Want advice on a buffer

**RobF** · 10-14-2008, 08:31 AM

I hate the slow start up on the makitas, makes buffing a small area a pain in the butt.

We only buy big, bulky milwaukees, we can run these things ALL day everyday and they never need repair.
A bit heavy for a do-it-yourselfer, but its a tool that will last you a lifetime.

**williamsdetailing** · 10-14-2008, 12:46 PM

I had the same problem with the makita i was using when i worked for someone else. I just figured it needed to be serviced, because the owner said that it used to spin up like the dewalts when it was new. I have never used a milwaukee buffer but i have a 7" milwaukee grinder and it very stout

**Stealth Assassin** · 10-14-2008, 01:36 PM

Is milwaukee made In the U.S.? If so, I may give It a try! I like my dewalt.

**RobF** · 10-14-2008, 03:45 PM

George- the DeWalt is the old Black and Decker machine who made them for Snap On, the snap ons used to come with a polished head.

The old Black and Decker Buffmaster was at the time the best polisher you could buy if you detailed cars.

For boats with gelcoat you want speed and torque, you dont get good results trying to polish gelcoat with a slow buffer. The milwaukee machine will knock you out if it was to hit you- and never, ever use the trigger lock.

**Stealth Assassin** · 10-14-2008, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by RobF

and never, ever use the trigger lock.

Hahahaha........ That made me remember getting a hold of one of the loose light pole sockets one time. The socket spun around beating my knuckles and twisting the wires untill I snatched the buffer back and the socket flew off(we never found It). All of this to keep from damaging the gel. Beat my knuckles black and blue! I learned a huge leason that day...

**1BadAction** · 10-14-2008, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by williamsdetailing

I had the same problem with the makita i was using when i worked for someone else. I just figured it needed to be serviced, because the owner said that it used to spin up like the dewalts when it was new. I have never used a milwaukee buffer but i have a 7" milwaukee grinder and it very stout

the makitas are designed to soft start. at first I really didn't like it, but after you get used to it, it makes it much easier to control. It doesnt jerk you around as hard or sling compound every where as easy, especially when you are on a real fast setting.

Originally Posted by Stealth Assassin

Hahahaha........ That made me remember getting a hold of one of the loose light pole sockets one time. The socket spun around beating my knuckles and twisting the wires untill I snatched the buffer back and the socket flew off(we never found It). All of this to keep from damaging the gel. Beat my knuckles black and blue! I learned a huge leason that day...

LOLOL I had a grinder with a brand new 36 grit flap disk (no guard) catch on something and walk right up my left middle finger. Looks like I stuck it in a bench grinder.

**ghost28** · 10-14-2008, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by RobF

I hate the slow start up on the makitas, makes buffing a small area a pain in the butt.

We only buy big, bulky milwaukees, we can run these things ALL day everyday and they never need repair.
A bit heavy for a do-it-yourselfer, but its a tool that will last you a lifetime.

i used to use a milwaukee when i worked at the boat yard....same machine for like 10 years...buffed thousands of boats with it......it will give you quite a work out with all the torque and the weight of it.....and as far as using the trigger lock goes...i would only use it when doing hull sides below the rub rail where there wasnt much to catch or on a big flat deck...anything else no damn way.....

the milwaukee is so torqey that i snapped a few cleats with it catching them....tore off an antenna here an there....

**RobF** · 10-14-2008, 05:18 PM

you cant operate a milwaukee if you wear a skirt

**Stealth Assassin** · 10-14-2008, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by RobF

you cant operate a milwaukee if you wear a skirt

Ahhahahahaha...........

**ghost28** · 10-14-2008, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by RobF

you cant operate a milwaukee if you wear a skirt

ouch...you know i reserved my comment on the trigger lock as the original said you can use thhe lock if your a REAL MAN but i didnt want to upset you...but now...game on....

**RobF** · 10-15-2008, 07:56 AM

I thought you would see more humor in that!
Its meant that if your going to whine about a heavy buffer dont buy the milwaukee.
If you do buy the milwaukee buy the variable speed or high speed one for a gelcoat boat, the lower speed one is useless.

And about the trigger lock- even real men get a buffer caught on something, or they might fall off a ladder, slide off a deck, trip a breaker- thats the worse- we had a guy trip the breaker because we had 3 buffers going at once. Well guess what? One guy had his trigger lock on and when the breaker was tripped that fuc*er went flying across the deck of the freshly painted Blackfin we were working on. 10 years later I am still telling everyone who picks up a buffer in this shop to not even think about using the trigger lock.

**Stealth Assassin** · 10-15-2008, 08:22 AM

You prabally could take the trigger lock off.
What rpm range do you buff at?

**RobF** · 10-15-2008, 08:33 AM

we are polishing mostly sanded paint and gelcoat. With a slower speed polisher you are there at least twice as long to try to get the surface polished. So for compounding you want 2500+RPM, for glaze you can go a little slower, like 1400-1500.
For polishing dull gelcoat boats no one can ever convince me that a slower polisher will do a better job, having polished for whats probably thousands of hours I can tell if there is a way to cut the time and get it shiny I have tried it.

If your going to polish the hood of your car then you dont want 2500rpm, you want to keep it under 1500-1800. Unless that hood is Imron