Question on Polishers

[AndyKay]

Hey Gary, Can you give your opinion on the "Cyclo Orbital Polisher"?

Is this suitable for an amateur and does it live up to its billing on their web site as -
"Cyclo Polisher is our #1 selling detail tool and is completely "idiot-proof"! It has two unique counterbalanced heads that move in a random, overlapping pattern. The Cyclo cannot burn paint and does not leave swirls. In fact, it's designed to remove swirls and scratches."

Its not cheap, but I am eyeing it as my birthday request!

Thanks

[turbomangt]

Andy, the cyclo is a great machine, I could not live without it in my shop. But I'm not sure about recommending it to anyone. Here are some words of wisdom. The cyclo does in fact have heads that operate in random orbitt, similar to the porter cable. The concern I have is this. The motor is designed to stand up under pressure. (as opposed to the DAPC, which will bog down under pressure.) The cyclo can cause swirls if one of these precuations are not taken.
1. if the finish is not completely clean, it will damage the finish
2. If you don't use the correct pad for the job and or....
3. if you use the wrong product for the situation
You must have some knowledge of color codes for pads (yellow, cutting/green polishing/ white finsihing. YOu also need some background on products and what they do.
What do you plan on using it for? and what condition is your car?
I get cars in my shop with a wide range of paint defects, and many cars come in with a variety of challenges. Some cars I use 3 different buffers on the same car. On my own Cruiser, I do everything by hand unless I have a scratch to level out. Once I got the car back from the body shop and it had swirls, and I used the Cyclo to remove them. If you use the wrong pad, or product, the results can be less the what you may expect. In fact, you could make it worse. My choice for cars in good/ decent shape would be the porter cable. whatever you pick to buy, experiment on auto body parts before you go to your car. Gary

[AndyKay]

And THAT is why I love this forum! Thanks for the good advice which I will heed! Someone told me about the Cyclo polisher and it reads like it is a good solution for an enthusiastic amateur like me. However the last thing I want to do is screw up my paintwork, so I want to avoid something that is beyond my skill level.

Thanks Gary! [?]

[bigdogdad]

This to, AndyKay is why I like this forums and other "FREE" forums, great people who don't mind sharing their experiences for free. [?]

[kgdptblue]

PorterCable! have had mine for five years and love it! I've used it on my Black 67 Camaro RS/SS Gary can tell you what a pain black can be.... It is the best machine for the beginer use it on the 3 speed setting for most jobs. I still remove the wax by hand and buff by hand..[8D]

[Sci-Fi]

Porter Cable can remove most paint defects. It just will take a lot longer then using a rotary buffer or Cylo without generating heat. With the Cylo, you have to constantly check the pads and remove any debris that it collects or you will end up scratching the paint. Rotary buffers are for experienced users only, since a rotary can/will generate a lot of heat. Nothing can beat the shine you can get from a rotary or its paint leveling capabilities, BUT in the wrong hands, one can get or introduce buffer burn marks, buffing away the clearcoat/paint to the primer/metal, etc. and cause more problems than it corrects. Can view this thread to see an Allard J2 paint being corrected using a Porter Cable:
http://www.showcargarage.com/forum/s...=&threadid=652