I’ve watched many many compound/polishing video’s over the past years, this is the best review video of all. They were super helpful and intelligent enough to provide the polisher winners up front, which made me want to see the remaining video. Again, helpful and great content for everyone!
@@mdjamesd I been doing loads of research and willing to buy it but I’m in UK :( so not sure warranty would work here plus it’s hard to find on eBay and Amazon
I just used it to cut a few pieces of plywood boards ruclips.net/user/postUgkxqqoaX03nrziKwF7Bjjcc71YzLEleMvOS works great. The blade that came with it isn't very good and I bought a much better bosch one which made much cleaner cuts. Blades were cheap, a few bucks.
Excellent video, and all I needed to give me the needed push. I just pulled the trigger on Griot’s G8&G9 kit they sell for $329 which includes 2x 6” orange pads, and 2x 3” pads as well as a few other items. I’ve been reading reviews, and watching videos on all of the polishers from chemical guys (torq) all the way up to flex or rupes. I appreciate the time and dedication it took to complete all of this work to compile such great info. Priceless feedback! Cannot wait to start polishing :)
Reviews are nothing more than information. I usually do not take time for reviews, but feel this is warranted. If you take all the polishers out there, and all the videos out there, you will receive some conflicting information. I actually learned on a DeWalt Rotary and used it for 5 years before switching to a DA in 2009. I went with a Flex 3401, which is an incredible machine. Not until I started pairing that machine with the Lake Country Hybrid Pads, I really did not see how well of a machine it really is. The machine was $430 back in the day. I use it 4-8 times per year, for about 1 hour. I take care of my cars and really have not put this machine to the test. The last time I did a serious correction on a car, I used the Rotary but had to follow up with the Flex. Skip ahead and now I have/will have 5 Griots (2 G8 and 2 G9) & the G21 (which I really have not used at all) The G8 & G9 are incredible DA's to work with. Now, one of my biggest decisions is whether to use the Flex 3401 or the Griots G9. The G21 that I own does not have a detachable cord, so I have no idea about Vibration and have not needed to use it, which a lot of users have complained about. . The G8 & G9, have no vibration. What makes Griots stand out these days is the price and warranty and they actually feel good in your hand. The correcting cream works really well with the orange pad. The only other true polish that stands out is the Sonax. Everything else is mediocre at best. Waxes and Sealants for the most part are all pretty good. I like the Meguiars and Collinite Waxes, which hold up really well. I use the Griots Spray wax for maintenance, and the 3M Cleaner Wax/Sealant as well. Recently I had a 20 + year old car painted, where the body shop left buffer marks and in 5 hours, the paint looked 10X better. And on top of this, last year, I turned in an old 3" for a G8. Recently I turned in the second one I have on hand and await the new one. A credit of $105-$110 (exactly what I paid for them, maybe even less) was given on both, with a prepaid label from Griots. The old 3" lacked power. The new 3" is wonderful. I even have the 2" conversion kit, which will be needed from time to time. My 3" broke on the first go around, and Griots, without any reservation sent me a G8 with a prepaid label as I knew it was time to upgrade, received a credit, and paid the difference for the G8 machine. Because I am a homeowner, I have not worked with any cordless, battery-powered units. The only thing that I will mention is to butter your pads real well with the Griots pads. With an air nozzle, they clean up real well, and you will use only a few drops, literally only switching pads 2-3X at most. I was able to go straight to wax after the orange pad because they finish so well. If I could get my hands on a Rupes, I would love to see how the machine works, as I have heard a lot of good things (Rupes is made in Italy), but somehow probably assembled in China, and this is why it is so expensive. Same as Flex from Germany. For most DIY, homeowners, and weekend warriors, Griots Garage is probably the way to go, given the cost considerations and warranty, which can not be matched. Griots direct sells a G9, G8 combination with pads, etc. which also makes a lot of sense. If you are a homeowner and have new cars or even a used car, you must take care of the paint. Given the cost of repainting a car, plus the amount of money you lose on a trade or a resale, especially if the vehicle is trashed. The $500-$750 investment you make today will allow you to recover back in the value of your cars over time. The other thing I mention to people is to purchase 2 wash buckets with grit guards, and about 15-20 MF washing towels. This way you can use each MF towel only on 2 panels, reducing the likelihood of dirt/contamination transfer on the vehicle. When done, wash the mitts, and allow them to dry in the sun. I feel what really stands out in today's DA polisher market is the Griots Garage, Rupes, and Flex, not in any particular order, as they are all quality machines. In SUMMARY, this is an EXCELLENT VIDEO.
I know this video is a year old now so you may or may not see my question. What makes the Makita an entry level at ~$300, while the G9 is pro at ~$140? Also, if the G9 is that great and at a relatively low price point, is there any reason for a beginner diy guy like myself to buy one of the others instead? I guess I just don't understand what makes one corded unit pro vs entry level. It just seems to me like those 2 categories could've been put together, with cordless and micro being separated for obvious reasons. Maybe I'm missing something.
It would be interesting to know which of these are actually made outside of China. I know the Rupes is made in Italy, but how many others are actually made somewhere else?
I have G9 and G8 and do a couple boats and several cars per year very satisfied. I’ve had a Flex impact for two years charged the battery once have done several lift kits on Jeeps and numerous other projects have not had to charge it again what a awesome battery!!
Hmmm. Chemical guys decided not to play? I was considering their unit, but I think that answers that. I’ll be going with the De Walt as I already have some of their cordless gear and love it. Great review.
Yeah, we really wanted to see their machines in action, but I don't think they wanted to be compared side-by-side to other polishers. This is totally our opinion. The DeWalt is a great performing polisher, but it's not quite as "polished" on the ergonomics side. You made the right choice. If you already have DeWalt 20V batteries, this makes the most sense. Thanks for watching.
I appreciate this review, thank you for all of the hard work to put it together! I apologize in advance for the book I have written below. I am just trying to help because I enjoy detailing videos and I want you to do well. Take it or leave it, just throwing it at the wall in case anything useful sticks! It would be very helpful to see how the scoring was done, otherwise it is just a number that you have assigned to each tool - which doesn't mean anything to me other than you like it that much. If there is no breakdown of points assigned then ergonomics could be a 40 point category and value for money could be a 5 point category - so if I don't care about the ergonomics much but am more interested in the best value for money then the review is not very useful. Also - how does the Makita P05 score 22 points higher than the Makita cordless if the only difference is the cable? Did it lose 22 points from ergonomics? (the reason the Makita cordless is longer is because they wanted to keep the battery as far away from the work surface as possible.) I don't understand how the Makita PO5000C is an entry level tool, can you explain why it was in that category? From my research it seems like it is essentially the same as the cordless Makita that was in the pro category - the only functional difference is the cord (as you mentioned later in the video) Next is a terminology thing - "micro" polishers are the 1" to 2" models and "mini" polishers are the 3"-4" models - based on what most companies call their polishers. To me it seems like they are two distinct categories, the third being "standard/regular/full size" which is 5" and up. Noise should not be much of a factor because you should be wearing hearing protection unless you don't care about your hearing. I think the Flex machines are actually more powerful than the Griot's and that is part of the reason they have more vibration and are a bit louder - they are doing more work. At 16:30 in the video the Griot's G9 actually stalled out for about 5 seconds. Cheers!
Sad to not see the TORQ in the mix I was think about getting one but I would rather buy one that is open to have their product put to the test. Awesome vid!
I don't mind a corded power tool for work that will be done near my house or at least a nearby power outlet. Maybe that affords a longer continuous run time, no waiting for a battery to charge....
I have access to most of these tools, and the original Porter Cable 7424 is still my favorite. I also have two sets of a Rupes Duetto, and Mini combo. Very nice, but I still prefer the PC.
Very cool! While I don't agree with your preference, I know there are plenty of people (which I know as well) that DO agree with you. That's the beauty, and headache, of these polishers is there is so much subjectivity in preferences for a polisher. The PC has been around for decades, and there's a reason why, people love them. Thanks so much for watching and sharing with us.
