Saturday, August 27, 2016

My 15mm Throw Dual Action Polisher

I got a package from China a few weeks back. It was a 15mm throw dual action polisher (simply referred to as DA) that I bought from AliExpress. A DA is sometimes called random orbital polisher.


dual action polisher


I had been looking around for a decent DA as an upgrade for my current Bosch GEX 125-1-AE workhorse which is a random orbital polisher with a smaller throw. As compared to a few years back, dual action polishers with 220-240V with a 3-pin UK plug are easier to find here nowadays (or could be purchased overseas and sent here). There are several UK sellers on eBay selling DA polishers meeting that voltage specs here. Many of them are selling models based on Kestrel DAS-6 with 8mm orbit (I will go into that later) from GBP75-200 including delivery to Malaysia.

Meguiar's also has something similar to DAS-6; Meguiar's MT320; with 220V but that costs nearly RM2000! That's way out of my budget. There is also a local company that sells their "own brand" of DA polishers. One model is based on DAS-6 which is also similar to Meguiar's MT320 and Dodo Juice Buff Daddy. Another model is based on the famous Rupes Bigfoot LHR15. Simply put, those machines are copies that are made in China and relabeled to the local brand. Price wise, I was quoted about RM900 for the 8mm throw and RM1000+ for the 15mm throw.

After much comparison I decided to purchase a DAS-6 copy on eBay from a UK seller that is cheaper than anything that I was quoted locally. However, it ran out of stock. I was told to wait for restock. The waiting period prompted me to think, "why not explore China?". I once saw a funny post on Facebook. It goes something like "God made the sky, the land, the sea, and all living beings. China made everything else!".

It was then that I explored AliExpress. Search results for dual action polisher returned mostly with large throw dual action 21mm and 15mm. Some are even bolder claiming straight forward that they are selling copies of Rupes DA. Well, Rupes is a well-known Italian maker of DA's and other tools. They are famed for their large throw DA of 15 and 21mm. After much comparison, I decided to order a 15mm throw DA. It came with both 5" and 6" backing plate (same design as Rupes), some 6" foam pads, a 5" microfiber pad, a side handle, and a set of spare carbon brushes. All for USD155.


counter balance

6" backing plate

5" backing plate


Some Basics on Dual Action Polisher

I try not to get too technical here. Please bear with me. Unlike a rotary polisher that on spins on a single rotary axis, a dual action polisher (or sometimes called random orbital polisher) will spin and orbit at the same time. To simplify the explanation let us take a 5" (125mm) pad as an example.

dual action diagram


In the above diagram, the left most circle shows how a 5" (125mm) pad will spin on a single rotary axis. For a DA, apart from spinning on its axis, the pad will also orbit around an 8mm diameter orbit. In the picture second from left, the center of the pad will orbit around the smaller 8mm circle. Here only 4 instances are shown but it actual case, there will be a continuous motion. Do note that the orbiting motion will be random. There will be instances where the pad will be thrown from one end of the orbit to the opposite end. Try to imagine a perpetual spinning top (gasing) spinning inside a tin can. The tin can diameter will be the throw size and the spinning (gasing) will be the pad. The gasing will bounce randomly inside the tin can while spinning. On a DA, the gasing will spin continuously.

The other 2 pictures on the right show DA's with larger throws - 15mm and 21mm. From here, two obvious benefit can be seen, The orbiting motion will reduce heat build up as the buffing is spread across a larger surface on the paint. This will prevent paint burn-through even if the DA is left in the same spot for a longer time. For rotary, there is always a risk of paint burn-through. The second obvious benefit is a larger throw DA will have more buffing action. A DA with larger throw will cover more area in a single orbit. So a larger throw DA would get the job done faster.

Another safety feature that DA has over rotary is the free-spinning spindle. With the power turned off, the spindle on a DA is free to rotate. This mechanism will act as a fail safe if too much force is applied when buffing with a DA. With the DA running, if too much force is apply, it will stop spinning and only orbits. This will surely prevent paint burn-through. Of course, there is also another kind of DA known as forced DA that will continue to spin even if heavy force is exerted during buffing. I will leave that out from this post as it is not very common. You can search the Internet for more info.

Most common DA's come with orbit diameter ranging from 2-8 mm. My Bosch GEX 125-1-AE has a 2.5mm orbit. This 2-8 mm range used to be the standard for many years until Rupes introduced large throw DA. The two famous models from them are the 15mm and 21mm throw. That two models revolutionized DA and more work can be done with less time. That could be the reason why there are now many copies of large throw DA from China.

So, why did I chose the 15mm over 21mm? Unlike many professionals that have multiple tools, I am just a guy working my own cars under my car porch. That means I can only have one or two tools with a tight budget. I guess 15mm is sort of the middle ground for me. It is better and "newer" than a normal 8mm and way better than my current 2.5mm but still small enough for me to work on smaller areas like head lamps and side mirrors.


