Treating a car’s paintwork with machine polishers is one of the most specialist things you can do to the outside of a vehicle. It helps enlighten and enhance the condition of your paintwork and removes annoying swirl marks and light scratches.
The vast majority of those fastidious with their car’s paint will approach detailing specialists for a machine polishing job. But with a bit of practice and research, it’s not impossible to try and hack it yourself. For the best results, you ideally need a machine polisher.
What these do is essentially apply the polish in a rotational manner whilst an applicator pad is attached. They take the elbow grease of applying polish by hand away and allow for a much more efficient application. They’re available in either corded or cordless form, and as with everything, they come in a load of forms and price points.
The best machine polishers at a glance:
Editor’s pick: Flex PE15018EC5 18V Rotary Polisher – Buy from FFX.
Best low speeds machine polisher: Bosch GPO 14 CE – Buy from Machine Mart.
Best quality machine polisher: Rupes LHR15 III ‘Bigfoot’ – Buy from Amazon.
Trying to search for the correct machine polisher can be daunting. There are a plethora of cheap brands that dominate the search result pages. We’ve made things easier for you and compiled a list of the best machine polishers available. Our picks range in a number of ways from price, power, equipment included, and brand value.
The best machine polishers
Editor's pick
It has the ability to polish with low and high-speed torque, for instance, depending on whether the surface is heat-sensitive. The speed trigger is continuous, so you can adjust many speeds accordingly. It also has an electronic management system, which helps increase its efficiency, which, in turn, prolongs its life.
Pros
- Intelligent features
- Superb quality build
Cons
- Cordless tools always have a battery limit
Best mid-range machine polisher
You get three 12.7cm discs included designed for cutting, polishing, and finishing, as well as a backing plate of the same size to apply them to. It's also fairly lightweight at just 2.3kg, which is nice for when you have to continuously hold it.
Pros
- Lightweight tool
- Comes with useful polishing discs
Cons
- Low speed could be slower
Best low-speed machine polisher
It has a no-load speed between 750 to 3,000rpm, which is considerably lower than the other machines. But it's designed to be easier to use than other professional setups and comes with a D handle for slightly easier handling.
Pros
- Great for polishing beginners
- Quite light at 2.5kg
Cons
- Load speed isn't for those who want a fast setting
Best safest machine polisher to use
It's a good quality item, too. Inside, you'll find heat-treated, machine-cut gears that contribute to the Dewalt's smooth operation when polishing. There is also a handy safety feature in the form of a no-volt release switch. Essentially, this prevents accidental start-ups when the unit is plugged in.
Pros
- Safe to use
- Good quality item
Cons
- Maximum operation speed won't be for everyone
Best budget machine polisher
A 5cm sander attachment is included, as well as a 7.6cm polishing sponge, but unfortunately, you'll have to buy a charger and batter separately.
Pros
- Lightweight item
- Great quality for the price
Cons
- Battery and charger not included
Best machine polisher to hold
Unfortunately, however, like the Milwaukee, a battery and charger aren't included in the base purchase. But you do get an LCD display, so you can closely monitor your speed while applying the polish. By that display, you get a pair of + and - controls, which allows you to manually control your speed as you polish.
Pros
- Good equipment included
- Easy to handle
Cons
- No battery or charger included
Best quality machine polisher
It's a fairly lightweight item, too, at 2.6kg. It includes a massive 9-metre cord. Most of the budget machine polishers only have a 5-metre cord, so this is a substantial improvement if you're restricted on sockets.
Pros
- Fantastic build quality and smoothness
- Very lightweight
Cons
- No polishing pads or further extras included
Things to remember with machine polishers
Should I go for a corded or cordless one?
That depends on where you’re polishing your car. Most people will have a crack at it on their driveway or garage. But you always have to ask yourself about where the plug sockets are. If you have access to one or two near your car, you should be fine.
Loads of corded machine polishers have at least 5 metres of cable length to play with. You may have noticed with the upscale brands like Flex and Rupes that the cord lengths can reach up to 9 metres. Cars are long things at the end of the day, and this is forever considered in machine polishing design. To provide an extreme example, a current Land Rover Defender 1230 is over five metres long.
How should I approach polishing my car?
With great care and attention. It’s a fairly specialist skill and requires time and patience to get it right. Once you’ve applied little drops of polish to the applicator pad, move the machine in circular motions to work it in. Some prefer to go up and down, but that’s up to you. Once you’re done, you’ll probably have to leave the polish to cure, depending on which one you have. Afterwards, you buff it. You can do this either with a microfibre towel or with a buffer attachment to your machine polisher.
Remember to be gentle throughout the process. A light pressing without too much pressure is enough for the polish to do its thing. It can be possible to damage your paint if you apply your machine too hard.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.
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