PORTER-CABLE Buffer Polisher, Car Polisher for Car Detailing, 6-Inch, Orbital, Variable Speed (7424XP)

The only thing I regret and cannot forgive...why I waited so long to buy this excellent creature...works super, bit noisy, but tolerable, strong, great speed settings, a real workhorse. No more rotary polishers for me.

So one of the hardest decisions i have had to make to start auto detailing was what Dual Action Random Orbital should i get. Its tough getting started or even upgrading from a cheap one that you may learned on. Hopefully i can give you a little insight on this fine machine. With that said i do want to say i own this one and have around 6 months and have done some large time consuming jobs with it BUT i also do not own the other top brands like the flex, torque, ECT. To this day i have not looked back. I will start with the things i love about it. 1) The size and weight - it is a very good size in the operational standpoint. I personally do not use the screw on handle mainly because i change hands to often for it, i just have one hand on the black and the other around the vent at the end. But its very accommodating and comfortable not to mention i can get in the smaller areas on cars like under the mirror because i do not have a long tail end. Just because its smaller does NOT mean it is less effective. 2) Porter Cable as a company is a well tested large backing company. If i remember right they came around in like 1905 or so. like i said i did a lot of research. There is no to minimal maintenance to it. The unit is factory lubricated with enough high quality lube that it will last the life of the unit under normal use (commercial grade unit keep that in mind) and they only recommend you take it to one of their certified shops (every 100 hours of use... long time) so they can take it apart clean it properly and check for worn parts to ensure your safety. 3) Having the speed setting as a wheel is wonderful. I have used my friends for a short time i did a 2x2 square like a month ago (i think he had the flex but could have been the torque) and it was nice but long i felt like i was reaching and it had a digital display with + - buttons. My personal opinion is that after i spread the product at a low speed i want to shut it off get in a good position set it to a functional speed and start it up, as his always starts on the lowest speed setting and while its on you have to crank it up. All in all i highly recommend this buffer and love using it and seeing the results i get out of it. The bad 1) AS EXPECTED WITH EVERY UNIT NO MATTER THE BRAND is at low speeds it is a little tricky to control at first but its so slow its not a big deal or a deal breaker like i said its just the physics of these units. 2) the pad that comes with it is a cheap foam pad that i personally don't use at all and its just easier to buy pads and backing plate with a hook and loop (Velcro) connection so you don't have to use your wrench every time you change pads. Again a small detail and you can get these buffers with other packages and i'm sure the stock pad wont hurt anything its just your typical wax / sealant pad If you want other video reviews i would recommend looking up Chemical Guys on you tube not only do they have extensive how to videos and great products but they have many reviews of the Porter Cable 7424xp and use it a good majority of the time in their shop / Class so you can see what this unit will do. I want to say i have no affiliation with Porter Cable or Chemical guys and was not asked to review or given anything to review this is a REAL HONEST REVIEW. If you have any questions feel free to ask!

I did tons of research on tools to polish my car before purchasing the 7424XP. I've had this for nearly a month and have almost completely reconditioned the paint on my car. With the right combination of pads and compounds/polishes you can get excellent results. The tool just works. I heard about vibration, noise and such about these (and other, similar tools) but I haven't had any problems with it. I find that vibration and other problems are typically due to poor technique and not the tool, just as with almost any tool. Noise levels are what you would expect with a tool like this, if anything I was pleased with how it was quieter than I expected (quieter than my palm sander, and quiet enough that my cat actually jumped up on the washer I was polishing while I was polishing it, this cat is scared to death of anything loud, like a vacuum). I have not used the handle; having it off to one side would make it too lopsided for me, that's why the Flex and GG have different grips. Speed 6 is only used for drying pads out and super heavy compounding. The cord is short, but I'd rather have a 6' cord as opposed to a 6" cord and putting a long cord on it would make it a bigger pain to deal with when I only need a 6' cord. The included pad is OK I guess, it'd be OK to use to wax a junk car or as a polishing pad, but it's too fine for compounding/buffing and too coarse for what I'd use to glaze/wax with. Here's a good piece of advice: get a backing plate and from the center out, put one stripe with a marker so that you can see if the pad is actually turning or not. If the pad stops turning, you're using too much pressure (with the exception of some products that don't need rotational action. I got into this expecting to buy the polisher and a few pads with moderate polishes; be warned, this purchase will all but require a substantial investment. I was hoping to come in under a couple hundred dollars but after getting the NEEDED backing plate, a compliment of pads and polishes I was on my way to double that. Comparing this to competing units, the Flex and Rupes are in a class of their own with the direct drive orbits; they won't bog down with pressure, but they will also burn the paint if you're foolish with them. The Meguiars and Griots are very similar to this (if I'm not mistaken, the Meguiar's is a modified version of this), where the Megs is too pricey for the same thing, and the GG has a better handle and higher RPM/OPM. The reason I didn't get the GG is because I couldn't justify the extra money, and the handle would get in the way of some tight areas I need to tuck the polisher into. Yes, the handle can be removed, but that's a hassle that I can avoid with this. Rotaries are the old-school way and are still needed for some serious paint correction, but a PC teamed with a SurBuf pad and the right technique (almost no pressure for the SurBuf) is very similar to a rotary with a wool pad. I'd still use a rotary for some things like velvet pads. I haven't tried sanding with this....yet. Another thing to note is that unless you're going to use 6" polishing pads or larger, the included weight is fine. I just tried using some 4" pads on a 3" backing plate and was surprised by the fact that it didn't have any real difference in vibration. cons? well, I'd like to see a better safety on the power switch; currently it's just a plastic ridge around the switch and I've bumped it accidentally when carrying it. The Dial seems fine, but The vents for the motor are at the very end, right where my hand naturally sits for most buffing operations. And I feel like I'll outgrow this quickly and move to a Flex once I get my technique down.

