It is not a surprise that we all want our cars to look just as good or even better than we ourselves look. We want our cars to stand out and get people to take a second look when we drive by or when we stop to fill the gas or when we park it at the lot. The feeling of a showroom shine of car paint is almost indescribable by any car enthusiast.
Car polishing is one of the many and important ways of taking care of your car, even your car needs a little spa treatment every once in a while. It would be a nightmare to see a scratch, etch or oxidation on your car but fear not, car polishers were invented to help get rid of all those while giving your car an extra shine.
With car polishers, taking care of your car has been made fun, easy and convenient. There are tons of car polishers, each one offering something over the other. We have taken the time to compile a review of the seven best car polishers at the moment. The review also comes with a buying guide that helps you make a solid decision.
So let’s get started, shall we?
Best Car Polisher Review
Here are top 7 car polisher we selected and reviewed, please check.
1. BLACK+DECKER 6-inch Random Orbit Waxer/Polisher (WP900)
The first product on our review is this beauty from Black & Decker. This is a mix of beauty and beast: it is ergonomically designed and comes with two handles for better control plus its capability to handle heavy duty job. This makes a great choice for professional detailers and car enthusiasts.
This random orbital action car polisher is what you need to remove pesky stains, dirt, scratches, and oxidation on your car’s paint job. The product has a dual handle that allows for firm grip and easy handling of the machine when it is on. The machine comes with great speed, it is ideal for almost all car detailing and the constant speed also ensures uniform work.
The long cord that comes with the Black & Decker WP900 allows you to handle larger job; this shows how versatile the machine is. The cord coupled with other features makes this ready-made for large cars.
It is lightweight which makes it easy to lift and hold by an average man. The portability of the machine, in particular, has made it a favorite of many users – you can easily lift it to use and also hold it for a long time. The product is designed for use on a wide variety of surfaces that includes metal, wood and many more.
Some users are not impressed with the fact that it does not offer variable speed. The machine also lacks a wool shield that would have offered more protection against harm. Other than this, the product is a solid car polisher and ranks as one of the best in the market.
2. PORTER-CABLE Variable Speed Polisher, 6-Inch (7424XP)
The Porter-Cable 7424XP is one of the most forward thinking of car polishers; what this means is that where most car polishers fall short, this machine offers an upgrade. The product is well-suited for use on the paint job of any car. It is perfect for removing any stain, swirl or oxidation that is preventing the showroom shine of your car.
The machine can be easily handled by any type of users. Be it beginners, amateurs, professionals or car enthusiasts; while the dual position handle will give great ease of use.
The machine is very fast and the speed can be alternated to suit the needs of the user – what this means is that you can almost use the machine for any type of car detailing.
Users of the machine have loved the fact that the machine does not overheat despite the fact that it works at great speed. There is no fear that your machine can develop heat overload if used for a long time.
The machine is durable and can be used for a long time by users. Car owners have been using the machine for a couple of years, some even close to 5 years.
This product is compatible with a lot of surfaces and offers one of the fastest speeds of any car polisher in the market. Any user of this product will have to live with the noise that comes with it as a result of the speed. Also, it does not come with a backing plate to give more protection.
This is definitely worthy of its place on our best car polisher review.
3. DEWALT DWP849X 7-Inch/9-Inch Variable Speed Polisher with Soft Start
DEWALT is synonymous to making rugged and powerful tools and this particular product only proves this fact. The manufacturer is one of the most trusted brands known for making car polishers and buffers and DEWALT DWP849X only serves to cement the status of the brand.
The powerful car polisher is perfect for automobile professionals and professional car detailers. From the name of the product, you can tell it has a unique soft start operation. What this means is that any user beginners, amateur or first-time user can easily get their way around the use of the car polisher.
Car enthusiasts and professional detailers would also love this particular feature of the product. It would make their work easy and they don’t waste another precious minute trying to stop-and-start on each car.
The speed of this car polisher is electrically powered and this allows you to be able to maintain that speed for a long time. Getting their new car shine takes a lot of hours to achieve and this product will help to reduce the time needed to get this. The detailing of your car paint job is also made more accurate with this product.
With this product, what you get is lesser time, more accuracy and no sore arm muscles. This accuracy is made possible with the help of the precision-cut steel gears that will make sure that your entire use and operation of the product is running smooth and hitch-free.
If you are going to hold the machine for a long time, it is important that your grip is firm and comfortable. This was the goal of the manufacturer of the product who added a non-mar rubber gear case that will ensure that users have a firm grip when using the machine.
Any car owner or professional detailer would love their car polisher to withstand a lot of adverse condition. They would prefer a durable machine that can stand the test of time and that is what you get in a DEWALT DWP849X. The machine gives you the capability to change the speed at which your polisher is moving.
It is expected that varying speed will be needed for different surfaces; this product makes this possible. An average person will be able to lift a DEWALT DWP849X with no fuss and also hold it while working for as long as you need to.
