OK, I've been hand rubbing & polishing my cars and getting tried of doing the work.

I'm going buy a buffer/polisher. What should I look for in buying a buffer/polisher? Any brands stand out?

If if makes a difference, I typically paint my cars with PPG lacquer paint (for originality and ease of use - I paint the cars in my garage).

I have always had the best luck with 3M products. About 10 years ago I had a 68 painted black lacquer. It was the eaiest paint I have ever color sanded and buffed. After wet sanding this paint I would use a 3M compounding pad with 3M's Perfect it Medium cut compund. Then switch to the fine cut. Wash down the entire car and get all the compound off. Then use a Perfect it foam polishing pad with Perfect it foam polishing pad glaze. They sell it for dark or light colored cars. This stuff will cut all the compound scratches. I still use this every so often just to remove any dust scratches. Good stuff! Then I like to follow up with a good hand wax. Handsontools.com has everything you need with good prices. Of course there is an art to using the buffer as well. Be sure to get a variable speed buffer so you can ajust the rpm. I believe Coleman has a good deal on a buffer. $60

man, if you have a stout compressor (20 scfm or more), buy an air buffer. they're lighter than electric, and when you're buffing a whole car, you be glad you didn't have to ride the heavy old electric.

if i remember right, chicago pneumatics had a decent one.

tickles me no end that someone is still using lacquer. i've never seen a shine or the flatness with eurethanes that you can get with acrylic lacquer. besides, the base coat clear coat stuff chips damn near as easy as lacquer.

good luck ! (and watch the edges- buffers eat paint off edges like a metal weevil with the munchies)

Dewalt makes a darn good buffer, best in opinion. The model number is DW849. the nice thing about it is has a dial that increases or decreases the speed from 3000 to 1000 rpm.
Ive seen them on ebay sell for 169 bucks brand new. The next place Ive seen is
www.toolsusa.com (http://www.toolsusa.com)

I myself prefer the Meguiars line of buffing products. It puts any 3M product to shame.
Start with Diamond cut 2.0 on a white foam pad.
Then move to dual action cleaner on a black foam pad. Then a final wipe down with a hand glaze #7

I personally like Ingersoll Rand Buffers & Polishers (http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/ir-buffers-polishers-c-725.aspx). However, Dynabrade (http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/dynabrade-air-tools-c-813.aspx) has some good ones as well. If you are looking for a place to get these tools, Auto Body Toolmart (http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/default.aspx?skinid=1) is pretty good. I really don't do much comparison shopping so I don't know if they have the best prices. They do always seem to have their tools in stock though. So there is no waiting time to get your order shipped out to you.

Carguyy

I recently went through this very process. I started with a 10 year old base clear that had never been sanded or buffed. I started with hand sanding and using 1500 and 2000 wet sanding paper. I purchased a D/A buffer by Porter Cable 7336 SP ($135)and the six inch hook and loop backing pad. I also puchased the Makita 9227 Polisher kit ($219). It comes with a 6 in hook and loop pad, and a couple of wool buffing pads and a nice carry bag. These two were the most recommended for buffing and polishing. I purchased the medium cut and fine cut polishing compounds from a local body shop supplier and with it I purchased the Yellow medium cut foam pad and the dark grey fine cut pad.
The only problem I had was the sanding was taking forever. One of the guys on the forum recomended I purchase a pheumatic buffer and the 3m Trizac sanding discs and backing pad. They can be used for wet sanding. So I purchased an Ingersol Rand D/A buffer 4151 HL($133), and the Trizac 1500 ($54), and 3000 grit hook and loop discs ($69) a box, that also came with a $10 dollar hook and loop cushioned pad that goes between the backing pad and the sanding discs. I haven't used them yet but Mike has and has had great results.
I will be putting her away for the winter so I will be sanding in the next couple of weeks.
I hope all this helps. The Buffers worked like a charm, and I am hoping the sanding will be much easier with the new system.