Plans to Test Out the DA


I have yet to try this new DA. One of my rides is due for resealing with a 4 months old sealant. I am planning to work it with a pre-wax cleanser (to remove old sealant and very very mild scratches) with this new DA :-p and reseal it. Well, that might not do justice for the new DA but the conditions of my rides are still good that I do not need any paint cutting or compounding yet. There are two reasons that I am blaming in delaying the resealing. First is the the rainy season (yes, yes, blame it on the weather when I am lazy). Second is that the sealant seems to be still holding strong after 4 month. Using spray wax after every wash does extend the durability of existing wax or sealant.

Autoglym SRP + EGP beading



Check out the beading after a heavy downpour. However, if we look closely, there is some very mild watermarks. Since I do not wish to cut the paint, a pre-wax cleanser will do. Something like Autoglym SRP again (with fillers to hide some minor scratches) or Dodo Juice Lime Prime with very mild abrasive.

That's it for this post. I will post an update after using this new DA.

Update: Check-out my hands-on on the Clover 15mm throw DA here.

19 comments:

  1. Waiting for your review on this china made DA. By the way, does the machine feel "solid"?
    Speaking about spray wax, I practice the same method like you, spray wax after weekly/bi-weekly wash. The beading / sheeting effect doesnt seem to fade away. I wonder should i put another proper layer of "foundation wax/sealant" in future or not since the spray wax seems to be working.

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    Replies
    1. I've treated it dry run. It's pretty solid.

      I think it's better to have a strong underlying sealant. Spray wax is just a topper and might not protect against heavier contaminants like bird bomb.

      And with a strong sealant, I could drag washing for a few more weeks when I'm really busy :-)

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    2. Hands-on review is up. https://carporchdetailer.blogspot.my/2016/09/hands-on-review-on-clover-15mm-throw.html

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  2. Hi, Is the DA value to buy? Been looking at DA for quite awhile and saw some at aliexpress too previously but was skeptical. Perhaps I could think about it once again after reading your post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there. Thanks for reading my post.
      For the price, I think it is acceptable considering that it is cheaper than what I can get locally. In terms of the built quality, it is good. I have yet to try it with actual work but dry running it with a pad on, the vibrations are not bad. Maybe better than my Bosch GEX. One thing to note is that buying online means that there is literary no warranty. Yes, some seller accepts returns but think about the postage cost that we need to bear on our own. This is one of the risks that I can think off. I am really planning to try this thing but it has been a long rainy season recently. I will post an update once tested.

      Delete
    2. Hands-on review is up. https://carporchdetailer.blogspot.my/2016/09/hands-on-review-on-clover-15mm-throw.html

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. I'm sorry. I haven't used them before. Searching for then online showed that they look generic.

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  4. Hello,i am a beginner and want to use DA only for polishing and spreading sealant. What orbit size do you recommend (15mm or 21mm)
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome to detailing! The orbit generally depends on your need. 21mm could get work done faster than 15mm and from what I heard, 21mms will have less vibration. However, it would be quite tough to get into smaller area because of the larger orbit.

      See the following link on my hands-on and tight area concern.
      http://carporchdetailer.blogspot.my/2016/09/hands-on-review-on-clover-15mm-throw.html?m=1.

      If you are a DIY-er with only one machine, I would suggest going for a 15mm orbit.

      Hope this helps.

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  5. Hello,i am a beginner and want to use DA only for polishing and spreading sealant. What orbit size do you recommend (15mm or 21mm)
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi i have been reading your post regarding this Clover DA Polisher. Just wanted to know. How's the vibration so far with prolong use. Have you tried other back plates made by other brands such as Meguiars. Is it really substantial and may last long usage? How bout degreasing maintenance etc. Really appreciate your feedback

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    Replies
    1. Vibration is pretty good on this Clover DA. I did not try with other backing plate but the supplied 5" & 6" backing plate work quite well with my Lake Country pads.

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  7. Hi GF Wong thank you so much for answering my question. I have another question did you bought this at alixexpress? If yes, is it a delivery duty paid. How do you think this will fair compare to Shinemate? Planning to really get one.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, I got this from AliExpress. I do not recall paying for any duty. I do not have any experience with Shinemate but I'm pretty satisfied with this Clover DA. Hope this helps.

      Delete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Thank you so much. Appreciate your response

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  10. i started scouting aliexpress as well since i couldn't find anything on the other sites..
    i found this
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/8mm-random-orbital-Dual-Action-Polisher-with-D-handle-CLOVER-CT7000/32838159416.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.80.V9low4&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10152_10065_10151_10344_10068_10345_10342_10343_10340_10341_10541_10562_10084_10083_10307_5680011_10175_10060_10155_10154_10056_10055_10539_10537_10312_10536_10059_10313_10314_10534_10533_100031_10103_10073_10102_10557_10142_10107-10102,searchweb201603_25,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=08eb2fc7-a231-4077-bb65-2ce36af5593a&algo_expid=26ca99ed-f69b-4591-a673-beb501c83c40-10&algo_pvid=26ca99ed-f69b-4591-a673-beb501c83c40

    However there is something fishy. the ad says the model is CT7000 while the item description says its CT9000.
    i tried figured out if even a CT7000 exists. Can you please let me know if your aware of this or if you actually picked up from the same URL ?

    would be really helpful.
    Thannks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there. I bought the DA on AliExpress from a seller called Clover Tools Company. I've contacted them through chat before buying and the person was very helpful. Maybe you should get from them.

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