Polisher comparison - Rotary, Dual Action, and Forced Rotation.
There are many different brands of polishers out there, but they all have similar objective, to safely correct the paint of your car at a reasonable time. Although there are brands that stand out for polishers, like the Rupes, they also sell different models of polishers; a Rotary buffer, a Dual Action Buffer, and a forced rotation. Make sure which type of polisher you want by reading our explanation bellow, then select the best brands!!
Rotary Polisher
Rotary buffer is the oldest in its class, before they came out with the new dual action, we only had this type of buffer. A Rotary buffer spins only one way no matter how much you press it downward onto your car paint, it will continue to spin at the speed selected. It also spins in a constant orbit, creating a more aggressive cut but generating more heat. Because this polisher only spins at one direction, you would have to move the buffer across the paint manually, otherwise it will cause the paint to heat up and burn. A Rotary buffer or polisher will require you to have more experience so that you can tell how fast to move the machine across the paint before the burning, avoiding corners and weird elevated areas. As a pro, the Rotary buffer is more aggressive, therefore it will correct deeper scratches and paint imperfections, only if used correctly. The two down sides of using a Rotary is related to the amount of arm work you would have to use and the care of not burning the paint.
Dual Action Polisher (DA)
A Dual Action Polisher was a revolutionary creation. As oppose to the Rotary polisher where it spins in one single way, The DA polisher spins on varying elliptical orbits, therefore distributing the heat to a larger area making it much safer to your car. As a consequence, you are able to leave this polisher spinning on one single spot and prevent it from burning your paint. There are Three main differences between this Dual Action Polisher and the Rotary Polisher; first, because the polisher does the round,elliptical, movement for you there is no reason for you to do the manual work, simply work on a small 3x3 panel and move the polisher slowly across the paint in a crosshatch pattern, up & down, Side to side. Let the DA polisher do the work. Second, because of it' slower RPM and bigger throw, It will take more of your time to cut through deeper scratches and paint imperfections. The great results can still be acquired with more time, but less effort. Third, It is safer and easier to use. You will notice that if you press the polisher hard against the paint it will stop rotating, therefore making it much harder to burn the paint of your car.
Forced Rotation Polisher
This polisher is the combination of the Rotary and Dual action features. The forced rotation is also a Dual action polisher, spinning in different orbits. However, the only difference between the two is the forced rotation. Comparing to the Dual Action where if you press the polisher down against the paint it will stop spinning making it safer to use, the Forced Rotation polisher, like the rotary buffer, won't stop spinning no matter the down force you use. Because of its force rotation, you are able to acquire better cutting result comparing to the DA buffer, but you can also risk burning your paint. It does differ from the Rotary polisher because it is still spinning in varying orbits, therefore distributing more of the heat across the paint, making it safer to use. All in all, the Forced rotation offers a better cutting action comparing to the DA, but a Safer auto detailing comparing to the Rotary.
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