Polishing and Paint Correction
The Best Car Polisher in 2026
Orbit throw is the number that decides what a machine is, and every polisher here publishes one. What separates them is how many of the other six figures the maker will print.
By Sawyer V. · Last verified 2026-09-08
We have not tested any of this. Everything below is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, and the arithmetic is printed so you can check it. This page carries affiliate links: if you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it does not change the order of the picks. Full disclosure.
| # | Pick | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Griot's Garage G21 Long-Throw Orbital Polisher Griot's Garage | Big flat panels, and nothing else | 7.4/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Adam's SK Pro 15mm Swirl Killer Adam's Polishes | The most power on a 15mm throw, on a detachable cord | 6.1/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | Griot's Garage G15 Long-Throw Orbital Polisher Griot's Garage | The most published numbers of any polisher here | 5.9/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 | RUPES BigFoot LHR15 Mark III RUPES | The most completely specified machine in the ledger | 5.5/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 5 | Meguiar's MT300 Professional DA Polisher Meguiar's | The widest published speed range here | 5.0/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 6 | Griot's Garage G9 Random Orbital Polisher Griot's Garage | The upgrade most people should actually make | 4.5/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 | Griot's Garage G8 Mini Random Orbital Polisher Griot's Garage | Pillars, bumpers and everything the big machine cannot reach | 4.1/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 | Chemical Guys TORQX Random Orbital Polisher Chemical Guys | The cheapest 9mm machine here | 3.6/10 | Check price on Amazon |
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price rather than a number we cannot stand behind. Why we do it that way.
Orbit throw is the whole decision
A random orbital polisher spins its pad and simultaneously moves it in a small orbit. The orbit’s diameter is the throw, published in millimeters, and it decides more about the machine than the motor does. Short throws finish cleanly and forgive technique. Long throws cover ground and correct harder, and become awkward the moment a panel curves.
| Machine | Throw | Motor | Speed range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griot's G8 Mini | 8mm | 700 W | Not published |
| Griot's G9 | 9mm | 1,000 W | Not published |
| Chemical Guys TORQX | 9mm | 800 W | Not published |
| Griot's G15 | 15mm | 1,100 W | 3,000-5,300 OPM |
| RUPES LHR15 Mark III | 15mm | 500 W | 3,000-5,200 RPM |
| Adam's SK Pro 15mm | 15mm | 1,000 W, 9 A | Up to 5,000 OPM (progressive) |
| Griot's G21 | 21mm | 1,100 W | 3,000-4,500 OPM |
| Meguiar's MT300 | Not published | Not published | 3,000-7,500 OPM |
Which throw for which car
8mm to 9mm
The forgiving end. The pad moves less per pass, which means less heat, less risk on an edge, and a cleaner finish straight off the compound. On a modern car full of creases, shoulder lines and small panels, a 9mm machine spends more of its time actually working than a 21mm does.
15mm
The general-purpose answer for someone who has done this before. Meaningfully faster on a hood or a roof, still manageable on doors, and the size most professionals reach for first. Three of the machines here are 15mm and they are all defensible.
21mm
A specialist tool. Genuinely quick on large flat surfaces and genuinely awkward on everything else. Note that the G21’s published top speed is lower than the G15’s — 4,500 against 5,300 OPM — because the longer throw needs more torque per revolution. That is the trade, published by the maker.
Power, and the RUPES anomaly
Motor power decides whether the machine keeps its pad rotating when you press it into a curve. A machine that stalls is a machine doing nothing, and stalling is the most common reason beginners think their compound is not working.
RUPES publishes 500W for the LHR15 Mark III against 1,100W for the Griot’s G15 at the same throw, which looks damning until you account for gearing and mechanical efficiency — figures nobody publishes. What RUPES does publish is everything else: 3,000-5,200 RPM, a 125mm pad, 2.6kg, a 9 meter cord and an M8-F thread. Seven figures on one page is the most complete disclosure in this ledger, and it is why the machine ranks where it does despite the wattage.
Cords, and why detachable matters
A 10 foot cord means an extension lead in the middle of the floor. RUPES ships 9 meters — about 30 feet — and Adam’s ships 25 feet detachable. Griot’s publishes a detachable cord on the G9 and a 10 foot quick-connect on the G15 and G21.
Detachable is worth more than length for storage, and length is worth more than detachable while you are working. Either is worth noting before you discover it in your garage.