However, the machine is prone to overheating issues due to the high speed at which it operates while cases of damage to plastic parts of the car have been reported by some previous users of the machine.
4. WEN 10PMC 10-Inch Waxer/Polisher in Case with Extra Bonnets
This is one of the products that can be used as waxer and polisher – which just serves to show the versatility of the product. WEN 10PMC is usually recommended to beginners and amateur car enthusiasts as it is simple and convenient to use. Within a few minutes (10-15 minutes), a beginner can learn the ropes to using a machine like this.
It comes with a powerful motor that has a permanent magnet which would give you the showroom glow you have been craving for some time now. The machine operates at a constant speed that would ensure that you can easily remove everything from swirls to oxidation to scratches on your gorgeous car paint.
As a car owner, you don’t have to worry about swirls that remain after car detailing whenever you use the WEN 10MPC. The machine comes with extra features that would require easy carriage for effective use. This has been provided for the product in form of a convenient carrying case that can enclose the extra bonnets that comes with this polisher.
Compared to other car polishers featured on this review, this is considered low-power and users will not be able to operate at different speeds. This will likely be an issue for professional detailers.
5. WEN 6010 6-Inch Waxer/Polisher
This lightweight car polisher is the ideal portable machine you need to get your car looking like new. WEN 6010 is gradually becoming a staple in many homes as a result of its versatility beyond car polishing. The product has the capability to work on a wide range of surfaces including tiles and kitchens.
It operates at an incredibly fast constant speed that makes it suitable for removal of the most stubborn of car scratches and oxidation. The machine is easy to handle, making it easily recommendable to beginners and professionals alike. You can easily grab and have a firm grip on the dual handle that ensures better security and greater accuracy.
Holding down a button for a considerable amount of time might become uncomfortable eventually. The technology of the WEN 6010 allows you to lock the button ensuring that you don’t have to hold any button down.
No need to worry about leaving behind any swirl or streak after use of the polisher on your exterior paint. It comes with extra features that are included to enhance user experience and ensure that you achieve your aim – getting a shine that makes your car good as new.
The drawback is that just like the above-mentioned product from the WEN brand, this is considered low-power by some users. The car polisher does not allow for users to vary the speed at which their machine can go which is another potential drawback.
6. TORQ TORQX Random Orbital Polisher Kit
For owners of vintage cars who might have some reservations with polishing with a machine, TORQ TORQX is the best car polisher for you. It has the capability to remove any stain, watermark or defect that may be on the surface of your vintage car.
It removes the stain or any imperfection without leaving behind any swirl that might otherwise ruin the glamor of a vintage car.
TORQ TOQQX prioritizes ease of use – the product requires no load before you can start it up. With just a switch of a button, you are good to go. Also, it allows convenience as you don’t have to worry about holding down the switch during the use of the machine.
All of the above reasons make it the perfect car polisher for beginners and first-time users. One major drawback of the product is that it doesn’t work well for exteriors with deep scratches, meaning it is not recommendable for professionals. It does not support detailed polishing.
7. Makita 9237CX3 Makita 7″ Polisher
This is essentially the opposite of the TORQ TORQX polisher as this is designed specifically for the use of professionals to remove deep scratches and stains on the exterior. The Makita 9237CX3 supports detailing job that requires extreme precision.
Starting the machine comes easily – it does not require any initial load that would otherwise take extra minutes from the professional.
The users dictate the speed at which the machine moves. You can input into the machine how fast you want it to go; you can also choose to have your machine work at a constant speed.
The machine has been protected against wool that would normally enter into it, causing damage to the machine. This makes the product long-lasting, which is something that would interest professional car detailers.
One major perk of using the product is that it does not make unnecessary noise that would accompany a machine that works at such high speed. However, the drawback is that it can prove to be too heavy to handle for some users. Also, the complex nature of its operation means that it should not be recommended to beginners and first-time users.
BUYING GUIDE
When looking for a car polisher, there are some features to take into consideration. It is these features that determine just how effective the car polisher would be. The most obvious criteria to consider when buying a polisher is the price. But it goes way beyond the price.
It is these criteria that we considered before choosing these products as our best car polishers. Here are the key feature to look at before making a purchase.
Speed
Speed is perhaps the most important feature to consider in any machine like a car polisher. The greater the speed of the polisher, the greater the effect in removing scratches on the paint. The ideal speed for a polisher would be anything between 2500rpm-4500rpm.
One thing to note is that when it comes to speed is this; the greater the speed, the more the heat and friction that come with.
Power
The power of the polisher is something you need to consider. The norm is that when it comes to cars that have lots of scratches and swirls on its paint, you will need a high-powered polisher for this.
A car with little scratches on its exterior paint will not require a lot of power. You will check for the number of amps that the polisher generates as well as the number of rpm/opm that it produces.
Ergonomics
One of the biggest selling points of car polisher is that it offers great comfort. In order to get that maximum comfort, you will need to consider the product that offers the highest comfort – this means you need to consider the ergonomics.
