Hey all, as the title says, I'm looking for a cheap orbital buffer. I've been reading around a lot and the consensus says that the Portercable 7336 is the way to go. Thing is, I'm only looking for something to apply polish and wax, not necessarily restore my finish, since mine is still really nice. And by polish and wax, I mean Meguiars store-bought stuff, not the mirror glaze or professional glaze. So basically, I'm just looking for a cheap buffer that will give me better results than hand polishing/waxing and also cut down on detailing time. Any suggestions besides the PC? I was just looking at random ~$30 Ryobi and Craftsman stuff at Homedepot...

 

From what I have read between here and Freshalloy, the only differences between the PC and other buffers is its power and the type of pads it uses.

Heres the answer I got over at FA when I asked about the differences, its kinda long but I think it will help make up your mind:

While each buffer is different I’ll point out some common differences between the Porter Cable 7424 and some of the “generic orbital buffers”. Some of these differences are subtle but noticeable if you really want the best results. Generic buffers usually have smaller motors that are not capable of effectively breaking down a polish (PC 7424: 6000 Orbits Per Minute), which is essential for effective polishing. The inexpensive random orbitals are ok for applying a sealant or wax, but when you are trying to correct imperfections, it just doesn't have enough power to effectively break down the polishes. Another important difference is the material that actually touches your clear coat. The PC 7424 uses clear coat safe foam pads that are designed to complete each step of the detailing process with maximum results. If you want to remove swirls we have a more aggressive pad or if you want to apply a wax there is a nice soft pad, etc. These pads are particularly important for polishing to attain maximum results. Generic buffers typically use terry cloth bonnets that have several downsides. Terry Cloth can be too harsh for the clear coat and leave micro fine scratches in it. While doing the detail you often don’t notice these marks because the wax is covering them right away. However after detailing for years I’ve come to notice that terry cloths can really harm the finish, especially as the bonnet becomes contaminated. Terry cloth is also very thin which can’t absorb contaminates that separate from clear coat during buffing. These contaminates can grind into the clear coat, where as foam pads can absorb contaminates into its 1inch thick pad. These pads are very durable so you can clean them and use them over and over again. The Porter Cable is only 6lbs and very easy to maneuver around corners because you can operate it with one hand. Many traditional orbital buffers require you to have two hands on it, which makes it very difficult to buff very low panels and the center of the roof and hood. We recommend the PC 7424 that comes with a velcro backing plate because it helps you angle around corners and change pads in few seconds. My favorite part about the Porter Cable is its reliability because I really feel like you pay for what you get. This is a super durable machine that you will be detailing with for years to come. This tool has revolutionized the capability of weekend detailers so you get professional like results with relative ease. In summary the Porter Cable 7424 will save you lots of time and energy while significantly improving your detailing results.

Being that your car is beige, I don't think you have to worry about swirls as much so you may be able to get by with the minor swirls caused by a terry cloth bonnet. I am personally going to have to cough up and get the PC because my paint is pretty damaged. I checked online and Lowes has the PC for $109 (and I work @ HD, ha!), and I will just buy the pads from detailedimage.com and save about $20. Hope that helped you.

 

I own the PC and while ~100 - $150 is a little hard to swallow, good tools are never cheap but they'll most likely last you a lifetime. I would just continue to wax by hand until you have enough money saved to the get the PC. That's what I did - and it's worth it.

 

Ok, so going by Nisslover's post, I'll just pick up the PC. Where are some local places I can get the pads? Would Advance Auto/Auto Zone have them, or would I have to buy them from the hardware store or is the internet pretty much the only place?

 

A PC is definitely a good place to start. Once you get good with it, you can always upgrade to a more powerful rotary down the road. Also, don't settle for just any old pad you find at the auto store. You'll want to get a couple cutting pads, a couple polishing pads & one finishing pad.

There are a couple sites that offer great bundled sales for a PC & a bunch of pads...
http://www.autogeek.net/ed20pocacoki.html
http://autodetailingsolutions.com/Po...20Specials.htm
http://www.autogeek.net/curvededge.html

As far as pads, check out these:
Lake Country - http://www.lakecountrymfg.com/
Sonus - http://sonus-usa.com/car-polish-port...-polisher.html
Meguiars - http://www.meguiars.com/estore/produ...ectionID=38101

 

The 7336 has been discontinued and a bunch of Lowes have them at $50. This happened awhile ago though, so they may all already be off the shelves

Edit: High quality, inexpensive pads - http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/s...etail&ct=65112

 

I think detailedimage.com has the porter cable and all the pads for $189.99.

 

I bought a PC 7424 off ebay brand new for $108 shipped. Got my pads and stuff from another ebay sale. Just need to get the right polish and stuff for my needs. The 7424 is a great machine!!

 

I have a Craftsman 10in orbital buffer, I think I got it for around $40 - $50. I had it for about 5 years now, and so far it had not given me not one problem. The only thing that I needed to replace are the application pads and terry cloth pads. Its definantly worth it if you just plan on applying wax and somelight buffing to prevent "rubber arms."

 

Similar to Xmax, Ive got a Craftsman 7inch buffer. Its nice, Ive used it once on the max and although its not the best for restoring your gritty finish to brand new again, it works well for applying/removing wax, polishers, etc...

 

Porter Cable 7336. Got mine for just under $100 after tax and worth every little penny! Some Meguiar's #80 and #83 for those hard spots and you simply will not believe the results, especially if you have a dark car. Top it off with some Meguiar's wax, and love the results!

Oh...and don't forget to clay

EDIT: Also, if you look at what a real buffer costs, add in the cost in pads, and then product ontop of that, you will most likely get away with ~$500 in stuff, whereas $200 in product/pad and the PC, and you can achieve almost the same results without the worry of burning your paint! If you ask me, that is a bargin! Just ask anyone here who has their detailing supplies stocked up, and they will tell you they easily have hundreds upon hundreds of dollars in supplies! I don't mean to scare you away, but I think I easily have $300-400 in supplies/equipment, and I think that is about average when you look at someone who has a little OCD when it comes to the detail of their car.

 

Wolfy's correct. Case in point, my stash is around that range. This includes 3 buffers (PC7336, Harbor Frieght Rotary, and my new PC 7428 rotary), a crapload of pads, towels, and polishes.

 

what are the duty cycles on alot of these units before they melt/shutdown?