What else you need to buy
A polisher on its own does nothing. Budget for three or four pads at $8 to $15 each, a compound at $15 to $50, and an inspection light at around $30 that is not optional on dark paint. Call it $60 to $120 on top of the machine for a first setup.
If this is your first machine, read the beginner roundup as well — it makes a different recommendation for a good reason.
Every pick, with the working
Each entry lists the specifications the maker publishes, the axis scores those specifications produce, and what you give up. Rows that read “Not published” are not omissions on our side: they are figures the maker will not commit to in writing, and they cost the product points on the transparency axis.
Our pickBig flat panels, and nothing else
Griot's Garage G21 Long-Throw Orbital Polisher
Griot's Garage
Skip this one. Unless your car is mostly flat, the G21 is the wrong end of a trade-off. The extra 6mm of throw buys speed on a hood and costs control everywhere else.
$259.99 for a 21mm throw, 1,100 watts, 3,000 to 4,500 OPM and a 6 inch plate. The 21mm covers ground faster than anything here on a hood or a roof, and it is the wrong machine for a car made of curves.
- Orbit throw
- 21mm
- Motor
- 1,100 watt
- Speed range
- 3,000 - 4,500 OPM
- Backing plate
- 6 inch
- Cord
- 10 ft
- Weight
- Not published
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- 21mm throw, the longest here, which is real speed on large flat panels
- Speed range published as 3,000 to 4,500 OPM
- Only $10 more than the G15
Who it is not for
- A 21mm throw is genuinely awkward on tight or curved panels
- Lower top speed than the G15 (4,500 vs 5,300 OPM), because the throw is longer
- No weight published, and a long-throw machine's weight is what your arms feel
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw10.0/10, weight 22%
- 21 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by Griot's Garage.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling3.5/10, weight 14%
- A listed $259.99 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Griot's Garage publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency7.1/10, weight 18%
- 5 of the 7 specifications we went looking for are published by Griot's Garage. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $259.99 per Griot's Garage's own store, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from Griot's Garage G21 product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
2The most power on a 15mm throw, on a detachable cord
Adam's SK Pro 15mm Swirl Killer
Adam's Polishes
$299.99 for 15mm at 1,000W and 9 amps, with a progressive trigger to 5,000 OPM, a 5 inch plate convertible to 6, 5.5 lb without the cord and a 25 foot detachable cord. The progressive trigger is the feature: speed by finger pressure rather than by dial.
- Orbit throw
- 15mm
- Motor
- 1,000 W, 110 V, 9 A
- Speed control
- Progressive trigger, up to 5,000 OPM
- Backing plate
- 5 inch, convertible to 6 inch
- Weight
- 5.5 lb without cord
- Cord
- 25 ft detachable
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- Progressive trigger up to 5,000 OPM, so speed is controlled by hand rather than by stopping to turn a dial
- 1,000W and 9 amps published, the most power on a 15mm throw here
- 25 foot detachable cord published, and detachable matters for storage
- 5.5 lb without cord published
Who it is not for
- $299.99 is $50 more than the G15 for a similar throw and similar power
- No warranty term published
- A progressive trigger takes practice; a dial is more repeatable between sessions
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw6.3/10, weight 22%
- 15 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by Adam's Polishes.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling2.5/10, weight 14%
- A listed $299.99 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Adam's Polishes publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency8.6/10, weight 18%
- 6 of the 7 specifications we went looking for are published by Adam's Polishes. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $299.99 per Adam's Polishes' own store, polisher only, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from Adam's SK Pro 15mm product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
3The most published numbers of any polisher here
Griot's Garage G15 Long-Throw Orbital Polisher
Griot's Garage
$249.99 for a 15mm throw, an 1,100-watt motor, six settings from 3,000 to 5,300 OPM, a 5 inch fanned backing plate and a 10 foot quick-connect cord. That is five published figures on one page and it is the most complete specification in this ledger.
