Is High Speed Buffing Really The Best Way To Get That Car Perfect?

Many "how to" sites discuss buffing, but they don't cover which type of buffing is the best. Unless you've been a "wheel man" for a while, the last thing you want to do is get near a car with a high speed wheel buffer. Go high speed orbital instead!

I know that's probably not the information you were looking for. Detailers do a large amount of business with customers who mess-up their paint jobs with high speed buffers. So do body shops. Why does this happen? Because people get it in their head that high speed wheel buffers are the only equipment to get the job done. As Tim "The Toolman" Taylor used to say, "The right tool for the job makes all the difference". In this case high speed wheel buffing is "old school" when it comes to probably 90% of the buffing requirements on newer vehicles.

Here's a comparison to consider. If you are looking for a good high speed wheel buffer, the best one on the market is the Makita 9227C 7" polisher/buffer. It also does double duty as a sander if you ever need one around the house. This is the cadillac of high speed buffers with variable speeds up to 3,000 rpm. It can handle anything you can throw at it. Another very important thing to consider is the weight of the buffer at only 6 lbs. When you've been buffing cars all day, you will seriously appreciate the lighter weight of the Makita versus the other buffer's on the market. Some guys will swear by Milwaukee's and DeWalt's, but put all three side by side and see how much lighter the Makita is and you will go this route. It's also built solid and can take a lot of abuse. We had several at our shop and I swear somebody dropped each one on a daily basis and they held up for years.

Now the comparison. My personal advice, don't bother getting a high speed wheel buffer until you get good with a high speed orbital. I know this sounds like sacrilege to many of the old school detailers out there since most guys pride themselves on their expertise with a wheel. But think about all the damage you did when you were still learning to use a wheel buffer. You can tear off trim, burn the paint, melt plastic, discolor the rubber window gaskets and even tear them off the windows. 3,000 rpm is pretty fast. My advice is to get a Porter Cable 7424 High Speed Orbital Polisher. These buffers do a fantastic job and allow you to rely more on the different grades of pads and the grit of the glaze or compound you are using. Don't get me wrong, these are still capable of 3,000 rpm, but they are orbital so you aren't going to get as much cutting with an orbital. But you also don't get all the negative potential damage either. You can use a red heavy duty pad with a high grit compound and do just as good a job on a newer car buffing the paint back to new condition. Follow-up with a polish glaze and then finish it off with a great high grade wax or polymer sealant and the vehicle finish will look new. The other benefit of using Porter Cable Orbital's is that you won't run the risk of swirling the paint since it's a high speed orbital. These polishers are truly wonderful to have in your equipment. I have three just for my own vehicles at home. I use two for buffing and polishing and the third I have a carpet brush attachment and it's great for scrubbing stains out of carpets. I still have my Makita, but it sits on the shelf.

One thing I learned in the detailing business is that many of the guys in our industry get so used to dealing with certain things that won't try anything new. Don't let yourself get into that rut. New technologies come out everyday in this business. The guys that try new cleaners and equipment are the one's that succeed. One of the benefits of having your own detailing company is people want you to try their products out. So anytime somebody stops in to sell you something tell them you will give it a try as long as they leave you a free sample. I could always tell the serious companies from the losers with that simple technique. Serious sellers who want your business will give you any samples you want and leave equipment for you to try for a week. If you don't like it they take it back, but if you do that new product might save you minutes or even hours in your daily work schedule. So don't be afraid to try new things. That's how I discovered the Porter Cable Orbital a year before anybody else in my area even knew they were out. Funny thing is most of the guys in my area still won't use the high speed orbital because "it's not old school".