Has anyone tried the Harbor Freight DA Polisher yet? The copy of the Porter Cable? Getting ready to buy one...for the limited amount of use I cant justify the PC...I have a really nice Black and Decker buffer for the heavy stuff...

Usually not a fan of Harbor Freight stuff...but this seems to be a really good buy...

 

Our FedEx guy just got one and polished his car up with it.

Said it worked great. I would give it a go.

I've used PC's for a while though and they sure do hold up. Can't make any comment of the durability of the HF DA

 

A friend of mine bought one to do his Autocross BMW he painted. They're just OK. Bearings aren't nearly as smooth as my Groit's. If it's just limited use it should be alright, but the vibration will tire you out sooner than a name brand.

And remember you still need to get some quality pads, not just the one that comes with the machine.

 

There is a thread on AutoGeek about doing a "regrease mod" to it that smooths the vibration out.

Jim

 

I have one and it gets the job done.

 

Just bought it this am $ 52.99...will try to do a review...

I used to be a painter...so I know how to use a buffer...my B&D is a real nice buffer...its about 20 years old...haven't used it in about 15 years (been out of the trade a while)...

 

So, I played around with it on saturday and sunday...did the left fender and front door, using Mothers Cleaning Carnuba wax, and Mothers Synthetic Wax...

The polisher does function...I don't like the switch and RPM Adjustment set-up of any of these type of polishers...does it work...yes, is it friendly to use no....

My B&D Buffer has a variable speed trigger, with an RPM limiter on top of the unit...can be controlled with one hand...in situ...

The Harbor Freight unit did the job...both panels look good...swirl free...

I also used the HF Foam Pads...they were cheap!

Can't wait to get to the remainder of the truck...I have alot of tree sap that I need to get off the truck, as I had it parked for a week in the forest while at Scout camp...big globs of tree sap!

Regards!

 

HF makes some great cheap stuff. As much as people like to rag on them, for stuff you're only using a few times a year, they're great.

 

So, I have played with it some more...

Did the hood, and the remainder of the drivers side...

Just using the products I already had in my garage, I have been pretty pleased with the results. I have used Meguires ScratchX on a few lighter scratches, and the Mothers Cleaning Carnuba Wax followed by Mothers Synthetic Wax. Finish looks pretty nice...

I would like to get 3M Perfect it products for light duty scratches...Keep in mind, my truck is 9 years old, with a few dings and scratches. Does it look perfect? No...but it looks pretty nice...

The polisher is perfectly adequate, and so are the pads...Pretty happy with the discounted purchase.

 

Glad to hear it is working out well! 3M owns Mequiar's, generally speaking the 3M stuff is more expensive and designed for Pros (but they have a bunch of over-the-counter stuff). Depending on what you are trying to achieve, I saw M205 at Harbor Freight and it is great at removing swirls and minor defects.

If you post up some direct sunlight pics, I am sure we can suggest some products.

 

Thanks for the words of wisdom Blown!

In a past life I was a professional...I was a painter for 11 years...been out of the trade for a while, but some of this is like riding a bike!

I will try to post pics...haven't had much success in the past...

The 3M and Meguires professional stuff is crazy expensive...I wish I could go back to day 1 with this truck...it was pretty when t was new! Still is a nice truck, but is getting dinged up...