To get a basic understanding on how to properly polish with your buffer, please refer to our Auto Detailing Guide. The Detailing Guide will give you step by step instructions for using the Porter Cable 7424 with polishes, glazes and sealants as well as other valuable insight.

If you don’t feel comfortable using the buffer on your vehicle you may want to test the buffer on a spare panel (junkyards have plenty) or on a vehicle that someone doesn’t mind being a test subject. Start with the speed very low and move slow and steady to allow yourself to master the way the buffer operates. We recommend the first time you use the PC 7424 you apply a glaze, sealant or wax. These kinds of products are very easy to apply and help you get used to the orbiting motion of the buffer. After you feel comfortable with the buffer you can then move on to using polishes, which utilizes the same skill set. Polishes require more heat and pressure to be properly worked in to the clear coat for the best results. The biggest difference when using a polish is that you’ll operate the Porter Cable 7424 at a higher speed, move the buffer slower, make significantly more passes and use more pressure.

You may also want to pick up some blue painter’s tape and protect any trim or other areas the buffer may accidentally hit during the course of normal usage. This will save you time and aggravation trying to restore discolored trim.

Go slow and take your time. You will achieve the results you are looking for with more and more experience.

Rotary buffers and orbital buffers, like the Porter Cable 7424, are both great tools and essential to any detailing professional or enthusiast. Applying a polish is the primary reason detailers turn to using a buffer. Most polishes contain cutting particles (or abrasives) designed to remove an ultra fine layer of clear coat. Polishes remove fine scratches, swirls, oxidation, water and other common surface imperfections. Imperfections in the clear coat cause light to fragment which creates a dull shine. Removing these imperfections allows light to pass more directly through the clear coat, thus giving you a deeper reflection and brighter reflection. Polishing your paint is generally the step that can produce the most dramatic improvement in the overall finish of your paint.

Both orbital and rotary buffers are typically used with a velcro backing plate that adheres to foam pads with velcro backings. The foam pads are available with varying textures designed to help you achieve different levels of pressure and heat. The denser the pad, the more cutting ability it will have. More porous pads are softer and designed for applying sealants and waxes. It is important to match the appropriate pad to the product you are using.

The horror stories about rotary buffers can be true because rotary buffers are difficult to use for beginners. With the proper training and experience the rotary buffer can be an extremely effective tool. Rotary buffers spin continuously in one direction at very high speeds and generate a tremendous amount heat. This allows the buffer to polish out deep imperfections enabling you to restore the clear coat to like new condition. This power is what also makes the rotary buffer dangerous in the hands of those without experience. If you leave a rotary buffer on the same part of your paint it can burn the paint in just seconds. Also, on areas that have a lip, like the trunk lid, it is easy to have the edge of the pad nick the top of the rear bumper to leave you with a burn mark. Rotary buffers are so powerful that I only recommend them for applying polishes. Using a rotary buffer is generally more tiring because it requires more effort and it’s slightly heavier than a typical orbital buffer. You must hold this buffer with two hands at all times.

Orbital buffers move in a random orbit which is designed to replicate a hand buffing motion. This oscillating motion generates far less heat and is very clear coat safe. Even with the strongest polish and pad combinations detailers have a difficult time damaging the paint beyond repair when using the Porter Cable 7424. The Porter Cable 7424 is one of the highest quality orbital buffers available to detailers. It has quickly become the favorite tool of many weekend detailers and professionals alike. A quality random orbital buffers like the Porter Cable 7424 can produce up to 6,000 orbits per minute (OPM’s). The Porter Cable 7424 is powerful enough to break down polishes effectively, but not risk damaging the paint. This pressure is important because it helps work polishes in to the clear coat to effectively remove swirls, fine scratches, oxidation and other light imperfections. You should be able to remove the majority of light scratches and surface imperfections with this buffer. Orbital buffers are great for applying polishes, glazes, sealants and waxes. The Porter Cable 7424 can be used with two hands or one and has an available side handle.

