I finally purchased a PC 7424 "kit" from Coastal Tool.
The kit included a 6" velcro flexible backing plate (#18002) and 6" counterweight, seen in this link:

http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCar...fbf6+1095870113

Since I've never used a PC before, and have the 6.5" Lake Country pads on order, do I HAVE to switch to the 6" counterweight INSTEAD of the 5" (as stated on this site), or is it simply a matter of personal preference / tolerance of vibration??

Is it really going to make a BIG difference in the actual results, or just a matter of my hand "going to sleep" while using it??

And, my next questions:

1) Although I have ordered some Lake Country pads to use with the flexible velcro backing plate (white pads for polishes, like Sonus Paintwork Cleanser or 1Z Metallic, and grey for Klasse AIO and Klasse SG), does anybody use the enclosed original 6" foam-backed pad that is included with the PC?? Could one put the Lake Country pads OVER that foam pad, or would it not "stick" like the velcro-backed plate??

2)If I WERE to use the enclosed foam pad (with arbor), would it be most appropriate for applying a Klasse product (perhaps SG??), or maybe P21s Carnauba as a final "topper"??

3) And when using a "new" pad, is it always advisable to "mist" it with either distilled water, or a QD spray BEFORE applying the polish or wax product??

Sorry for all the "little detail" questions, but I want to take FULL advantage of this machine, and hopefully my arms (and my eyes!) can appreciate the finished product!!

Thanks in advance for the input and advice...
Harley

 

some info on the weight debate:
http://properautocare.com/pocacowe.html

(i dont use the weights either- the only time this was an issue was when i did a van with lots of swirls and light scratches- had to do several polishing steps on a very large vehicle at a higher than normal speed- then i felt the vibration)

so the answer to your q is that is in an opinion...

i use a bunch of different pads and backings and have never had any problems with any (except that the pad that came with the machine flew apart when i spun-dried it on too high of a speed when i was a newbee!)

i use the best pads on my car and experiment with the others on my beater or another family car... but have never seen any real problems with any pads. the main diff is usually how much cutting action the pad has.

not a bad idea to use a very light mist on a new pad... most of the time i dont mist- i load the pad and blot it against the car to get excess off of the pad on get the stuff on the car. then i work it.

just read some basic instructions on how to use the machine- good ones at the top of this forum-
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=221878
and my best advice is to practice on a beater if you can... if not, practice on your wife's car... if you cant, you are stuck! just take your time- you will be addicted in no time!!

 

Just my $.02 on the weight issue. When I first bought the PC, it had the counterweight for the 5" backing plate. I first put a 6" backing plate on it and used it like this for a while. Then I heard of the whole weight debate and switched over to a 5" backing plate and I did notice a pretty big difference in the vibration. I don't think that it affected the overall performance of the machine too much, but one thing I did noticed was that the machine seemed to bog down easier with the 5"weight/6"backing plate combo.

I say go with the recommended 5"weight/5"backing plate combo. This seems to be the best, imo.

-sam

 

Here is link on applying Klasse AIO by machine
http://www.properautocare.com/apklasbymac.html