Is this normal

[cuz5oh]

I'm just going to make this cut and dry.... While applying wax/UP with my DA set on speeds lower than 4 the machine wouldn't spin once touched to vehicle. Only way it spun was by barely making contact with the vehicles surface. Is this normal?

[Shawn T.]

Re: Is this normal

Were you using just the weight of the machine?

By barely touched, do you mean it would be spinning freely when in the air and then even the slightest contact made it stop completely?

Was it vibrating? Does it just stop running all together?

[davey g-force]

Re: Is this normal

Sometimes that can happen if your pads are saturated with product. Do you think that was the case?

[cuz5oh]

Re: Is this normal

I'm using a G110v2, and the machine keeps vibrating and running just not spinning with only the weight of the machine. I was using a brand new pad with its first application. I had to pick up on the machine to the point of barely making contact for it to spin again.

[The Guz]

Re: Is this normal

Try going up to speed 3.5 or 4 and see if that helps out.

[davey g-force]

Re: Is this normal

You must have missed the part where he said it happens anywhere below speed 4.

Doesn't sound right to me. Do you know for sure that the pad is not spinning? i.e. have you marked the backing plate?

[cuz5oh]

Re: Is this normal

I do in fact have a red mark on the backing plate. I thought it was weird when I was applying polish on speed 3 and I was noticing the red mark not moving until I lifted the machine a little but it wasn't making enough contact to do anything. This is a new machine, I have the crush washer on the backing plate as well and I to my knowledge the backing plate wasn't over tightened, Just throwing that out there, I don't believe that would make a difference.

[Eldorado2k]

Make sure to hold the machine so the pad lays flat against the surface. It won't rotate if used at an angle.

[The Guz]

Re: Is this normal

You must have missed the part where he said it happens anywhere below speed 4.

Doesn't sound right to me. Do you know for sure that the pad is not spinning? i.e. have you marked the backing plate?

I missed that he is trying to apply UP on speed 3 and not just UW. With UP you want to be at speed 5 for refining the finish or removing minor defects. Unless it's being used to "jewel".

Make sure to hold the machine so the pad lays flat against the surface. It won't rotate if used at an angle.

Another good point.

[Super Dave]

Re: Is this normal

I'm just going to make this cut and dry.... While applying wax/UP with my DA set on speeds lower than 4 the machine wouldn't spin once touched to vehicle. Only way it spun was by barely making contact with the vehicles surface. Is this normal?

I too have the same problem and was wondering if this was normal. On speeds 1-3 the machine does not rotate when it is just placed on my car with no pressure other than its own weight. My machine however is a Porter Cable 7424XP.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Is this normal

I'm just going to make this cut and dry.... While applying wax/UP with my DA set on speeds lower than 4 the machine wouldn't spin once touched to vehicle. Only way it spun was by barely making contact with the vehicles surface. Is this normal?

If you keep the pad flat to the paint at speed 4 when applying UP, you should be able to maintain pad spin. If you're only seeing a loss of spin below speed 4 then UP application shouldn't be an issue for you - at speed 4, which is typical for application of a finishing polish. If slowing down to 3 for wax application stops the rotation, make sure you're keeping that pad as flat as possible. Any tilt will stop rotation at slower speeds. But really, when you look at what you're doing when applying wax - merely spreading a thin film of product onto the paint - pad spin is less important. And when applying wax you shouldn't be applying much pressure anyway. Still, on flat surfaces like in the middle of a large hood, the roof, etc you should still be able to apply slight pressure to the pad at speed 3 and maintain pad spin. It will spin quite slowly, to be sure, but that's fine. Remember, the slower the speed setting the easier it is to kill pad spin with pressure or angle. Now, at speed 4 you should be able to maintain pad spin pretty easily as long as the pad is flat against the paint. This is critical, but obviously some challenges exist on some contours where "flat" just isn't possible.

I too have the same problem and was wondering if this was normal. On speeds 1-3 the machine does not rotate when it is just placed on my car with no pressure other than its own weight. My machine however is a Porter Cable 7424XP.

Anything below speed 3 on a typical DA (Porter Cable, Harbor Freight, G110v2, Griot's Garage, etc) will be very hard pressed to maintain pad spin with any pressure or with any tilt put to the pad. But you also aren't going to accomplish anything by running such a tool at speeds that low. Even the "big guns" like the Rupes Bigfoot and our new MT300 will be challenged to maintain pad spin at slow speeds if any pressure is applied. This is all down to how a DA polisher is built - that free rotating spindle needs some speed to it so that it can get that pad spinning. Remember, none of these are direct drive tools and they all need some speed.



You can improve the performance of any DA tool by using our new DA Thin Foam Discs as they don't absorb as much of the energy of the tool and therefore allow for easier pad rotation.

[Don]

Re: Is this normal

I don't have any problems with rotation when applying Ult Polish or Ult Compound, but then again, I don't go below a '5' when compounding/polishing. When applying WAX however, I use a speed of ~3 and I don't get rotation, but it still vibrates and spreads the wax thinly and evenly.