Machine polisher for beginners. Dual action polisher.

I am a bit ocd when it comes to cleaning my car and spend hours doing so, somedays I actually injure my shoulders through the amount of polishing/buffing and most times it ends up raining before I've finished the job.

Although the results are always worth it, i cant help but think, better results could be achieved in a lot less time with a lot less effort. As such I've always considered buying a machine polisher but never actually committed to it until today.

Over the last week I've been glued to net searching for the best beginners product. During my research I've found that a dual action polisher is the most recommended as it is alot safer than a rotary & is far less likely to burn through the paint. Also it is more suited to the home user considering it will only be used for occasional paint correction.

The most popular kits recommended are the meguiars g220 v2, kestrel das-6, kestrel das-6 pro and equivelant rebranded machines such as dodo juice buff daddy etc.

Whilst looking i have searched site after site scrutinising various deals with all sorts of pads, compound, polish, sealent and wax. For a newbie its all very confusing and due to such a vast range makes the decision almost impossible to make, especially as everything is so cleverly advertised and priced so well that there is no real gain between kits.

I have found that prices range from as low as £80 - £400, depending on whether or not they contain polish, pads, holdall etc.

The main thing I wanted, was a tried and tested polisher, with well rated compounds etc, however I did not want to pay extra just because one brand is more common than another.

Due to this I found it extremely difficult to make a decision and did not want to make the wrong one or be left wishing I'd spent a little bit more if a product didnt turn out as expected.

As a result to assist with this, part of my research included the following reviews to help identify top wax and sealants to get the best protection with long lasting results. Obviously i know these would be applied after cutting/polishing but i hoped of finding a kit that contained them from the off.

Wax
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=76435/

Sealant
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=85205

Wash mitts
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/access...tenance-car-wash-mitt-reviews-2014-group-test

Unfortunately I was unsuccessful in finding anything which included the products I wanted for less than £200 and ideally I only wanted to spend around £150.

My search therefore continued and I considered individual purchases to make a kit suited to my needs, however this also proved too expensive.

After many hours of searching and debating I finally came across a kit that seemed cheaper than all others but still offered value for money along with named brands.

This was a rebranded kestrel das-6, I had decided against the others as the added price didnt really give that much added benefit.

The kit i chose was supplied by:
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polis...ion-polisher-menzerna-intro-kit/prod_721.html

The kit comes with das6 machine, cutting and polishing compounds, pads and holdall to keep it all in.
From my research its a good £20-40 cheaper than anywhere else offering everything required to complete the job its intended for.

You will see that it does not include wax or sealant, however due to the low price I have now been able to purchase top products in each of the reviews above and still come in under budget.

You may be thinking what is the point of this thread, well the sole purpose of it, is in hope that it will help someone else going through the pain staking task I just had to endure with the added benefit of preventing the "better half" from getting the hump for not giving her enough attention!!

In conclusion I am now awaiting delivery of everything I need to make my car look like new again, all for a total price of £137.31.

1 x Rebranded Kestrel das6 polisher
1 x Menzerna Compounding Pad
1 x Menzerna Polishing Pad
1 x Menzerna Finishing Pad
1 x 250ml - Menzerna Power Finish
1 x 250ml - Menzerna Final Finish
1 x 5" Backing plate, wrench and D-Handle,
1 x cleanyourcar Canvas Carry Case. £104.45 - cleanyourcar.co.uk

1 x 500ml autoglym extra gloss sealant. £7.06 - ebay
1 x poorboys nattys liquid blue wax 946ml with free microfibre cloth. £18.95 - amazon
2 x kent 2 in 1 noodle mesh wash mitts £6.85 pair ebay (cheaper on amazon, but I wanted two different colours for top and bottom of car).

Anyway I hope this helps and thanks for reading.

Cheers, thought it might benefit someone, and its a good price too

Well used the polisher for the first time yesterday. Was worried about strike through so took it really easy starting with softest pad and polish working way back as required. Meant a bit of duplication when it wasnt strong enough to correct the paint but better that than burn straight through. It took me all afternoon and evening to do the whole car, but the results were worth it.

Finished off today with my first use of autoglym extra gloss protection sealant. Is fantastic stuff for £7. Gave a great wet look shine.

Havent used the pb nattys blue yet. Going let the sealant cure for a while and will probably use wax next time I wash.

Overall if you are looking for a safe kit for beginners and it is very safe, you wont get cheaper than this. Ill upload some pics later today and you can see the results for yourself.

jmc1976 said:

hi stu3y that's a great write up , i get the impression i have the same ocd issues as you and ive been considering a polisher for quite a while as i have some light swirl marks but im frightened to death of ruining my car so im really interested in how you get on with this ,
looking at your avatar you have a mk2 , how did you get on going near the creases and edges eg where the wings meet the bonnet , the bottom of the front bumper and the ridge that runs down the side ? do you need to mask bits up ?

Click to expand...

Hi, People do say I have ocd, it can take me over 2 hours just to hoover my car some days.
I didn't mask anything off at all as you can control the machine well enough not to get in on any trims. The biggest risk as I learnt is lifting the machine before its stopped spinning. That created a bit of spatter which was a little harder to buff off. On creased areas i just angle the pad slightly and it was fine. No swirl marks left at all. You will not be disappointed.

Tried to take some photos today but the sun was no where to be seen, as such the photos are quite dull and do not do it any justice. All I can say is look at the definition of the reflections, you can even see the birds in the sky on the bonnet etc

You will need to zoom in to see properly, but no real swirl marks an smooth wet finish. As said above I have not waxed yet and to my disappointment, by the time I took these the paint was so static that it had attracted all the road dust. Typical. Anyway I hope these will help convince a few of you to make the step and buy a polisher.

I did use it on the bumpers, more the back than front. The front i gave a quick once over, as it has so many stone chips it was kinda pointless. I didn't do the lip below the big grill as mine appears to have been sprayed at some stage and doesn't look like it has any clear coat left on it.