well got my polisher today was picking between makita and this which seemed to be almost same outside. didnt pick others couse of price (check other options here http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f12/choosing-rotary-polisher-12473.html ) got this from coastaltools for $158 shipped haven't used it yet. tested at work and deff can feel the torque just like makita when i tested at Phils shop) easy start, smooth and doesn't go full speed right away which is nice. IMPORTANT thing. the speed dial is smooth and not click like makita at only 6 settings. just went outside and tried it, speed changes smoothly when you rotate the dial so it can be set at any settings between 1 and 2, 2 and 3 and so on. so this is nice from specks Hitachi is lighter 6.2 vs 6.6lbs more powerful 11ams vs 10 amps speed dial setting is different however hitachi 600 1100 1700 2300 2900 3400 makita RPM 600 900 1,500 2,100 2,700 3,000 im sure its ok since most ppl work in those range anyway id probably rather have makita speed settings but im sure i can learns plus its not that much different and trigger is variable speed like makita would be nice to have continuously variable trigger lock option so you can lock it at any speed, not just at dial presets but i think ill be happy with it. plus 5 year warranty comparing to Makitas 1 year. i dont see reason why somebody who is looking for this type wouldn't consider Hitachi its only $149+shipping from coastaltools thats all for now
I have had both, and 5 year warranty would be great. I started with the Hitachi, and it has served me well. I do like the Hitachi's speed ranges better. Sometimes, you do end up using speeds past 1500, and 1700 is already about as far as I'm comfortable using. I feel the dial is a much more reliable way of changing your speed unless you have the dexterity of a surgeon. The trigger isn't a lot of help in how fast you are spinning. I would think the Makita is more reliable than the Hitachi. 5 year warranty is hard to beat though. I've heard of many issues with the Hitachi as a long term tool. I hadn't even used mine on very many cars, and I've deemed it unsafe to use anymore. They feel relatively the same. I could swear that the Makita is a bit lighter though. The Makita is also a bit quieter than the Hitachi is. Either way, I suggest getting ear plugs or headphones when you are polishing to preserve your hearing. Nit picky things I'd say... Hitachi dials feel less stiff than the Makita's making it easier to change speeds when you want to. The dials are in the same place, so you can go back and forth from both easily. The Hitachi's silver part gets considerably hotter than the Makita's would. Depending on how you old the rotary, this might affect you. When you change speeds on the Makita, it makes a solid clicking sound that you can't miss, so you know you've moved up or down in RPMs. That's all I can remember right now. I'm sure more will come up as I keep thinking about it.
It's not a bad product in any way, but I'd only buy it with warranty. I'm sure it's not that hard to fix either. It doesn't stay at 1700 RPM anymore. After a couple more tries, it abruptly increases its speed at the wrong setting. It'd probably burn the paint easily if i kept at it.
^^how you like variable speed thing that you dont have to lock into 1 or 2 and can be at 1.5 or 1.3 or 1.7 or anything inbetween?
The variable speed works great. I've used a Makita as well as the Dewalt and I like the feel of the Hitachi so much better.
I haven't tried Hitachi rotary, but after a long decision, I got myself Makita 9227C, and absolutely love this machine! So smooth and powerful, if I can only "shave off" a couple pounds of it, it will be perfect...One day I'll upgrade to Metabo...
I like the Hitachi but these days I mostly use my Metabo or Flex. I have a lot of Hitachi power tools and really like them.
The makita does not force you into 6 different speed settings. I am not sure where you got this information. The Makita has 6 labeled settings, and it has 12 or so adjustable settings. You can go 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 etc., etc. Regardless Hitachi is a power tool company which has good of a reputation as Makita. I would say you made a good choice, and a 5year warranty is excellent. See the dashes in between the numbers, those are usable speed options.