- Orbit throw
- 15mm
- Motor
- 1,100 watt
- Speed range
- 3,000 - 5,300 OPM, six settings
- Backing plate
- 5 inch fanned BOSS plate
- Cord
- 10 ft quick-connect
- Weight
- Not published
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- Speed range published as 3,000 to 5,300 OPM across six settings, which nobody else here does
- 1,100 watts against the G9's 1,000, with a 15mm throw to use it on
- 10 foot quick-connect cord published
- Fanned BOSS backing plate included rather than sold separately
Who it is not for
- 15mm is more machine than a beginner needs and it is less forgiving on edges
- No weight published
- No warranty term published
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw6.3/10, weight 22%
- 15 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by Griot's Garage.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling3.8/10, weight 14%
- A listed $249.99 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Griot's Garage publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency7.1/10, weight 18%
- 5 of the 7 specifications we went looking for are published by Griot's Garage. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $249.99 per Griot's Garage's own store, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from Griot's Garage G15 product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
4The most completely specified machine in the ledger
RUPES BigFoot LHR15 Mark III
RUPES
RUPES publishes orbit, power, speed range, pad diameter, weight, cord length and thread pitch on one page: 15mm, 500W, 3,000-5,200 RPM, 125mm pad, 2.6kg, 9 meters of cord, M8-F. Seven numbers. Nobody else here publishes more than five.
- Orbit throw
- 15mm
- Motor
- 500 W
- Speed range
- 3,000 - 5,200 RPM
- Backing pad
- 125mm (5 inch)
- Weight
- 2.6 kg (5.73 lb)
- Cord
- 9 m (30 ft)
- Pad thread
- M8-F
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- Seven published specifications, including weight in kilograms and cord length in meters
- 9 meter cord, which is roughly three times what a domestic tool ships with
- 2.6kg, published, and weight is what decides whether hour three feels like hour one
- M8-F thread published, so backing plate compatibility is knowable in advance
Who it is not for
- 500W is half what the Griot's long-throw machines carry, which shows on hard clear coats
- No warranty term published in the technical documentation
- The kit price at a US retailer is $526.00, well above the Griot's machines
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw6.3/10, weight 22%
- 15 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by RUPES.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling0.0/10, weight 14%
- A listed $526.00 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- RUPES publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency8.8/10, weight 18%
- 7 of the 8 specifications we went looking for are published by RUPES. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $526.00 per Adam's Polishes, LHR15 Mark V kit listing, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from RUPES' LHR15 Mark III technical page, compiled September 8, 2026.
5The widest published speed range here
Meguiar's MT300 Professional DA Polisher
Meguiar's
Meguiar's publishes 3,000 to 7,500 OPM, which is the widest range on this page by a distance, along with a thumb speed dial, a multi-position D-handle and a billet counterweight. It publishes no orbit throw, which is the number that decides what the machine is.
- Speed range
- 3,000 - 7,500 OPM
- Speed control
- Thumb adjustable dial
- Handle
- Multi-position D-handle
- Counterweight
- Billet, multi-bearing design
- Orbit throw
- Not published
- Motor
- Not published
- Weight
- Not published
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- 3,000-7,500 OPM published, wider than anything else here
- Multi-position D-handle, which changes how you brace on a vertical panel
- Billet counterweight with a multi-bearing design, named on the page
Who it is not for
- No orbit throw published, and on a DA polisher that is the defining specification
- No amperage or wattage published
- No weight, cord length or warranty published
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Capabilitydropped
- Meguiar's does not publish a figure for published orbit throw on this product, so the axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceilingdropped
- The maker publishes no list price, so there is nothing to score here and the axis is dropped.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Meguiar's publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency5.0/10, weight 18%
- 4 of the 8 specifications we went looking for are published by Meguiar's. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
Specifications from Meguiar's MT300 product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
6The upgrade most people should actually make
Griot's Garage G9 Random Orbital Polisher
Griot's Garage
$179.99 for a 9mm orbit driven by a 1,000-watt motor, shipped with a 6 inch vented backing plate and convertible to 5 inch. A 9mm throw finishes cleanly and asks less of your technique than a long throw; the 1,000 watts is what stops it stalling when you lean on a curve.
- Orbit throw
- 9mm
- Motor
- 1,000 watt
- Backing plate
- 6 inch vented, converts to 5 inch
- Cord
- Detachable
- Counterbalance
- Patent pending fan-cooled
- Speed range
- Not published
- Weight
- Not published
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- 1,000-watt motor published, which is more power than most 9mm machines carry
- Ships with a 6 inch plate and converts to 5 inch, so pad choice is not locked in
- Detachable cord, published, which is the difference between storing it and wrestling it
- Fan-cooled counterbalance, which Griot's states extends tool and pad life
Who it is not for
- No speed range published on the product page, which is the second number you want
- No weight published
- No warranty term published on the page despite Griot's reputation for standing behind tools
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw2.5/10, weight 22%
- 9 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by Griot's Garage.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling5.5/10, weight 14%
- A listed $179.99 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Griot's Garage publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency6.3/10, weight 18%
- 5 of the 8 specifications we went looking for are published by Griot's Garage. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $179.99 per Griot's Garage's own store, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from Griot's Garage G9 product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
7Pillars, bumpers and everything the big machine cannot reach
Griot's Garage G8 Mini Random Orbital Polisher
Griot's Garage
$144.99 for an 8mm throw and a 700-watt motor on 2 inch and 3 inch plates. Griot's publishes the comparison that matters: a 60% longer orbit and 191% more power than the 3 inch machine it replaces. It is a second polisher, not a first one.
