Dual action polishers

[b_arrington]

I'm thinking its time to get a good one of these to polish my boat. I have a rotary that's a bit of a bear to use, and a cheapy Craftsman one that makes my hands numb and works just so-so.

Of course there are a bazillion models and price ranges. What are some ones that are effective for boat use and a good value? Any particular features that are worth seeking out?

 

[northshore]

Greetings Brad,

Obviously things will go much slower with a DA as opposed to a rotary. Getting the right pads is a must but even more important with a DA is to get compound and polish that says it can be applied by hand as a DA does not build up the required amount of heat required by 'rotary apply only' compounds and polishes.

That being said, I'm working my 4th season with a Porter Cable 7424. We use them for sanding and finishing of metal where I work and they hold up well. Go to Autogeek.com and search 'porter cable'.

 

[KevinC]

Shurhold, Griot's, Porta cable are the better ones. There are others. For light use you might be able to get away with a Harbor freight but i would get the extended warranty.

-Kevin

 

[JVM225]

A good quality random orbital will weigh about what a rotary weighs but will be less effective on gel coat.
I’ve owned the following 3 machines for many years and can attest to their quality.

Makita 9227 Rotary - I use it almost exclusively on boats. Great machine! Nothing will beat a rotary on get coat.

Flex 3401 Random Orbital - Great machine for use on cars, not as effective on gel coat. Same weight class as the Makita Rotary. I love this matching, but not for using on boats.

Porter Cable 7224 Random Orbital. Another work horse. Stopped using on automobile finishes once I got the Flex 3401, but works great with carpet brushes.

 

[Alden Transport & Marine]

I'll be honest and say my Harbor Freight DA is the best model I have used. If you want to pay more money for a DA, go for it but it will bog down when the Harbor Freight unit laughs and asks for more pressure or a deeper cut compound!!

 

[Spark600]

I use the Harbor freight it is lightweight with no resistances, you do not apply any pressure when working let the machine do the work, you have to use the right pads and clean them.
I have bad shoulders and when I am done I do not hurt at all, was the best change I made.
The attached pictures were done with foam pads this year.

 

[Havana Shamrock]

I use the shurhold only for wax and polish it’s a very good unit The only complaint is the location of the switch the way I hold it I keep shutting it down and it drives my crazy.

 

[LMBoat]

I use 2 machines, and have had them for 20 years. I use the Porter Cable 7224 with a white foam pad to apply wax. I use a Milwaukee rotary with a 3M wool 2 sided pad to remove wax (to shine). All works great although all the cords can be a bit cumbersome. To polish, I just use the Rotary, wool pad, and Finesse It. I will say, I never got the results I wanted until I got a rotary machine. And I use both on the cars as well.

 

[Todd320]

I have used a Cyclo polisher, dual heads, anti-vibration, worked pretty well. I would highly recommend it if you don’t want a rotary. I had a hard time using a rotary, and I was worried I would mess up the gel coat. The Cyclo is so much easier to use. It is about the same weight, if I recall, and my hands felt fine after doing the entire 32’ of my 320. I used to to remove the oxidation first, this was just spot work, not the entire hull. Then, I used it on the full hull using polish, then I hand applied wax. They are not cheap, fortunately, a friend of mine has one and let’s me borrow it as long as i purchase new pads....

 

[OllieC]

I had a Shurhold DA for a while. Purchased it in 2013 but ended up giving it to my buddy. Nice unit, but It didn't seem to cut when I needed it too. After reading reviews, because I didn't want to keep purchasing polishers every few years, I decided to go with the 7" Makita 9227, or maybe its the 9237. It's a solid performer. I have had it for 3 years now without issues. It Cuts and polish's great. Has a nice bag that came with it.

 

[Blueone]

I have the harbor freight rotary for compounding ... it is heavy and the buttons for speed are easily hit when holding it.... it always speeds up never slows down... if I didn’t use it once in a while I would toss it for something lighter.... and don’t ever never get the cord near the pad it has an uncanny ability to grab it and try to break your wrists...it’s like the thing is always pissed off just waiting to hurt you

The porter cable 7424 is by far the best random orbital on the planet.... For polish and wax set to number 4 it is the best thing going

 

[NorCal Boater]

Shurhold for me and if you go to their site they often have return/repair units for a bit less.

