I see a lot of other random orbiter that is sold for a lot less money. It spins up to 3800 rpms, ranges in sizes, and takes different kind of bonnets.

Why buy a porter cable for 3x the price?

 

Reliability, ease of use and versatility. I have had my Porter for 6 years and have detailed over 100 cars. Still working like when it was new and like the old saying goes "You get what you pay for".

 

Seems like an S owner should know the limitations of spec sheet racing...

 

reliability

 

versatility - there's a-lot of products available that have been created for the porter cable. everything from various pads to handles. =)

also - since it's so widely used. There's alot of techniques + information available online as to what to use. Especially if you have the same car + color.

I have the Meguiars g100 - same thing but branded.

 

I feel like the pc takes forever to correct med to deep swrils. When I switched to the makita rotary, it took much, much less time. Any thoughts?

 

Thats not a secret. A rotary has far more cutting power than a random orbital like a PC. However, a rotary in the hands of an amateur is destined for problems, which is why most casual DIYers perfer the PC.

It's just like turboing a car...some might want a little less hp for more reliability. Same with polishers...some will sacrifice time for a little more of a safety net.

As to the original question, there is no better/more reliable random orbital on the market. It is the standard.

 

Also, the motors in cheap polishers while they may spin at similar speeds as a PC, most don't have the torque. They'll stop spinning as soon as any pressure is applied...and they're usually more prone to overheating.

And sure, a rotary in the hands of someone with experience will do much faster correction, but it's really easy to quickly burn through paint and clearcoat if you're not careful or don't know what you're doing. The PC is pretty much idiot proof, you'd have to really try to damage your paint with it. And the PC even has it's place in the hands of professional detailers. I know many that still use them for the final polish. Especially on dark cars so there are no buffer marks left behind.

 

You must not have been keeping up with all the new stuff coming out for the PC.

A lot of pros are switching to doing COMPOUNDING and heavy polishing with the PC. yes, the PC.

What makes it good? it can do everything, idiot-proof, easy to use, light weight. For amateurs and pro's a like it's becoming, and has been, a go-to tool.

 

looking to buy one...where should I look? (dont say ebay).