After much debate, I've decided I want to get a Porter Cable 7424. I am thinking about getting the backing plate and 6" counter weight, but I'm unsure as to what pads to get. I'm mostly only interested in apply and removing wax. Can anyone guide me in the right direction? Whats the difference b/t the blue and black finishing pads? Is the foam pad conditioner necessary? Whats the best way to clean the pads after use and is there a solvent people prefer? Whats the cheapest place to get a Porter Cable and does Detailed Image price match (Tools Plus has them for $99)?

Sorry for the barrage of questions. Thanks ahead for any assistance.

-Joe

 

Pick up the Lake Country pads. There are 3... Orange, White, and Black.

 

get it, you'll love it
I have a UDM which is similar. works great

You can probably find places selling them in package deals with pads & the backing plate, etc..

 

Joel, if you are only buying a PC to apply/remove wax, don't bother getting one. Waxes are best applied by hand. Read the last couple of posts in the Ask A Professional Detailer thread that is sticked and that will give you some good info.

 

Interesting. Thats very good info to know. Don't get me wrong, if the car starts spider webbing or swirling, then I'd polish...but it just hasn't gotten to that point yet. As far as applying a sealant or wax, I'm interested in a PC to save some time for a quick spread of the wax and a quick removal of the wax. My last wash/clay bar/sealant/wax took me about 8 hours and I was pooped afterwards...not to mention my hands hurt. Ended up getting sick cause I over exerted myself outside. I'm not too concerned about wasting a bit more product if it can help gain me speed and be a bit less physically intensive.

 

You still won't want to apply your paste wax with with a PC though.

 

The only time I use my Porter Cable 7424, is for paint correction, with their swirl remover, ZPC-Fusion. All their other products are applied in very thin coats, by hand. The only exertion will be with the paint cleaner, and the P/C will do the work. The sealants are just rubbed on, not hard, left to dry, and then since they are thin coats, what is left comes off really easy.
They also sell an All in One product that has mild cleaning ability and leaves a coat of Zaino on the car. There are other really easy to use products they have that all work great. Here in the Northwest (NorthWET), I really need something that will give outstanding shine and durability and this product line is the best I have found and used. No, I dont work for them, or have any affiliation, just buy their products.
There are actually more Lake Country pads, the yellow-orange-green are the most abrasive foams, with the white, blue, red, black, being the softest.
You will need a good backing plate for the P/C. I think that Classic Motoring, Properautocare.com I think, has a really good one, that didnt fail and scratrch your car, like others from other people did. Do some research on this. I have had mine from these guys for several years now, used it heavily on really bad paint and it has never failed or torn itself up like some new ones did recently to people.
So, if you have swirling, scratches, and want to try to get them out with foam, a yellow, orange, green (yellow being the most abrasive), and a cleaner should get out the marks. If you use a Zaino cleaner as above, you most llikely wont need to do any other buffing to remove scratches, swirls, that some pads produce with some cleaners, instead it will all break down to beautiful, clear, finishes. This has been my experience with this product.
Good luck with your plans ! DanF

 

you may want to look into the Edge 2000 system of pads. I've used the velcro style pads and hated them. i could never get them perfectly centered!

the edge system has... well hell, just check it out here.
http://www.autogeek.net/edge20006.html

i've used and abused the one set i've ordered and it's still going strong.

 

You want to use to the paint. Only thing is the foam pad will absorb alot of the product and you may end up wasting alot of it. But if this is of no concern, etc., then have at it. I dont know about other products any longer, but I do know that the ones I use cost quite a bit than the stuff at the auto parts store, so I want to make it last as long as possible. Each his own here is my guess...Heck, some people use the PC to remove all the stuff they put on their paint too. I dont do this, so I dont know what would work best for material removal.
Oh, washing the pads, I justs soak my Lake Country pads in Snappy Clean, wash them by hand in a small tub or sink, rinse, and let air dry. You dont want to use washing machine, because it may de-laminate the velcro pad on the foam pad that is used to attach to the backing plate on the P/C.. DanF