I've got some fiberglass polishing / buffing in my future. Both furniture and boat (jet ski). The furniture in particular will have a lot of details to do, and the jet ski isn't very large, so I'm considering a detail polisher rather than a big one. I have kind of decided on the Milwaukee M12 detail polisher, but wondered if anyone had other suggestions for it and why?
Home Depot has the M12 dealie with one battery for $189 right now: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M12-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Variable-Speed-Polisher-Sander-w-M12-12V-Lithium-Ion-CP-High-Output-2-5-Ah-Battery-Pack-2438-20-48-11-2425/326523857
For heavier cutting (which may be needed on the gelcoat of the jet ski), I use a rotary and keep a few bonnets for it - wool for heavy oxidation, and varying foams for polishing. I then have a D/A orbital for glazes and waxes.
Aside from my old-school approach and days worth of elbow grease, that's all I have.
I recommend the Milwaukee M12 detail polisher for its compact size, making it ideal for detailed furniture work and small areas on your jet ski. It's lightweight, versatile, and perfect for precision tasks. Other options might be bulkier and less efficient.
What's your budget and abilities? I'd be scared the 12v wouldn't have the power needed for any tough polishing.
I have an old school 7" high speed for heavier duty stuff when I need wool but have switched over to Rupes Bigfoot and Rupes iBrid nano for anything else buffing. You really have to do something stupid to make any mistakes with them. Pricey but buy once/cry once.
I actually got one of those M12 last month to buff out some swirls on moto fairings. It definitely has decent power for being so small, to the point where it's able to spin a lower fairing half around if you dont have it braced well.
I havent been spending much time per session, but working on various bike parts for 15-20min a pop would drop it to two bars, so if you went into a RedBull-fueled work frenzy, you may end up wanting a second battery.
