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Last Updated on September 5, 2023 by Chase Manhattan
Are you a beginner or an expert looking for the best buffer for your car? If so, you have come to the right place. For those of you still learning, we even have an easy step by step guide, to waxing a car with a buffer, just for you.
Buffing a car is an essential part of any car maintenance routine and can improve the look of a car significantly. There are a variety of buffers on the market, each with its own benefits and drawbacks, making it difficult to choose the right one. That’s why we’ve compiled a comparison of the best buffers available, suitable for both beginners and experts alike.
We’ll cover the features of each buffer, the pros and cons of each, and our overall recommendations throughout the rest of this article. So if you’re looking for the best buffer for your car, then read on to find out what’s best for you!
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Best Car Buffer Manufacturers
When it comes to finding the best car buffer, you want to make sure you are making the right choice because the best car buffer for you will depend on your individual needs and budget. With quality in mind..
There are a few manufacturers that stand out above the rest when it comes to car buffers. Chemical Guys, Adam’s Polishes, and Griot’s Garage are three brands that are widely known for producing some of the best car buffers around.
Chemical Guys
is a leading manufacturer of car care products and their car buffers are some of the best on the market. They offer a wide range of car buffers for all sorts of detailing tasks. Whether you are looking for a heavy-duty buffer for removing deep scratches or a lightweight buffer for waxing, they have you covered. Their car buffers are made from the highest quality materials and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit any job.
Griot’s Garage
is another top manufacturer of car care products, and their car buffers are second to none. Griot’s Garage car buffers are designed for maximum efficiency and durability. They are made from the highest quality materials and feature ergonomic handles for comfortable use. Griot’s Garage car buffers are designed to be powerful and easy to use, and they offer a variety of sizes and styles to fit any job.
Adam’s Polishes
As you may guess from their name, started off by making polishing pads with the best polishing compound you can find. Over time, they’ve expanded to meet the rising demand in the “polisher buffer” market.
When it comes to finding the best car buffer, these three are some of the best manufacturers around. They offer a wide range of car buffers that are designed to be powerful and easy to use. All three brands use the highest quality materials and offer a variety of sizes and styles to fit any job. With their car polishers, you can be sure you are getting the best car buffer for your individual needs and budget.
So let’s get into it. Next we’ll take a look at the best car wax buffers out there.
Best Car Buffer
Now, we’re going to take each potential car wax buffer and organize them by manufacturer. I will show you their most premium options, and then some other alternatives that will meet different price points and skill levels.
Chemical Guys TORQx
The Chemical Guys TORQx Q22D Waxer Polisher is one of the best orbital buffers on the market. It is a dual action, random orbital buffer polisher, designed for polishing and removing swirl marks, scratches, and defects, from any car’s paint job.
This buffer polisher in particular has a 680 Watt electric motor with an Electronic User Interface (EUI), digital display, and variable speed control. As shown above, it is a kit that contains:
- 1 x Dual Action Polisher
- 4 x Polishing Compound of varying strength
- 3 x Polishing Pads
With that being said, it is one of the best car buffers on the market but comes at a steep price tag of $359.99 when not on sale. For this reason, there are several other variations of the same product that will appeal to different price points.
Alternatives
Chemical guys torqx buf501x complete kit
This car buffer, the TORQx BUF501X is a variation of the TORQx Q22D shown above. It is a random orbital polisher with a digital display and multiple speed settings, just like its counter part. The backing plate on this model, where you connect your polishing pad, is a bit smaller, along with the body of the polisher – lengthwise.
The manufacturer notes that this buffer polisher cleans, restores, and prolongs the life of your polishing pads – wool pads, foam pads, and microfiber pads alike.
This car polisher kit comes in at $269.97 when not on sale. It contains:
- 1 x BUF501x Car Polisher
- 4 x Polishing Pads
- 4 x Polishing Compound Variants
- 1 x Bottle of Polishing Pad Cleaner
- 1 x Bottle of Polishing Pad Conditioner
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BUF501x Kit without pad cleaner & conditioner
If you’d like to get the BUF501x without the additional spray bottles, it is available for sale at a price of $249.99 via Amazon.
This kit still includes:
- 1 x Random Orbital Polisher Buffer
- 4 x Polishing Compound Variations
- 4 x Polisher Pads
BUF501x Kit without polishing compound & four pads
Again, this is the same machine, the BUF501x Random Orbital Polisher Buffer with variable speed control and a digital display. It is priced at $219.99 when not on sale.
This kit contains:
- 1 x Random Orbital Car Buffer Polisher
- 2 x Foam Pad
- 3 x Microfiber Towels
- 1 x VSS Scratch & Swirl Marks Polishing Compound
- Foam Pad Conditioning Spray
Polishing pad replacement kit
Naturally, rotary buffers will eventually wear out your pads. If you’re in need of some more, or want to stock up ahead of time, there is a buffing pad kit available via Amazon.
