rafiki_
Well-known member
I would go with Elessar’s recommendation
Yes. It’s expensive but for DIY it’s very easy.This one?
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Used Meguiars for some time now. Flagship Marine. After using most of the products mentioned, I find it the easiest to use leaving the best shine by a mile. Boat was polished by the dealer when we bought her in Sept. 18. Only hand polishing subsequently but I do finish off with a coat of Simonize Carnuba wax. About 6 quid from eBay. Meguiars is a 3M product too, which this year cost£28 direct from them, but so worth it. I have a Silverline polisher but jeez it's heavy.G3 eats gel and is very dusty, it foes okay with end eighties gelcoat matrixes a little bit worse especially over time with others.
You can use the same marine equivlent from Farecla but it still makes a lot of dust and is a headache to take off. Granted I have not used it since some years so they might have a new line which is better....
I suggest 3M (definitely the best), Macguairs, Shurhold, and Starbrite. Starbrite Marine Polish with PTEF is very good and easy to apply as a final coat (replacing wax).
I consider the Silverline (Makita clone) one of the best buys I ever made. Withstood heavy use on cars, caravans and boats for about 10 years, came with spare brushes I never needed yet and cost me only £40 with a selection of sponges and pads. I recently re-packed the gears with new grease as preventative maintenance.I‘ve had a Silverline for about 10 years. It is heavy, and does tire me eventually, particularly when I am polishing above my head. As others have said, the finish achieved is more about the mops and compound than the tool. I was rubbish at compounding when I first started, but after 10 years or so, can make a reasonable job of the boat. I have also found that the compound is more important than the wax for getting the best finish.