Polishing and Paint Correction
RUPES LHR15 Mark III vs Adam's SK Pro 15mm
Two long-throw polishers with the same orbit, and for once two makers who both publish a weight and a cord length. The $226 gap buys less than you might expect.
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 | 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 |
| 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
| Adam's SK Pro 15mm | RUPES LHR15 Mark III | |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit throw | 15mm | 15mm |
| Motor | 1,000 W, 110 V, 9 A | 500 W |
| Speed | Progressive trigger, up to 5,000 OPM | 3,000-5,200 RPM |
| Backing plate | 5 in, convertible to 6 in | 125mm (5 in), M8-F thread |
| Weight | 5.5 lb without cord | 2.6 kg (5.73 lb) |
| Cord | 25 ft, detachable | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Price | $299.99, polisher only | $526.00 as a kit |
A pairing where both makers publish the numbers
Most machine comparisons on this site end up setting one maker’s disclosures against another’s silence. This one does not. Both publish throw, motor, speed, backing plate, weight and cord, so every row of the table has two answers.
Weight is closer than it looks
Adam’s publish 5.5 lb without the cord. RUPES publish 2.6kg, which is 5.73 lb, without saying whether the cord is included. On the published figures the two machines are within a quarter of a pound of each other.
A trigger against a speed range
Adam’s control speed with a progressive trigger up to 5,000 OPM, so speed follows finger pressure. RUPES publish a 3,000 to 5,200 RPM range. Adam’s quote orbits per minute and RUPES revolutions per minute, and makers do not use those units consistently, so the two top speeds are not a like-for-like comparison. The professional roundup covers trigger against dial in more detail.
Where the $226 goes
On published figures, the RUPES buys five more feet of cord and a published pad thread. The SK Pro answers with twice the rated wattage, a detachable cord and a backing plate that converts to 6 inches. As in the G15 comparison, wattage is power drawn and says little about power at the pad.
Who should buy which
- Most buyers, including frequent enthusiasts: the SK Pro, for $226 less.
- Working round cars all day, where every foot of cord counts: the RUPES, with 30 feet.
- You want to run 6 inch pads: the SK Pro, whose backing plate converts.
- You want speed by finger pressure: the SK Pro's progressive trigger.
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 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.
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 $226 more than the SK Pro?
+Which is lighter?
+Can the SK Pro run 6 inch pads?
+Is a 15mm polisher good for a beginner?
Where these figures came from
- Adam's SK Pro 15mm 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.