Matt, this is a wonderful vid. As someone that has been detailing off and on for 20 years, and constantly keeping up with new products, this was super informative. I plan on going all in on detailing soon, and the tools were my only concern and you answered my questions. Cordless options were a big question, especially as complete replacement to corded tools. Keep up the good work brother 👏👍
Glad I could help. Changing to all battery powered polishers has really changed the game for me. I don't have to worry about dragging the cord around or work in these awkward angles to keep it out of the way.
Comment towards the 1in, I use the handheld rotary from millwaukee M12 attached to the Maxshine 1in rotary. Little bit of ingenuity and a lot better for two hands.
I appreciate all the work and effort you put into finding the perfect solution. I have thrown away more detailing products than I've used. Thanks for the time and effort put into finding the best stuff.
Matt….great review and commentary. Viewers can pick and choose, depending on their budget and workload. Thanks for doing the big job of culling and curating. 👍
PXE-80 is a great machine I agree with Matt, I don’t love it for 1” and don’t use it much as a 3”. Flex released a 2” backing plate which I love with Lake Country 2” SDO pads
Matt, give Koch Chemie MSN a try for cleaning microfiber towels in the wash. iv been using it since may this year and have loved how soft and absorbent it makes the towels. i use 1oz of MSN for light loads and 2oz for heavy loads
For how much I use a 3" machine, the Flex PXE80 is still perfect. The only time I use it in 1" mode is if I have the need to do some edge work where I have sufficient clearance (and I don't want to switch adapters on my Nano). That flex shaft adapter is perfect for polishing wheels (to either remove defects or abrade old coatings to re-coat). Speed 1 is all anyone should ever use with that rotary tool, and I've had very good luck just setting it on a cart so that I have two free hands. The Mirka is nice and I love how smooth it seems to be, but I think 4000 rpm minimum speed is too fast and I can't get past the lack of a trigger lock. At 42 years old with a lot of physical labor as well as computer time over the years, my hands aren't going to react well to that. Not too mention the fatigue that sets in because your arm is locked up from squeezing the trigger. If they add a trigger lock, I might consider it someday.
I laughed when you said that you need a third hand for the Flex PXE 80. As a former mechanic, I often said that I wish I had a third arm and hand when I was working on cars.
I do like the PXE-80. The quick connect is great for switching pad/orbit sizes. But it’s not a replacement for the Rupes iBrid for tight areas. But I did pull the trigger for the Mirka as a dedicated 3”, I hope to get it next week. You can get by with a lot less and do exactly the same job. But at this point in my life, it’s all about the user experience. I trade money for ease of use, lol
Matt what is OG Spec for polishing glass? I have a Tesla Model Y with typical daily driver usage and the glass is fairly clean but with water spots even after a nice wash. Was thinking of getting Griot's Water Spot Remover to start but contemplating an eventual glass polish session.
I'd say at bare minimum a set of six pads each is a great start. I thought it was going to be four but I changed my mind but like you mentioned, twelve would be even better! As mentioned before, two BigFoot tool is a must as well. I see a bottle of KCx GUF in the microfiber cabinet.. how has your user experience been with that product? I may pull the trigger during the TRC halloween sale soon.
sold my PXE when i got the nano and the HLR. I just found adapters to make the rupes nano work with cones like the PXE does. Ill email you a link to them, they should be in the store.
Now that the cordless HLR15 Rupes machines are out, do you still recommend the Milwaukee as a great option or have you switched. I’m a considering one of the 2 over the GG G9?
I wonder what it is you’re doing different where you are experiencing that with megs 110? Larry AMMONYC swears by that combo and I think he’s been using that combo for a long time.
Sometimes people just find something that really works for the way they polish. I have several systems I'm famaliar with, but I tend to stick to what works best for me. For instance, I'm not a big fan of Sonax Perfect Finish because it dusts amd clogs up the pads. So I use something else. It doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with the Sonax, it's just that I've found a better option for me, like M205, M210, 3D ONE / AAT502, or what I mostly use, Optimum Hyper Polish. A product need not be used by social media pros to work for John Q Public.
I have heard a Rupes 3" that has a bunch of hours on it, and it sounds like a roll of quarters got released in the dryer. It has since been sent to Rupes because of the racket compared to one with a few hours of use.
Why not? The Milwaukee is 95% of the way there and is cordless. The only thing the RUPES does better is that is has a little better counterweight balance. The Milwaukee transfers a bit more vibration through the machine into your hand.
