Gave My Makita a Spin

No pun intended on the title haha.


I finally got my brand spanking new Makita 9227, along with a few other things included that "Stripper Scent" car air freshener (which smells amazing btw). I had some very minor swirls on the car as well as little scratches here and there from birds landing on my hood last week. The swirls are there because I wanted to clean the car off quickly before I hit the road to go home but I didn't have time for a full wash. So, against my better judgement, I QD'ed the car which cost me. I really just wanted to see if I could improve on the gloss and clarity on my paint which I already considered is "as good as it gets."


First impressions:

I love this thing. I just relaxed and let the buffer do its thing and it feels so much more intuitive than my PC ever did. It was very smooth, corrected with ease, and left an absolutely stunning finish. It also broke the polish down much quicker as well. I took it slowly, taking a few passes at 900 rpm and then bumping it up to 1500 rpm for 3-4 passes, finally bringing it back down to 900 for the final couple passes. The Makita has a 'soft start' feature that progressively racks up the rpms which means the starts are gentle and easily controllable. The dial is easy to use, and there is a diagram which shows what each number translated into rpm wise. All in all, this is so much better than my PC, and look forward to gaining more experience as I polish my car.


Products and Process:

-Car cleaned with DP Waterless Autowash (great stuff)
-No claying needed
-Menzerna po85rd on a CCS white 4" pad
-IPA
-To be done: jewel with CG hexogic grey pads and 85rd


Some Defects and a little lack of clarity:







After:




Top done, bottom not:







More defects and lack of clarity:






After:






I also did the front fender of my mom's LS430, check out the flake pop!




I tried to focus on the paint surface to better show the true condition, but it is safe to say that the minor defects were removed and there was a definite increase in clarity. The afters have no glazes, waxes, or sealants on it. Just paint



Ps. I consolidated about 2/3 of my detailing arsenal.

 

I just got my used Makita today, it seems like a very nice machine and its my first rotary.

Do you stop the rotation before bumping up the speed or do you just roll the dial to 1500 RPM?

I can't wait to try this bad boy out on my MKIV, it needs some lovin on the doors and rear panels.

 

I never stop the machine unless something bad happens while polishing a section (like if the polish gums up or something). Keep it running (and moving of course), and roll your thumb over the dial. Very intuitive.

christian, your parents are gonna freak when they see a whole load of chemicals on a MARBLE counter!

 

Haha, marble is definately very finicky when it comes to chemicals and liquids staining. I keep the Makita running while bumping up or slowing down the RPMs, make sure you just keep it moving while you roll the dial and it is very easy and smooth. I also don't turn the machine off until I remove the pad from the paint.