Rotary Polishers

A rotary polisher spins the pad on a fixed axis, with no orbit. It cuts hardest of any polisher, so it is the machine for deep scratches and sanding marks, but it builds heat quickly and takes practice. The range covers full-size machines from Rupes, Maxshine and ShineMate, cordless ShineMate models and small rotary kits for spot repairs.

How to choose

• Full size or small: the Rupes LH19E, Maxshine 5 inch 1000W and ShineMate EP802 correct whole panels; the ShineMate EP803 and SGCB 12V kits take small plates for scratches, headlights and tight spots.
• Cordless: the ShineMate EB251-5 and EB210 have no cable to drag over the paint; a corded machine never needs charging.
• Beginners do better with Dual Action Polishers or Forced Rotation Polishers, which correct with far less risk.

Good to know

• A rotary can leave holograms, fine trails that show in sunlight. Finish with Finishing Foam Pads and Finishing Polishes, or go over the panel with a DA.
• Keep the pad flat and moving, and stay off edges and body lines, where paint is thinnest: tape them with Masking Tapes.

Is a rotary polisher better?

It cuts harder than any other polisher, so in practised hands it is better for deep scratches and sanding marks. It also builds heat quickly and can leave holograms, which is why most people start with a dual action polisher.

Related: Polishing Machines & Kits, Wool Pads, Heavy Cut Compounds, Dual Action Polishers. Popular brands here: ShineMate, Rupes, Maxshine, Vertool.