 

[JVM225]

A good quality random orbital will weigh about what a rotary weighs but will be less effective on gel coat.
I’ve owned the following 3 machines for many years and can attest to their quality.

Makita 9227 Rotary - I use it almost exclusively on boats. Great machine! Nothing will beat a rotary on get coat.

Flex 3401 Random Orbital - Great machine for use on cars, not as effective on gel coat. Same weight class as the Makita Rotary. I love this matching, but not for using on boats.

Porter Cable 7224 Random Orbital. Another work horse. Stopped using on automobile finishes once I got the Flex 3401, but works great with carpet brushes.

UPDATE: This is what I accomplished with the FLEX 3401 last week. It really is a great random orbital machine!



Just to keep it boating related: This is what my Makita 9227 did early last Month before launch.

 

[JVM225]

I have the harbor freight rotary for compounding ... it is heavy and the buttons for speed are easily hit when holding it.... it always speeds up never slows down... if I didn’t use it once in a while I would toss it for something lighter.... and don’t ever never get the cord near the pad it has an uncanny ability to grab it and try to break your wrists...it’s like the thing is always pissed off just waiting to hurt you

The porter cable 7424 is by far the best random orbital on the planet.... For polish and wax set to number 4 it is the best thing going

View attachment 84678

View attachment 84679

Put the cord over your shoulder and behind you when using the rotary to keep it away from the spinning pad.
The Porter Cable 7424 is a great machine. I’ve had mine for years, but if you ever want to step up to the next level in random orbitals, check out the Flex 3401. You’ll love it.
I’ve had the Flex for about 10 years now and haven’t used my Porter Cable on a car since.
The PC 7424 has been moved down to use with carpet brushes to deep clean things like mats, non skid, etc..

 

[bbwhitejr]

I use the shurhold only for wax and polish it’s a very good unit The only complaint is the location of the switch the way I hold it I keep shutting it down and it drives my crazy.

Love it for polish and wax and same beef with the switch location....

Bennett

 

[JVM225]

Shurhold for me and if you go to their site they often have return/repair units for a bit less.

Not sure if Shurhold is included, but some of the specialty brand machines out there are actually Porter Cable 7424’s wrapped in the specialty brand colors and label. If Shurhold is one of them, then it’s a good solid little workhorse for sure, but might be had for a bit less with the PC labels/colors on it.
While not the absolute top of the line random orbital out there, they’re much better than just good enough for the occasional user or hobbyist.

 

[Blueone]

Put the cord over your shoulder and behind you when using the rotary to keep it away from the spinning pad.
The Porter Cable 7424 is a great machine. I’ve had mine for years, but if you ever want to step up to the next level in random orbitals, check out the Flex 3401. You’ll love it.
I’ve had the Flex for about 10 years now and haven’t used my Porter Cable on a car since.
The PC 7424 has been moved down to use with carpet brushes to deep clean things like mats, non skid, etc..

But you said you didn’t like the Flex on gel coat.... so you compound and polish with the makita and hand wax?

 

[JVM225]

I have used a Cyclo polisher, dual heads, anti-vibration, worked pretty well. I would highly recommend it if you don’t want a rotary. I had a hard time using a rotary, and I was worried I would mess up the gel coat. The Cyclo is so much easier to use. It is about the same weight, if I recall, and my hands felt fine after doing the entire 32’ of my 320. I used to to remove the oxidation first, this was just spot work, not the entire hull. Then, I used it on the full hull using polish, then I hand applied wax. They are not cheap, fortunately, a friend of mine has one and let’s me borrow it as long as i purchase new pads....

Cyclo, like the Flex 3401, is often used by high end professional detailers on collector and show cars.
While either will do okay on your gelcoat, a rotary with a wool pad will do much better.
Your gelcoat is pretty tough and it would be hard to harm it with a rotary.

 

[Blueone]

Cyclo, like the Flex 3401, is often used by high end professional detailers on collector and show cars.
While either will do okay on your gelcoat, a rotary with a wool pad will do much better.
Your gelcoat is pretty tough and it would be hard to harm it with a rotary.

Yikes!!! That’s 2 porter cables..... no wonder you like it so much... you have to

 

[dtfeld]

I got the harbor freight just like Blueone. Does a good job. Not sure the extended warranty covers recovery from the lake bottom.