Every Major Dual Action Polisher Brand Ranked Worst To Best

When you realize that hand-polishing simply isn't practical to get your RV shiny, or that you want to start your own detailing business, a dual action polisher is the best way to start. Whereas a standard rotary polisher simply spins a pad, dual action polishers combine oscillation and rotation to produce a sort of wobble effect — a circle made with other, smaller circles. By adding another pattern into the rotation, dual action polishers help prevent heat buildup that could damage paint while effectively removing blemishes and minimizing swirl marks in the finish. Rotary polishers have their uses, especially when handled by a professional, but for the beginner or weekend car detailer, a dual action polisher is a more forgiving option.

A quick search on Amazon will reveal several polishers, dozens of brands, and tons of styles and power levels. We ranked brands based on product recommendations and reviews across retail sites, forums, and YouTube videos by professional detailers and tool experts. Additionally, my own 15 years of experience as an automotive technician — using various dual action polishers for detailing, headlight restoration, and scratch repairs — also influenced our rankings. We have also provided links to a dual action polisher from each brand that we feel represents the brand's strong points. 

Although the 10 brands we've chosen are ranked from worst to best, even the lowest-ranked pick is good for a beginner looking to practice polishing a vehicle with little initial investment.

We'll kick things off with a SlashGear favorite for people on a budget: Harbor Freight. Harbor Freight stocks a wide selection of Bauer tools, including handy outdoor power equipment. Its products are all value-priced, and most of it is great for weekend projects or small scale jobs.

In that vein, Bauer makes perfectly good polishers for beginners. They're cheap, they get the job done, and many detailers say they had them when they first got started in the business. Harbor Freight carries three different polishers, but the one we've heard the best things about is the Bauer 5.7 Amp 8mm Short-Throw Random Orbit DA Polisher/Sander. It's a corded tool, which means longer runtime but at the cost of mobility. It's important to keep track of that cord — the last thing you want is to mar a nice polish by allowing the power cable to drag across a surface. The Bauer DA polisher also one of the most affordable on our list, priced at around $65 at Harbor Freight.

The Bauer DA Polisher features a powerful motor, six-speed settings, and a lock-on slide switch so you don't need to keep a finger on a trigger while working. It includes an auxiliary handle, although some pros suggest not using it to keep even pressure on the tool during polishing. User complaints include noise and vibration issues, but for the price, this remains a great tool for occasional use.

The Chemical Guys is a brand that's been making car cleaning, detailing, and polishing products since the late 1960s. Many weekend warriors love the Chemical Guys for their huge variety of detailing products, money-saving bundles, and training courses; however, pros and enthusiasts complain that market oversaturation and aggressive branding and advertising have led to a drop in both the brand's quality and standing in the detailing community.

While it's difficult to judge the Chemical Guys based on the internet's opinion  — fans loudly defend the brand, but haters are just as loud — their Torq polishers do not have a great reputation. The Torq X is one example of a tool that's well-received by enthusiasts of the Chemical Guys, but more poorly reviewed elsewhere on the internet. The Torq X available on the Chemical Guys website for $150, and features a mechanical safety shutoff and a top speed of 4200 rpm, but at only 680W it's considered a low power tool compared to similar competition from other brands. A common complaint is that the tool is incredibly loud, and some users also complain about heavy vibration during use. Poor engineering is also noted, as the tool's power switch is located at the bottom of the tool, making it difficult to reach during use.

While there are plenty of good reviews out there, it's hard to ignore negative feedback when it's consistent across several sources. The price of this tool isn't bad, and when it's included in a Chemical Guys bundle, it might be worth it. However, there are better options for entry-level polishers.

Founded in 2006, Maxshine is a Chinese company that specializes in detailing tools, applicators, and accessories. The company's product lineup includes everything you'd need to take care of a detailing job like a pro or even break into the business, like chemicals, stools, tool storage, and polishers.

An often-mentioned pick among both car and boat guys for a low-priced dual action polisher is the Maxshine M8S V2. This tool is an 8mm, 1000W corded polisher. It's a little more powerful than the 900W M8S Version 1, and it's more streamlined than the original version, with a comfortable hand grip at the front end and a slimmer build overall. Pros sing the praises of this tool for polishing, waxing, and sanding, making it a versatile and affordable pick that's also lightweight enough for bigger jobs like boats. The Maxshine M8S V2 is available on Amazon in either red or bright green for under $140.

