Your buffer of Choice? Orbital versus Rotary Buffers

[Dave S]

I was a die hard Orbital Guy. After all it made a lot of sense and besides I wanted to be as gentle as possible on my Blue Hull and produce the best shine possible. And in that regard the orbital does a nice job. And I have never let my gel coat oxidize so the Orbital always worked fine.

But, I purchased a rotary buffer awhile back and used that sparingly on some of the topside white decking in the past and it did a great job there as well. So, this time I decided to use the rotary on the blue hull and see what would happen. I used a wool pad and made sure it never got dry which I think is one of the secrets to getting a scratch free finish on a dark colored hull. To make a long story short, it worked fine and made the job go a lot faster. So now I am a convert and will likely use the rotary instead of the orbital in the future. So lets hear from all you Polishing Gurus out there...what is your primary buffer of choice........Orbital or Rotary?

Dave

 

[fwebster]

Swirl marks??

Depending upon your choice of chemicals for cleaning and polishing, a rotary buffer will almost guarantee swirl marks in the finish. They are much easier to control with orbital buffers.

 

[VTSeaRay]

I own an orbital but haven't used it on my boat, I used it once, for some scratches in my clearcoat on my truck. I do car/truck/boat by hand.

-VtSeaRay

 

[ghuskin]

I currently use an orbital buffer, as that is what I have access to. I have recently seen a friend that uses a rotary buffer (he owns a yacht maintenance company), and i may switch.

 

[Summer Fun II]

My $29.95 Harbor Freight buffer. :smt001 . :thumbsup:.

 

[douglee25]

Swirl marks tend to happen when the buffer is angled too much vs. being flat.

There really is a knack for using one correctly.

I solely use a rotary as I find there is no way in hell the orbital would touch the results I get with the rotary. I have no swirl marks either.

Doug

 

[Vince_nj1]

I used to use a Sear Orbital and just recently purchased a Porta Cable. I would rather have a slightly less polished finish, then run the risk of buring the paint (car / motorcycle) or gelcoat using a straight rotary.

Now, if I could only find the time to actualy use the damm thing...

 

[douglee25]

Typically the areas of concern for burn through are the edges where two different planes intersect at sharp angles. Flat surfaces are the least likely places for burn through to take place. Don't be afraid to try a rotary though. Gelcoat burn through is much harder to do than people make it out to be.

Doug

 

[PMC]

Swirl marks tend to happen when the buffer is angled too much vs. being flat.

There really is a knack for using one correctly.

I solely use a rotary as I find there is no way in hell the orbital would touch the results I get with the rotary. I have no swirl marks either.

Doug

No doubt. I have both and prefer the rotary - hands down.

It is not for everybody, and does take practice and control. In fact, using a high speed buffer can cause serious injury if used wrong. Make sure you are aware of the direction you approach rails & cleats. Stand clear of any antennas or anchor lanyards. The machine can easily kick back or launch tools at fatal projectile speeds.

Angling the buffer will allow you to dig into the finish and without a doubt cause swirls. You absolutely need to finish the area with the pad flat and follow through "into" the direction of the wheel slowly. (finesseIT II and a buffer does wonders). BTW - no swirls here

 

[roadkingh1]

I always use a rotary. At one time I used wool pads, but went to sponge pads with the round edges, which is nice for inside and irregular surfaces. Also what is nice about the pads is that you can rinse and squeeze them for immediate use and better chance of not running your pad dry.

Ted

 

[avguy]

From left to right: Cyclo orbital, generic orbital, PC 7424 orbital, Flex orbital, Metabo rotary.
While I use them all, hands down the rotary is usually my 1st choice. I just can't duplicate the shine with the orbitals that I get with the rotary.

 

[Summer Fun II]

Scott, Holy crap !! Do you think you have enough of them . :wow:

 

[Dave S]

Swirl marks??

Depending upon your choice of chemicals for cleaning and polishing, a rotary buffer will almost guarantee swirl marks in the finish. They are much easier to control with orbital buffers.

Frank

I had no swirl marks in my blue finish when I was done. I used a medium speed and kept the pad reasonably flat. I also kept misting water on the gel coat to keep the pad from drying out. I used Gel Coat Labs polish/sealant with the Rotary followed up by Meguiar's Flagship liquid applied by hand. These are essentially the same products I have used for many years.

I was pretty much convinced ahead of time this wasn't going to give the same results as the Orbital did but it sure seems like it did.

Dave

 

[Gofirstclass]

Makita rotary on speed setting 1. No swirl marks anywhere.

I put the liquid wax directly on the buffer pad, then smear it around on the hull. This prevents the pad from slinging wax all over the place. I buff until the wax is almost dry, then after it has air dried I wipe the wax off with a towel.

 

[avguy]

Swirl marks??

Depending upon your choice of chemicals for cleaning and polishing, a rotary buffer will almost guarantee swirl marks in the finish. They are much easier to control with orbital buffers.

Frank... there is a definite learning curve with the rotary. I've put more swirls in gel coat & automotive paint than I care to remember. But the only way (for me at least) to learn was to just dive in & screw up the finish a couple of times until I figured it out. Still don't have it down pat but I'm getting there :grin:

My tan hull & white deck done with a rotary...

 

[AKBASSKING]

My $29.95 Harbor Freight buffer. :smt001 . :thumbsup:.

I use the same thing!!! They even give you extra brushes. It seems to work fine for me....:thumbsup:

 

[Nehalennia]

I use both. I use the rotary for compounding and orbital for polish and removal.
I have the Makita 9227C rotary and Porter Cable 7424 orbital.

 

[Four Suns]

As long as the cord does not get wrapped in it, the Makita rotary is my top pick... but you can really hurt yourself with that thing.

 

[Summer Fun II]

As long as the cord does not get wrapped in it,

Been there done that !!. :smt021

 

[Weave]

PC 7424 here.....great results