@@Shoptoolreviews - They always say whatever you use and become proficient with, is what will work "best" for you. The comparison was excellent though. Straight down the middle, no punches pulled. I do have to say that I am leaning towards a Flex set up. I just can't do Griot's. Their fanboys are nuts, and are just as off putting as the Rupes brand culture.
So true, if you can make it work well, then stay with what you know. Really and truly, thank you very much. It's hard work to do these shootouts and we try to do our absolute best at bringing the truth, with data to back it up. Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with Flex. They make some great machines. They're not cheap, but they are quality. Also, we love the fact that they're only a Tool company. They don't dabble in pads, or polish, or microfiber, or foam cannons; they're just a tool company. They stick to what they know.
My Griot’s G9 broke in less than a year as a hobbyist. The button you have to push pushed in and wouldn’t come out. I’m looking for better construction.
Keen to know a comparison between the Makita corded and cordless option. Why is there a massive point difference between the two when only the cord and battery are the difference?
Lmao listening to the detail videos is hilarious. If someone walked in on you and had no idea what you were watching it would be very interested. “I prefer the 5 inch over the 6 inch”. “It just depends how it feels in your hand”. “It just depends how you beat on her” lmao 😂
I'm brand new to all this so hopefully this isn't a dumb question but what about Milwaukee? I'm a fan of their brand do they offer a polisher as good as some of the brands in this video?
Because they couldn't get that shit for free, that's what guys do they look for free shit to do reviews and then give out opinion reviews instead of raw data which had none of that in these videos, absolutely defective and useless dribble coming out of their mouths
Hey guys great review ! I Appreciate you taking the time to do this review on all these tools. I was looking to buy the G8 before I seen this video and it definitely helped my decision. It will be my first time using a buffer so I’m excited to not buff my vehicle manually. I did want to ask if you think the G8 would be sufficient to paint correct my Honda Pilot / Odyssey? My thinking is even though it will take me longer with the smaller G8 , I can do both smaller and larger areas without having to buy two buffers. What are your thoughts/suggestions? I’m a beginner and will only be doing my vehicles and maybe some family and friends if they’re crazy enough to trust me lol. Your feedback will be much appreciated !!
The G8 is a great little polisher, and it's very powerful, for the size. You should be fine learning with this polisher, just keep your sections small that you're correcting. Don't try to do a whole hood. Mark out a 2' x 2' square in your mind and just work on that area, then move on. It will definitely take you longer, but you can get it done. By the time you've done 2 cars, you'll want to purchase the larger polisher as well. Thanks for watching.
Small rectification polishers need to be compared Eg Flex P8 1---3 inch rotary 120--240AC volt . Kicks butt for small jobs Great for glass and small paint fixes and accesses small curves easily
For entry level the Makita PO5000C is 374 bucks just for the tool, that for me is not entry level at all. Compared to the runner up for a whole kit is 280 bucks. Prices might have changed in a year but I don’t think inflation made it that bad.
I had the adams cordless 15 mm and sent it right back. Every time you turn it off and start it, it goes max speed so frustrating then tiny buttons to slow it down
That that's because polishers especially like the roof has the high-end polishers are made as a package like the Bigfoot Lopez it's a package the pads go with the polisher and are made as such to perform the best together
You guys never stated as to why the Adams sk pro finished last in the pro category. Curious as to which parts of it fell short for you compared to the rest that’s why I clicked on this video
Sorry about not covering much about the Adams. We'll cover it in a full review very soon. We were time-limited, or the video would be an hour long. It wasn't a bad polisher, but it just didn't have the features and performance to be at the top. Thanks for watching.
Wow thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge and time spent testing these. I am wanting to get my first polisher and had no idea where to start and what to look for.
Very thorough review, thank you. Only issue I have is that machines like the Griot have American plugs, and Europeans also use polishers :) So we need an adapter for that plug.
Is the dewalt a good machine? I am looking to go cordless. I have been looking at the dewalt. Is it a powerful machine, does it stall on curves? Which cordless tool corrects the fastest, I'm in a body shop ?
The DeWalt is a good polisher. In fact, we just released the review of the DeWalt on our RUclips channel today. Maybe you can check that out. If you're looking for the best paint correction, then I'd recommend the FLEX XCE or XFE models. Rupes and Maxshine do a good job as well. Thanks for watching and commenting.
The new ShineMate machines look very good as well. They have a rotary, a 12, 15 and even a 21mm throw, all using the same batteries and chargers, so you can expand your setup. I think I'm going to take the cordless plunge with them, I love my Fuel rotary. Check out Sandro @ Car Craft for an in depth thorough review of all of 4 options.
The G9 is very impressive in terms of vibration (or lack of) and ergonomics in general. We have a review out on just the G9 as well. ruclips.net/video/SnUgpPsANFY/видео.html Thanks for watching.
@R H the cost of these machines is nothing for the manufacturer to send out for reviews. That’s standard practice in any industry. The amount of press and publicity they receive in return is much greater than the cost of a few machines. If they didn’t send in their machines it’s only due to a few possible issues: Their marketing people screwed up, didn’t bother with it. They don’t think the platform they’re sending their tools to will reach their desired audience. Or they’re just scared of their products receiving bad press wether due to cost/value or quality concerns. I think they were just too worried that their machines would be considered overpriced/bad value, and lose the shootout, as they don’t offer anything special and companies like griots got them beat (for now). They might be longer lasting, but if the other competitors offer a lifetime warranty they don’t look as attractive either. I think Rupes is way overpriced for what you get, they’re just used to being in the pro market for so long without much competition they don’t care for now. That’s going to change, their fan-boy base can only support them for so long, without new customers they’ll have to innovate - either on price or features. I wish them luck, as I want as much competition in the market as possible - at the end of the day the consumer wins in that case.
If I want something that cuts and polishes in one setup with the griots g9 what do you recommend? I have some mid to light paint correction with hologram on one panel to remove. I'd like to get something that like 1 pad, 1 compound if possible that polishes up to finish.
Your classifications of some machines didn't make sense You had some pro machines as entry level and an entry level as a pro lol...G9 is an entry level machine..just an updated More refined GG6 Makita PO5000C Is def pro and actually allot more reliable than the XCE due to the 3 mount plate design that tends to sheer off.. Adams SK both being long throws are pro just like the Griot G15/21
We let the scoring determine whether or not the machine deserved to be in the Pro category. Just because they have features or because they're a "Pro" brand did not dictate where they were classified. The Makita is a great tool, and we love Makita tools, but these polishers just don't get a lot of 'work' done. We did not intend on the Griots machine to be in the Pro category, but it just works so well and has virtually no vibration. We have a pretty intense scoring system with a lot of input from multiple Pros, so it's not just one person dictating the outcomes. Sorry for the lengthy reply, but I hope this helps in explaining where machines were placed. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@Shoptoolreviews Makita doesn't get the work done quick enough? It gets the work done faster than the flex 3401/Xce and Rupes Mille when in forced mode reason being it has the most RPM and second most OPM out of the 3. Only time the Makita sucks is when in free spin mode, stall city, 5.5mm isn't enough to free spin a pad, just sanding discs G9 is a great machine , but any 15 and 21mm will out cut it due to the larger action of the eccentric assembly It's def leaps and bounds better than the old GG6 in power, ergonomics and balance though
I am almost sold to forced rotation as it will not keep stopping at curves and edges of some crazy toyota cars :) The only point holding me back from going forced rotation is absence of knowledge if forced rotation machine will always finnish very well with one step compound leaving no holograms as well on black paints. At Least on German cars. Scholl s20 one step compound and medium cutting pad / blue spider pad combo for example to remove moderate to heavy swirls to 85-95% perfection = 85-95 % defects correced while super lttle haze and 0 holograms left after 2 passes= left to right and up snd down = 1 cross Kind Regards Your subscriber
Hello Shop Tool Reviews! Hello, please help me choose between DeWalt DCM848 wireless, Griots G9 with cord, Makita PO5000c with cord, I know that one is wireless and the others are not, the cable does not matter to me, that one has a battery does not interest me, what interests me is: that heats up the least possible in hourly jobs, that polisher has the longest life of use, the one that leaves the best finish, better mirror shine, better eliminates holograms, swirls, the polisher with less stalling in curves, my English is very bad, sorry, please put your videos with subtitles in Spanish, to understand them, I make an effort to watch your videos even if they are in a language that is not mine because I think they are the best! thank you!!!!