Both tools are great but it’s important to use the one that best fits your needs. The rotary buffer is a great option for anyone who is willing to take the time to practice and refine their skills. If you truly want to remove all or most of the surface imperfections in your paint then this may be the buffer for you. If you are pursuing a profession in detailing this is a great tool to know how to use that will help differentiate your business. If you prefer a tool this is still very effective and user friendly an orbital buffer may better fit your needs. If you want to avoid unnecessary risks or if you’re looking for an all purpose buffer I recommend the versatile Porter Cable 7424 orbital buffer.

A Porter Cable 7424 is probably the best investment any detailer can make in my opinion. You’ll be completing better detail work in less time, while using less energy. The Porter Cable 7424 has quickly become the industry standard for both professional and weekend detailers alike. The PC 7424 is a very durable machine that comes with a one year warranty, only weighs 7lbs, can adjust the speed on the fly, is easy to hold and is very user friendly. The PC excels at removing swirls and fine scratches, when working in a polish. Unlike waxes, sealants and glazes, polishes have micro abrasive particles in them that require more pressure and heat to break down and be worked in to the surface evenly. Completing an equivalent job by hand is very difficult if not impossible throughout an entire coat or multiple coats. Your hand gets tired and you generate varying levels of pressure and generally complete far less passes. Can your hand operate at 6,000 oscillations per minute for hours on end?

The Porter Cable 7424 generates low levels of heat unlike traditional rotary buffers that can easily burn the clear coat or paint. This buffer oscillates in a tight random orbit motion, which creates safe levels of heat and it’s very easy to control. The buffer should be used with different textured pads that can help build optimal levels of heat for each step in your detailing process. For example a strong cutting polish should be used with a firm foam pad for maximum cutting power, while waxes are applied with a much softer pad. The Porter Cable 7424 has a dial to easily control the speed it operates depending on what step in the process you’re doing and to accommodate the skill level of the operator. Polishes are typically applied at higher speeds (4.5 – 6) while glazes, sealants and waxes are more commonly applied at speeds (3 – 4).

To further help new users get the most out of their Porter Cable 7424, we have step by step instructions in our Detailing Guide section for each step of the auto detailing process. Additionally you can contact us at Detailed Image with any questions. In summary I highly recommend the Porter Cable 7424 to anyone who wants to improve their detailing results!

Hand applications can be quite different then applications using a Porter Cable 7424. Hand applications exert pressure primarily through your fingertips while a buffer typically uses a pad 6.5 inches in diameter to distribute pressure. This much larger diameter allows you to apply more evenly distributed pressure over a much larger area. The pressure your arm will exert varies tremendously, especially when you’re applying multiple coats. Using the same number of passes and pressure over the entire vehicle by hand is nearly impossible. The Porter Cable buffer delivers consistent and smooth pressure at 2,500 – 6,000 OPM (oscillations per minute), depending on what speed setting you select. This means that in one hour at speed 6 the Porter Cable 7424 is estimated to produce 360,000 oscillations. The amount of passes you can do in one hour by hand is nowhere near 360,000, so you can clearly see the power of the Porter Cable 7424. The powerful 3.7 amp motor is encased in a dual-shock resistant casing and backed with a one year warranty. The oscillating motion of the PC 7424 is designed to replicate a hand buffing motion. The pad moves in a very tight oscillating motion that generates safe levels of heat while working a polish, glaze, sealant or wax into the clear coat. The ability to consistently generate safe levels of heat and pressure is especially important when using a polish that has abrasive cutting particles! Polishes with abrasives is designed to help permanently remove imperfections (i.e. swirls, fine scratches, water spots) which often provide the most dramatic improvement to your paint’s depth and gloss. Polishes need more passes and time in contact with clear coat to buff out scratches and other imperfections. Additionally polishes work into the surface better with a firmer pad and there are pads specifically designed for use with the Porter Cable polisher that help you achieve maximum results when polishing. The Porter Cable buffer is extremely easy and safe to use even for those who have never detailed before. This durable buffer has revolutionized the capability of weekend detailers so you easily obtain professional like results. In summary, the Porter Cable 7424 will save you lots of time and energy while significantly improving your detailing results.