Sears 9" Rotary Whatever-You-Call-It

[MFRANK84]

I got this thing as a gift, probably about the the time Noah boarded the animals. To my recollection, I've never even used it. I plugged it in and it still works. I'm sure it was from my wife so that's why I've still got it. Now that I'm getting motivated, thanks to this site, to properly maintain our vehicles' appearances, I was wondering if this has any value in proper detailing techniques? The only pads I have with it are several terry towel type pads. It's probably a dinosaur compared to what I've seen others use. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Blueline]

Re: Sears 9" Rotary Whatever-You-Call-It

If you are not trying to do much in the way of paint correction, it should be fine. I use a 6 inch random orbital (a cheape) to apply colorX, not for paint correction, but because I am lazy and it spreads the product evenly. I remove the wax by hand. I also use it to apply M16 for the same reasons. Again, I remove the product by hand. It does a great job for me, and I have no paint corrections to do.
So, again, it you are not trying to correct something, swirls, etc. it should be fine. It is a time and arm saver.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Sears 9" Rotary Whatever-You-Call-It

While those tools are usually referred to as "wax spreaders" due to their lack of power and torque, and the general lack of true defect removal because of that. The biggest problem is that once you start to apply some real pressure, which is generally needed with the oscillating action they produce, these tools just bog down. While this oscillating action is very similar to that of the popular D/A tools generally used in detailing (Meguiar's G110v2, PC7424XP, Griot's, etc) those tools all have the power to keep the pad rotating under pressure. Also, these D/A buffers are not using 9" or 10" pads, which really spread out the energy when trying to correct defects, further reducing the efficiency of the lesser tools.

With all that said, we have seen situations where these less expensive and less powerful tools have been sufficient for light defect removal on very delicate paint. While rare, it can happen - so if you're driving a late model Honda Civic or Fit (some of the softest, most delicate paint we've seen recently) then you may be in luck. If not, then you may need to step up to a more powerful tool. In the end, though, it really all depends on what your expectations are. But the longer you hang out on MOL or other detailing forums, the higher your expectations seem to get!!

[MFRANK84]

Re: Sears 9" Rotary Whatever-You-Call-It

Michael,

You are so right about expectations. I used to wash our cars with dish soap and throw some cheap Turtle Wax on them and I thought that was a great detail. But since finding this site, and loading up on a pretty good stash of Meguiars products, I expect so, so much more from my efforts. And I know they work. Shortly after buying my wife her Nissan Xterra, I absent-mindedly scrubbed some oak tree sap off her hood with a dish wash scrubbie. WTH was I thinking? Imagine the horror. Swirl marks galore and some minor clear coat damage. I tried some cheap (honestly, I'm not that cheap) OTC scratch remover and let it go at that. It was still very apparent and looked terrible, especially for a new car, on top of the spousal abuse I endured. Once I found this site I was determined to make this problem go away. So, after a good claying (I'd never heard of claying before), a good session with Ultimate Compound and two coats of NXT 2.0 paste, the hood looks brand new. It shines so much my wife says that it's almost distracting on a sunny Georgia day. That has really got me motivated. I've still got so much to learn; what product to use, when to use it, what to use it with etc... but I've dedicated myself to learning. Thanks to all on this site and their opinions and suggestions. I don't think my finances will allow me to get a good polisher anytime soon, but as a consolation I might end up with forearms like Popeye. As for the Sears 9" rotary whatever-you-call-it, it ought to make a nice nostalgic purchase for someone at our next church bazaar. Blessings to all and thanks again.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Sears 9" Rotary Whatever-You-Call-It

Nice to see that you've been bitten by the detailing bug, and that you're getting results!

Look, since you have the machine already you've got nothing to lose by trying it out. Worst case scenario is that it just won't get you all the way to your goals. Just do a test spot on a hood, about 2' x 2', and see what happens.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, give a read through our 5 Step Paint Care Cycle as it should help clear up the questions about what products to use when, in what order, and how to use them.