Thank you very much. Definitely surprised us as well. Not sure about Milwaukee. I am surprised that they never made an orbital. They released the M18 rotary polisher a couple of years ago, and I thought they'd follow it up with an orbital. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Chase (professional detailer in the video) and I both have no idea what people are talking about when they say the G9 stalls. It's one of the best at Not stalling. Of course, FLEX forced rotation is probably the best, but as you mentioned, the price is much higher as well. I think you'll be pretty happy with the G9. Let us know what you think. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews Hello, please help me choose between DeWalt DCM848 wireless, Griots G9 with cord, Makita PO5000c with cord,( why right now I can only buy one of those three) I know that one is wireless and the others are not, the cable does not matter to me, that one has a battery does not interest me, what interests me is: that heats up the least possible in hourly jobs, that polisher has the longest life of use, the one that leaves the best finish, better mirror shine, better eliminates holograms, swirls, the polisher with less stalling in curves, my English is very bad, sorry, please put your videos with subtitles in Spanish, to understand them, I make an effort to watch your videos even if they are in a language that is not mine because I think they are the best! thank you!!!! sorry for repeating the comment is that I really need your help thank you very much !! Postscript (I know I will need a smaller polisher for smaller or thinner areas, but I want to hear your opinion on these three polishers that I mention) bye!!!
Makita po5000 as entry level ? Seriously ??? I used to work with the Flex 3401 VRG and then used the Makita (on forced rotation), they both perform about the same, BUT, the Makita does no vibration compared to, and the noise level is wayyyyy less ! Makita should be in the same category as the 3401. I really ask myself how you perform your tests :-/
I was about to buy the cordless Makita polisher as I have at least 6 battery’s ranging from 3amp 5 amp and 6 amps from other Mikita tools which I have and love, I only polish my car and my wife’s car, I can buy the tool only for £230 English pounds which is not cheap but not scandalous, u boys have put me right off it now lol my wife’s car is a massive suv and I didn’t want to dangle a cord and extension lead all over it while I polish the glass roof, I’m really gutted do u think it would be a bad choice to get the 18v Makita cordless please boys? Great effort bring this content great effort tidy
Great review here and it really helped me think about my next polisher. I would have never considered the G9, but now want a G9 and G8 as I can get them both for the price of one Flex
Looks like all of these polisher styles, look like the Rupes, not sure how long each company has been in the DA business, but Rupes has been making their DA's for 20+ years if not more. I would spend the $435 for the Bigfoot LHR Mark III 15, worth the money, good quality and post warranty, Rupes only charges $89.00 to tear apart, recondition, put back together your polisher, and return to customer, good deal as they stand behind their DA's.
Milwaukee doesn't make an orbital polisher, only a rotary, so you can't really compare it to these. We wish they did make an orbital polisher. Thanks for watching.
I’ve got it. It’s awesome. However it is heavy. Compared to the cordless dewalt rotary I prefer the Milwaukee balance but the dewalt ergonomics and weight/fatigue is better.
Can’t agree with everything said here but good review overall , I have several of these polishers . Btw where did you get a Flex XCE with Batteries for $500. I have that one as well and paid & $589 after tax. Free shipping after a purchase like that. I think the tool minus batteries is $500. Don’t know if I’d agree with the G9 as the Pro winner. Maybe the $3401 or the previous G21 over all other DA entries. IMO. Either way Good video.
Thanks for the honest feedback, that's what we value. I will check on the pricing. Typically, we pull at least 3 reputable online prices to confirm the prices are correct. I'm sure a lot of our prices for the polishers came from AutoGeek. The G9 was a surprise to us as well, it really was. We have a spreadsheet with literally thousands of cells completed to score all these polishers. We weighted ergonomics (weight, vibration, comfort, etc.), performance (power, pad rotation, getting work done, etc.), feature set (cord length, trigger type, brushless motor, speed control, etc.), Value (price, warranty, assets per $$, etc.) and more. The G9 just really did well in all of them. No doubt, FLEX makes a Beast of a machine (in several models). The G9 would power through anything and you can't hardly stop the pad (like FLEX), but the G9 has nearly no vibration. Then you add price and warranty, I really don't know how they're doing it. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Shop Tool Reviews I definitely appreciate the time in on this. I have all three of the new G series polishers , both XCE , XFE a MaxShine & a Adams machine as well. So I actually have all the top polishers you reviewed also had a Rupes Markiii . So I went through this as well . My preference was different I found the smaller throw on the G9 is good but for correcting time is a big issue and the larger throw machines just get more work done it seems. But either way I found this a very interesting video and entertaining. I also own the PXE and a Adams Micro polisher as well. Good stuff tho
You are hitting on a top a topic that we had many discussions about before and during testing. We were trying to make sure that this shootout wasn't Just about paint correction. We had to correct ourselves from time to time. So the scoring didn't just take into account paint correction. If this were a true hardcore "paint correction" polisher shootout, you're right on the money. All these would be broken down into a few machines like the FLEX XC, XCE, & XFE, Rupes, and maybe Maxshine. This is why we had a lot of hands in the testing, so we could gather a ton of data, then use the scoring to identify the "winners".
Shop Tool Reviews we as detailers do some of the same. Lots of time behind polishers to figure out what works for us. And yeah it’s not always about correction either awesome video either way.
I'm just now seeing this video as I've recently started researching polishers. Anyway, I've seen a few videos from individuals who highly recommend a Shurhold 3500, so I just wanted to see if you have any experience with them? If so, where would it fit in and stack up?
No they did not consider a lot of machines because no one from those companies would send them free shit, this review was absolutely ridiculous and showed no real technical data whatsoever
The Dewalt is real handy and works well. I find it a bit heavy with the large battery. Your arms can get a bit tired. The G9 is much nicer to use. Quite a bit smoother and way lighter. Just a fantastic machine but it has a cord. I hope that helps.
We really don't have a clue. We would assume the G9 is much better. Meguiars and Torq (Chem Guys) were scared to send their polishers for the shootout. Thanks for watching.
HI GUYS, THANKS FOR THE VIDEO. I AM NEW TO POLISHING ETC.. I wanted to get one for myself and my 2017 Tacoma. I chose the G9. Can you point me to some videos on how to correctly polish/wax detail? Thank so much..
Check out AMMO's ATA Training Academy series. Then move on to Apex Detail and Car Craft. Those two are the best of the best by such a gigantic margin. Chicago Auto Pros is an honorable mention, although they're pretty heavy on the self promotion. Welcome to the club! It's addictive. I started as DIY in the garage on my own vehicles, now I'm doing it professionally, corrections and coatings full time and loving it. 👍👌✌
 Hello Shop Tool Reviews! please help me choose between DeWalt DCM848 wireless, Griots G9 with cord, Makita PO5000c with cord,( why right now I can only buy one of those three) I know that one is wireless and the others are not, the cable does not matter to me, that one has a battery does not interest me, what interests me is: that heats up the least possible in hourly jobs, that polisher has the longest life of use, the one that leaves the best finish, better mirror shine, better eliminates holograms, swirls, the polisher with less stalling in curves, my English is very bad, sorry, please put your videos with subtitles in Spanish, to understand them, I make an effort to watch your videos even if they are in a language that is not mine because I think they are the best! thank you!!!! sorry for repeating the comment is that I really need your help thank you very much !! Postscript (I know I will need a smaller polisher for smaller or thinner areas, but I want to hear your opinion on these three polishers that I mention) bye!!!
its a shame that Torq/Chemical Guys turned down. Because I bought one of their units about 5 years ago and I still use it. It is in fact better than the newer 3M DA I have been given the chance to try out. The Torq can handle concave surface MUCH better, as where this 3M can barely works its way over them.
