{"id":5835,"date":"2011-09-04T13:37:05","date_gmt":"2011-09-04T17:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.detailedimage.com\/Ask-a-Pro\/?p=5835"},"modified":"2016-10-24T10:16:15","modified_gmt":"2016-10-24T14:16:15","slug":"porter-cable-7424xp-assembly-and-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.detailedimage.com\/Ask-a-Pro\/porter-cable-7424xp-assembly-and-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Porter Cable 7424XP Assembly and Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been using the Porter Cable Random Orbital Buffers ever since I first got into detailing over seven, maybe eight, years ago.\u00a0 It was THE machine to have and it was extremely easy to use.\u00a0 Now, we have all heard how great the Porter Cable 7424XP Random Orbital Buffer<\/a> (PCXP<\/a>) performs and how easy it is to use, but a few weeks ago I started thinking about it a different way.\u00a0 After looking over all my detailing supplies one day mid August, cleaning, counting, etc., I thought back to the days when I was first buying tools and products.\u00a0 I thought about how much money I had already spent, how much I was still going to spend, and how many headaches I went through figuring out not only what to order, but also how to use it.\u00a0 The PC came up while thinking about this stuff since I had an impossible time figuring out which backing plates to purchase, which counterweight to install and how to best utilize this great machine (back then it was the PC 7424).<\/p>\n

Thus this article\u2026 I wanted to go over the basics, the 1+1=2, the baby steps to using your first polishing machine\u2026 No, my intention is not to insult the intelligence of every quality detailer and knowledgeable enthusiast out there :), rather to hopefully help that one lost soul that might be searching the web with these simple questions, as I once did.<\/p>\n

First off, here\u2019s a photo of what you get with the PCXP order:<\/p>\n

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As you can see, mine is a bit \u201ccustomized\u201d and is showing its age, but still runs as good as new after about two years of fairly heavy use.\u00a0 The polisher comes with a white pad permanently attached to a backing plate, a side handle and a wrench.\u00a0 I have tried out the white pad that comes with the PCXP and while it does a fine job, something along the lines of a Lake Country white pad<\/a>, I never liked using it and prefer to utilize the versatility of the PC by using different sized pads<\/a> and backing plates.\u00a0 The tape you see around the polisher head is there just in case I come across an \u201coops\u201d during detailing.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather be hitting paint with painters tape than bare metal, as I\u2019m sure anyone else would.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember if I picked this up from another detailer or just did it myself, but it\u2019s common sense either way and something I\u2019d highly recommend.\u00a0 The tape around the power plug is leftover tape from taping the PCXP cord to an extension cord many, many times.<\/p>\n

Looking closer at the PCXP, we find the counterweight and threaded female end that allows the use of many different sizes of backing plates and, with that, different sized pads.<\/p>\n

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As you can see in the photo, it says to use 5 inch pads only.\u00a0 This would be the \u201c5 inch counterweight\u201d.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a Porter Cable 6 inch Counterweight<\/a> available through Detailed Image.\u00a0 Since I mostly use the PCXP with 4 inch pads (sometimes also with 5.5\u201d pads) I never found a need to even try the 6 inch counterweight.\u00a0 Also, I did try both counterweights a while back with the older Porter Cable polisher, and I couldn\u2019t tell much of a difference when using the 5 or 6 inch counterweight with 6.5 inch pads.\u00a0 Another reason I never personally looked into the 6 inch counterweight.\u00a0 That said, I would definitely suggest picking up both as it\u2019s only an extra $5 and you can see what best fits your style of detailing.<\/p>\n

Moving on\u2026 once you have everything together, you need to put it all together.\u00a0 Since the threaded end rotates freely, it\u2019s better to put the wrench on it before screwing in the backing plate.<\/p>\n

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Next the backing plate goes in.\u00a0 It screws into the threaded end fairly easily\u2026<\/p>\n

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The backing plate should be tightened fairly well, but there\u2019s no need to overdo it since the spinning action of the polisher would theoretically keep it from ever coming off.<\/p>\n

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Next, the side handle goes in.\u00a0 The handle can be threaded into either side of the polisher, which is extremely helpful not only for users that have a preferred hand, but also for using the polisher with the handle on different parts of a vehicle.<\/p>\n

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The handle simply screws into the side and shouldn\u2019t be tightened too much.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had a few handles on different polishers fail due to over tightening.\u00a0 Whichever way the bolt is attached to the handle (some are melted within the handle plastic while others are glued to a groove inside the hollow part of the handle), over time it can fail due to the stress from over tightening.\u00a0 So it\u2019s better to lightly tighten it every few polishing sessions than break it within a few months!<\/p>\n

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And that just about covers the very simple assembly guide of a PCXP<\/a>.\u00a0 Here you can see the polisher completely assembled and ready for action.<\/p>\n

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Now that the simple stuff is out of the way, here\u2019s a bit about how I like to utilize the PCXP.\u00a0 First off, here\u2019s what I use with the polisher, as well as what I\u2019d recommend for any enthusiast detailers when ordering a polishing package:<\/p>\n

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