Battery Powered Orbital Polisher - Great Product

[Totoland Mach]

I recently ordered and had the chance to try the Meguiar's battery powered orbital. This is a "must have" for car cruises and shows! Comes with a nifty storage bag and an W8006 pad. I attended a car cruise last night and did the following:

1. I used a W9006 finishing pad and sprayed Final Inspection lightly on the pad, then worked a section at a time. Buff with a mf towel. Took about 10 minutes...max.
2. I put a Meguiar's mf bonnet on the 8006 pad and used it as a final buff...5 minutes max.

I had a ton of comments about the portable and the mf bonnet. It makes quick work for on-site detailing at the last minute. The battery lasts approx. 1.5 hours of use.

Outstanding product for those that show their cars and want that final "super" shine.

[Vandelete]

While you are working with the battery powered orbital, didn't you had the feeling that the pad slows down when applying product? or is it just as strong as a normal Porter Cable on normal power supply? I was wondering about that...

please let me know...

[Totoland Mach]

Vandelete: you can definitely tell you have product on the pad, as the orbital is a single speed. I used this as a quick shine tool and it works great for that. I use my regular Porter Cable when I do detailing in my garage.

I also like the fact that I can put an mf bonnet on the pad and go over the car quickly and easily.

[Vandelete]

ow ok i am starting to think i buy one too but hesitated a little...
but isn't it true that some products need just another speed setting? then i guess you can only use this for applying wax and quick buff off wax... or am i wrong about that?

[Totoland Mach]

Vandelete: some products do, in fact, require different speed settings (especially in the cleaning/polishing arena). That's what I use the Porter Cable for. This tool is an excellent wax applicator and final buffing application.

Case in point: I just finished my wife's dreaded suv roof ... you know the drill...get extension cord, get ladder, drape cord over shoulder, apply, move ladder, drape cord, apply....and on. With the portable, get ladder, apply. Fast and easy. It's light weight compared to the Porter Cable for this.

I've also found it easier to apply wax to the lower rocker panel area (this could be due to my "young" 60 years).

Hope that helps.

[toyotaowner]

How about the power? Did you feel the motor slow down if you press down? I don't have the PC but wouldn't the PC still have the same speed rotating pressed down hard as to it with no pressure since it's running on electricity via an outlet and I would think that the cordless's motor is way less powerful since it's running on a battery.

[Totoland Mach]

toyotaowner: Yep, the unit will bog down under pressure. I don't think it's a replacement for the porter cable...rather, it's an accessory. Easy to apply NXT, QD, or final buff with an mf bonnet.

[Scottwax]

So basically, you'd recommend it for applying last step products but not for paint correction, right?

[c368/2ss]

my thoughts exactly the bat op is a quick and portable way for boost wax /final detail last quick prep @ shows ENJOY GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS !!!!!

[Comanche]

I have been looking at the cordless buffer for a while now. I am woundering about the cleaning step with it and the single speed. Do you think that if yo went over the hood three to four time ith the cleaning step (paint cleaner ,ect) that it would do as good as a job as the PC. I am asking this question because i am in high school and almost about to go off to college. $250 is a lot, but i still want a reliable product that will give me great results.

[the other pc]

Originally posted by toyotaowner
How about the power? Did you feel the motor slow down if you press down? I don't have the PC but wouldn't the PC still have the same speed rotating pressed down hard as to it with no pressure since it's running on electricity via an outlet and I would think that the cordless's motor is way less powerful since it's running on a battery.

A tool's ability to maintain speed under load and to remove defects are heavily dependent on the tool's power.

The cordless G-104 polisher's electrical specs aren't listed but it does say that it can be used for up to 1.5 hours on a charge. Just taking a Makita cordless drill as an example, one of their standard battery packs is rated at 12V, 2.6 Ah. That's 31.2 Watt-hours of total energy. A tool that used this amount of energy in 1.5 hours would be drawing continuous power of 20.8 Watts.

A G-100 draws 3.7A at 120V. That's 444 Watts of power.

A Porter-Cable 7428 Rotary draws 10A at 120V. That's 1200 Watts of power.

A cordless is certainly going to bog down a lot sooner than either wall-powered tool (both of which will bog down if you really lean on them).

I believe that Meguiar's intends the cordless to be a maintenance tool rather than a defect removal tool.

We should really be comparing the cordless to doing it by hand. I don't have any "numbers" related to arm motion but I'm quite confident the G-104 would easily beat the pants (sleeves?) off my arms any day. And it would be much more consistent than my arms too.


PC.

[Comanche]

earlier it said that some aplications need a higher speed setting to correct paint blemishes. What if you used the cordless buffer, but went over the deffective area three to four time. Would it do the same thing? Or would it remove too much to the top coat and be a wast of polish?

Jason M

[wblynch]

I have this unit and I concur that it's great for a waxing or buffing.

At the park or a car show, or just hanging around at my daughter's apartment complex, I can use the cordless buffer to apply a nice thin coat of wax or sealant.

I have not used it with the bonnet but I may try next time.

The last time I used this was when my wife and daughter wanted me to take them to the Orange County Swap Meet. They went inside and I stayed out in the parking lot and waxed our Mustang Convertible.

I have always had trouble getting a nice, thin, even layer by hand and the cordless buffer is a perfect accessory for me.

[the other pc]

Originally posted by Comanche
earlier it said that some aplications need a higher speed setting to correct paint blemishes. What if you used the cordless buffer, but went over the deffective area three to four time. Would it do the same thing? Or would it remove too much to the top coat and be a wast of polish?

Jason M

Going over the area multiple times with the cordless is ok (assuming you're using a cleaner Meg's recommends for orbital use). You won't remove too much topcoat nor use up all that much more product. Unfortunately you may not get very far with the defects either. It might work if your defects are light enough but I wouldn't count on it.

You can try going after the blemishes by hand with ScratchX. If that works then you would only need to use the G-104 for maintenance.


PC.