[GorillaFoot]

First, there are three major differences between a orbital polisher you get at K-mart and those mentioned above.

1. Speed. The cheap ones go to maybe 2000rpm. The good ones go to 6-7000rpm
2. Build quality- solid units give more consistent finishes
3. Pad selection/quality. The bonnets that go on the cheap orbitals are worse than hand polishing. Terrible.

So if you don't have a good one, you should.

Using a good orbital is very easy with a little instruction and some understanding of pressure, orbiltal speed and how they relate to the pads and products used. It's not rocket science, but different paints react differently to different techniques and products. The great thing about the products listed above is that you can use them on a soft paint, like our older Porsches, or a new Lexus with ultra hard paint, and still get very similar results. AND IT'S SO MUCH EASIER! Good lord, the number of hours I have spent breaking myself to get a good finish with crappy products. Ugh!

Now, I would NOT use an orbital for the P21S. Tt's perfectly safe to do so with the Blackfire, but you don't need it at all. You're right- spread on, take off. The orbital is really for polishes and compounds. Unless your hand can spin at 5000rpm, you just can't get a perfect finish, fixing imperfections and making the paint smooth as glass with elbow grease. Did you see the cars featured on the Autopia forum? Those finishes are not some trickery with filled in scratches. That paint is fixed! The sealant and waxes did not make that paint shine- the compounds and polishes removed the scratches and smoothed the paint!

To your second question, on a day to day basis, a relatively pure carnauba is a waste. It's really for the car shows and to make you feel good. With P21S, I can wax two cars in about a twenty minutes , so if you like a little more pop to the paint for a few days, there you go! It does add an extra, sacrificial layer of protection, but by the next wash, you can actually feel the broken down wax as you dry the car. The paint still seems shiny, but your towel doesn't slide across too well.

I still use my P21S on occasion, but the Blackfire is my "go to" product. I haven't washed my Subaru in 2 weeks, or sealed it in 3 months. We have gotten rain for the past 5 days, much of which I had to drive through. Yet it's still the shiniest car in the parking lot, the water beads like crazy and the water blasts right off as soon as I'm under way. Love that stuff!