DA Power System or Orbital

[James1114]

I've been reading a lot about Meg's DA Power System. I have a few questions.

1. How is this different from an orbital?
2. Is it easy to burn paint with this tool?
3. Is this safe for a novice (only used orbital)?
4. Can you use this to remove wax or only apply it?

Thanks
James

[Detailing by M]

Re: DA Power System or Orbital

it's a DA not an orbital
you can burn paint with anything but this a DA so it's safe and safe for noobs.
It's a 4" pad and can do paint correction, polish and wax

[Michael Stoops]

Re: DA Power System or Orbital

I've been reading a lot about Meg's DA Power System. I have a few questions.

1. How is this different from an orbital?
2. Is it easy to burn paint with this tool?
3. Is this safe for a novice (only used orbital)?
4. Can you use this to remove wax or only apply it?

Thanks
James

The DA Power System is a great tool for anyone who is either worried about using a power buffer on their car or simply don't want to spend $150 or more for such a tool. It takes the elbow grease out of the equation, which is always the toughest part about paint correction. Our answers to your questions, in order asked, are:

1. Orbital, DA (dual action): they're essentially the same thing in that they move the pad in multiple directions rather than a perfect circle like a rotary buffer does. The term "orbital" is usually given to those larger footprint, low powered and inexpensive tools sold at auto parts stores, while "DA" is generally used to describe much more powerful tools that offer a high level of defect removal and safety. These include our G110v2, the Porter Cable 7424XP, Griot's GG6 and others. There is another subset to this, the "forced rotation" tool. This is essentially a rotary movement that has an offset to the rotation. This gives the direct drive power of a rotary but without that perfect circle rotation - this means good power for defect removal without the potential for rotary buffer swirls. The most popular tool of this type is the Flex 3401. Our DA Power System actually falls into this latter category and is a forced rotation movement. But because most drills are not as powerful as the motors in expensive power tools, it doesn't match the level of defect removal found in something like the Flex 3401. To a degree some of that loss of power is made up by using a smaller pad, effectively concentrating the energy into a smaller space. It should be noted that there is a gear reduction in the DAPS so if your drill is spinning at 2500 rpm you will not be putting 2500 rpm into the paint. Because that would be bad!
2. Easy? No. Possible? Well, anything is possible. Burn through is most common with a rotary buffer since the direct drive nature, couple with plenty of speed, creates a lot of friction where the pad and paint meet. With a forced rotation tool like the DAPS you don't have that super concentrated friction because the offset moves the pad around more. Now, you wouldn't want to lean on a foam cutting pad and hold it in one place for a few minutes without moving the tool at all, but common sense should tell anyone that doing so is probably not a great idea. Bottom line: with a rotary buffer all it takes in a second of inattention and you can burn through paint: with a DA or the DAPS you'd have to try pretty hard to burn through, and even then you'd struggle to do so.
3. Completely safe for a novice. If you use it wrong you'll only diminish your results, as opposed to a rotary where using it wrong means a trip to the body shop to fix the damage you just created.
4. Any sort of paint polishing tool, whether orbital, DA, rotary, or forced rotation is designed for the application of compounds, polishes and waxes. That's the hard part, especially when it comes to defect removal. Removing product is always best done by hand with a clean microfiber towel. What's so nice about applying wax with a tool is that it allows you spread that wax in a very thin and uniform coat. Once dry, that coat of wax is extremely easy to remove by hand.

[James1114]

Re: DA Power System or Orbital

Michael,

Thank you VERY much for the information. I am beginning to feel more comfortable about this. Usually, I apply the wax by hand with an applicator (Gold Class Carnauba) and then remove with an orbital. So basically, this will be the opposite? Apply with the DAPS and then remove with the microfiber. Is it the RPM that allows the wax/polish to penetrate the clear coat more so than an orbital removing product? Also, is this safe to use on chrome surfaces?

[Jarhead0754]

U can apply and remove wax with an orbital, obviously using different bonnets for each. If all u plan on doing is waxing then the orbital is perfect. If u plan on doing any paint correction, I.e. scratches then the daps or the g110 is the way to go. U can do the compounding, polishing,and waxing with these tools as well. As where the orbital wont have the power to to do the correction. Also the daps and g110 are safe. And unless u plan on doing any major work the rotary is the way to go but again it is not for a noob

[Blueline]

Re: DA Power System or Orbital

You CAN remove very fine scratches with a simple orbital buffer and UC. I did it on a Taurus in August and came out beautiful. That said, I used the same system on a friends Chrysler, and while it helped, and the car is gorgeous, it will need some more aggressive work in the spring. May have to buy one of those DA drill adapters. So, in my opinion and experience, depending on the scratches, an orbital buffer could work.