Polisher with the least vibration?

[pow]

Hi guys,

I'm an occasional detailer, meaning once in a while I get moments of inspiration and decide to tackle the swirls on my black minivan. But every time I embark on this new adventure, I do one or two panels and proceed to give up from hand fatigue.

This morning was no different. I washed my Nighthawk Black Pearl Odyssey and clayed the hood. I whipped out my PC 7336 with LC backing plate, put on a clean orange LC pad, dribbled a few drops of Meguiar's Scratch-X on the pad, and went on to polish, starting at "4" all the way to "5.5."

After three minutes my hands were starting to really feel the vibrations. I covered the PC with a MF, in attempt to dampen the vibes, and eventually stopped putting pressure on the PC altogether. Even so, I could feel my hands starting to tingle. It was an uncomfortable feeling, as if my nerves were going to be shot if I proceeded any further.

My hood did look really good and shiny, if only one quarter of it. So my question is - what polisher is the friendliest to hands? I've never used a rotary before, so preferably I want something that is fairly fool proof. At the same time, I want something effective enough to remove swirls. Cyclo? Flex?

Thanks!

Michael

[the_invisible]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

I heard that the FLEX DA is quieter and has less vibration at 9000rpm than the PC 7424 at 6000rpm.

[JamieR]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

Ever considered trying some anti-vibration gloves? I've never used them myself, but I understand they are designed to help somewhat in just this type of situation. You'll probably still get sore hands, but should extend the time it takes, and would be cheaper than a new machine.

Jamie

[rusty bumper]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

Hi pow...welcome to MOL.

I've had the same problem with my G100, which I assume is very similar to your machine. Sometimes, my hands tend to itch and tingle for a few minutes, but it eventually goes away.

Maybe a pair of gloves might be of some help.

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

From what I hear, the Cyclo is exceptional in terms of feeling balanced as you use it. It looks as though they have put a lot of effort into vibration elimination. I personally have never used one but my pal Jason Rose and I discussed this topic a while back. He really enjoys his Cyclo when he uses it. If you can't use a traditional style machine but wish to use an orbital rather than a rotary, this may be what you need.

http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com/

You should seriously consider this machine. Obviously, it is best to try one out before you purchase it.
Just make sure you use Meguiar's liquids! Good luck to you!

[soapy]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

We use the cyclo at my detail shop and can vouch for it almost vibration free operation. Had one guy buff out a 40 foot motorhome today with the cyclo. We removed swirl marks left from another detailer. When he was done his arms did feel like they were going to fall off like they would have with other buffers.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

Maybe a pair of gloves might be of some help.

Any particular brand?

[rusty bumper]

Re: Polisher with the least vibration?

Any particular brand?

Well, you've got me there.

JamieR had mentioned something about anti-vibration gloves. All I can recommend is a Google search for them.


Edit: Try this link.
Be sure to read the reviews too.