Polishing and Paint Correction
Porter-Cable 7424XP vs Griot's G9
Two entry dual action polishers $10 apart. The G9 publishes its 9mm orbit, 1,000 watts and a plate in the box; the 7424XP's listing publishes a speed range and asks you to buy the plate and pads separately.
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 | Porter-Cable 7424XP Random Orbit Polisher Porter-Cable | The long-running entry dual action | 6.3/10 | 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 Garage G9 | Porter-Cable 7424XP | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.99 | $169.99 |
| Orbit | 9mm | Not published |
| Motor | 1,000 W | 4.5 amp |
| Speed | Not published | 2,500-6,800 OPM |
| Backing plate | 6 in vented, converts to 5 in | Not included; a 5 in plate is needed |
| Pads | Not stated | 5.75 in pads needed, sold separately |
| Cord | Detachable | Not published |
| Also included | Fan-cooled counterbalance | Wrench, side handle, counterweight |
Watts and amps
Griot’s publish the G9’s motor in watts, 1,000 of them. McKee’s 37 publish the 7424XP’s in amps, 4.5. The two listings use different units, so they do not give a like-for-like power comparison, and neither publishes the other figure.
The real price of the 7424XP
McKee’s 37 are clear that to use the 7424XP you will need a 5 inch backing plate and 5.75 inch foam pads bought separately, although the same listing also says a foam pad comes with it. The G9 ships with a 6 inch vented plate that converts to 5 inch. Once a plate and pads are added, the 7424XP’s $10 advantage is gone. The backing plate roundup and the polishing pad roundup cover what to add.
Orbit or speed
Each listing leaves out what the other publishes. Griot’s give the G9’s 9mm orbit but no speed range; McKee’s give the 7424XP’s 2,500 to 6,800 OPM but no orbit size.
Who should buy which
- A plate in the box and a published orbit: Griot's Garage G9, $179.99.
- A published speed range and the reputation McKee's 37 describe: Porter-Cable 7424XP, $169.99 plus a plate and pads.
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 long-running entry dual action
Porter-Cable 7424XP Random Orbit Polisher
Porter-Cable
$169.99 at McKee's 37 for the 7424XP, a 4.5 amp dual action polisher running 2,500 to 6,800 OPM. McKee's say you will need a 5 inch backing plate and 5.75 inch pads bought separately, and the listing gives no orbit size.
- Speed
- 2,500-6,800 OPM
- Motor
- 4.5 amp
- Included
- Wrench, foam pad, side handle, counterweight, manual
- Needs
- 5 in backing plate and 5.75 in pads, sold separately
- Orbit
- Not published
- Weight
- Not published
What it does well
- Speed range published: 2,500-6,800 OPM
- 4.5 amp motor, stated
- Side handle and counterweight included
Who it is not for
- Backing plate and pads sold separately, per McKee's
- No orbit size on the listing
- The listing both includes a foam pad and says pads are extra
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
- Porter-Cable 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 ceiling5.8/10, weight 14%
- A listed $169.99 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
- Porter-Cable 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 transparency6.7/10, weight 18%
- 4 of the 6 specifications we went looking for are published by Porter-Cable. Every blank row below is something the maker will not put in writing, and it costs the product points here.
List price $169.99 per McKee's 37, tool, 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 McKee's 37's Porter-Cable 7424XP listing, 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 Porter-Cable 7424XP good for beginners?
+What orbit does the Porter-Cable 7424XP have?
+Which is cheaper once you add pads?
Where these figures came from
- Griot's Garage G9 product page — retrieved 2026-09-08
- McKee's 37's Porter-Cable 7424XP listing — retrieved 2026-09-10
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.