If I were buying a DA polisher today, and needed a getting started kit, I'd buy one of these:
1. The more conventional, foam pads:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Griots-G ... p_690.html (that's on sale right now, too)
2. The newfangled, microfiber pads:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Griots-G ... p_703.htmlMicrofiber pads are the new thing, and I've tried it. I've got a couple of Surbuf microfiber cutting pads, and I worked on an E60 (? whatever the V10 one is) M6 with them, alongside both Meguiar's M105 cutting compound, and some Menzerna FG400. The Meguiar's stuff seemed more effective, and the Menzerna stuff was a giant pain in the ass to remove from the panel once I'd worked it.
I lean towards the Griot's machine because, as far as I know, it has a longer throw than the Porter Cable does, and throw is what you want. I think that a Flex, or a Rupes, is probably better. But they should be - they're twice as expensive. I doubt a home detailer needs anything like that.
Even though I saw success with the DA, and I still think it's a good machine, I always end up back with my rotary (direct drive) Makita. I'm faster with it, I'm better with it, and I find it much more pleasant to use. My old Porter Cable DA feels like it's shaking me to pieces when I use it, and the Makita is smooth as glass. The Makita is a perfect tool. The controls are placed perfectly, it's well weighted, wel balanced, and durable. For a rotary I wouldn't consider anything else.
Pads are very much a personal preference thing. My favorites are some 3M ones I had sent over from the UK. My second favorite are the Uber pads, from detailersdomain.com. I use the yellow foam one, and the blue finishing one. Usually those are the only two I need.
Menzerna 85RD is still the best finishing polish I've ever used. That and a blue foam Uber pad is a zero cut combo that really makes the difference. It's the difference between "that's a nice car" and "that car just won its category at a PCA concours."
I'm a big, big fan of Malco UFC, and have not seen anything to suggest it's got fillers in it. The label states as much. If I need it to cut aggressively, I'll run it at 2000rpm, or maybe even faster, and use a cutting pad. With most colors, I've found that if I work UFC long enough, it hardly leaves any swirls behind at all. If it does, chances are I'm coming back with a blue pad and a finishing polish anyway.
When using a rotary, use masking tape on things you don't want to hit with the polisher. Antennas, gaskets, emblems, that kind of stuff. The outermost part of that pad is moving FAST, and it's easy to mark something up. I like the green, 3M auto body tape you can buy at most auto parts stores. It's thicker and stickier than blue painter's tape.
Mike, I wonder if the reappearance of swirls after using UFC is because of the cheap microfibers you're using. I don't have hard evidence to back this up, but it's the only difference I can see. Cheap microfibers are pretty forgiving if you're doing something like using a quick detailer spray. But for removing polish residue, or LSP, you're sometimes having to rub pretty hard. I'd rather use something softer. Chemical Guys sells some good microfibers on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8M ... UTF8&psc=1These are also really good for the money:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009I ... UTF8&psc=1I like to dry my cars with the electric leaf blower from my shop vac. Try it, it works great. Less laundry to do, and the less frequently you touch your car's paint, the less likely you are to introduce swirls.
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