From DA to Rotary

5500

I've got a DA polisher awhile now and was happy enough with it but wouldn't mind moving on to trying rotary. It'll see little use eg a handfull of times a year so may even be overkill for my needs, either way's any recommendation for what to be looking at?

Curran

The step up from DA to rotary is definitely a time saver if you have the confidence and know-how, but have you considered getting a few bits to beef up the cutting ability of the DA? Microfiber or Wool Pads for example?

If you have and still feel the need to progress to the rotary, the entry level ones are all similar....its not until you get into the likes of the Rupes or Flex polishers that differences are worth talking about.

Mister Jingles

On an average sized saloon what's the difference in time between the two and is the finish quality far better with a rotary ?

Curran

The quality of the finish, would be exactly the same. It would just take longer to achieve with the DA.

Really depends on what you are trying to achieve.
If for example your car's paintwork was looking a little flat, and you wanted to bring back the colour and gloss, but not too concerned about the swirls - all that it required is a single stage polish using a finishing pad and finishing polish. If you did one half using a DA and a Rotary on the other half, will take exactly the same time to complete each half; however, the rotary will have done a slightly better job...in the sense that it would have removed a bit more of the light defects. From 6ft away, not many would be able to tell the two apart.

If you were to do two stages of polishing - a cutting stage and then a finishing stage - again, exactly the same time, but the results by the rotary would be far superior, as it would have done more removal during the cutting stage.

If you were trying to achieve perfection; to get as much defects corrected as possible, the rotary will be a huge time saver. You will be able to do one pass and remove the equivalent of three with the DA. You will get exactly the same results, eventually with the DA, but in a much longer time, but that of course, is offset, by the fact that there is far less risk of striking through the clear coat involved.

5500

Time was one of the main things on my mind, with the da (das-6 pro) ive found it can take an age on any car ive gone at, which have mainly been japanese cars not renowned for hard paint, but after a couple of passes whilst improved i can still see slight swirls. But you have a point on the beefing up, maby its the pads/product (both menzerna) im using that arent helping as opposed to the machine itself.

vectra

EP801 is a great little rotary.

myshirt

Could he try a Flex 3401 possibly lads?
That's what I want next. Range of backing plates now of course.