I was going through my tool collection recently and I "discovered" a Porter Cable 7336SP orbital sander/buffer kit from TropiCraft sitting in a drawer. I bought this about ten years ago and never used it. Inside the box I found the 6 inch foam pad was yellowing and taking its time recovering from being squished. The black backer disc fragmented when I flexed it. Obviously that stuff is no good anymore.
I haven't kept up with current buffer technology, so is this one worth saving or should I be looking at another one? I'd use it for an E92 M3, as well as domestics and our Korean grocery getter. I'd like to be able to do buffing, waxing, and maybe take a try at basic paint correction. If I keep the buffer, what pads/backers should I be shopping for?
Good news.
Your buffer will still work. Mind you, there are quite a few newer, more powerful options for you but the 7336 will still work fine. It's exactly the same as the 7424 and the only difference really is yours came with a 6 inch backplate/pad combo. The 7424 comes with the 5 inch set.
Here's a link from the forum sponsor. Pads and backing plates are there.
http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polishers.html
I'd recommend two backing plates, a 3 inch backing plate for heavier correcting down the road and a 5 inch plate for general use. The 7336/7424 aren't the most powerful of the random orbitals but with the smaller pads, you can add more downward pressure and get reasonable results without the unit bogging down. And microfiber pads work better/more efficiently than many foam pads so they'll help to increase the efficiency of your 7336.
So, toss the old backing plate and pads and spend a bit at Autogeek and don't be afraid to ask for more suggestions.
Excellent. Thank you for the advice.
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