Our rite of passage to alpha detailer status is being the master polisher.  In this corner you have the Force Rotation Option C.  A gear driven mix of the Rotary and Dual Action polisher.  Sandwiched just enough between the two other types, to equally annoy the hated rivals.  If you think I am being obnoxious, try observing social media influencers when they bring up polishers, as you realize I am just doing a parody of the detailing industry.

When I started detailing, it was the Porter Cable 7424XP, a basic DA polisher with various foam pads in my possession.  That is how I started with paint corrections.  Nothing fancy nothing or over the top.  It was good enough for me to be trusted with a car valued at a quarter of a million dollars 10 years ago.  If someone was to ask about polishing as an amateur or starting as a professional, my recommendation may surprise a lot of people.  There is a Force Rotation polisher I would encourage that person to use.  Though I like the Flex 3401, pictured below, I also enjoyed working with a more user friendly similar style polisher (Dynabrade).  This is not that important.

As professionals in 2026 and beyond, with many businesses struggling adjusting to the economy, why are toxic battles between Rotary and Dual Action polishers trending?  Let us entertain the notion that you are all right!  Does that mean owner of only one type of polisher has or has not provided amazing or terrible experiences for customers?  I genuinely wonder if mechanics, home repair, or other skilled labor trade business owners engage in these debates on social media.

In a close second (arguably 1st) to the polishing orbit debate, is the swirl removing debate.  Often the loudest voices are people who do not seem to present themselves as successful business owners and likely not on the Mount Rushmore of skilled detailers.

There is incredible irony of ‘Team Dual Action Polisher’ chasing swirls with a one-step correction, while shaming the Rotary Team for leaving holograms.  Leaving hazy (dull from aggressive polishing) but not hazy enough to send it out the door with plausible deniability, is just as bad.  Their focus is on the obvious damage you can ‘put a (swirl) light on’, to brag or avoid shame on social media over.  I will bring this back to the DA polishers users doing this that claim they are superior in their work to ‘those’ Rotary users.  Not putting more emphasis on refinement (jeweling) is no better than leaving holograms with a Rotary.

I have fixed and seen damage beyond (polishing) repair done from the previous detailer (Rotary polisher use) on my clients’ cars more times than I am willing to count.  Friends and detailers that I can say are more advanced than me, use often and swear by the rotary for power.  I would even suggest most of them can refine paint with a Rotary better than a majority of people with a Dual Action polisher.  Though I use a Dual Action polisher, we all have two things in common.  We enjoyed detailing our cars with a variety of products and tools.  We also have provided wonderful experiences for our clients, allowing us to make a living, just like any adult who goes to work daily.

“The paint must be ABC before you put XYZ if you are a REAL detailer or …”  Well since that scratch is too deep to come out without causing damage before putting something on the car to help prevent damage, I certainly hope that random person can forgive me.  Also, hopefully the car does not disintegrate, because I locked in flaws.  Nothing wrong with making your decision to have a (personal) minimum standard that you put your name on.  But we often manipulate ourselves with the language we use.

Sometimes I really ask myself, do they not understand this (service option) is between the customer and business what is agreed upon.  When people virtue signal on the internet about ruining the industry by not polishing more, I wonder if they are covering for their inability to sell paint correction.  But shaming others, for likely both parties doing more than they should for the PRICE, is really what is harming the industry.  I am also amazed by the hypocrisy about reputation, when there is no concern about aftercare.  These are often the same people that joke about customers re-scratching their cars calling it job security.  These are the same ones bragging about their name on their work and then openly boasting they do not care what they do after it has left their shop.  Make it make sense to me.

Do you really want to do the right thing.  Think about people who obviously had cars in rough shape, intentionally chose the cheapest (1 stage) correction service while also price shopping, and asked on groups “should I be upset?”  Considering that person would not have booked with you the first time, you can elevate the industry by NOT TREATING THIS PERSON LIKE A VICTIM.  We are all consumers who make informed decisions.  ACCOUNTABILITY GOES BOTH WAYS.

This is my issue with the backseat driving business owner that mandates their concept of perfect paint before coating.  They and the people that are influenced by this tend to not know how to market, price, and target their services.  This means they will often not be profitable enough to stay in business.  Budget for services, safety (amount of paint), perceived after care habits, ‘my business’ model for service options all play a role in how much polishing I do on a car.  Obviously, there are other variables, but those matter as well.  What another business owner would do or someone who I would not entertain as a client anyway is not one of those variables.

I did some intensive polishing with the Porter Cable 7424XP, to ultimately just put wax on the car.  I marketed myself as a paint correction specialist years before I started using coatings.  I performed multiple details with ceramic coatings applied early on which I did less polishing and left much more defects, including swirls in some areas.  All things equal, it makes more sense to do more polishing when applying longer term protection.  With that said, it amazes me how only people with coatings are allowed to have nice looking paint!  It also amazes me that people that want the benefits of a coating are not allowed to get a coating unless the car is polished to specifications of random people on internet!  We wonder why people have such unrealistic expectations about ceramic coatings or consumers do not appreciate paint correction.  It is almost as if we are indirectly marketing coating companies instead of our business, with our virtue signaling.