Mi carro quedó súper! es una gran herramienta y funcionó perfecto. Creo importante mencionar para cualquier posible comprador que en "mi opinión", las malas reseñas de esa máquina provienen de personas que no tienen la menor idea de como operar cualquier herramienta eléctrica (tampoco es como que haya mucho que saber). Por ejemplo, respetar su ciclo de trabajo, combinar su uso con una pulidora rotativa ordinaria para el trabajo de pulido más pesado, no utilizar NINGUNA HERRAMIENTA incluyendo esta porter cable al tope de su capacidad (máxima velocidad) por períodos prolongados y por supuesto utilizar los discos, pulidores y esponjas correctos. En mi caso solamente utilicé 3DOne (único producto, muy bueno por cierto) primero; con pulidora rotativa normal y con esponja naranja (de corte), segundo; mi porter cable con esponja azul (de acabado), por último; apliqué cera a mano y mi coche quedó increíble. Por supuesto que esta máquina es capaz de realizar el corte pero por su acción dual le va a tomar más tiempo ya que son equipos más enfocados a dar un acabado final, no se dejen engañar, confíen en esta máquina orgullosamente hecha en México. Mis recomendaciones personales: Acerca de las esponjas cualquier marca funciona bien (yo tengo dos kits de esponjas de bajo costo que me funcionan perfecto), utilizar el 3DOne, que es un producto excelente de un solo paso (para pulir) y finalmente (por lo menos en mi caso) encerar a mano con estopa/microfibra es "más rápido" e igual de efectivo que hacerlo con máquina. Finalmente, necesitarán un disco extra, el Neiko de 6 pulgadas me funcionó excelente (también lo encuentras en Amazon). Espero mi reseña les sea de utilidad para que sus autos queden como de exhibición!!

I’ve had this tool for many years now. It is well made and reliable. It has a decent weight and balance. I prefer corded tools for extended usage since I’m not tooling with the weight of a battery

I bought this for my 70yr old dad a yr ago as with age & arthritis he's finding it difficult to polish & wax his vehicle by hand. This has taken most of the hard work out of a big job. This machine is amazing, the design & speed make it extremely difficult to damage your paint so I would recommend for beginners. I've never used a power polisher & had no problem with this. I did watch several YouTube videos to clarify what I was doing but it was extremely easy to figure out. It worked great getting strange scuff like marks off the hood of my car & completely removed a few bad scratches. The vibration did not aggravate my dad's arthritis but when I used it I had bad tendonitis & a small torn ligament in my wrist - the vibration did aggravate that if I used the machine too long so it took a few weeks to do my entire SUV. But for a person without a wrist injury there shouldn't be a problem with the vibration.

Buena marca, buena calidad y en relación al precio es excelente y hace su función de manera correcta

Creo que esta es una buena pulidora doble acción por su precio, que no es alto. Es muy ligera y está bien balanceada. Permite incluso manipularla con una sola mano en ciertas condiciones. Las vibraciones se transmiten poco, a menos que se utilice un disco con extensión, ahí si vibra demasiado. Probablemente le haga falta una velocidad aún más alta, siento que entre las últimas dos no hay tanta diferencia. En general estoy muy satisfecho con la compra, sobretodo en el apartado del precio.