Polishing and Paint Correction
Griot's Garage G15 vs RUPES LHR15 Mark III
Two long-throw machines with the same orbit and a $276 gap. They publish different specifications, and the ones each leaves out are the interesting part.
By Sawyer V. · Last verified 2026-09-10
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 G15 Long-Throw Orbital Polisher Griot's Garage | The most published numbers of any polisher here | 5.9/10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | RUPES BigFoot LHR15 Mark III RUPES | The most completely specified machine in the ledger | 5.5/10 | 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.
Side by side
| Griot's G15 | RUPES LHR15 Mark III | |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit throw | 15mm | 15mm |
| Motor | 1,100 W | 500 W |
| Speed | 3,000-5,300 OPM, six settings | 3,000-5,200 RPM |
| Backing plate | 5 in fanned BOSS plate | 125mm (5 in), M8-F thread |
| Weight | Not published | 2.6 kg (5.73 lb) |
| Cord | 10 ft quick-connect | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Price | $249.99 | $526.00 as a kit |
Same throw, so compare everything else
At 15mm both machines are long-throw tools, built to cover large panels quickly. The throw does not separate them, which leaves motor, speed, weight, cord and price - and on each of those, one maker publishes and the other does not, or both publish something different.
The two speed figures are not quite the same unit
Griot’s quote orbits per minute; RUPES quote revolutions per minute. Makers do not use those two units consistently across the industry, so the closeness of 5,300 and 5,200 should not be read as a like-for-like match. What is comparable is that both publish a floor of 3,000 and a range, which most machines on this site do not.
Where the $276 goes
On published figures: a cord three times the length, a published weight, and a published pad thread. Thirty feet of cord is the difference between walking round a car and dragging an extension lead across it, and it is the specification professionals mention first.
Against that, the G15 publishes a six-setting speed dial and more than twice the rated wattage. As on G9 vs RUPES, wattage is power drawn and says little about power at the pad.
Who should buy which
- Enthusiast correcting a few cars a year: the G15, for less than half the price.
- Correcting weekly, or professionally: the RUPES, for the 9 meter cord and the published weight.
- You want numbered speed settings: the G15 publishes six.
- Either way, a 15mm is a second machine for most people - start on the G9 or similar if this is your first.
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 pickThe 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.
2The 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.
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
+Is the RUPES LHR15 worth twice the price of the G15?
+Which is lighter?
+Can I use RUPES pads on the G15?
+Is a 15mm polisher too aggressive for a beginner?
Where these figures came from
- Griot's Garage G15 product page — retrieved 2026-09-08
- RUPES LHR15 Mark III technical 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.