Im just now watching this video as im just now get car detailing but i one thing i didnt like about the video is that you guys did not show the before and after of using the products which would better help
Hello I live in Brazil and I am researching to buy a HONE Orbital Buffer, 15mm Long-Throw Polisher Machine for Car, 6 "/ 850W Dual Action Polisher Amazon..Can you tell me about it..Work with Automotive Details. Would you indicate another ?. because on the Amazon website there are several models..Thanks
For performance ,ergonomics, low vibration,25’ cords, price point , and just over all build quality you can’t beat Adams. Especialy for a tool like a DA Polisher where your going to need one of every size to cover all the curvy body lines and tiny spaces that are almost imposible to get to. Spend a fortune to buy a name or a outdated machine that vibratesbso much you cant feel your hands at the end od the day. All said and done for the money spent Adams is the winner. Fan boys gona hate.
Nice video! Very informative. But it's also a little disappointing though. Because some of the other polishers on your results charts didn't seem to be included in your in-depth analysis section of your video. Mainly the long throw polishers; such as the Rupes LHR 21 and the Maxshine M15 pro. I wish you would have went a little more in depth on those, and why they received the scores they received.
It was literally a time issue. The video went too long as it was, so we were only able to dig in deep on those that finished on top. Sorry about any inconvenience. Thanks for watching.
2 batteries on the cordless buffers will get you through an entire day? I figured a battery was only good for an hour if you were lucky. Sorry for repeating myself but on the battery powered buffer/polishers, 2 batteries will get you through an entire day?? Absolutely, positively? And if your not sure can you say with certainty that 3 fully charged batteries will get you through an 8 hour day? I am about to purchase a buffer, not sure which one but this question is so important to me. Thank you so much for answering my question and thank you even more for taking the time to make and share this video!! Hope you had a great 4th of July and GOD bless!!..
Rob, I think you may not fully understand what we're meaning here. Let me explain. With 2 batteries (3 is even better), you are able to use one while you're charging the other. This allows very little downtime due to dead batteries. Typically, it will take 2 batteries to get through a single car, just doing a single-step polish. If you do this for a living, then I'd highly recommend one of the FLEX polishers. They are the best cordless polishers right now, and they do an excellent job with their battery and charger technology. 3-batteries should enable you to keep one battery charged and on the tool, also invest in a 2nd charger or dual-port charger. Thanks for watching.
Griots gets the job done, until it randomly doesnt turn on. They'll cover ya, just gotta wait weeks for the new one, n only after they've accepted ur old one. Also they will never or rarely give u a new one, they will give ya a refurbished one. The used one they're giving u may have had 3 years of use vs the one u send in which might have 2 days of use.
We actually questioned Griots about this before we even published the shootout. We'd heard that the G9s were having issues with the trigger or power cord. Griots ensured us that the problem had been taken care of and there was a rolling change in production/manufacturing. The one we used in the shootout gets used 5 and 6 days a week, multiple cars each day. No failures. Thanks for watching.
You said it, not us. ;) Actually, there are some nice machines out there, but sometimes these companies don't like to see their babies compared to others. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Makita consistently outperforms all major tool lines in every category including “ industry 1st “ and the brand that everyone eventually copies . After 34 years in construction I believe that completely. Do your homework on battery technology etc ... you’ll agree
I agree why even look at the "entry level" when the best pro model is less than half the price. I think at that price Makita does not belong in the entry level category at all!
Awesome helpful review. Thanks for all your work on this. I am a DIYer with a new C8, and have used my PC 7424 for about 20 years. Thinking about getting something better.
If you've gotten that much time out of it, it must be better than realized. If you're not running a business, will it really be worth the cost in upgrading considering durability that is missing in this test?
@@bosshawg7427 cost is only one part of it though. If it greatly increases your enjoyment of the detailing process that might be something to consider. The porter cable is a tried and true workhorse without a doubt. But there are a lot more options out there now.
@@Shoptoolreviews Excellent video I would like you to help me with a few questions: 1) I want to buy a polisher to use only on electric guitars that have 2K clear coat automovite paint, would the Zota 3 Inch polisher be perfect for that use? 2) I am thinking between that Zota and Griots G8, but it costs 3 times more, and I don't know if it is much better, or if it is not worth paying that extra money, and a big difference in the final result is noticeable, since it will be used in a small area of 30x30 cm more or less * I would like to get a perfect mirror finish on the 2k Clear coat paint, after sanding with 1500 and 2000. I look forward to your prompt response Thank you so much
*Good **MyBest.Tools** power and rpm control.*
I’ve watched many many compound/polishing video’s over the past years, this is the best review video of all. They were super helpful and intelligent enough to provide the polisher winners up front, which made me want to see the remaining video. Again, helpful and great content for everyone!
And that’s why I bought a G8 and G9 bundle today at Griots. Great value for 2 great polishers. Great video BTW.
I ordered the g9 a few days ago. Seeing this makes me feel like I made a good choice. Now waiting for it to arrive.
How are you liking the polisher now 3 months later? Gotta say that price at 159 kinda blows my mind!
@Jake Johnson its definitely a solid tool. Plus, the lifetime warranty makes it a no-brainer
@@mdjamesd I been doing loads of research and willing to buy it but I’m in UK :( so not sure warranty would work here plus it’s hard to find on eBay and Amazon
I just used it to cut a few pieces of plywood boards ruclips.net/user/postUgkxqqoaX03nrziKwF7Bjjcc71YzLEleMvOS works great. The blade that came with it isn't very good and I bought a much better bosch one which made much cleaner cuts. Blades were cheap, a few bucks.
Excellent video, and all I needed to give me the needed push. I just pulled the trigger on Griot’s G8&G9 kit they sell for $329 which includes 2x 6” orange pads, and 2x 3” pads as well as a few other items. I’ve been reading reviews, and watching videos on all of the polishers from chemical guys (torq) all the way up to flex or rupes. I appreciate the time and dedication it took to complete all of this work to compile such great info. Priceless feedback! Cannot wait to start polishing :)
So after 5 months, what’s your opinion?
thank you for taking the time and doing such a big review it helped me very much so thank you my brothers!
Reviews are nothing more than information. I usually do not take time for reviews, but feel this is warranted. If you take all the polishers out there, and all the videos out there, you will receive some conflicting information. I actually learned on a DeWalt Rotary and used it for 5 years before switching to a DA in 2009. I went with a Flex 3401, which is an incredible machine. Not until I started pairing that machine with the Lake Country Hybrid Pads, I really did not see how well of a machine it really is. The machine was $430 back in the day. I use it 4-8 times per year, for about 1 hour. I take care of my cars and really have not put this machine to the test. The last time I did a serious correction on a car, I used the Rotary but had to follow up with the Flex. Skip ahead and now I have/will have 5 Griots (2 G8 and 2 G9) & the G21 (which I really have not used at all) The G8 & G9 are incredible DA's to work with. Now, one of my biggest decisions is whether to use the Flex 3401 or the Griots G9. The G21 that I own does not have a detachable cord, so I have no idea about Vibration and have not needed to use it, which a lot of users have complained about. . The G8 & G9, have no vibration. What makes Griots stand out these days is the price and warranty and they actually feel good in your hand. The correcting cream works really well with the orange pad. The only other true polish that stands out is the Sonax. Everything else is mediocre at best. Waxes and Sealants for the most part are all pretty good. I like the Meguiars and Collinite Waxes, which hold up really well. I use the Griots Spray wax for maintenance, and the 3M Cleaner Wax/Sealant as well. Recently I had a 20 + year old car painted, where the body shop left buffer marks and in 5 hours, the paint looked 10X better. And on top of this, last year, I turned in an old 3" for a G8. Recently I turned in the second one I have on hand and await the new one. A credit of $105-$110 (exactly what I paid for them, maybe even less) was given on both, with a prepaid label from Griots. The old 3" lacked power. The new 3" is wonderful. I even have the 2" conversion kit, which will be needed from time to time. My 3" broke on the first go around, and Griots, without any reservation sent me a G8 with a prepaid label as I knew it was time to upgrade, received a credit, and paid the difference for the G8 machine. Because I am a homeowner, I have not worked with any cordless, battery-powered units. The only thing that I will mention is to butter your pads real well with the Griots pads. With an air nozzle, they clean up real well, and you will use only a few drops, literally only switching pads 2-3X at most. I was able to go straight to wax after the orange pad because they finish so well. If I could get my hands on a Rupes, I would love to see how the machine works, as I have heard a lot of good things (Rupes is made in Italy), but somehow probably assembled in China, and this is why it is so expensive. Same as Flex from Germany. For most DIY, homeowners, and weekend warriors, Griots Garage is probably the way to go, given the cost considerations and warranty, which can not be matched. Griots direct sells a G9, G8 combination with pads, etc. which also makes a lot of sense. If you are a homeowner and have new cars or even a used car, you must take care of the paint. Given the cost of repainting a car, plus the amount of money you lose on a trade or a resale, especially if the vehicle is trashed. The $500-$750 investment you make today will allow you to recover back in the value of your cars over time. The other thing I mention to people is to purchase 2 wash buckets with grit guards, and about 15-20 MF washing towels. This way you can use each MF towel only on 2 panels, reducing the likelihood of dirt/contamination transfer on the vehicle. When done, wash the mitts, and allow them to dry in the sun. I feel what really stands out in today's DA polisher market is the Griots Garage, Rupes, and Flex, not in any particular order, as they are all quality machines. In SUMMARY, this is an EXCELLENT VIDEO.