You should go for a car polisher with adjustable handles and one that is ergonomically designed to give ease. For a polishing that will likely take a long time, the importance of an ergonomically designed car polisher is seen here.
Hand Control
Polishing is one task that takes a long time. It is possible that you will spend up to a couple of hours to achieve that showroom shine and when this is the case, a machine with comfortable hand control will serve you best.
A machine with dual handle will allow you to hold it with both hands ensuring that the grip is secure and firm. This also helps to avoid a shine that is not uniform and inaccurate results due to poor grip.
Ease of Use
Check out for the features in a car polisher that offers the greatest ease of use. What are the things to look out for? Easy access trigger accelerators, soft-start ability, adjustable speed dial, and the aforementioned dual handles.
Warranty
Yes, this is a feature to consider. The polisher is going to do a lot of work and will be used against dirt, oxidation, and swirls of varying degree. Due to the possibility of adverse conditions, it is better to go for a machine that comes with a long-lasting warranty. This is definitely one to look out for.
Type
The type/model of car polisher matters. Each type performs its functions effectively but they come with some differences that make them more suited to some consumers as against others.
- Rotary Polisher: this is the type/model often used by professionals. When it comes to professional detailing, the stand-out power and precision of rotary polisher make it the go-to option. The high power output of the machine makes it ready-made for quick application and strong rotation resulting in a blemish-free and scratch-free paint job. However, this also makes it difficult to recommend to beginners. If used by a first-time user, there is a possibility that it would cause a lot of damage to the car exterior paint.
- Orbital Polishers: this is the recommended choice for DIY and home detailing. They come with less power output but greater ease of use. This type comes in two forms; standard orbital and random oscillating. Random oscillating polish in a random and less intense pattern that makes safer to use. Standard orbital is cheaper but has almost the same level of power output.
- Dual Action: this is considered the most user-friendly option as it oscillates in a random circular motion that makes it almost impossible to exert too much pressure on one point. Dual Action contains a motor and a drive unit which are responsible for the random circular motion.
Vibration
Due to the speed at which a car polisher operates, vibration is warranted. Nevertheless, too much vibration should be avoided as it can be uncomfortable and could lead to inaccurate results. A machine with minimal vibration is what you should go for.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CAR POLISHERS
Q: What is a car polisher?
A: Car polisher is an equipment that is designed to help remove surface scratches, oxidation, dirt, swirls and any other minor/temporary imperfection on the car surface.
Q: Does polish come before wax?
A: Yes, polish comes before wax. Use the car polisher before waxing with a buffer as this will help to restore the auto paint loss as a result of oxidation, restoring the car to its showroom shine.
Q: Should I polish my car or wax my car?
A: To answer that question properly, we need to take a quick look at car buffers. Car buffers, which are used for car waxing, protects the car surface from elements such as sun and rain, make them shine as well as bring out the gloss from their paint.
Car polishers, on the other hand, remove blemishes, dirt, and blemishes from the paint finish. Truth is both products would give the same result – which is to transform the dull paint of the car to quality shine.
Q: How to polish my car
A: in order to achieve the desired result of polishing a car, it is important to use the car polisher properly. Each product comes with a manual to get you started but there are some important tips that the manual will not tell you.
- Never Work Under The Sun – ensure that anytime you are polishing your car, you don’t do it under the sun. Always work in the shade.
- Clean the car before you begin to polish. Rid the car exterior of dirt and grime before you begin to polish.
- Never lift your pad off the paint whenever the machine is working.
- Don’t use more than one type of polish on your polishing pad
- Polish with the proper pad, at the appropriate speed and make use of the proper polish.
- Use overlapping motions when you are polishing.
- Use about 3-4 pea size dabs of polish on your pad – don’t be tempted to use too much polish. Only add more polish if there is a need for it.
- Do not make the mistake of applying the compound to the buff pad – instead, apply it to the car exterior itself and then polish. This is the only way you can achieve the maximum result.
- Put emphasis on consistency – that is, do not polish one area more than the other. That area might end up getting damaged as a result of that.
CONCLUSION
You don’t need a degree from Harvard to use these car polishers or a gym membership to be able to lift them up because they are easy to use, lightweight and of high quality.
By now, you have reached the end of this review. Your choices have been narrowed down and you know what to look out for in a car polisher and what product would be considered the best car polisher.
Here is our take:
The PORTER-CABLE 7424XP is our top choice – it is just as powerful as any other product featured in this review. It offers a smooth operation and can be easily operated by any user. First-time users or beginners can effectively use this product.
It has an edge over DEWALT DWP849X due to the fact that it does not overheat and it comes at an affordable price.
For the most budget friendly option, we would recommend the WEN 6010 polisher. We understand that you might be on a tight budget but you’d still want to get the job done. WEN 6010 is the car polisher for this.
DEWALT DWP849X is the most all-round product on this review; it has a high variable speed, it is affordable, it is durable and can work well for both car owners and professional detailers.
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