This Flex is an awesome tool... Dual action, easy to use and built to last...

http://jimmygs.myshopify.com/collections/machine-polishing/products/flex-polisher


Found this online...
Product review by Terry Freiberg

Many enthusiasts refer to the Porter Cable 7424 as a D-A or dual-action polisher. It isn't. The 7424 is an orbital polisher. This Flex XC3401VRG is a true dual-action machine. There's a huge difference between the two. With the Porter Cable 7424, the pads do not rotate, they oscillate, or jiggle, in a random pattern designed to simulate hand application. The "throw" or amount of "jiggle" is not disclosed by Porter Cable but it is very, very small. With the Flex XC3401VRG, the pads do have a forced circular motion, they rotate or "cut". Plus, as the pads rotate, they oscillate, or move, in a random pattern. Hence the name, dual action. One action is the circular rotation and the second action is the random movement of the pad while it is rotating. This random oscillation also has a exceptionally "long throw" of 8 mm. The forced circular pad rotation coupled with the long throw of the oscillations give the Flex considerably more cutting power than the Porter Cable 7424. In fact, after spending an afternoon with this machine, I feel it will do 90% of what a pure circular polisher can do with the safety of the random oscillations to prevent swirls. A case of having your cake and eating it too!

The Flex XC3401VRG has a bale-style handle which puts your hands at the 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock position which most professionals prefer. This gives you an even weight distribution between your hands, making the polisher less fatiguing when used for long periods. A six position speed control allows you to limit rpm's between 160 rpm and 480 rpm. Under the speed control, a variable speed trigger allows you to feather the oscillations per minute (OPM's) up to the maximum set by the speed dial. A very nice touch for keeping the rpm's low for applying waxes and sealants which you normally can not apply with a circular polisher.
Speed Control Note: Since the Flex XC3401VRG has a forced circular motion, every speed setting is slightly more powerful when compared to the Porter Cable 7424. If you are stepping up from a 7424, we recommend starting one speed setting lower than you would with the 7424. In other words, If you typically polish in a speed range of 3 to 4 with the 7424, start with a speed range of 2-3 with the Flex. You can always increase the speed if you need more cutting power.

Dewalt makes a darn good buffer, best in opinion. The model number is DW849. the nice thing about it is has a dial that increases or decreases the speed from 3000 to 1000 rpm.
Ive seen them on ebay sell for 169 bucks brand new. The next place Ive seen is
www.toolsusa.com (http://www.toolsusa.com)

I myself prefer the Meguiars line of buffing products. It puts any 3M product to shame.
Start with Diamond cut 2.0 on a white foam pad.
Then move to dual action cleaner on a black foam pad. Then a final wipe down with a hand glaze #7

X2 on the DeWalt. I use Presta buffing products. They work well and they clean up a lot easier than most. The residue left in gaps etc by some buffing compounds can set up and be almost impossible to remove.

Don

I have used many,I have air,electric,orbital,dual orbital.If you are buffing and polishing a older paint I would try thr Cyclo it will not burn the paint even if you bare down on it on the edge of a panel.New paint eithe air or electric non orbital,Dewalt or Makita are both good.Here is a link to the Cyclo....
http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com/polishers.php

I have used many,I have air,electric,orbital,dual orbital.If you are buffing and polishing a older paint I would try thr Cyclo it will not burn the paint even if you bare down on it on the edge of a panel.New paint eithe air or electric non orbital,Dewalt or Makita are both good.Here is a link to the Cyclo....
http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com/polishers.php

I purchased my Cyclo about 3 years ago.... I'm sure all the other ones mentioned are good products,, I considered the DeWalt back at the time.

now,, I wouldn't let anything but the Cyclo touch my cars.... it's a little pricey, but beats them all for fool-proof results (just my opinion).

As for the sealer, cleaner, wax options,,,, there's far too many to choose from, and will create nothing but arguments. The absolute one thing I will stand by though, is this: whatever polishing chemical / buffer you use - at least once a year a full clay bar treatment to your surface should be done. It makes a night/day difference in the end results.

I wouldn't let anything but the Cyclo touch my cars.... it's a little pricey, but beats them all for fool-proof results (just my opinion).

If you are a novice and want to buff polish a car the cyclo is the only tool for the job, it can also polish scratches out of plexiglass.
You could give a moron a cyclo and I don't believe they could burn through the paint. I learned about them from an pilot who uses it to polish his planes.

My wife and several of the gals in our car club have used the flex I recomend, nobody's burnt through paint and the thing is awsome on cobwebs and swirl marks...

I have the makita with the loop handle,, i've used it weekly for the last 10 yrs and it still works.. for some reason part number 927 stands out.