No need to worry about finding the right pad, these pads are compatible with all Chemical Guys TORQx products. The kit includes:
- 7 x Universally Fit Buffer Pad
- 1 x Bottle of Pad Cleaner
Adam’s SK PRO 15mm Professional Buffer Polisher
Adam’s 15mm Professional Buffer Polisher is from the SKO PRO line which has some of the best car buffers on the market. This one in particular is designed to be a car polisher, so it is not a variable speed polisher like the products we covered earlier but can still apply glazes, sealants, and wax. It is also a great option to remove light scratches, or deep scratches, from a vehicle’s exterior. It is priced at $304.99 via Amazon, when not on sale.
One of the features that stands out about this car buffer is the detachable handle, 25 Ft. cord. Per the manufacturer, this car polisher buffer is designed specifically to remove swirl marks, scratches, and other defects, to restore a vehicle’s luster. However, it can also be used to scrub carpets and upholstery.
Since it is not a variable speed polisher, Adam’s decided to give this polisher a larger application area. This means that you can apply car wax to a car’s paint in less time than before.
Alternatives
Adam’s Swirl Killer 12mm Car Buffer Polisher Kit
This car buffer is similar to the SK (Swirl Killer) 15mm Pro model, but is designed slightly different with a 12mm backing plate. It is a kit that is available for $159.99, when not on sale, via Amazon.
This kit contains:
- 1 x Car Polisher Buffer (12mm)
- 1 x Polishing Compound
- 1 x Buffing Compound
- 2 x Microfiber Pads
- 2 x Wool Buffing Pad
This machine, due to its size, is great for applying wax in tight spaces. However, the motor still has plenty of power to polish cars with larger surface areas. It is versatile enough to get the job done regardless of circumstance.
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Adam’s 9mm Dual Action Car polisher buffer
Adam’s 9mm Dual Action Polisher Buffer is very similar to the SK-PRO 15mm model that we covered above. It is a dual action polisher buffer without random orbit capability. It is a cheaper alternative to other tools, pricing in at $121.49 via Amazon.
This waxer polisher has the same SK (Swirl Killer) characteristics, and the same motor, but has a smaller backing plate. Still, it has plenty of power to wax or polish your car; it can also be used for paint correction or to remove light scratches from clear coat. Since it is safe to use on carpet and upholstery it can also be used to remove stains from inside your vehicle.
Adam’s Swirl killer micro
The Swirl Killer Micro is based on products from the Swirl Killer Pro line, but this product stands out because it is a cordless option that comes with one 12v battery.
Like many rotary buffers, this item comes with multiple polisher head attachments in a 3mm and 12mm option. Due to its size and cordless nature it is an ideal machine to polish or apply wax in tight spaces.
This machine is a variable speed polisher that houses it’s variable speed dial on top of the unit allowing for quick changes of power. With the variable speed dial ranging from 2000-6000 OPM (orbits per minute) this motor is flexible enough to get the job done, regardless of the vehicle.
It is available via Amazon for $230.39. It is also offered in a kit for $323.99.
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Griot’s Garage G15 Long Throw Random Orbital Polisher Buffer
Griot’s is relatively unknown amongst the “civilian population” but most professional detailers are familiar with the product. This G15 Long Throw Variable Speed Polisher, in particular.
Unbeknownst to most, this machine is powered by a 1,100 watt ‘big block’ motor. Per the manufacturer, this is a 22% increase in power polishing ability. While I’m recommending this to you, the power this machine possesses is best wielded in the hands of a professional detailer.
This machine is a variable speed polisher with adjustable speed control in the form of a variable speed dial ranging in levels from one to five; it also provides more control with a highly sensitive throttle trigger. An innovative fan-cooled backing plate extends pad life, per the manufacturer. It is available for $249.97, when not on sale, via Amazon.
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Alternatives
Griot’s g8 mini random orbital polisher
The G8 Mini Random Orbital Polisher from Griot’s is a hidden gem. It’s a smaller version of the G15 Polisher Buffer, but still has plenty of speed & power to get the job done. The power comes from a 700 watt motor that has a 191% increase in power from the previous motor, a 240 watt 3″ Random Orbital. Like its larger counterpart is has variable speed control through a dial ranging from one to five.
You also have an adjustable random orbit from the additional backing plates supplied in the box. With this kit, you receive:
- 1 x Griot’s Random Orbit Car Buffer
- 1 x 2″ backing plate
- 1 x 3″ backing plate
The 2″ & 3″ backing plates offer you large amounts of flexibility in between cars. The 3″ is best used for larger surface areas while the 2″ plate is best to polish paint in tight spaces, or paint that’s near lights.
