Detailing World Forum banner

Rotary or DA - The same results?

6K views 33 replies 10 participants last post by  Cornish lad 
#1 ·
hi, just a quick question, i've read loads about how rotary is a better machine polisher but should not be used by a novice etc like me.

Also i've read about how DA's take longer for paint correction. This wouldn't be a problem for me as i'd rather spend a little longer on it than risk ruining my paintwork.

My question is, do Rotary and Da polishers create the same/similar results in the end? Or does a rotary simply have the better finish at the end of it?

Obviously its probably down to the man holding the tool but i'm unsure which to go for when I get a new car. Looking at the megs Da which is a bit pricey but if its good wouldn't mind shelling out for one if its the right tool. Is there anywhere that sells them second hand?

Thanks guys and gals, Andy
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum
You will get conflicting answers on this, as many people will have their own views on it, personally, I think the DA will achieve NEARLY as good results as a rotary, if I had to put a figure on it I would say 95% as good.
Obviously would take much longer, but like you, I prefer to take my time & use a DA.
Pretty much all the top detailers use both, as the DA is needed for trickier areas such as bumpers, thinner painted areas etc, & I'm fairly sure the bulk of them will prefer the rotary more so for it's speed of correction, as they are doing it for a living.
HTH
 
#4 ·
I have a Megs G220 & it's pretty good, much better than the porter cable in a few ways IMO, for a start it's 240v, & it's more torquey. The Kestrel DA6 also gets good reviews but doesn't have a carry case, no problem if you only use it at home.
For pads I use CCS orange light cutting, then CCS green polishing.
Menzerna polishes are good, I get my stuff from Polished Bliss who have a section on here, they have many packages on their site to suit all budgets.
Poorboys Black Hole Glaze is great for filiing in minor swirls too, it needs to be sealed in with a sealant or wax though, as it's only a glaze.
If you email the guys at Polished Bliss, they will give you the best advice for your particular paint.
Cheers
Ally
 
#9 · (Edited)
There is no real performance benefit of a DAS-6 or G220. The G220 has 550w of power the DAS-6 500w but you can't tell the difference. Our DAS-6 and the dodo ones come with canvas carry cases. The G220 comes in a hard box but you can't get it back in without taking the handle apart.

A nice step up in quality is the DAS-6 Pro which has all the benefits of the lower powered machines but the bigger (850w) stronger (7 amp) motor both makes it smoother and gives it that extra chunk of torque so it doesn't bog down at lower speeds so you can get very satisfying correction even on harder paints. It also benefits from a longer 6 meter lead which is extremely useful. The DAS-6 Pro even though it's cheaper IMHO is a superior machine to the G220.

Our DAS-6 both come with two backing plates 5 and 6" (the pro having a better quality 6" plate) the G220 has one. The DAS-6 also has a set of spare bushes which is handy as normally this is the part that needs replacing on a DA.

Rotaries are a step up and ultimately provide faster correction but the results are ultimately no better just quicker and it's harder to get right especially as a beginner just in the way it pulls and breaks down polish.

Tim
 
#8 ·
When I first started I was told a DA was ten times better than doing it by hand (Porter cable for Me as the Megs had not been made then) And the advice was correct. Then it seemed the rotary was the next step up. Not by ten times Maybe 5 ?? And the advice once again was correct. Much more power. Much better results with a whole load less effort. OK care needs to be taken But the rotary is not the fire breathing monster Some will have You believe.. I have a Makita and a Milwaukee. Both are excellent and My Porter cable has not been out of the box since I bought the rotary......:thumb::thumb:
 
G
#10 ·
there's a lot of know it all's about on forums who dismiss the DA,but imo a rotary is a better machine if your doing it everyday as a living as it will save time,but as above said most pro's have both and it depends on who is using the machine ie there skill level,ive achieved very good correction with an autosmart smart tool,ok took a few hours more than a rotary but still possible,i own the das-6 pro atm and its a fantastic little tool.
 
#11 ·
Got the das-6 pro from cyc and was able to achieve quite acceptable correction on my 911. Yes i could have gone with a Rotary BUT if i did stuff it up, the respray would end up costing me thousands so better to play it safe. Also didnt want the hassel of having to practice on a scrap pannel.

:thumb:

All i`ll say is the DA is a safer option.
 
#12 ·
DAs are the safer option ... because they do nack all :devil:

Go rotary ... learning a new machine is as difficult on the DA or the rotary. Might as well start out with the better tool. Better? Fast correction, as easy to get right as wrong compared to the DA (you can still burn through, get holograms and generally make a total mess with a DA), deeper finish, less vibration, more kudos ...
 
G
#15 ·
To say they do nack all is a bit of a crock. I was pretty pleased with the results i got with the DA. :buffer:

Maybe if the car is a real dog and your thinking wet sanding etc down the line, then thats a different game to the level of correction my car required.
olly1 i think you should listen to paul when it comes to machine polishing this guy is a guru with many years rotary polishing under his belt :thumb:
 
#18 · (Edited)
You guys saw the fiery devil, right?

If I was to answer with a "yeah, they're about the same ... one takes longer than the other and the other can look deeper, but one is easier for beginners and the other can burn though quicker if you're looking at that girl walking down the road rather than concentrating on what you're doing" we'd never get anywhere.

Split the answer apart into extremes and you can start to distill the nature of each tool ... afterall, we endlessly debate the odd percent difference between waxes, yet I think the difference between the DA and the rotary is somewhat larger.

FWIW, I spent a day with a lad the other weekend bringing him up to speed with his G220. We got total correction and his face went beyond smiling into a whole realm of disbelief - he didn't think his paint would ever look that good and certainly not with a DA. Mythbuster!

I am still wholeheartedly on the side of learning a rotary if it is to be your first machine ...

... and contrary to the myth, I'm not a guru ... nor do I have years under my belt. I have been machine polishing for about a year (with a rotary, having unsuccessful launches with DAs before and went back to hand polishing). I am very particular about the finish that I achieve and I do that through calm consideration and the skill I have built up through practice over the last year or so.

I still say, GO ROTARY!
 
G
#19 ·
fiery devil :devil::lol:,nah but it was red an old sealy polisher is what we learned on years ago,main job refurbishing old ambulance's old heavy cumbersome machine then on the gaffers porkers,for what i do now a DA is more than enough,the novilty will wear off after a bit paul most of us pro's well in my case ex pro now have spent years polishing and are more than capable with both DA or rotary,but after you say 5 attempts on a rotary and now your fully skilled well you must be good :lol:.
 
#27 ·
In the same boat mate, have you got a budget? That may help you decide.

Are you going to use it on only on your car or other cars?

Have you considered ringng Tim @ CYC for advice on a kit? He will mix & match products & pads to try and meet your needs.

Have you a PTG? At least try and get some one to read your car's paint depth so you have an idea of any issues before you start.

My roof was averaging 190 microns, but the lower half of my doors was 115, all pretty safe levels from my limited knowledge, but quite a difference all the same. I also have a resprayed panel, so no idea whats underneath the top layer or how thick the top layer is.

Are you purely after swirl removal? Or is there any scratches/RDS you want to try and remove?

I'm 90% sold on a DAS-pro myself and shall be ringing Tim to personalise a kit. eventually :D:D

Hope that helps rather than confuses the matter further as I do appreciate it can be daunting, or it is for me :)

atb

Tony
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top