Rotary Polisher Recommendations

[Sorrento 25]

I agree on the quality thing... too bad the Black and Decker today is not the Black and Decker of 25 years ago.

Actually, in the case of the high-speed rotary polisher apparently it is. Mine is a 25-year-old Snap-On made by Black and Decker. I was eyeballing a new Dewalt the other day and it is 100% identical to mine in every way.

 

[Dave S]

If anyone is considering tackling a darker colored hull with a rotary, you might want to consider using one of the newer dimpled foam pads instead of a wool pad. Wool pads may be too aggresive for a colored hull and you could wind up with a lot of swirl marks that are very difficult to remove afterwards. I saw a blue hull that someone compounded with a wool pad on a rotary buffer and it would take some major work to bring that thing up to my standards. It was loaded with swirl marks.:smt021

Interestingly wool pads work pretty good on an orbital for compounding. I have compounded both my blue 260DA and my green 240SD with excellent results.

 

[Nehalennia]

now now Gary
I love both DeWalt and Porter Cable. For the Money DeWalt is a very durable tool. I have used them for over 12 years professionally and they are good. Black and Decker is more the residential grade version of them, not as high of quality so I would go another direction.

I have a few Bosch tools too including the best JigSaw in my opinion I have ever used.
Bosch motors are very smooth, easy to control and run forever, but get ready for the $$$

I will be buying a polisher here soon and it will either be a Porter Cable or Hitachi. I'm not sure I want to outlay the extra for the Bosch, but ya never know

 

[Sea Ray 300]

now now Gary
I love both DeWalt and Porter Cable. For the Money DeWalt is a very durable tool. I have used them for over 12 years professionally and they are good. Black and Decker is more the residential grade version of them, not as high of quality so I would go another direction.

I have a few Bosch tools too including the best JigSaw in my opinion I have ever used.
Bosch motors are very smooth, easy to control and run forever, but get ready for the $$$

100% agreed on the Bosch, as I have a few.
I also have quite a few Porter Cable, (quality tools) and certainly hope they will not go the Black and Decker route.
I used to have B&D, many years ago, when they were real tools, but I'll never, ever buy their brand again.
Hedge clippers = absolute garbage. Present day tools = same thing.
I think Playschool could build a better tool.
My rotary (polisher) is a variable speed Makita, probably 15 years old.
It's a combo polisher/sander, and very high quality.
Unfortunately, it's pretty heavy to be using on hull sides for any length of time.