Hand polished vs Electric buffer
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Arlington,Texas
2001 CLK 430 Silver
Hand polished vs Electric buffer
I have never used an electric buffer, I have seen posts on PC
( are they the best ) polishers, are they better than hand rubbed, I have heard people burning paint with buffers is that possible, Love my CLK430 woudn't want to mess my paint up , but would like to get the best shine.
( are they the best ) polishers, are they better than hand rubbed, I have heard people burning paint with buffers is that possible, Love my CLK430 woudn't want to mess my paint up , but would like to get the best shine.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,416
Likes: 342
From: Charlotte, NC
Had: 1987 300TD, Had: 2004 C230 Sport Sedan, Have: 2014 E350 Sport, Have: 2019 S450
The horror stories that you have heard are typically using a rotary buffer, rather than an orbital. Rotary buffers typically run at very high speeds, and they rotate about a single shaft. The high rpm, and the single axis of rotation results in a very high pad speed at the outer edge. This high pad speed results in high heat build-up where the pad meets the paint. This heat is what can burn through the paint.
The PC pad is undriven, but the shaft moves through a circular 'orbit' rather than spinning in one place. This results in a much lower pad speed, thus much less heat where the pad meets the paint.
This lower heat is not enough to burn through the paint . . . although it is sometimes also not enough to really polish out heavy blemishes in the paint.
I've been using the Porter Cable orbital for about 7 years now. Unless you are using far too coarse of a polish (like the old rubbing compounds), the only way to damage your paint with a PC is to drop it onto the car.
The results obtained with a PC are truly first class, and are far better than you can achieve by hand.
If you read the sticky notes in the Detailing section, you will have a pretty good basis for using the PC.
Once you get started, you'll be amazed at how much better the car looks, and how much easier it is to obtain that better look.
The PC pad is undriven, but the shaft moves through a circular 'orbit' rather than spinning in one place. This results in a much lower pad speed, thus much less heat where the pad meets the paint.
This lower heat is not enough to burn through the paint . . . although it is sometimes also not enough to really polish out heavy blemishes in the paint.
I've been using the Porter Cable orbital for about 7 years now. Unless you are using far too coarse of a polish (like the old rubbing compounds), the only way to damage your paint with a PC is to drop it onto the car.
The results obtained with a PC are truly first class, and are far better than you can achieve by hand.
If you read the sticky notes in the Detailing section, you will have a pretty good basis for using the PC.
Once you get started, you'll be amazed at how much better the car looks, and how much easier it is to obtain that better look.