Some users complain that if you use too much pressure, the tool will stall out, but that's true of nearly every dual action polisher. Other common issues include the lack of a controlled start — the unit only has an on/off switch and dial-in speed controls rather than a pressure-sensitive trigger — and the noise issues that plague most budget-priced tools.

Another Harbor Freight brand, the well-equipped Hercules tool line has grown since its introduction, with fans loving its cheap prices and great power for the price. Some of Harbor Freight's best tools are in the Hercules lineup, and it's generally regarded as one of the best brands that the discount tool shop carries.

Of the three polishers Hercules makes for Harbor Freight, only one is a dual action model. However, the Hercules 8 Amp 6" Forced Rotation Dual Action Polisher is a great bargain when you consider its robust feature set. The tool combines the dual actions of oscillation and rotation that remove swirls, along with gear-driven rotation to prevent stalling under pressure. Other highlights of this polisher include soft grips on both the head and the back body of the tool, a soft start control trigger, and two rubber rests to keep your pad off the floor and the tool from marring your work surface, if you need to put the tool down.

Carrying a price tag of around $140 at Harbor Freight, the Hercules dual action polisher is less than half the price of comparable tools from brands with better reputations. While price alone is enough to sell some customers on this tool, even pros say that this is a great polisher, especially for those users who have gained some experience with a free-spinning dual action polisher and want to move up to a gear-driven model. However, for anyone using the tool more than a few times a year, or for professional work, a brand that's proven to be more reliable is probably worth a look.

Makita's signature blue tools can be found on any job site or professional shop around the world. The brand frequently appears near the top of SlashGear's tool rankings, and its commitment to quality and innovation keep it at the front of customer's minds when shopping for a new power tool. And while Makita's tools are generally priced for professional use, the company does have a good selection of must-have tools for new homeowners and basic handyman tools. 

The Makita PO5000C is a versatile tool, and one I have some experience with personally. While we've written about Makita's 2025 lineup of new tools, this dual action polisher is an older model introduced in 2017. The tool's ability to switch from free to forced rotation makes it a great pick for users of different skill levels or for different applications.

I used the Makita PO5000C at my last auto shop job for headlight restorations and occasionally for cleaning up minor scratches. One feature I particularly like about this polisher — and, honestly, one I thought was standard until I used more models from other brands — is its electronic controller, which allows the tool to "ramp up" to speed rather than just going from a dead stop to full bore. It allows for a little more finesse around edges and prevents potentially costly mistakes. The Makita PO5000C Dual Action Random Orbit Polisher can be ordered from Amazon for about $270.

Founded in California in 2000 but now based in Colorado, Adam's Polishes has grown from a one-man business to a worldwide distributor of polishes, waxes, and detailing products. Adam's Polishes has built its reputation by hosting events like Cars & Coffee and detail clinics that teach newcomers the basics of detailing. Fans of the brand and its products swear by the strongly-scented polishes that they use on their vehicles. However, much like its competitor The Chemical Guys, Adam's Polishes has received backlash from detailers and customers as the company has grown, with some users complaining that products aren't as good as they used to be.

Speaking of that other polish brand, the Torqx is to the Chemical Guys what the Swirl Killer is to Adam's Polishes. The Adam's Swirl Killer 9mm Dual Action LT Polisher is powerful, corded, and covers a good area. The polisher is not particularly ergonomic, as it's a little bulky compared to similar models and its power trigger requires a heavy touch. But it gets the job done for an affordable price — it can be ordered from Amazon for around $130 — and the Swirl Killer is available as a part of several kits on the Adam's Polishes site, too. Adam's Polishes recommends the 9mm Swirl Killer as a great tool for beginners, and some reviewers call it one of the best dual action polishers overall.

Porter-Cable is known for power tools like reciprocating saws and cordless impact wrenches, and detailers regard its dual action polisher as of the best entry-level tools in the game. Porter-Cable's wood sanders were powerful enough to handle oscillation and rotation at once, making them perfect for the delicate work of auto detailing.

