autopia's buffer? any good?
 

autopia's :
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/udm-1000-na.html

Kinda like the idea of it. I can't polish/wax as often as I'd like given I have school and crap and thus no life...but this makes it quicker and supposedly it's very good or something. Just wanted to know if other ppl have used it and what they think. Thanks guys!

just get a porter cable 7424, i can get it for you for 109 shipped. It's mostly what everyone uses unless you are pro.

the porter cable is good (my buddy's got it) but it doesn't come with adjustable backing for changing pads. You have to buy some velcro attachment. It seems, though, that both machines are fairly similar. Btw, thanks for the offer superblack!! Though..I can seem to get a new one online in the mid 90s shipped. If you think you can do a lot lower than that, we may have something. But yes, apart from that, does anyone else have the ultimate detailing machine? thanks!

The UDM is superior to the PC in correction ability because its stronger and doesn't bog as much at higher speedds. I would definetly trade my PC for one. For the price though, its somewhat difficult to justify, especially for a beginner

From the picture, it looks like the UDM is nothing but a re-badged PC. You can buy the PC then get a velcro backing plate for it from topoftheline.com That plus some Lake Country pads allow for the quick interchange of pads.

Its more than just a rebadged PC, it comes with a much stronger motor, just read up on it on autopia.org

so i take it then...people like it?

Yea its a good peice cause the motor is much stronger.I am getting ready to buy one and sell my pc to a friend.

awesome. now i just have to figure out a place i can buy this for cheaper, haha.

You probably won't find it anywhere else, I believe this is part of Autopia's new push into their own product lines. I noticed a couple weeks ago that they hijacked the Zaino application thread with a bunch of BS pushing their own Untimate Detailing wax. This trend disturbs me because we used to be able to count on Autopia for unbiased, non-commercial reports, reviews and info. I see several instances of these new products invading and changing the site.

The 7336 has a 4 amp motor, the UDM is 4.2 amp or 5% more. I don't know if that qualifies as "much stronger" as I doubt anybody will really notice.

I think you should just get a decent rotary like the Makita. More flexible as it goes with pads and more power for various jobs.


Hey it is what the pros use!!!

If you don't know what you're doing, there's no better way to F'up your paint job than with a rotary. All that power can burn a paint job in the blink of an eye. That's why only "pros" should be using one.

Yeah Daves, I noticed the autopia thing too....with their own products and whatnot. I think the primary benefit I see of choosing the UDM of the PC is that the UDM comes stock with the potential to change pads at will. The PC requries some kind of additional purchase of an adapter. I think they're both solid machines from what I can understand. And yeah, the rotary might screw me over since I am a n00b and I'm trying to learn how to detail my car better, you know? thanks for the advice guys!

The makita is actually easy to work with. You have to be a complete idiot to mess up with the makita.

Just read the MANY reviews on autopia, see also the suggestions to avoid using it with 4" BP/pad combos due to the extra power, also the damage done to some bp/pad combo's at high speeds. Its definetly more than 5% stronger. I find my PC reaching its limits for correction without taking a significantly longer period of time, contemplating going to the UDM or stepping up to a rotary pretty soon

Naturally you would avoid using 4" pads since it's designed for 6" ones.

"Its definetly more than 5% stronger" - you must be thinking of the line in their promos that lists it as 20% stronger. It's 20% stronger than the PC 7424, not the 7336 that the majority of us got from Lowes for $109.

I have a 7336sp, I know the differences between the two, and its not the motor, both are 3.7 amp motors with the only difference being the counterweight supplied.
PC 7424 specs
PC 7336 specs
My 7336sp can use 4" pads just fine, are you saying the "5%" in extra power is what is tearing apart the pads?

There's your problem - don't believe sales hype or specs. Always go to the source...

http://www.deltaportercable.com/Prod...roductID=11052

Power: 120 VAC, 50-60 HZ
Amps: 4.0
Orbits/Min:
Tool Length: 11-1/2
Net Weight: 5-3/4
Shipping Weight: 6-1/2

Unless the changed the specs recently, I'm going to have to say that is a misprint. Here's the specs on my 7336sp, straight from the box and machine, unless you are saying that label is wrong too...
http://students.washington.edu/nguyenh6/IMG_1809.JPG
http://students.washington.edu/nguyenh6/IMG_1815.JPG