- Orbit throw
- 8mm
- Motor
- 700 watt
- Backing plates
- 2 inch and 3 inch
- Stated improvement
- 60% longer orbit and 191% more power than the previous 3 inch model
- Speed range
- Not published
- Weight
- Not published
- Cord
- Not published
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- 8mm throw on a 3 inch pad is a genuinely useful amount of correction in a small space
- 700 watts in a mini machine, published, and Griot's states the increase over the previous model
- 2 inch and 3 inch plates included
Who it is not for
- No speed range published
- Nobody should buy this as their only polisher
- No weight, cord length or warranty published
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw1.9/10, weight 22%
- 8 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by Griot's Garage.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling6.4/10, weight 14%
- A listed $144.99 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Griot's Garage publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency5.0/10, weight 18%
- 4 of the 8 specifications we went looking for are published by Griot's Garage. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $144.99 per Griot's Garage's own store, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from Griot's Garage G8 Mini product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
8The cheapest 9mm machine here
Chemical Guys TORQX Random Orbital Polisher
Chemical Guys
Skip this one. Two published specifications for a whole polisher: a 9mm throw and an 800-watt motor. No speed range, no plate size, no weight, no cord length, no warranty. The Griot's G9 is $25 more and publishes five, and $25 is not much to pay for knowing what arrived in the box.
$154.99 for a 9mm throw and an 800-watt motor. That is the whole published specification: no speed range, no plate size, no weight, no cord length. The machine may well be fine, and the page will not tell you.
- Orbit throw
- 9mm
- Motor
- 800 watt
- Speed range
- Not published
- Backing plate
- Not published
- Weight
- Not published
- Cord
- Not published
- Warranty
- Not published
What it does well
- 9mm throw at $154.99, the cheapest route to a forgiving orbit here
- 800 watts is adequate for a one-step correction
- Widely bundled into kits, which lowers the effective price further
Who it is not for
- Two published specifications in total; nothing on speed, plate size, weight or cord
- $25 less than the G9, which publishes five
- No warranty term published
How this score was calculated
- Protection claimdropped
- Nothing in this category is bought on how long it lasts, so the axis is dropped and the other weights are re-normalized.
- Published orbit throw2.5/10, weight 22%
- 9 mm, scored on a band running from 5 to 21. Published by Chemical Guys.
- Cost per ouncedropped
- This is not a consumable, so cost per ounce says nothing useful and the axis is dropped.
- Price against the ceiling6.1/10, weight 14%
- A listed $154.99 against the $400 one upgrade in this category realistically tops out at. A list price captured on the compile date, not a live price and not what you will pay.
- Written commitmentdropped
- Chemical Guys publishes no warranty term on this product's own page, so the axis is dropped. On a tool that is worth noticing, and it costs the product points on transparency instead.
- Spec transparency2.9/10, weight 18%
- 2 of the 7 specifications we went looking for are published by Chemical Guys. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $154.99 per Chemical Guys' own store, captured on the compile date below. Not a live price and not what you will pay — the button is where the real number is.
Specifications from Chemical Guys' TORQX product page, compiled September 8, 2026.
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price rather than a number we cannot stand behind. Why we do it that way.
Questions people actually ask
+What orbit throw should a beginner buy?
+Is more wattage always better?
+Can I use a dual action polisher to apply wax?
+How long does correcting a whole car take?
+Do I need a rotary polisher?
Where these figures came from
- Griot's Garage, G15 Long-Throw Orbital Polisher product page — retrieved 2026-09-08
- RUPES, BigFoot LHR15 Mark III technical page — retrieved 2026-09-08
- Adam's Polishes, SK Pro 15mm Swirl Killer product page — retrieved 2026-09-08
Every figure on this page is a published manufacturer or authorized-retailer claim, not a measurement we made. How we research explains exactly what we did and did not do.