noobs

Ok, so I think I'm going to order a polisher and have come across the Porter Cable and a new machine called the Ultimate Detailing Machine.

Any thoughts on these two. PC is the tried and true, but the UDM claims to be an improvement?

Also question on pads. How do you clean them and how long do they last?

Thanks guys!

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

go for the UDM. Corrects paint defects quicker than PC can, and the price is only $30-40 more.

VroomVroom

I've heard great things about the UDM, but have never tried one. I can't say which route I'd go if I were in the market today, but I'd definitely read reviews and check out the dedicated detailing forum sites for information. www.autopia.org, www.autogeek.net, and www.detailcity.com are three of my favorites.

I clean pads with car wash shampoo & water. I generally let them soak for a bit, followed by scrubbing with a dedicated nylon brush. I rinse them thoroughly and let them air dry in a well ventilated area. Foam pads are really durable and should last a long time. I generally notice separation from the backing before any serious degradation to the foam. LC orange pads are my most-used ones, and I last bought in February. I cycle a set of three and I'd estimate they easily have another 9-12 months of life in them. Or in more quantifiable terms, I usually get two dozen uses per pad and I know many detailers who extract more than that.

Good luck - have a blast with whichever machine you buy...

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Next week, I'm going to post a picture of the PC vs UDM.

I'm going to get rid of the swirls on a friend's car with the UDM until its swirl free, and then snap a picture of the PC side to see how far it got in the time it took the UDM to correct swirls.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

I was deciding between the two recently, and decided to give the UDM a try. Once it comes I'll be testing it out against GSteg's PC to see if it was really worth the extra cost.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

and then we test UDM vs rotary to see if the UDM can come close in defect removal

yESman

Please do. My only concern is having enough "time in field" for reliability since it's a brand new product. If they solved the noise/vibration issue and added speed then I will definitely get one.

I'm hearing it is not quite as powerful as a rotary but more than a PC.

noobs

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like the UDM is the way to go. I looked at Autogeek and it seems that a kit with a few pads seems like the best value along with the free XT Carnuba wax.

It will be a big change from my 20 yr old Sears Craftsman 10" random orbital which is pretty much only good for wax. Stopped using actually, that pad is too big.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

on what car? hmmm...the tsx is a pretty dark car.

akxx

iTrader: (1)

I would normally share the same opinion regarding a new product, but David is clearly trying to make a product with superior customer service, and I can't imagine him not taking care of somebody who buys a Ver 1.0 and has problems down the road.

I have one and like it, but have never used a PC for comparison.

VroomVroom

Has anyone had the chance to compare? Seems like a great solution for those of us too timid to venture into rotary waters, but with a need for horsepower on badly damaged vehicles...

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

Once I get my hands on a heavily swirled car I'll try to do a comparison to the PC. I was using the UDM the other day to try and fix a heavily swirled black car, but half way through the hood I just grabbed the rotary and decided to give it a try(my first time using it). It removed the swirls so much faster that it made the UDM look like a joke. Too bad when I was finished and checking with the halogen light it made me go and I had to correct all the halograms with the UDM.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I was there with Blkexcoupe when we did the. UDM vs rotary.

No doubt the UDM is quicker than the PC, but that's all there is to it. It just gets the job done quicker. In the end, the rotary was needed to remove the deeper defects.

I wouldn't think of using the UDM on a heavily oxidized paint though.

Is it worth the extra $30 for the UDM over the PC? Yes, if you do not have a PC yet. If you already have a PC and want better/quicker results, jump for the rotary. Yes, you have to learn how to use one, but once you get it down correctly, you'll never want to pick up another random orbit buffer for defect removal.


Just practice using the rotary on some sort of junk'd hood or something. Believe me, you will not regret it once you go rotary. As long as you follow the basics, you'll be fine!

I'd say the UDM is 50% faster than the PC in swirled paints.

if you're reluctant to use a rotary, then yes, go for the UDM

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Oh yea. One thing I noticed was that the vibration for the UDM max speed was about the same as the PC at max speed. That's not bad considering the UDM's max speed is a tad whee faster.

When Blkexcoupe jumped to the rotary, the first thing he noticed (other than the fact that I was yelling at him to keep the pad flat), was that the rotary had no vibration I

VroomVroom

Thanks for the great feedback! At some point I probably will pull the trigger on a rotary but I just haven't justified the expense or learning curve. Most of the vehicles are I touch are in decent enough shape, but it would definitely be nice on occasion to speed things up a bit.

50% is quite an improvement though, especially when you know you'll be spending a fair chunk of time with the PC.