Griots VS Porter Cable...

I should save up for a FLEX but I already have a 9227; thereofer, I was thinking about getting a Griots.

 

had it. there was some kinda problem with backing plate.
i would just get 7424xp probably.

 

I got the Griot's and think it works great.

 

ive used both griots and PC. i prefer the griots. i believe the griots DA has a more powerful motor as well.

 

Griots, it doesn't stop spinning as easy on vertical panels

 

The handles (bail style on the Griots and traditional right angle grinder style on the pc) might be something else that sways you one way or the other.

 

Go for the Griots!!
Has the most power of all DA polishers and a great warranty.

 

+1 on Griot's, I've tried to get stupid with it on my own car and could not stop the pad from spinning on horizontal surface.
Had to use a stupid amount of pressure to stop the pad on vertical surfaces too.
Did a comparison with a friend when we polished his RX8 for SevenStock last year, with everything else being equal (pads/size/polish), my Griot's corrected much faster (fewer passes)
Oh the lifetime warranty against defect (read, no warranty if they think you "abused" the machine), is great too.

 

I recently just opened up my mobil biz and I bought Griots DA machine and it seems to be hit or miss with scratches. Detailed a black RV and polished out a scratch all along the side of it with the lightest polish they offer (Machine Polish 4), then today I was working on a 2001 Excursion and used MP 4, then dropped to MP 2 with multiple passes, and still didn't get the light scratch out? Should of taken pics of the scratch but didn't think of it. Should I buy a different polishing pad or is it the Polish or both? The machine failed when I really needed it to do work and show off my skills to an independent dealer. What are my options? This could be extremely costly if I can't get scratches out of clear coat...

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

possibly try a different polish or upgrade to a rotary.
You do need to appropriate the right pad with the right polish depending on severity.

 

For instance. What would be the best pad and polish to use with a Griots DA? (You can definately see the scratch, but you can't feel it by touch if this helps any.) Griots only offers one type of pad and I'm not to familiar with all the others. Just trying to avoid buying every since one until I figure out what combo works.

The question continues... :shead::shead:

 

ahh you can't do 1 pad for everything!
thats no good
You need an arsenal of multiple pads of different cut. Where bouts you located? If you're in the US, you can get some Uber pads from detailersdomain which goes from Orange to Black (Most cut -> Finishing)
Your Griots DA should have a velcro 5" backplate for 5~5.5" pads (can go higher but it gets wobly)
So lets start with the Polish, there are different cuts of polish, I personally use Menzerna polishes. Theres Power Gloss, Super Intensive Polish, 85RD, 106FF (from most cut to least, well 85RD and 106FF are similiar and theres some more but these are the most basic grabs).
So for every type of polish, you're able to get at least 3 different cuts from it because of the foam's hardness.
Thus you are able to get a whole scale of cuts from the 2 combinations.
Theres also clear coats with nano-ceramic tech which requires specially formulated polishes to cut well (Hello Menzerna!)

 

You will need a minimum of three types of pads from whichever line you choose. Lake Country and Buff & Shine are both proven lines. You will need a minimum of 3 cutting pads ( Orange for LC and Yellow for B&S ), 3 polishing pads ( Green for both companies ) and 2 finishing pads ( Black for both companies). Unless you are doing multiple day correction jobs, Megs 105 will be a great choice for heavier defect removal and Menz Power Finish will handle all the light polishing and final polishing after using the Megs 105. When I do a one step correction, I use the B&S Yellow with Menz Power Finish and it yields great results every time. The B&S Yellow will absorb some product so you will need three pads to get around a full sized car.

 

Note Taken^

Will the griots DA be powerful enough to use with the yellow, green and black pads? Or will I need to step up to a rotary?...

Thanks for quick response!!!

 

the power of the machine is only in relation to how fast you you get it polished (and how much heat it will generate on the paintwork)
I would say you stick with your DA and get those pads+polish until you're comfortable then look into rotarys when you're more picky about the time it takes/more experienced with control
the DA is a better choice than rotary for some clear coat too.

 

IMO, the Griots machine is far superior to the PC. It vibrates less, is more powerful, and has a better warranty

 

Yes the Griot's is powerful enough to handle all the foam pads, it is just like the Porter Cable but has even more power. As others have already posted the pads are interchangable, you can use the two pads types that Griot's offers (orange, red) or you can use pretty much any brand that offers a 6" - 6.5" foam pad with a velcro back. The backing plate is also interchangeable and you can fit a 4", 5", or 6"(comes with this one) plates.

The Griot's is IMO the best bang for the buck out there, later on if you are looking to step up then a rotary or Flex orbital could be a option for you.

 

Not all scratches will come out by polishing. Do you have a rotary? I would think any detail business NEEDS a rotary for those hard to do jobs. I want a DA for light duty polishing and finish work. When I get one I plan to still use my rotary (if needed) and then finish with a DA, like this:
M105 with rotary
M205 with rotary or DA if possible
85rd with DA

 

I already have Griots Orange and Red pads. Are they comparable to any of the Buff & Shine Black, Green, or Yellow Pads? I can find anyone local that sells this stuff to compare.

 

Benzm3: wheres your local?