The Best Polisher by costumer review

Advanced Tool Design Model ATD-10511 7-Inch Polisher



43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid product, March 13, 2008
By Michael James Wamback "Mystic Raven" (Venice, CA USA)
This review is from: Advanced Tool Design Model ATD-10511 7-Inch Polisher (Automotive)
Drive a classic 76 Trans Am - and get lots of scratches and chips on the bumpers from street parking. Wanted a decent polisher for removing occasional scratches and periodic repainting of bumpers. Was very impressed with this product. Seems nice and solid, 11 amp motor has lots of power. Very basic in terms of what comes with it - but for about $60.00 you don't expect a lot of extras. (Besides, extra pads and such are readily available at your local auto store for a few dollar.) Not unusual of polishers of this quality to be $150.00 to $250.00 or more. Slow start is a great feature. A bit on the heavy side - but I consider that a plus as it means less plastic. Comfortable to work with and speed seemed smooth. Tried it on a few scratches on my rear panel and it took them out with a bit of rubbing compound with almost no effort. If you want a quality product for home use and don't want to spend a fortune, then I would definitely recommend this polisher. Not much in the way of instructions, but not much assembly required and it was pretty easy to figure everything out. Since this is the first polisher I've used, I really have little to compare it to, but I am very happy with it and expect that you will be as well. Can't wait for my next full day off so I can grab this tool and give my car a great all-over detailing.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars heavy, loud, powerful, helps develop `Popeye' arms . ., August 18, 2009
By trebe
This review is from: Advanced Tool Design Model ATD-10511 7-Inch Polisher (Automotive)
This buffer has plenty of power to get the job done, and appears to be well worth the money. Some minor assembly is required. There is a `manual' but it does not contain any instructions, instead it mostly covers general safety. Assembly is fairly simple. You first attach the curved top handle, either with or without, the straight side handle. The handle can be installed for either right or left hand operators. The buffer is top heavy, so installing the side handle is highly recommended.

This unit comes with the accessories to get started right away. For buffing, it has a wool pad, and rubber backing pad. For sanding, a Velcro backed hard plastic disc is included, but you will need to provide the sandpaper inserts. A special wrench for locking down the rubber backing pad is included.

Controls are pretty basic. There is a throttle switch on the bottom of the handle, with a lock button to keep the motor running. The speed control dial is on the top of the housing, and goes from 1 to 6 (maximum). The buffer starts to whine at around level 3, and gets screaming loud at full speed, when ear protection is definitely recommended. The amount of vibration will vary according to the task, and motor speed. When sanding or buffing fine dust is typically produced, so you may want to wear eye protection and a dust mask.

If you are into weightlifting, using the buffer on a vehicle may not be too difficult, but for those not so physically fit, managing the weight and vibration, could be a challenge. Because of the tool is about 18 inches long, your hands end up positioned about a foot apart, in order to keep the torque generated by the buffer under control. Just a little inattention can result in losing control, or dropping the buffer, and you don't want to hurt yourself, damage your paint job, dent your vehicle, or damage anything else.

The supplied wool buffer is quite thick, and does a pretty good job, but you do need to apply pressure for it to work. For the average sedan, buffing the hood and trunk should be the easiest. Things get harder when you do the sides, or curved or irregular surfaces, and have to both support the weight of the buffer, and apply pressure to the surface. Buffing non-flat areas usually requires changing angles, and varying the point of contact, and amount of pressure applied. Users will need to find the grip and techniques that work best. Buffing will require some finesse at times, and if your muscles are straining, this is when accidents can happen, or you can hurt yourself. Doing the roof can be tricky as well.

The listed weight of eight pounds, may not sound like a lot, but if you are bracing your body, locking your forearms, and squeezing hard on the handles for an extended period of time, you may find your muscles a bit sore, or in `shock' from the vibration, if you overdo it. Just go easy when using it for the first few times.

The pictured buffer has a blue plastic housing and black handle, but the unit also comes with an orange plastic housing. It has a ten foot cord with a twin blade plug, and comes with a set of spare brushes. The buffer does produce very good results, so if you have a strong back, and the upper body strength, it could be a very cool buy.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Rotary Polisher, June 3, 2009
By A. Whidding "aw" (North Carolina)

This review is from: Advanced Tool Design Model ATD-10511 7-Inch Polisher (Automotive)
I initially bought the Porter Cable, but sent it back as it makes an awful lot of noise. I reluctantly bought the ATD next based on good reviews and what looked to be a good design in the pictures.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize the ATD is only a rotary and not dual-action (orbital). This probably explains the price difference from the PC as the quality here seems to be at least as good.

There are a few other things you should know that are not explained elsewhere -- like what comes in the box? Well there is a little assembly required actually, as the handles have to be attached. And then there are 2 disc plates. One is a 7 inch Velcro pad which simply screws on. It accepts the 8 inch Meguiar's pads, but not the new 2.0 pads which need a 6 inch plate like the PC. The 2nd plate comes with a wool bonnet attached as pictured. It's a little trickier to install, but not too bad with the supplied wrench. And that's about it! Well there are 2 replacement brushes for the motor (which I'm sure to lose before I need them). But there is no carrying case, no instructions (other than a safety booklet), no nothing.

And that's probably OK. The price is nice and the tool has worked well the first few times I've used it. I would recommend one other consideration though. You are going to need to buy pads for this thing. The wool bonnet can only do so much. I would take a look at the Meguiars Dual Action Complete Kit which includes a dual action polisher and a few pads to get you started. Sadly I didn't see it online until after I had used the ATD a few times, but next time...