Polishing and Paint Correction
Griot's Garage G9 vs Adam's SK Pro 15mm Swirl Killer
The same motor rating and very different machines: a short-throw all-rounder against a long-throw that publishes almost everything the G9 leaves out.
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 G9 Random Orbital Polisher Griot's Garage | The upgrade most people should actually make | 4.5/10 | 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 |
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 G9 | Adam's SK Pro 15mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit throw | 9mm | 15mm |
| Motor | 1,000 W | 1,000 W, 110 V, 9 A |
| Speed | Not published | Progressive trigger, up to 5,000 OPM |
| Backing plate | 6 in vented, converts to 5 in | 5 in, convertible to 6 in |
| Weight | Not published | 5.5 lb without cord |
| Cord | Detachable, length not published | 25 ft detachable |
| Price | $179.99 | $299.99 |
9mm against 15mm is the whole decision
A shorter orbit is more forgiving on curves and edges and finishes more cleanly with less technique. A longer orbit moves the pad further per cycle and covers a flat hood faster, at the cost of needing a steadier hand where the panel bends. Neither is better; they are for different cars and different owners. G9 vs RUPES sets out the same trade with a 15mm machine at twice the price.
The SK Pro publishes what the G9 does not
Speed, weight and cord length. Adam’s publish up to 5,000 OPM on a progressive trigger, 5.5 lb without the cord, and 25 feet of detachable cord. Griot’s publish none of those three for the G9. If you want to know what you are holding before it arrives, only one of these listings tells you.
A progressive trigger is a different way to set speed
Adam’s describe speed control as a progressive trigger up to 5,000 OPM rather than a dial with numbered settings. That changes how the machine is used - speed is set by your finger during the pass rather than before it - and is worth knowing if you are used to a dial. What speed to polish at covers why a dial number is not a speed anyway.
Who should buy which
- First machine, a modern car full of creases: the G9.
- Large flat panels, and you want the throw that covers them fastest: the SK Pro.
- You want published weight and cord length before buying: the SK Pro, the only one of the two that gives them.
- Either way: spend part of the difference on pads. A 15mm machine on the wrong pad is slower than a 9mm on the right one.
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 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.
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.
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 Adam's SK Pro worth $120 more than the G9?
+Which is better for a first polisher?
+Can the SK Pro run 6 inch pads?
+How heavy is the Griot's G9?
Where these figures came from
- Griot's Garage G9 product page — retrieved 2026-09-08
- Adam's 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.