What are your thoughts on using the cylone dual head for buffing or polishing? - Autopia Forums - Auto Detailing & Car Care Discussion Forum

krtoflas

I have a cyclone scrubber that i have only used from scrubbing interiors. I see that there are a lot of other accessories sold for this machine for use with polishing or buffing. Has anyone used it for that purpose? What are the advantages or disadvantages. I want to determine if it is worth spending them money on the pads

Stephan

I have always wanted to try one, but I was curious on how big and bulky they appear. On flat surfaces, like the hood or trunk it maybe ok, but it lloked cumbersome to handle on vertical surfaces. But I have heard they work great.

krtoflas

The people that i have spoke to in the past the use it say they like it better than using a high speed buffer. More control and less chance of swirl. I'm very curious

Stephan

I wonder on the cyclone does each pad spin in the same or opposite directions?

krtoflas

Thats a good question. I never really noticed when using it as a scrubber. I will get back to you on that when i am at the shop later.

Ronkh

Wait for member tuscorora Dave, he has one and loves it.

max080

Just wondering if you were still around and have decided on getting the pads or not. I have a cyclo and a pc and I would say I use the cyclo 99% of the time. It's a very smooth operating machine. Do you have a polisher now? I would say the investment in the pads as opposed to a whole new machine plus pads is well worth it. I really don't think you would be disappointed in its abilities as a polisher.

RTexasF

Are you talking about Cyclone or Cyclo? If it's Cyclo I have one and like Max080 I use it almost exclusively. I don't know what a Cyclone scrubber is......google produced nothing to do with buffing cars.

tuscarora dave

yes I would recommend the purchase of the pads for the " Cyclo". The Cyclo is a great tool as a scrubber for carpets and there are also softer brushes available for it for scrubbing seats and headliners and such. The power of these polishers is incredible, you can practically stand on them during operation. What sold me on the polisher was the parts availability and total rebuildability. Cyclo Toolmakers has a parts list for the new style and the old style Cyclos, they say that there are 50 year old Cyclos still in operation today. This to me is very impressive.

The dual heads do both spin in the same direction. The dual head design makes owning one a bit more expensive but much worth the added expense IMO. It definately has it's place in my detailing process.

While the Cyclo is a bit heavy, once you get used to using it it is a breeze to work with. It has it's down side as with most good things. The only thing I do not like about the Cyclo is the OEM pad holders (hard plastic with a rubber boot around it with the velcro on the boot. I have had some rubbing of the rubber boots against the mirrors and some areas around the front grill areas that have set me back a bit. I have replaced these OEM holders with 3 3/4 inch backing plates from Poorboys ( the thread is the same as the PC) and this has made it a much nicer tool to use.

As far as paint correction it blows the PC away. The rubber coated handle has a very ergonomic design and is very easy to hold for an 8 hour day of use. Personally using a PC has made my hands go numb in only ten minutes of use. I have never experienced this with the cyclo.

I give the Cyclo two big thumbs up as a polisher, a sander, a scrubber and If i got creative I bet I could come up with a back massaging attachment for it,lol, Lord knows it would have the power to handle such an undertaking.

I only wish there were more people using them and more available threads with information on their use. It is said that this it the tool of choice for polishing Air Force One. Try doing that with a PC.

Having said all this, I do not work for or am not in any way affiliated with Cyclotoolmakers. I just like this machine this much, but honestly as I get better and better with my rotary, I use the Cyclo less and less.

Dwayne

The Cyclo is a great machine for polishing and waxing. It also has the ability for safe swirl removal as well. They are not variable speed, you have a toggle switch and the heads orbit at 3000 orbits per minute.

The housing is built like a tank too and they tend to last for years.

PeteJohnson

I haven't tried it yet but now that you mentioned it, I ought to give it a try. By the way, what polishing product do you use?

krtoflas

Great Feedback as always. After the new year I think i will be purchasing some of the different brushes and pads for mine to give it a whirl.

mrclean81

I've never used anything but a rotory but these caught my eye. As far as speed, would these be faster than polishing with a rotory? Time is money and I'm always looking for new tools that save me time but don't compromise quality.

tuscarora dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrclean81

I've never used anything but a rotory but these caught my eye. As far as speed, would these be faster than polishing with a rotory? Time is money and I'm always looking for new tools that save me time but don't compromise quality.

Deffinately NOT faster than a rotary, but you can get pretty fast results with this tool and a good bit safer for less experienced folks. Once I got my rotary the Cyclo is mainly my go to machine for carpet scrubbing duties.

vdubbya

I have been using my Cyclo exclusively since 2004. Since then I have bought a second Cyclo in 2010 and retired my older machine as a back-up. It's true about the replacement parts availability and service. I have had to replace the carbon brushes, a handle, pad holders and a power cord and that is it. These machines are built to last.

They have now come out with a variable speed controlled Cyclo called the Pro5. That's a great option but I really don't see it as a necessity. With the right combinations of pads and product, the Cyclo can provide near perfect results. These results will take more time than a high speed tool but you totally loose the the chance of burning anything.

The Cyclo is also a great tool to use on carpets with the optional carpet brush attachments. I rarely need to use the Cyclo for this but it's nice to have that as an option if all else fails.