Rupes Polisher

L

Lightning

Member
Joined
27 Apr 2009
Messages
31
Visit site
Hi All,

Does anyone have any experience using the "Rupes Big Foot Random Orbital Polisher"

The advertising blurb suggests it is a step forwerd from the standard rotary polishers and if the price reflects its performance it should be excellent !!
 
It would need to be a big step forward, bcz the orbital polishers really dont have the torque and grunt to do more than a spit and polish.
Get a Makita polisher ;)
 
I have an old Rupes polisher. It's not this tricky new technology, but it has lasted very well. They're a well-respected name amongst car bodyshops. This one was second-hand after having been used for several years pretty much continuously all day, 5 days a week.
 
Friend of mine had a Rupes long bed orbital sander, though good at its job it ate rubber mountings like they were going out of fashion. Quality was certainly not worth the high cost.
Sealey tools are better built & cheaper.
 
I have the Rupes mini polisher. It's advantages are its slow speed and light weight. I have found it to be an excellent product with plenty of grunt when used with 3M lambswool compounding and polishing bonnets. I have no experience of the new model but would check its weight; an extra kilo or so might not seem much when you get it out of the box, but will seem a lot when your half way through polishing even a modest 30 footer.
 
View attachment 32869

My significant other half!
Currently using a Flex (I think, who are owned by Rupes) very happy with it, used daily.
The team that are responsible for designing this machine need a serious pat on the back. Deserves its nickname 'Ferrari of polishers'
Biggest selling point for me (there are a few) is the running noise, or lack of.
It also has amazing torque all through the low speed range, you can tell the quality of gearing mechanism as soon you spin it up, very nicely balanced.
 
laika said:
Nearly half the price of the makita (a quarter of the rupes) and much lighter. Do you have personal experience, what's the downside, and are there complications like needing strange and hard to t hold of pads? Any negatives to the dual-action thing from the boat polishing point of view?
Click to expand...

I have bought one, but haven't used it in anger yet. They are pretty much the same as a Porter Cable dual-action polisher, which I have used on my car. Pads widely available in different sizes and grades (in fact there is too much choice).

Small and light, easy to manoeuvre, compact pads make it easy to get into internal corners. You don't get many of these on a car!

Downside is that dual-action is slower than a rotary, but less likely to cause swirls or burn the surface.
 
nigelmercier said:
Downside is that dual-action is slower than a rotary, but less likely to cause swirls or burn the surface.
Click to expand...

Really sorry for going off topic (ie not rupes which is out of my league) but one more question on this if I may as I need to acquire a polisher in the next couple of weeks. I have 12.3 metres of boat to polish. All previous experience has been with heavy rotaries. Do you mean the head just rotates slower on the dual action, or that the process is slower because rather than wafting across the surface you're keeping it against the hull and just moving it bit by bit?
 
laika said:
Do you mean the head just rotates slower on the dual action, or that the process is slower because rather than wafting across the surface you're keeping it against the hull and just moving it bit by bit?
Click to expand...

The head rotates quite slowly, the main action is oscillation. It is slower because of this, but less likely to cause problems.
 
nigelmercier said:
The head rotates quite slowly, the main action is oscillation. It is slower because of this, but less likely to cause problems.
Click to expand...

Sorry to push the point but *how* slow compared with a rotary? Is this going to be like a thin brush: great for detail but you wouldn't want to antifoul a 12 metre boat with it?

(edit: Of course net net it could end up quicker if I can delegate to gullible friends without fear of them burning the gelcoat...)
 
laika said:
Really sorry for going off topic (ie not rupes which is out of my league) but one more question on this if I may as I need to acquire a polisher in the next couple of weeks. I have 12.3 metres of boat to polish. All previous experience has been with heavy rotaries. Do you mean the head just rotates slower on the dual action, or that the process is slower because rather than wafting across the surface you're keeping it against the hull and just moving it bit by bit?
Click to expand...

Dual action:

It rotates and oscillates

Depending on model and speed / power setting, the more pressure you apply the less rotation it has.
As Nigel states, its main function is oscillation, the better models have more torque and are able to both oscillate and rotate under load, the cheaper not so much.

Strictly speaking your polisher choice should boil down to what you want to achieve, now and in the future.

You can use a rotary for all stages of surface correction and is by far the best tool to have in your kit over a dual action.

You would never see a decent professional (say in the build up to the boat show) using a dual action polisher.
 
Last edited:
laika said:
Sorry to push the point but *how* slow compared with a rotary? ...
Click to expand...

The rotary and the DA will take the same size pads, the cutting action is less intense.

Marine Reflections said:
You would never see a decent professional (say in the build up to the boat show) using a dual action polisher.
Click to expand...

I agree, with the emphasis on professional. But a DA is smaller, lighter, and less prone to causing a cluster****.
 
laika said:
Nearly half the price of the makita (a quarter of the rupes) and much lighter. Do you have personal experience, what's the downside, and are there complications like needing strange and hard to t hold of pads? Any negatives to the dual-action thing from the boat polishing point of view?
Click to expand...
I have one. It really depends on what you want to do. If your gelcoat is in great condition, and it is a choice is by hand or with the car orbital, then yep, use the car orbital.
If you dont have a tool as yet, and the boat is a few years old and needs a bit of compound and then polish, then you wont get the same finish with the car one vs the Makita.
The Silverline £55 version of the Makita is ok.. not as nice to use and a bit agricultural, but use it with a decent backing pad and 3M wool bonnets and you can get a better finish than with the car one.
I have several, and no longer bother with the car one on the boat.
-Want something for car and boat?- cleanmycar
-Want something for the boat and a bit short of money today ? Silverline
-Money burning a hole in your pocket and are a powertool freak-Makita (or other top brand)
 
nigelmercier said:
The rotary and the DA will take the same size pads, the cutting action is less intense.
I agree, with the emphasis on professional. But a DA is smaller, lighter, and less prone to causing a cluster****.
Click to expand...


He / she who prepares correctly is less likely to cause problems, they may or may not be 'professional'.
Hands are dual action or rotary buffers, they cant be held responsible for damage?

I agree with you, lightness can be a huge benefit, I use the Mirca DA, fits in the palm of the hand, has sufficient torque, but I only really use it in the earlier stages of heavy correction / polishing with very fine wet polishing discs.

If I fitted a flexible diamond cutting disc to a rotary or dual action polisher, how long would it take to abrade and go through the various layers? maybe 1-2 seconds?
What if I replaced the disc with a fluffy soft wooly pad, now how long would it take me to go through? a day - possibly a week?

You choose your product to work with that fluffy soft wooly pad you've chosen, sand grains or just mayonnaise.

These choices are more important than rotary or dual action.

Don't be afraid of causing problems, if you approach with decent preparation, mild tactics (think mayonnaise), a decent rotary, set up with correct pads and product for the stage required, I doubt you will pick up another car type DA.
It is like moving on from a 50cc moped to a 600cc both will get you from A - B, one will be safer, but once you know how to ride a little torque is nice.


gigm,
I certainly don't have money burning a hole in my pocket - i wish! so I guess that just leave the powertool freak title for me then?

Guilty as charged!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top