5 Best Car Dual Action / Random Orbital Polishers for 2024

  • Written by: Amanda Myers

Our top 5 best dual action / random orbital polishers are the following: Meguiar's MT300 Pro Power DA Polisher, Shurhold 3101 Dual Action Polisher Starter Kit, Griot's Garage 10813STDCRD 6" Random Orbital Polisher with 10' Cord, PORTER-CABLE 7424XP 6-Inch Variable-Speed Polisher and Black and Decker WP900 6-Inch Random Orbit WaxerPolisher.

Firstly, we're going to tell you our criteria and how we rated them. The primary criteria are the following:

Ergonomic styling - Is it light and easy to grip? This is a first thing that we always want to see or feel in a tool. It has to be ergonomic and easy on the hand. We wanted to make sure that the product can be used for a long period of time without feeling uncomfortable or pain while using the tool.

Safeness - Is the product safe for the user and the environment? Of course, the product has to be safe for the user and on the surface of the object you're polishing. It shouldn't cause any damage on the surface of your car, boat, furniture, tiles, glass or any other objects that need polishing.

Easy to operate - Is it easy to start, maneuver and are the buttons easy to use? It has to be easy to use. We want a tool that can be used by not just professionals, but also non-professionals. If the tool is difficult to use, then it won't be as effective.

Effectiveness - How well and easy was it remove contaminants and defects on the car surface? The tool should be able to perform its primary function which is to remove swirl marks, scratches and any other defects found on the surface of a car, boat, etc. We also ask how much defect and what kind of defect it can remove. And how fast.

Durability - How long can a person use the product? Was it easily damaged? We want the tool to be able to last for a long time. Tools and machines are expensive and are expected to be used several times, not just one time.

5 Best Car Dual Action / Random Orbital Polishers

Product Our Rating Min. OPM Max. OPM Weight (pounds) Power Cord Length Dimensions Package Includes Voltage/Watts/Amps
Shurhold 3101 DA Kit
Shurhold 3101 Dual Action Polisher Starter Kit Review thumbnail FULL REVIEW HERE BUY HERE
2500 6500 4.8 20 7.5 x 16 x 6.2 Polish wax bottle 16 oz, polish foam pad black 6.5", microfiber towel, canvas bag, velcro backing plate, wrench, D-Handle, carbon brush 120v/500wattts/4.2amps
Griot's Garage 10813STDCRD
Griot's Garage 10813STDCRD 6" Random Orbital Polisher with 10' Cord Review thumbnail FULL REVIEW HERE BUY HERE
2500 6800 7 10/25 8 x 12 x 6 Backing plate, polish and wrench 120v/850watts/7amps
Meguiar's MT300
Meguiar's MT300 Pro Power DA Polisher Review thumbnail FULL REVIEW HERE BUY HERE
3000 7500 5.4 10 18.4 x 6.2 x 4.9 110v/500watts/4.2amps
PORTER-CABLE 7424XP
PORTER-CABLE 7424XP 6-Inch Variable-Speed Polisher Review thumbnail FULL REVIEW HERE BUY HERE
2500 6800 5.8 10 11.5 x 10.5 x 6 6" pad 120v/425.5watts/4.5amps
Black and Decker WP900
Black and Decker WP900 6-Inch Random Orbit WaxerPolisher Review thumbnail FULL REVIEW HERE BUY HERE
4400 4400 5 10 13.8 x 6.2 x 8.6 One foam applicator bonnet, two wool polishing bonnets 120v/60watts/0.5amps

Now, each product has its own special quality. I would say, among the 5 dual action /random orbital polishers, the Griot's Garage 6" Random Orbital Polisher is the most ergonomic. One look at it and you'll see how much work and improvement Griot's did to perfect it's exterior from the cord to the backing plate.

The safest product, I would say, is the Shurhold 3101 Dual Action Polisher. It is the only polisher with a built-in GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) which cuts off power to the unit when its submerged or shorted by water. This is why boaters love this product.

It is hard to choose which one is the easiest to use but the polishers from Meguiar's, Shurhold and Griot's Garage are my favorites in terms of ease of use. The porter-cable polisher is somewhat outdated in design and does not have the hook-and-look feature. On the other hand, the Black and Decker polisher has limited options in terms of speed settings.

I would choose Griot's Garage polisher as the most effective since it has a powerful motor of 850 Watts without burning your paint. However, it depends on how you're going to use the polisher. If you are a boater, the Shurhold polisher would be most effective for you.

In terms of durability, you won't go wrong with Meguiar's, Shurhold and Griot's Garage. These companies are top-notch in terms of quality and they provide warranty for defects and excellent customer service.

Scroll down to see a brief description for each product and click on "Read full review" to see more details.

Meguiar's MT300 Pro Power DA Polisher - Comes with several features making this polisher very conven

This polisher has all the features you are looking for in a highly-effective polisher. It has an ergonomic design, multi-position D-handle, counterweight, adjustable torque, variable speed settings, and most importantly the "soft start" feature which is very unique and you won't find in any other polishers. 

Shurhold 3101 Dual Action Polisher Starter Kit - Complete polisher kit with the longest power cord,

This kit has all the materials, accessories and features you need to start polishing. If you want to start right away without having to buy other polishing accessories, buy this. It includes the polisher, polish wax bottle, foam pad with a dimpled pattern, microfiber towel, bag, backing plate, wrench, and D-handle at a very affordable price. 

Griot's Garage 10813STDCRD 6" Random Orbital Polisher with 10' Cord - Top rated and most powerful po

It is a top rated polisher with the best ergonomic design and rubberized grip in my opinion. It also has the most powerful motor at 850 Watts and 7 Amp without having any risk of burning your paint. It has several advanced features with a hook-and-loop backing plate. If you want a safe choice, I would buy this polisher. This is a more expensive polisher but definitely worth the price. 

PORTER-CABLE 7424XP 6-Inch Variable-Speed Polisher - Most popular and inexpensive polisher for car o

This is the most popular polisher among car owners because it is inexpensive and can be used by beginners and for heavy duty work by professional car detailers. It has very simple functionalities so you can easily run it without having the skills required from a professional car detailer. It is also powerful enough to be used in a car detailing business.

Black and Decker WP900 6-Inch Random Orbit WaxerPolisher - #1 polisher for homeowners. Inexpensive a

This polisher is a great tool to remove light swirls and scratches as it runs at only 60 Watt and 0.5 Amp power, it is not highly recommended for heavy duty work or professional car detailers who polisher at a longer period of time. But since the power is not too strong, it is great for beginners and non-professionals. The product is well-liked by most homeowners because they prefer a light duty tool to polish their furniture, floors, tiles, glasses and more. After thorough research, the tool is also recommended by health care professionals as a massage.

These polishers are highly recommended mainly for beginners and non-professional car detailers because they were made mainly to allow these people to polish their car, boat or at home easily without needing to learn techniques or having to acquire professional skills.

So, these polishers are basically easy to handle, easy to operate, and safe to use. These polishers are small yet durable with ergonomic design and handle, easy to access switch and speed control, dual-action motion to prevent users from burning their paint while using these machines.

Why get a machine to polish when you can use your hand? If you are polishing a small object and you rarely do it, then there's no need to buy a machine.

But if you regularly polish your car and your car is quite big and has so many defects, you'll need a machine to make the job easier, faster with better results. Let's admit it, polishing by a machine shows better results than polishing by hand.

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