Like many other automotive technicians, I didn't want to add "detailer" to my resume — it's just something you learn after you mess up and need to save your employer a headache. After I lightly scratched a door while removing its latch, I was given some polish, compound, and a Porter-Cable dual action polisher. Another tech walked me through the simple, if tedious, steps to repair the injury. I used that dual action polisher many times after, both for my own occasional flub and, later, to help a newbie in the same situation I had been in. 

The Porter-Cable dual action polisher [7424XP] is a very user-friendly, straightforward tool that won't overpower nervous new users. The chunky design of the tool requires a bit of trial and error to find the most comfortable grip points — a side handle is available, but many detailers say you get a more even polish using just the top overmold. At under 6 pounds, the tool won't wear you out during use. You'll rarely experience overheating, even after long buffing sessions. And with a price tag of around $120 on Amazon, the 7424XP won't break the bank if you decide to go with this tried-and-true favorite.

Griot's started in 1990 with a small catalog of car care and garage products. Today, that catalog ships with around 80 pages featuring everything from car covers to buffers to garage flooring options. Griot's makes its own polishes, waxes, and car wash blends — in fact, the brand formulates, bottles, and labels almost all of the products it sells, and its community-first mindset includes monthly car shows at Griot's headquarters in Washington state, and a touring schedule with product demonstrations.

Griot's polishers are considered a budget brand among detailers and DIYers, but its G9 is also a really good polisher overall. It's heavy but not bulky, well-designed, and has little features you might not think about, like a flat top that keeps your pad off the ground and away from dirt and debris, and a removable power cord for storage. Its heat dissipation is good, allowing for long stretches of work without overheating. The polisher's 1000 watt motor provides excess power when you need it, and that power is regulated by a handy little dial. It's not perfect, but it is a highly-recommended pick for those starting a detailing business or folks who take their DIY work seriously.

Rupes is an Italian company, founded in Milan in 1947. Despite pioneering innovations such as the first portable electric sander, polymer-body drill, and electric random orbital sander, Rupes remained largely European until opening a U.S. facility in Louisville, Colorado, in 2015. However, Rupes has had a great reputation for making detailing polishers for years.

Professionals swear by Rupes — in fact, the detailers at the shop I take my Jeep to use many of the brand's polishers. The tools are reliable, durable, and work as they're expected to every time. While they are an investment, professionals know they will make that money back when their expertise — and their time — isn't wasted because of a mechanical issue.

Rupes polishers have plenty of clever features, too. One of the brand's newer models, the Bigfoot LHR 15 Mark V, has a lowered center of gravity from previous versions, adding stability to the tool and giving more control to the user. Composite gears, rather than metal, reduce the vibration and noise that were long ago considered a given when using a polisher. The Rupes Bigfoot LHR 15 Mark V is available for $525 on Amazon, which is what one should expect to pay for a tool from one of the best major dual action polisher brands.

The German toolmaker is still relatively new to us stateside, having benefited from a relationship with Lowes over the last five years or so. Flex makes some of the best portable tool boxes out there, and the brand's power drills landed in the top half of SlashGear's ranking. But detailers knew about this German brand long before power tool users in the U.S. took note, because Flex makes some of the most popular dual action polishers on the market. Multiple YouTube videos and countless positive reviews feature several models of the brand's products.

It's hard to find a bad review of a Flex polisher — they're solid, powerful, quiet, and full of touches that cement the brand's spot at the top of our ranking. The Flex 24V Random Orbital Polisher [FX3321] is one of the best polishers available regardless of your skill level. This cordless model features long battery life, due in part to Flex's batteries and to the brushless motors in many of Flex's polishers. The tool has a comfortable overmold on top for control, a tapered back handle, and a soft-start trigger with a locking button, eliminating the need keep it manually depressed during longer jobs. Speed is manually dialed in, and for light jobs or finishing harder corrective work, it's a great choice. However, the FX3321 is not cheap — the tool sells for almost $700 on Amazon, although that does include a bag, charger, and a pair of 5Ah Flex batteries.