Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

I'm bidding on a Makita 9227c 7. It shows the socket with nothing attached. Is this were the backing plate attaches? Also socket has a chip on one edge corner. Still worth getting?

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

I just lost a eBay bid for Makita 9227c Went for 60 plus $18 shipping.

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Thanks all. And I know you car ability was just that. But my luxury car brand of choice would be BMW M series or Cadilac V series. But yea Kia really ****. Favorite sports car is the Viper GTS followed by Corvette (C5), Mustangs, than lastly Camaros. Might be in getting a 05 to 11 Mustang GT in the next two years. Or wait on 2014 50th anniversary Mustang.

[sontakke]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Thank you guys for your input.

I found this, since it was mentioned above.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-variable-speed-polisher-sander-92623.html

The Chicago electric.

Says it's a 10 amp that does 200 to 3,300 rpm
Not sure if these are good stats.

Couple questions on his model and I won't bug the rotary forum any more.
This Chicago, will it work with meguairs backing plates etc? If it doesn't work with Meguiars I don't want it. People were braggin about the 300 rpm of the Mak model yet this does 200. Isn't this a good thing?

that is exactly what I used. I also used 20% off coupon, so it was $24. I think you can afford to have this as a spare when you upgrade. The next model up unfortunately is almost double but it does have electronic speed control.

Buy the following from Amazon ($35):-

Meguiars W64 rotary backing plate
Meguiars W7006 cutting pad and
Meguiars W8006 polishing pad

Those will cost you more than your rotary buffer! Then pick up Meguiars Ultimate Compount and SwirlX from Walmart/AutoZone/Advanced Auto for $15. So you have already spent $75 and you still have to buy carwash, clay, towels, brushes. This is getting expensive, isn't it :-)

Given that you have an older car to practice, go for it. When people ask should I buy a Mercedes or a Kia, what do you tell them? HF Rotary vs Makita issue is similar. They both will get you where you want to go.

- Vikas

[BillyJack]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Caseypayne69,
Here's a few threads that may be of interest to you:

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10662

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38676&highlight=rotary+speeds

I've seen another chart with Meg's products and recommended rotary speeds, but can't find it at the moment.

BTW, If you really have the urge to try out the HF rotary, have at it!
I used to do a little weekend detailing as supplemental income many years ago.
I've been using the same Rockwell rotary since the 70's, when Rockwell owned Porter-Cable and was branding the P-C tools with the Rockwell name. It weighs in at 10 1/2 lbs. and is a single-speed 2000 rpm. The thing will probably outlive me. Since I now only do my own cars and a few for friends & family, I decided to do a cheap experiment to see if I could justify purchasing a variable-speed rotary, so I bought a Chicago Rotary as an opened-box deal for under $25. Overall, it's a real piece of ****. It's noisy, probably due to the cheap gears and bushings, and bogs down with any load. However, the speed selector wheel is easy to access, so I use it as a soft-start switch, and just bump up the speed when necessary. At only 6 1/2 lbs., it's a lot less tiring than my old Rockwell. Until I find a deal on a used DeWalt or Makita, this is my go-to buffer for everything but serious paint correction. So if your itching for a trainer rotary, go ahead and make your best deal on a Chicago POS. If you decide a rotary's not your thing, at least you won't have risked any serious expense. Just don't expect it to last forever.

Bill

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

What's the difference a person would see in results of using on of the three recommended rotarys or buying a cheap $30 rotary? Will a cheap one still clear up sand paper scratches and be able to bolt on meguiar plates and buff pads?

I own a Makita 9227c and recently acquired a new Drill Masters rotary from harbor freight from a good friend of mine... Its always good to have a back up rotary switching backing plates back n forth isnt fun... Joe Fernadez also uses Harbor Freight rotaries (sorry Joe had to put you on blast) its all about technique. Get what your wallet will allow

Looks like a hot item on eBay. Every used one for $50 has 15 bids.

[Still Learnin]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

I own a Makita 9227c and recently acquired a new Drill Masters rotary from harbor freight from a good friend of mine... Its always good to have a back up rotary switching backing plates back n forth isnt fun... Joe Fernadez also uses Harbor Freight rotaries (sorry Joe had to put you on blast) its all about technique. Get what your wallet will allow

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

I just can't get over the price. $30 vs $190. Wish I knew of a model that was almost as good as the best but only $100 bucks. And like you said low rpm.

Buy a used Makita 9227c. I bought one for $93 on eBay and I know Makita's reliability will allow me to continue using it for many more years.

[greg0303]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Oh and can you wax with this? Or is that a DA orbital job?

Yes, you can spread wax with this machine if you want. However DA, orbital or hand application will be easier to execute.
No, there's no orbital action, only rotation. It's a direct-driven rotary buffer.

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Oh and can you wax with this? Or is that a DA orbital job?

[greg0303]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Thank you guys for your input.

I found this, since it was mentioned above.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-variable-speed-polisher-sander-92623.html

The Chicago electric.

Says it's a 10 amp that does 200 to 3,300 rpm
Not sure if these are good stats.

Couple questions on his model and I won't bug the rotary forum any more.
This Chicago, will it work with meguairs backing plates etc? If it doesn't work with Meguiars I don't want it. People were braggin about the 300 rpm of the Mak model yet this does 200. Isn't this a good thing?

It has universal thread 5/8"-11 so it will work with Meguiar's W68 backing plate.
I'm not sure if any speeds below 500 rpm will be usable. Maybe for super slow wax application but that even sounds too slow. I guess those slow rotations are for sanding mode.

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

Thank you guys for your input.

I found this, since it was mentioned above.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-variable-speed-polisher-sander-92623.html

The Chicago electric.

Says it's a 10 amp that does 200 to 3,300 rpm
Not sure if these are good stats.

Couple questions on his model and I won't bug the rotary forum any more.
This Chicago, will it work with meguairs backing plates etc? If it doesn't work with Meguiars I don't want it. People were braggin about the 300 rpm of the Mak model yet this does 200. Isn't this a good thing?

[greg0303]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

My first rotary buffer was $60 Black & Decker. Then I switched to Makita 9227 and it's like day and night. Especially smooth start on Japanese model is fantastic. I also love low 600 rpm as Mike mentioned.
When you go with recognized brand it's gonna guarantee years of reliable performance.

[caseypayne69]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

I own a $25 DA. I'm not broke (assistant CFO of a nonprofit clinic) just trying to justify the purchase. Money is what I do all day.
I do plan on getting a panel to work on or just the old 98 cavalier in my driveway. It would be for weekend warrior purposes too. Though owning a detailing shop sounds great.

The biggest push for me to get one is this. I have three black cars. All with scratches. And paint shop cost would be insane.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Recommended rotary vs cheap rotary

If you are seriously on a tight budget and really want a rotary, then the Harbor Freight unit will be more than sufficient. When the time comes that you can spring for a Makita, Dewalt, etc then do so as they really are premium tools. In the end though, it's the talent of the operator that plays the biggest role. I'd rather have someone like Mike Phililps, Joe Fernandez, Kevin Brown, Nick Chapman or others of their immense talent buff a car with a $30 HF unit than some hack with a Makita or Dewalt.

And yes, the HF rotary will accept our rotary backing plates which, in turn will allow you to use our pads.

One last thing though - do you already own a quality D/A and are now looking at moving to a rotary or adding one to your arsenal? Do you have any experience with a rotary at all? It's a great tool but not something for a complete novice to just jump into.