Meguiars G-110 Dual-Action Polisher: A tale of two polishers.
For more than a decade, the Porter Cable 7424 has been the tool of choice for car care enthusiasts venturing into the world of machine polishing. No other machine, from any manufacturer, offered the flexibility of using different backing plates & pads, the swirl-free safety of a random, orbital motion, a reasonable price and the 7424's legendary, near bullet-proof reliability.
In 2007, a Chinese-made clone of the 7424 entered the market with mixed reviews. We at Classic Motoring were asked to distribute this polisher but declined after the sample machine we tested failed.
Noting that Meguiars' new machine was also made in Asia, several forums were quick to proclaim that the G-110 was a repainted version of the Chinese polisher that first appeared in 2007. This is not true!
So, how does this new kid stack up?
For the purpose of this review, I am comparing the Meguiars G-110 with our Porter Cable 7424 Ultimate Detailing Machine which comes with a 6 inch, Velcro® Backing Plate and a White, CCS Technology Foam Pad. Both machines have the same retail price.
The Meguiars G-110 weighs in at 5.5 lbs, comes with a 5 inch Hook-and-Loop Backing Plate and has a 4.2 amp motor. It has a speed range of 2560 to 6700 OPM (oscillations per minute). Meguiars does not include any foam pad with the G-110.
The Porter Cable 7424 Ultimate Detailing Machine weighs 5.75 lbs, comes with a 6 inch Velcro® Backing Plate and has a 3.7 amp motor. A 6-1/2 inch, CCS Technology, White Foam Pad comes with the 7424 Ultimate Detailing Machine. The 7424's speed range is 2500 to 6000 OPM.
Both machines have a one year warranty and are UL approved.
I'll give Meguiars a gold star for packaging and presentation but should mention that the machine will not fit back into the case with the backing plate and handle attached.
If you're buffing for extended periods or working on a boat or RV, this handle is pure heaven.
The handle can be locked in any number of positions from straight up to full forward.
I've never liked side grips and prefer to grip the front of the machine by hand but the front of the 7424 can get hot during extended polishing.
While both machines performed flawlessly in a side-by-side comparison, the Meguiars' G-110 was noticeably "beefier". I used both machines, in a speed range of 3 to 4, to apply a polish and a final sealant. The G-110 appeared to have more torque at each speed setting allowing me to remove swirls and defects a little faster.
Nit Picks.
I do have some issues with the G-110 including Meguiars calling it a dual-action machine. For those of you new to machine polishing, the Porter Cable 7424 is an orbital polisher. The pads do not rotate, they "jiggle" in a random motion. This reduces the machine's cutting power (the ability to remove swirls, scratches & paint defects) but eliminates the possibility of the machine creating additional swirls. On a true Dual-Action polisher, like the Flex XC3401VRG and Makita BO6040, the pads still "jiggle" but there is a forced circular motion. Dual-Action polishers have more cutting power making them more capable of removing scratches, spots and paint defects while still being basically "idiot-proof". The Meguiars G-110 has no forced circular rotation. The pads "jiggle" in a random motion with a 5/16" throw. It does not have the cutting power of the Flex or Makita dual-action polishers. To be fair with Meguiars, it's our industry that's screwed up. Within the body shop industry, sanders that "jiggle" are called dual-action sanders. Body shop technicians would consider any polisher that "jiggles" to be a "dual-action" machine. True dual-action or two-mode polishers are not popular in the US but are widely used in Europe and by the world's automakers. This is a nit pick but the consumer should know they are not purchasing a "two-mode" machine.
The Meguiars G-110 machine comes with a 5 inch backing plate and Meguiars recommends using 6-1/2 inch to 7 inch foam pads. The 5 inch backing plate does provide plenty of grip. Meguiars chose a 5 inch backing plate to provide an extra margin of safety between the edge of the backing plate and the edge of the foam pad. The counterweight on the G-110 is not changeable and Meguiars does not recommend using pads larger than 7 inches. A Meguiars spokesperson told me the G-110 should work just fine with a 6 inch backing plate but they have not done any testing with a larger backing plate.
A 6-1/2 inch pad attached to Meguiars' G-110 5 inch Backing Plate. This results in a good inch of safety margin around the pad.
A 6-1/2 inch pad on my Porter Cable's 6 inch Backing Plate. There's more support for the pad but less safety margin around the edge.
I happen to prefer 6-1/2 inch foam polishing pads which I use regularly with my Porter Cable 7424 using a 6 inch backing plate and Porter Cable's optional counterweight.
Meguiars does not offer an upgrade counterweight for the G-110 so my favorite combination of backing plate and pad would not work on their machine.
Porter Cable offers an optional counterweight for using larger backing plates and pads on the 7424.
The G-110 machine polisher will allow even the first time user to polish, glaze and finish a vehicle to a mirror-like shine, without fear of swirls, in a fraction of the time it would take by hand.
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