RAC Polisher

[timmaaah 0]

Just seen thisat Woolies for 17 and a half quid - any good for the price? Worth a punt? Not sure if this shouold be here or in the Suppliers section.

 

TIA - Timmaaah

[herisites 0]

I wouldnt bother with those really mate, they wont do anything you cant do by hand. What is it you are trying to achieve?

 

If you want to remove swirls/scratches/holograms etc then they are useles and you would need a proper machine polisher such as a rotary or a random orbital Porter Cable.

 

If you are just trying to get a good finish you can 'hide' swirls with Autoglym Super Resin Polish which contains fillers. This is the best method for someone without a machine polisher. Apply the SRP with some sort of foam applicator for better results, working in a circular motion with some pressure and then work it up and down to fill in as many swirls as possible. Apply to the whole car and leave for about 10-15 minutes to dry and then buff it off. For even better result add a 2nd and even 3rd layer to fill as much as possible.

 

Although the SRP does offer some protection it certanly wont last long and will just wash off the first time it rains so it needs sealing in. The best product to use over SRP is Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection which is a gloss sealant. Apply to the whole car using a foam applicator but leave this for atleast an hour to haze and harden and then buff off with microfibre cloth and again for better results and better protection add another layer applied the same way. This will give the car a very wet glossy look but also protect the paint for up to a few month with careful washes in between. You can also add some wax on top of the EGP to add even further protection.

 

If you want to remove swirsl then you are best asking a professional to do it for you.

 

Hope this helps

 

Rob.

[timmaaah 0]

Rob - I have seen your proceedure before and think it's brill and have followed it before with fab results, just that the last time I did it by hand, I thought my arms were gonna fall off the next day!!!! Thought this would remove the ache/stiffness factor, being a lazy get and all!

[herisites 0]

Ahh gotcha now :lol:

 

Well one of those polishers probably would help when applying polishes to larger panels etc but they are just so clumsy, i have used one before and although simple to use, they just rub polish over a large panel and thats it. So it may take some strain off of your arms but tbh most of the processes need to be done by hand anyway for best results and so one of these wouldnt really help. I would personally stick to doing it by hand and save your money, plus its a good workout anyway :wink: :lol:

 

However i do have some tips on how to reduce arm ache. The first being applicators! I find that using a foam applicator to apply polish/glaze/sealant/wax is a lot easier than using a cloth as the foam pad has a flatter more firm surface which means more of the product actually goes onto the paint instead of soaking into the cloth meaning you have to apply more pressure and also stops you using more product than you actually need! You can get some megs foam applicators from halfords or alternatively cleanyourcar.com sell foam applicators for a quid each so if you order any products off there you may as well order a bunch as you can never have too many!

 

Also some detailing spray helps with everything! But to help stop arm ache mist some of the spray on a microfibre cloth (terry cloth or whatever) to help remove stubborn polishes a lot easier meaning you have to jst lightly buff it away instead of scraping it off!

 

And also a comfy chair or stool helps with general comfort whilst working round the car, you may find that by resting the restof your body will actually take some strain off your arms as well so making sure the rest of you is comfortable is also a good idea!

 

Hope this helps again :)

 

Rob.

[chubbybrown 0]

I've got one,its ok,not much flex on it and it does polish well.

 

I used to clean cars years ago and compared to a smaller head you have to be careful not to lift the paint off or burn with this fella.

[vwdeviant 0]

Have a simlar style one, bought as an Xmas pressie. TBH haven't really used it...

 

They ok for taking polish off over large panels just don't press too hard as it slows the speeds down (not much torque from the motor) and they heat up pretty quickly....

 

However if you apply polish and wax with pads as Rob says then it's actually easier to remove by hand rather than lugging on of these round the car...

[timmaaah 0]

OK - ta for input - I currently used AG Polishing cloths, but gonna give the foam pads a whirl. Will let you know how I get on. Cheers.