads for jewelring and light swirls and sometimes maybe correct defects


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

If you've only got light swirls, you'll get away with the white and black pad combo. 
No way would I use UC/105 on my paint as well. Far too harsh. You'll only need a light-medium polish like Megs 205, Menzerna 106FA for just about everything, and 203S for the deep stuff. 

Paint cleaners and pre-wax cleansers will clean up light swirls, just perfect on the DA too! Use these on a white pad for more cleaning up ability.


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## Tank (Nov 20, 2011)

If your starting out machine polishing the da is better because there is a lower or even no risk of burning paint if you get carried away and keep it in one place long enough. Rotary polishers tend to be faster at correcting than a da but whats a little time in saving paint! Personally i find the da better just personal choice. Also being a newbie the da would be ideal for you. 

For a quick light cut on my car i tried dodo lime prime on an orange waffle polishing pad then once that was done used dodo supernatural machine stick on red waffle. 

Also meguiars have brought out a da microfibre correction system with da compound and a finish too. Could give that a go.


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## Tank (Nov 20, 2011)

Have a read through this if you havent already. There is some interesting things to be learnt from this link for the da.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=63859


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## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

One last question :
i wonder if 5.5" for the pads is the right size because my car is a little mazda 2 like this one:








Do you think 4" pads is better or not?


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## Kaban (Mar 10, 2011)

use the 5.5" pads. its gonna take way too much time with a four inch pad to do a whole car and i highly advice against that.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Ideally you'd have a set of 5.5" and 4" Packto. 

Lots of curves and lines, you could get away with 4" pads if you want.


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## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

Poor finish is down to the operator. If you are new to machines, get a das 6 pro from cyc. Mine has been worth it's weight in gold. You can't take too long to get the right results.


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## packto (Mar 8, 2011)

type[r]+ said:


> Ideally you'd have a set of 5.5" and 4" Packto.
> 
> Lots of curves and lines, you could get away with 4" pads if you want.


I think i will listen to you an go with 2 5.5" hexalogic pads (one black and one white). 
I will also get a little pad, but which one between a 80mm(like 3M,menzerna,festool) or 4"(hexalogic white) is better/easier regarding the size for spots on a 75mm backing plate ?
(i think it's logically the smaller one but everybody use 4" so maybe there is something i don't understand!)


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

Kaban said:


> use the 5.5" pads. its gonna take way too much time with a four inch pad to do a whole car and i highly advice against that.


It takes longer yes, but I wouldn't say it takes THAT much longer, even doing the entire car.
I've used 4" pads on a couple of cars with exellent results for not much more time.
Always handy to have different size pads in your selection :thumb:.

PS
Come to think of it, I actualy prefer to use 4" over the whole car :thumb:
But people do say I'm a bit of an 'oddball' :lol:.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

packto said:


> I think i will listen to you an go with 2 5.5" hexalogic pads (one black and one white).
> I will also get a little pad, but which one between a 80mm(like 3M,menzerna,festool) or 4"(hexalogic white) is better/easier regarding the size for spots on a 75mm backing plate ?
> (i think it's logically the smaller one but everybody use 4" so maybe there is something i don't understand!)


To be honest, I love the 3M spot pads on my rotary, but they are just too soft for me on the DA.

I don't think theres a better/easier size, it just depends on the job. It's easy to just stick to a particular brand which ever one you choose. Myself, I prefer the harder pads on the DA, i really like the LC hydro-tech pads.


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## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

Sorry for a bit off topic, but I currently have a DAS-6, what benefits would I get from upgrading to the pro?


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

vroomtshh said:


> Sorry for a bit off topic, but I currently have a DAS-6, what benefits would I get from upgrading to the pro?


IMO nothing, not worth the bother and expense at all. Better off upgrading to a Flex 3401 if you want a better (true) DA.


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## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

type[r]+ said:


> IMO nothing, not worth the bother and expense at all. Better off upgrading to a Flex 3401 if you want a better (true) DA.


Too rich for me. I'm lucky if I use it once a year TBH. I'll just stick with what I have :thumb:


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## mohebmhanna (Jul 19, 2011)

Is anyone can explain what is the difference between Flex 3401 and DAS-6 pro or Meguiars G220 V2? Why we said Flex 3401 is a true DA?


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

mohebmhanna said:


> Is anyone can explain what is the difference between Flex 3401 and DAS-6 pro or Meguiars G220 V2? Why we said Flex 3401 is a true DA?


The 3401 is a 'true' DA or Dual Action because it has forced rotation of the pad, plus the oscillation of the pad.

The DAS-6/G220 etc don't have forced rotation of the pad, only oscillation. If you apply too much pressure when using them, the pad stops spinning.....


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## Jan thomsen (Apr 3, 2012)

type[r]+ said:


> The 3401 is a 'true' DA or Dual Action because it has forced rotation of the pad, plus the oscillation of the pad.
> 
> The DAS-6/G220 etc don't have forced rotation of the pad, only oscillation. If you apply too much pressure when using them, the pad stops spinning.....


I think that the Flex 3401 is difficult to manage, I do not know if das-6 pro is easier to control,if it runs more smoothly


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