I know this video is a year old now so you may or may not see my question.
What makes the Makita an entry level at ~$300, while the G9 is pro at ~$140? Also, if the G9 is that great and at a relatively low price point, is there any reason for a beginner diy guy like myself to buy one of the others instead? I guess I just don't understand what makes one corded unit pro vs entry level. It just seems to me like those 2 categories could've been put together, with cordless and micro being separated for obvious reasons. Maybe I'm missing something.
I was trying to figure out the same thing.
It would be interesting to know which of these are actually made outside of China. I know the Rupes is made in Italy, but how many others are actually made somewhere else?
I think the rupes that you can buy in North America are made in the us.
The Makita in U.S. I believe is made in USA and in Japan rest of the world
Not too difficult to look it up. Flex is German, Griots is USA, Rupes is Italian.
Ya rupes being Italian is why they call it the Lamborghini of polishers... not because it's the best
just bought a G9 i appreciate the time spent and info thank you
You'll love that machine. Great polisher. Thanks for watching.
I have G9 and G8 and do a couple boats and several cars per year very satisfied. I’ve had a Flex impact for two years charged the battery once have done several lift kits on Jeeps and numerous other projects have not had to charge it again what a awesome battery!!
I’m Upgrading from the harbor freight 6” would which one would u recommend me buying I’m on the fence between the g9 or the shinemate 620 “5/15
Same here man. Which one you ended up getting?
Hmmm. Chemical guys decided not to play? I was considering their unit, but I think that answers that. I’ll be going with the De Walt as I already have some of their cordless gear and love it. Great review.
Yeah, we really wanted to see their machines in action, but I don't think they wanted to be compared side-by-side to other polishers. This is totally our opinion. The DeWalt is a great performing polisher, but it's not quite as "polished" on the ergonomics side. You made the right choice. If you already have DeWalt 20V batteries, this makes the most sense. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the reply - so very few bother. And no.... thank YOU. This was a huge review and a lot of work. It was much appreciated.
same here.i was about to buy torq but seen this. going to buy the griots now
Same here. Hard to go wrong with the griots.
Vibration less in cordless? Or G9 the least about of vibration? If I want the smoothest operation and least vibration which one?
I appreciate this review, thank you for all of the hard work to put it together! I apologize in advance for the book I have written below. I am just trying to help because I enjoy detailing videos and I want you to do well. Take it or leave it, just throwing it at the wall in case anything useful sticks!
It would be very helpful to see how the scoring was done, otherwise it is just a number that you have assigned to each tool - which doesn't mean anything to me other than you like it that much. If there is no breakdown of points assigned then ergonomics could be a 40 point category and value for money could be a 5 point category - so if I don't care about the ergonomics much but am more interested in the best value for money then the review is not very useful.
Also - how does the Makita P05 score 22 points higher than the Makita cordless if the only difference is the cable? Did it lose 22 points from ergonomics? (the reason the Makita cordless is longer is because they wanted to keep the battery as far away from the work surface as possible.)
I don't understand how the Makita PO5000C is an entry level tool, can you explain why it was in that category? From my research it seems like it is essentially the same as the cordless Makita that was in the pro category - the only functional difference is the cord (as you mentioned later in the video)
Next is a terminology thing - "micro" polishers are the 1" to 2" models and "mini" polishers are the 3"-4" models - based on what most companies call their polishers. To me it seems like they are two distinct categories, the third being "standard/regular/full size" which is 5" and up. Noise should not be much of a factor because you should be wearing hearing protection unless you don't care about your hearing. I think the Flex machines are actually more powerful than the Griot's and that is part of the reason they have more vibration and are a bit louder - they are doing more work. At 16:30 in the video the Griot's G9 actually stalled out for about 5 seconds.
Cheers!
Sad to not see the TORQ in the mix I was think about getting one but I would rather buy one that is open to have their product put to the test. Awesome vid!
Your not missing anything trust me, not built very well and very loud!
It’s trash honestly
I don't mind a corded power tool for work that will be done near my house or at least a nearby power outlet. Maybe that affords a longer continuous run time, no waiting for a battery to charge....
I have access to most of these tools, and the original Porter Cable 7424 is still my favorite.
I also have two sets of a Rupes Duetto, and Mini combo. Very nice, but I still prefer the PC.
Very cool! While I don't agree with your preference, I know there are plenty of people (which I know as well) that DO agree with you. That's the beauty, and headache, of these polishers is there is so much subjectivity in preferences for a polisher. The PC has been around for decades, and there's a reason why, people love them. Thanks so much for watching and sharing with us.
@@Shoptoolreviews - They always say whatever you use and become proficient with, is what will work "best" for you.
The comparison was excellent though. Straight down the middle, no punches pulled.
I do have to say that I am leaning towards a Flex set up.
I just can't do Griot's. Their fanboys are nuts, and are just as off putting as the Rupes brand culture.
So true, if you can make it work well, then stay with what you know. Really and truly, thank you very much. It's hard work to do these shootouts and we try to do our absolute best at bringing the truth, with data to back it up.
Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with Flex. They make some great machines. They're not cheap, but they are quality. Also, we love the fact that they're only a Tool company. They don't dabble in pads, or polish, or microfiber, or foam cannons; they're just a tool company. They stick to what they know.
@@Shoptoolreviews - Exactly!
@@Shoptoolreviews , Flex does sell polishing pads.
My Griot’s G9 broke in less than a year as a hobbyist. The button you have to push pushed in and wouldn’t come out. I’m looking for better construction.
Which sonax wax would you recommend if your paint is in pretty good shape. I have fine scratches and swirl marks
Sonax Perfect Finish with a light polishing foam pad! It’s the best of the best.
Keen to know a comparison between the Makita corded and cordless option. Why is there a massive point difference between the two when only the cord and battery are the difference?
Lmao listening to the detail videos is hilarious. If someone walked in on you and had no idea what you were watching it would be very interested. “I prefer the 5 inch over the 6 inch”. “It just depends how it feels in your hand”. “It just depends how you beat on her” lmao 😂
I'm brand new to all this so hopefully this isn't a dumb question but what about Milwaukee? I'm a fan of their brand do they offer a polisher as good as some of the brands in this video?
I noticed you did not include the Griots G15. Where would that fall? Just below the G9 in the pro category perhaps?
Because they couldn't get that shit for free, that's what guys do they look for free shit to do reviews and then give out opinion reviews instead of raw data which had none of that in these videos, absolutely defective and useless dribble coming out of their mouths
What do you think about using an orbital with a cutting pad?
