The ultimate in polishers has got to be one that has a brushless motor and battery (cordless) power. Brushless motors are more expensive to manufacture than motors that have brushes. But, they are also quieter, have less wearable parts and are more powerful and efficient. DeWalt is well known worldwide for professional power tools, so is this car polisher up to the job?
RRP: $398.42, buy it here / ~£270, buy it here.
What’s in the box?
As a bundle kit, the DeWalt 18V brushless cordless rotary polisher is supplied in a soft, zipped bag. There’s plenty of room for everything supplied in this kit and more, meaning the handle and backing pad can remain attached.
A side handle is supplied in the kit, which is similar to what’s used on most angle grinders. A D-shaped handle would have been useful. And some polishing accessories, such as a sponge pad and a bonnet. There’s only a hook and loop backing pad.
Our kit includes two 18V lithium-ion 5Ah batteries and one charger, but not if you buy the bare body only. A flat battery should take 75 minutes to fully recharge. I like the battery status lights on the side of each battery, activated by a small push button.
The supplied backing pad is secured to the threaded spindle of the polisher by winding it on. The spindle can be locked by pressing a button on the top of the body. There are also a couple of flats on the unthreaded section of the spindle. So the spindle can be gripped with a 17mm open-ended spanner instead of pressing the lock button.
Tech Spec
There’s a rotary dial on the top of the body to select one of the eight speed settings. 800rpm is the slowest, followed by 1,000rpm, 1,200rpm, 1,400rpm, 1,600rpm, 1,800rpm, 2,000rpm and 2,200rpm.
There’s also a useful lock button next to the trigger, which prevents the machine from being accidentally operated.
The battery is fitted to the polisher body at 90°, suggesting it reduces the risk of it fouling paintwork.
Using the DeWalt 18V brushless cordless rotary polisher
The trigger of this polisher is very sensitive. The more you squeeze it, the faster the motor spins (up to its selected speed). The initial press of the trigger always results in a smooth and gentle startup of the motor. When in use, it’s easy to adjust the speed dial to increase or decrease the speed.
There’s a useful lock button next to the trigger, which prevents the machine from being accidentally operated. This is especially useful if the polisher is left inside its storage bag with the battery attached. You can’t lock the trigger when using the polisher. So you have to keep your finger held on the trigger to keep it running.
I found the smoothness of operation of this polisher is excellent. From the initial startup to running at maximum speed at 2,200rpm, it’s controllable. It’s also quiet and very light, weighing in at a few ounces over 4lb (1.9kg).
With a sponge pad attached to the hook and loop backing pad, I applied a color restorer to sun-damaged paintwork. It was quickly and easily revived, then thoroughly polished.
DeWalt 18V brushless cordless rotary polisher verdict
This polisher from DeWalt has a mouth-watering specification. It feels very easy to use because it’s light, well-balanced, smooth and quiet. It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for.
See how it stacks up against its rivals in my machine polisher group test.
