Probably time to move from random orbital to DA polisher

Ive been using the typical box store type of random orbital waxer for years with great results. The one I have is a 9 inch unit and has been great for wax application on my vehicles and boat.
It is good for wax application but that is about it, no pad changes or any real deep cleaning ability.

I am looking at the G9 and have some questions. First...the pads! Griots has all sorts of different pads and I don't understand the differences. There are foam of different colors/grades, microfiber, wool.

What do I need to get started with the G9? What types and how many of the pads? I would need stuff for wax application as well as something for some light cleaning/polish of certain areas.

Any info, links, vids would be appreciated. I am quite good at cleaning/detailing with the tools I have and get nice results but am ready for a setup that will get better results, less work than using the old school stuff I have now.

 

Type and quantity of pads will depend on what youll be doing in a day/weekend. Im an occasional detailer and I like having 2-3 pads of each, foam and mf. Personally love the Rupes and Lake Country pads, but thats totally up to you and the products you will be using or are familiar with.

Ive had my Flex 3401 and Rupes LHR21 for years, love them and have found what works for me with these machines...totally different than what I started with, a Porter Cable 7424.

Id stick with pads youre familiar with, just now for a bigger machine. Start there with maybe 1-2 of some L/M/H pads to see if you like them.

 

Not sure how Griots does it, but Adams Polishes has a system that the polishes and pads are the same color, i.e., if the polish is orange, use an orange pad. Of course this works in Adams favor, but the benefit is you don’t have to experiment to find a pad that works best with the polish.
I use a Flex 3401 that I bought in 2008. Expensive but well made.

 

To keep things simple....Griots has what they call the BOSS system.....where the pads are matched, by color, to the associated product. I like the BOSS pads because they are thinner, and therefore, easier to keep rotating. Light cleaning/polishing would (most likely) be achieved with their yellow pads and Perfecting Cream. For wax application, their black, or red, finishing pad with your product of choice. Here are some links you may find useful:

Yellow pads - https://www.griotsgarage.com/boss-p...wPDNB23_cFiVGKrCylkuP3CjmAJtWGXAaAvcWEALw_wcB

Black pads - https://www.griotsgarage.com/boss-finishing-foam-pads/

Perfecting cream - https://www.griotsgarage.com/boss-p...dXDwcQEH3UkUA93O5c5KmBCz4l5Z3xSIz1B6P_D2v8rfY


Keep in mind....this is only a starting point. Griots BOSS system is pretty solid.....but not perfect for every situation.

 

I purchased a G9. War Machine made these comments on this thread: https://www.tundras.com/threads/a-few-questions.148142/

“The G9 is generally considered the best DA you can get without stepping up to the higher end models like Rupes. It’s an outstanding machine. I highly recommend it. The red pads aren’t going to do any correction to speak of. They’re more for applying wax and sealant. For light polishing you’ll want the black ones. For a bit more correction you’ll use orange, then likely need to follow up with black.

I found his advice right on. I also ordered the 10895 Ceramic All-in-One. A cleaner wax that Griots mentioned would last one year.

I did the passenger side on my Black Tundra with the red pad. There was some correction, but not great. I know the red pad is not used for correction, but I didn’t want my inexperience to leave swirl marks all over the truck. On the driver’s side I switched to the orange pad. The correction was much more noticeable. Now to see if the 10895 Ceramic All-in-One last one year. I will most likely layer it with some Griots Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax spray.

 

Griots has some nice tutorials on YouTube and their website about pads. Simply put, the difference in the pads is the aggressiveness of correction.

Orange or yellow are common for lighter correction and red and black for finishing. As mentioned, the BOSS pads are different than the non BOSS pads in that they are thinner.

This screenshot has a nice graphic showing the scale of aggressiveness. And a thinner pad will be more aggressive than a thicker pad

 

Thanks everyone. Got the G9 and a bunch of Griots pads, products, etc for Christmas. Ill be trying everything out once the cold and crappy weather goes away.

 

The polish you use will make a difference too.

Briarpatch recommended the BOSS™ Perfecting Cream and gave you a link. When I called Griots recommended the 10895 Ceramic All-in-One https://www.griotsgarage.com/search-results-page?q=10895 Ceramic All-in-One.

Not sure how much correction, if any your paint (or Gel coat) needs.

For my boat I use Meguiar's Flagship Premium Cleaner/Wax https://www.meguiars.com/marine/products/meguiars-flagship-premium-cleanerwax-32-oz

And they finish with Collinite No. 885 Fleetwax Paste (https://www.collinite.com/product/no-885-fleetwax-paste/) If the finish on your boat is very good, you can probably get away with just the Collinite. Or you can just call Griots and see what they recommend and stick with their system.