Hey guys great review ! I Appreciate you taking the time to do this review on all these tools. I was looking to buy the G8 before I seen this video and it definitely helped my decision. It will be my first time using a buffer so I’m excited to not buff my vehicle manually. I did want to ask if you think the G8 would be sufficient to paint correct my Honda Pilot / Odyssey? My thinking is even though it will take me longer with the smaller G8 , I can do both smaller and larger areas without having to buy two buffers. What are your thoughts/suggestions? I’m a beginner and will only be doing my vehicles and maybe some family and friends if they’re crazy enough to trust me lol. Your feedback will be much appreciated !!
The G8 is a great little polisher, and it's very powerful, for the size. You should be fine learning with this polisher, just keep your sections small that you're correcting. Don't try to do a whole hood. Mark out a 2' x 2' square in your mind and just work on that area, then move on. It will definitely take you longer, but you can get it done. By the time you've done 2 cars, you'll want to purchase the larger polisher as well. Thanks for watching.
Could I assume the Griots G15 is equally as good as the G9?
Yes yes yes for sure oh yes it's really great oh yes .......
That review is great for somebody who’s using them everyday. How about if I’m going to use it one or twice a year?
Small rectification polishers need to be compared Eg Flex P8 1---3 inch rotary 120--240AC volt . Kicks butt for small jobs
Great for glass and small paint fixes and accesses small curves easily
Is Sonax what you recommend for compound. For cut and polish on fresh paint jobs.
For entry level the Makita PO5000C is 374 bucks just for the tool, that for me is not entry level at all. Compared to the runner up for a whole kit is 280 bucks. Prices might have changed in a year but I don’t think inflation made it that bad.
I had the adams cordless 15 mm and sent it right back. Every time you turn it off and start it, it goes max speed so frustrating then tiny buttons to slow it down
Yes, that's a tough one. We were not very impressed with that machine. The tiny blister buttons are a pain. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing this, Charles
That that's because polishers especially like the roof has the high-end polishers are made as a package like the Bigfoot Lopez it's a package the pads go with the polisher and are made as such to perform the best together
You guys never stated as to why the Adams sk pro finished last in the pro category. Curious as to which parts of it fell short for you compared to the rest that’s why I clicked on this video
Sorry about not covering much about the Adams. We'll cover it in a full review very soon. We were time-limited, or the video would be an hour long. It wasn't a bad polisher, but it just didn't have the features and performance to be at the top. Thanks for watching.
Wow thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge and time spent testing these. I am wanting to get my first polisher and had no idea where to start and what to look for.
Very thorough review, thank you. Only issue I have is that machines like the Griot have American plugs, and Europeans also use polishers :) So we need an adapter for that plug.
Yeah but adapters cost what like £25 maximum
definitely this is a Griots paid review!!!!!!!!!!!!!
🤣 That's funny. Nope, not even close. Thanks for watching.
Is the dewalt a good machine? I am looking to go cordless. I have been looking at the dewalt. Is it a powerful machine, does it stall on curves? Which cordless tool corrects the fastest, I'm in a body shop ?
The DeWalt is a good polisher. In fact, we just released the review of the DeWalt on our RUclips channel today. Maybe you can check that out. If you're looking for the best paint correction, then I'd recommend the FLEX XCE or XFE models. Rupes and Maxshine do a good job as well. Thanks for watching and commenting.
The new ShineMate machines look very good as well. They have a rotary, a 12, 15 and even a 21mm throw, all using the same batteries and chargers, so you can expand your setup. I think I'm going to take the cordless plunge with them, I love my Fuel rotary. Check out Sandro @ Car Craft for an in depth thorough review of all of 4 options.
How is the griots G9 in vibration compared to rupes?
The G9 is very impressive in terms of vibration (or lack of) and ergonomics in general. We have a review out on just the G9 as well. ruclips.net/video/SnUgpPsANFY/видео.html
Thanks for watching.
"declined to enter" meaning wouldn't send you a free unit - you can always purchase one ya know
@R H the cost of these machines is nothing for the manufacturer to send out for reviews. That’s standard practice in any industry. The amount of press and publicity they receive in return is much greater than the cost of a few machines. If they didn’t send in their machines it’s only due to a few possible issues: Their marketing people screwed up, didn’t bother with it. They don’t think the platform they’re sending their tools to will reach their desired audience. Or they’re just scared of their products receiving bad press wether due to cost/value or quality concerns.
I think they were just too worried that their machines would be considered overpriced/bad value, and lose the shootout, as they don’t offer anything special and companies like griots got them beat (for now). They might be longer lasting, but if the other competitors offer a lifetime warranty they don’t look as attractive either. I think Rupes is way overpriced for what you get, they’re just used to being in the pro market for so long without much competition they don’t care for now. That’s going to change, their fan-boy base can only support them for so long, without new customers they’ll have to innovate - either on price or features. I wish them luck, as I want as much competition in the market as possible - at the end of the day the consumer wins in that case.
I’m surprised that Rupes didn’t want in on this. I was tempted to buy one until I saw this video.
Rupes actually declined to enter. In short, they mentioned that they were not interested in being compared to lesser polishers. Thanks for watching.
If I want something that cuts and polishes in one setup with the griots g9 what do you recommend? I have some mid to light paint correction with hologram on one panel to remove. I'd like to get something that like 1 pad, 1 compound if possible that polishes up to finish.
URO-Fiber 50/50 pad and 3D One polish or 3D Speed if you want to correct and protect in one step.
Your classifications of some machines didn't make sense
You had some pro machines as entry level and an entry level as a pro lol...G9 is an entry level machine..just an updated More refined GG6
Makita PO5000C Is def pro and actually allot more reliable than the XCE due to the 3 mount plate design that tends to sheer off..
Adams SK both being long throws are pro just like the Griot G15/21
We let the scoring determine whether or not the machine deserved to be in the Pro category. Just because they have features or because they're a "Pro" brand did not dictate where they were classified. The Makita is a great tool, and we love Makita tools, but these polishers just don't get a lot of 'work' done. We did not intend on the Griots machine to be in the Pro category, but it just works so well and has virtually no vibration. We have a pretty intense scoring system with a lot of input from multiple Pros, so it's not just one person dictating the outcomes. Sorry for the lengthy reply, but I hope this helps in explaining where machines were placed. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@Shoptoolreviews Makita doesn't get the work done quick enough? It gets the work done faster than the flex 3401/Xce and Rupes Mille when in forced mode reason being it has the most RPM and second most OPM out of the 3.
Only time the Makita sucks is when in free spin mode, stall city, 5.5mm isn't enough to free spin a pad, just sanding discs
G9 is a great machine , but any 15 and 21mm will out cut it due to the larger action of the eccentric assembly
It's def leaps and bounds better than the old GG6 in power, ergonomics and balance though
I am almost sold to forced rotation as it will not keep stopping at curves and edges of some crazy toyota cars :)
The only point holding me back from going forced rotation is absence of knowledge if forced rotation machine will always finnish very well with one step compound leaving no holograms as well on black paints. At Least on German cars.
Scholl s20 one step compound and medium cutting pad / blue spider pad combo for example to remove moderate to heavy swirls to 85-95% perfection = 85-95 % defects correced while super lttle haze and 0 holograms left after 2 passes= left to right and up snd down = 1 cross
Kind Regards
Your subscriber
why recommend the $400 makita for beginners when the "pro" griots g9 is only $155?
That's a great point and one for you to consider, for sure. Thanks for watching.
Have you guys had a chance to test out the Milwaukee cordless buffer?
Wow, lots of work to do that video. Keen to know how the Milwaukee cordless performed too. Thanks 😊
Hello Shop Tool Reviews! Hello, please help me choose between DeWalt DCM848 wireless, Griots G9 with cord, Makita PO5000c with cord, I know that one is wireless and the others are not, the cable does not matter to me, that one has a battery does not interest me, what interests me is: that heats up the least possible in hourly jobs, that polisher has the longest life of use, the one that leaves the best finish, better mirror shine, better eliminates holograms, swirls, the polisher with less stalling in curves, my English is very bad, sorry, please put your videos with subtitles in Spanish, to understand them, I make an effort to watch your videos even if they are in a language that is not mine because I think they are the best! thank you!!!!
Can you use a cordless polisher with waterless liquid shine armor? Or with liquid car wax; say Meguiires brand? Thanks for any input ✌️👍
Great review, fellas. Some surprising results. Any word on whether Milwaukee will offer a cordless M18 random orbital polisher?
