So I picked up a new car about a month ago and I've been holding off on washing it since because I don't want to use the equipment I have at home and ruin the paint more than the dealer already did. My dilemma is, do I pay $550 for someone to 'professionally' correct my paint or spend $550 on my own equipment. I don't mind doing the work myself but I'm getting lost in the abundance of products available now. Could anyone point me in the right direction? I already have 2 buckets, grit guard, Adam's APC, Adam's Super VRT. Or is anyone maybe selling a bundle that's fairly priced? I'm looking at picking up a bundle from Adam's but not sure if its worth it. Thanks in advance!
welcome! if you are a diyer nothing better than doing your own car. what type of car do you have, color, mileage on it, concerns? also what is your skill set?
2017 golf in dark blue with about 2000 miles. concerns are going to a detailer that uses generic products with poorly cared for equipment (MF towels, pads, etc.) and further ruining the paint. my skillset is pretty limited. I've been using the 2 bucket method, with 2 cotton washpads (top/bottom), and a waffle weave MF after pooling the excess water to dry the car. I don't have any mechanical equipment so I have never tried polishing/waxing with a machine, let alone even attempting to correct my paint. I do clay, polish and wax by hand here and there but that's about it.
I’ve never personally used that model. But I have heard good things about torq machines as a low to mid level polisher. My best recommendation to you would be the Rupes Duetto. It’s a great tool to learn on plus you have a ton of room to grow with it. Everybody goes for the 21 or 15 at first because they want the biggest and baddest (myself included). But I use the Duetto now more than anything. It’s small, maneuverable plus it has a ton of power.
Please excuse my ignorance but what sets low-mid level polishers apart from top-tier polishers such as Rupes? Thanks!
Pretty much just power and quality. You get what you pay for kind of deal. Example: A $150 Porter Cable 7424xp is never going to compare in performance to a $400 Rupes 21 or a Flex polisher. I’m not saying that a Porter Cable is a bad machine. It’s a great machine to learn on. But you will out grow the Porter Cable and eventually want something with more power. That’s why I always recommend a Duetto to people starting out. It’s easy to learn on like the Porter Cable. But it has more power and a longer throw (larger orbit) which gives you better correction capability. The Duetto is a step down from the larger Rupes 21 or 15 but it is more versatile where you can do more with it than the larger machines and not have to sacrifice power for paint correction.
