[Pioneer]

You will end up using most of that kit. The small pads are good for around bumpers and side skirts and also the pillars on the car. You will likely need to use the 3.02 on the compound pads to correct the paint on the car but always try the polishing pads first then step up the pad if it's not working. Once the paint is corrected, use the finishing pad along with the 85RE and go over the whole car again to refine the paint even further and bring more gloss out of the paint.

You tube has lots of videos on machine polishing with the DA and will give you more of an idea how to use it properly, but the guide on detailing world is worth the read.

[- Paul -]

Cheers mate - read the guide on dw - very good! Off to youtube..

[m1bjr]

Guys,
I have little time to polish every weekend like I used to.
So my thought was a machine to speed up the job.

Once the correction is done using such a 'kit' can I use a Porter Cable say to maintian a weekly polish instead of the usual four hours of wash and wax by hand?

How much quicker is it?

Is it safe on a regular basis or should I stick with a hand-job?

TIA
Steve

[davyk31]

The impression I get is that its slower by machine than hand but perhaps some of the guys can let us know. The time involved in doing the job is what has put me off buying a machine in the past.

[Pioneer]

For me to fully correct a car it can take any where from 10-20 hours depending on how good a finish the customer wants. Removing light swirls can be done in 5-6 hours.

Usually you will only need to correct the paint once and maybe a light machine polish once a year after that to maintain the finish.

Polishing and waxing once a week is far too much, a good durable wax or sealant will protect the car for at least 5-6 months with maybe just a quick detailer every other wash to keep it looking good and the protection topped up.

[davyk31]

Pioneer, I see you are based in NI, whereabouts are you and do you detail cars for a trade?

[davyk31]

For a car that is already in pretty good condition with just a few light swirls what pads / polish ect would be needed. Thinking of a Das Pro machine.

[Statler]

I bought my Kestrel from Polished Bliss with a Meguairs kit.

It sat in the shed for a year before I plucked up the courage to use it....

Now, it's in regular use. It makes tidying up the car really easy, well worth the money.

HTH

[Pioneer]

The kestral is a very good machine, it will be my next DA purchase once my meguairs g220 needs renewed.

As for polish pad combos, the kit that the original poster bought is perfect for removing swirls or even correcting paint if you want. Meguairs professional polish range is very good also.