Thank you very much. Definitely surprised us as well. Not sure about Milwaukee. I am surprised that they never made an orbital. They released the M18 rotary polisher a couple of years ago, and I thought they'd follow it up with an orbital. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great review. Nice job. What was your experience with the G9 stalling? Interested in one. Way less expensive than forced rotation.
Chase (professional detailer in the video) and I both have no idea what people are talking about when they say the G9 stalls. It's one of the best at Not stalling. Of course, FLEX forced rotation is probably the best, but as you mentioned, the price is much higher as well. I think you'll be pretty happy with the G9. Let us know what you think. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews Hello, please help me choose between DeWalt DCM848 wireless, Griots G9 with cord, Makita PO5000c with cord,( why right now I can only buy one of those three) I know that one is wireless and the others are not, the cable does not matter to me, that one has a battery does not interest me, what interests me is: that heats up the least possible in hourly jobs, that polisher has the longest life of use, the one that leaves the best finish, better mirror shine, better eliminates holograms, swirls, the polisher with less stalling in curves, my English is very bad, sorry, please put your videos with subtitles in Spanish, to understand them, I make an effort to watch your videos even if they are in a language that is not mine because I think they are the best! thank you!!!! sorry for repeating the comment is that I really need your help thank you very much !!
Postscript (I know I will need a smaller polisher for smaller or thinner areas, but I want to hear your opinion on these three polishers that I mention) bye!!!
How do you consider the Makita PO5000C an entry level with that large price tag?!
That's a great question. Frankly, because is just doesn't perform well enough to be in the Pro category. We wish that it did. Thanks for watching.
Makita po5000 as entry level ? Seriously ??? I used to work with the Flex 3401 VRG and then used the Makita (on forced rotation), they both perform about the same, BUT, the Makita does no vibration compared to, and the noise level is wayyyyy less ! Makita should be in the same category as the 3401.
I really ask myself how you perform your tests :-/
definitely a misleading and doubtful review
Appreciate the effort put into this video
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.
You guys should have tested the griots g21 or g15 that’s their professional polisher
They only tested things that they got for free. Lol
So if I get a G9 does it eliminate the need for a forced rotation? Awesome video by the way. Well done
Nop, never
I was about to buy the cordless Makita polisher as I have at least 6 battery’s ranging from 3amp 5 amp and 6 amps from other Mikita tools which I have and love, I only polish my car and my wife’s car, I can buy the tool only for £230 English pounds which is not cheap but not scandalous, u boys have put me right off it now lol my wife’s car is a massive suv and I didn’t want to dangle a cord and extension lead all over it while I polish the glass roof, I’m really gutted do u think it would be a bad choice to get the 18v Makita cordless please boys?
Great effort bring this content great effort tidy
Great review here and it really helped me think about my next polisher. I would have never considered the G9, but now want a G9 and G8 as I can get them both for the price of one Flex
Great to hear! Let us know what you think about them. Thanks for watching.
How is the Griots G9 less than half the price of the Makita PO5000C. Crazy. But I know what I'm getting for christmas now ;)
Looks like all of these polisher styles, look like the Rupes, not sure how long each company has been in the DA business, but Rupes has been making their DA's for 20+ years if not more. I would spend the $435 for the Bigfoot LHR Mark III 15, worth the money, good quality and post warranty, Rupes only charges $89.00 to tear apart, recondition, put back together your polisher, and return to customer, good deal as they stand behind their DA's.
Nothing wrong with Rupes. Porter Cable and Flex have been making orbitals for decades as well. Thanks for watching.
Any thoughts of the milwaukee cordless polisher?
Milwaukee doesn't make an orbital polisher, only a rotary, so you can't really compare it to these. We wish they did make an orbital polisher. Thanks for watching.
I’ve got it. It’s awesome. However it is heavy. Compared to the cordless dewalt rotary I prefer the Milwaukee balance but the dewalt ergonomics and weight/fatigue is better.
Can’t agree with everything said here but good review overall , I have several of these polishers . Btw where did you get a Flex XCE with Batteries for $500. I have that one as well and paid & $589 after tax. Free shipping after a purchase like that. I think the tool minus batteries is $500. Don’t know if I’d agree with the G9 as the Pro winner. Maybe the $3401 or the previous G21 over all other DA entries. IMO. Either way Good video.
Thanks for the honest feedback, that's what we value. I will check on the pricing. Typically, we pull at least 3 reputable online prices to confirm the prices are correct. I'm sure a lot of our prices for the polishers came from AutoGeek. The G9 was a surprise to us as well, it really was. We have a spreadsheet with literally thousands of cells completed to score all these polishers. We weighted ergonomics (weight, vibration, comfort, etc.), performance (power, pad rotation, getting work done, etc.), feature set (cord length, trigger type, brushless motor, speed control, etc.), Value (price, warranty, assets per $$, etc.) and more. The G9 just really did well in all of them. No doubt, FLEX makes a Beast of a machine (in several models). The G9 would power through anything and you can't hardly stop the pad (like FLEX), but the G9 has nearly no vibration. Then you add price and warranty, I really don't know how they're doing it. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Shop Tool Reviews I definitely appreciate the time in on this. I have all three of the new G series polishers , both XCE , XFE a MaxShine & a Adams machine as well. So I actually have all the top polishers you reviewed also had a Rupes Markiii . So I went through this as well . My preference was different I found the smaller throw on the G9 is good but for correcting time is a big issue and the larger throw machines just get more work done it seems. But either way I found this a very interesting video and entertaining. I also own the PXE and a Adams Micro polisher as well. Good stuff tho
You are hitting on a top a topic that we had many discussions about before and during testing. We were trying to make sure that this shootout wasn't Just about paint correction. We had to correct ourselves from time to time. So the scoring didn't just take into account paint correction. If this were a true hardcore "paint correction" polisher shootout, you're right on the money. All these would be broken down into a few machines like the FLEX XC, XCE, & XFE, Rupes, and maybe Maxshine. This is why we had a lot of hands in the testing, so we could gather a ton of data, then use the scoring to identify the "winners".
Shop Tool Reviews we as detailers do some of the same. Lots of time behind polishers to figure out what works for us. And yeah it’s not always about correction either awesome video either way.
@@AmirAbdullah you have XFE cordless ? And if you do is it true it doesn’t cut and it’s mostly made for finishing and polishing only ?
I'm just now seeing this video as I've recently started researching polishers. Anyway, I've seen a few videos from individuals who highly recommend a Shurhold 3500, so I just wanted to see if you have any experience with them? If so, where would it fit in and stack up?
Did you guys consider Milwaukee?
No they did not consider a lot of machines because no one from those companies would send them free shit, this review was absolutely ridiculous and showed no real technical data whatsoever
I really enjoyed this test. I own a Griots G9 and I also own the Dewalt cordless model. Good polishers! Thanks for the great job on this video!
These are the two currently on my list. Any nudge either way? I have DeWalt already so batteries aren’t an issue.
The Dewalt is real handy and works well. I find it a bit heavy with the large battery. Your arms can get a bit tired. The G9 is much nicer to use. Quite a bit smoother and way lighter. Just a fantastic machine but it has a cord. I hope that helps.
How does the G9 compare with the Meguiars MT300 and the TORQ 10FX ?
We really don't have a clue. We would assume the G9 is much better. Meguiars and Torq (Chem Guys) were scared to send their polishers for the shootout. Thanks for watching.
Hi thx for this review - very helpful. What do you think about the Milwaukee M-18 Cordless polisher?
It's good, but it's not an orbital polisher. The rotary polishers are a whole separate segment. Thanks for watching.
Huge thanks for getting this info out guys!
We hope that it helps and we love doing it. Thanks for watching.
HI GUYS, THANKS FOR THE VIDEO. I AM NEW TO POLISHING ETC.. I wanted to get one for myself and my 2017 Tacoma. I chose the G9. Can you point me to some videos on how to correctly polish/wax detail? Thank so much..
Check out AMMO's ATA Training Academy series. Then move on to Apex Detail and Car Craft. Those two are the best of the best by such a gigantic margin. Chicago Auto Pros is an honorable mention, although they're pretty heavy on the self promotion.
Welcome to the club! It's addictive. I started as DIY in the garage on my own vehicles, now I'm doing it professionally, corrections and coatings full time and loving it. 👍👌✌
@@jdisdetermined Thank you !!!
 Hello Shop Tool Reviews! please help me choose between DeWalt DCM848 wireless, Griots G9 with cord, Makita PO5000c with cord,( why right now I can only buy one of those three) I know that one is wireless and the others are not, the cable does not matter to me, that one has a battery does not interest me, what interests me is: that heats up the least possible in hourly jobs, that polisher has the longest life of use, the one that leaves the best finish, better mirror shine, better eliminates holograms, swirls, the polisher with less stalling in curves, my English is very bad, sorry, please put your videos with subtitles in Spanish, to understand them, I make an effort to watch your videos even if they are in a language that is not mine because I think they are the best! thank you!!!! sorry for repeating the comment is that I really need your help thank you very much !!
Postscript (I know I will need a smaller polisher for smaller or thinner areas, but I want to hear your opinion on these three polishers that I mention) bye!!!
What is cut?
Adams machines are just rebranded SPTAs right!?
It does look very similar. Thanks for watching.
its a shame that Torq/Chemical Guys turned down. Because I bought one of their units about 5 years ago and I still use it. It is in fact better than the newer 3M DA I have been given the chance to try out. The Torq can handle concave surface MUCH better, as where this 3M can barely works its way over them.
I have every Torq da from 4-21mm and the TorqR. The Chinese really outdid everyone in this category
Swear to God it's better than rupes
Im just now watching this video as im just now get car detailing but i one thing i didnt like about the video is that you guys did not show the before and after of using the products which would better help
Great video!!!
Glad you liked it!
Hello I live in Brazil and I am researching to buy a HONE Orbital Buffer, 15mm Long-Throw Polisher Machine for Car, 6 "/ 850W Dual Action Polisher Amazon..Can you tell me about it..Work with Automotive Details.
Would you indicate another ?. because on the Amazon website there are several models..Thanks
I'm not aware of a HONE buffer. Thanks for watching.
For performance ,ergonomics, low vibration,25’ cords, price point , and just over all build quality you can’t beat Adams. Especialy for a tool like a DA Polisher where your going to need one of every size to cover all the curvy body lines and tiny spaces that are almost imposible to get to. Spend a fortune to buy a name or a outdated machine that vibratesbso much you cant feel your hands at the end od the day. All said and done for the money spent Adams is the winner. Fan boys gona hate.
Nice video! Very informative. But it's also a little disappointing though. Because some of the other polishers on your results charts didn't seem to be included in your in-depth analysis section of your video. Mainly the long throw polishers; such as the Rupes LHR 21 and the Maxshine M15 pro. I wish you would have went a little more in depth on those, and why they received the scores they received.
It was literally a time issue. The video went too long as it was, so we were only able to dig in deep on those that finished on top. Sorry about any inconvenience. Thanks for watching.
$390 for entry level top pick and $160 for the pro pick? Am I missing something?
It's really the fact that the $160 polisher rose above the ranks and just performed excellent. Thanks for watching.
How does that one compare to the torqx?
@@Shoptoolreviews but why was the makita lumped in with the entry models? It’s too expensive for an entry level user to consider.
2 batteries on the cordless buffers will get you through an entire day? I figured a battery was only good for an hour if you were lucky. Sorry for repeating myself but on the battery powered buffer/polishers, 2 batteries will get you through an entire day?? Absolutely, positively? And if your not sure can you say with certainty that 3 fully charged batteries will get you through an 8 hour day? I am about to purchase a buffer, not sure which one but this question is so important to me. Thank you so much for answering my question and thank you even more for taking the time to make and share this video!! Hope you had a great 4th of July and GOD bless!!..
Rob, I think you may not fully understand what we're meaning here. Let me explain. With 2 batteries (3 is even better), you are able to use one while you're charging the other. This allows very little downtime due to dead batteries. Typically, it will take 2 batteries to get through a single car, just doing a single-step polish. If you do this for a living, then I'd highly recommend one of the FLEX polishers. They are the best cordless polishers right now, and they do an excellent job with their battery and charger technology. 3-batteries should enable you to keep one battery charged and on the tool, also invest in a 2nd charger or dual-port charger. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews Understood. Thank You Friend!!..
A shame I can't find any distributor for Griots in Europe with a normal EU plug
thank you guys!!
No problem. Thank you for watching.
Can you guys do a shootout review of mini polishers?
Griots gets the job done, until it randomly doesnt turn on. They'll cover ya, just gotta wait weeks for the new one, n only after they've accepted ur old one. Also they will never or rarely give u a new one, they will give ya a refurbished one. The used one they're giving u may have had 3 years of use vs the one u send in which might have 2 days of use.
We actually questioned Griots about this before we even published the shootout. We'd heard that the G9s were having issues with the trigger or power cord. Griots ensured us that the problem had been taken care of and there was a rolling change in production/manufacturing. The one we used in the shootout gets used 5 and 6 days a week, multiple cars each day. No failures. Thanks for watching.
Wow... thats depressing
WHERE DOES MILWAUKEE M18 STAND IN THIS RACE
only reason a company would decline to have their polisher not in this test is because they probably know they are not very good...
You said it, not us. ;) Actually, there are some nice machines out there, but sometimes these companies don't like to see their babies compared to others. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks for making this video! Hard to know what’s what when you’re looking to get started with detailing as a hobbyist. G9 it is!
That "entry level" makita is more than any of the pro models
We know what you mean. Thanks for watching.
Makita consistently outperforms all major tool lines in every category including “ industry 1st “ and the brand that everyone eventually copies . After 34 years in construction I believe that completely. Do your homework on battery technology etc ... you’ll agree
I agree why even look at the "entry level" when the best pro model is less than half the price. I think at that price Makita does not belong in the entry level category at all!
@@russmaf101 Their is no entry level, if you polish cars and thats what you love to do, makita is the tool 4 you .
It's the only one you can give to your grandkids working and tell them stories about it as you teach them how to polish your Lambo's together.
Great job.Thank you 👍
Thought this was Dustin porier getting Into detailing
Thanks for watching.
Hell of a review ..very helpful 🤟👽
Chemical Guys not reviewed says a lot about what they think of their competition and the quality of their product.
Griots lifetime warranty! End of story. Great job guys.
It's definitely hard to beat. Thanks for watching.
Awesome helpful review. Thanks for all your work on this. I am a DIYer with a new C8, and have used my PC 7424 for about 20 years. Thinking about getting something better.
If you've gotten that much time out of it, it must be better than realized. If you're not running a business, will it really be worth the cost in upgrading considering durability that is missing in this test?
@@bosshawg7427 cost is only one part of it though. If it greatly increases your enjoyment of the detailing process that might be something to consider. The porter cable is a tried and true workhorse without a doubt. But there are a lot more options out there now.
Yo what about Ryobi??? 😞
This was made before the Ryobi was released. Thanks for watching.
"it's hard to hold on to, it's not very long . . . ", that's what he said.
Thanks!
How is a 400 dollar da entry level ??
Milwaukee clearly needs to get into the DA business
Completely skipped any discussion about the entry level winner Makita.
Lol chemical guys said, I ain’t sending shiiii for free
They don't have legit polishers, they're just worried about selling product/s. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews
Excellent video
I would like you to help me with a few questions:
1) I want to buy a polisher to use only on electric guitars that have 2K clear coat automovite paint, would the Zota 3 Inch polisher be perfect for that use?
2) I am thinking between that Zota and Griots G8, but it costs 3 times more, and I don't know if it is much better, or if it is not worth paying that extra money, and a big difference in the final result is noticeable, since it will be used in a small area of 30x30 cm more or less
* I would like to get a perfect mirror finish on the 2k Clear coat paint, after sanding with 1500 and 2000.
I look forward to your prompt response
Thank you so much