The T3200 is the solid first dual action and the one to buy if you want one machine that handles most jobs. Below it the T2000 V4 has an 8mm throw, which is the most controllable and forgiving option for a nervous first-timer. Above it the T4200 moves to 15mm for faster coverage, the T4500 Pro adds a brushless motor for sustained work, and the A1000 is a battery-powered mini for tight areas.

The numbers run from most cutting to finest finish. 1.1 is the heavy cut compound for real defect removal, 2.4 is the medium cut and gloss compound that suits most one-step corrections, and 3.7 is the ultra finish polish for refining and jewelling before protection. Start with the least aggressive that clears the defect in a test section, and pair each with an appropriate pad, since the pad choice shifts the result as much as the liquid does.

No, it solves a real problem. Mirrors, pillars, bumper returns, badges and tight curves are where a five inch pad stalls or cannot sit flat, and those are exactly the areas that stay swirled after an otherwise good correction. Being battery powered also means no cable dragging across a freshly polished panel. It is a second machine rather than a first one, so buy a full-size DA first and add the mini when you hit its limits.

It is rated at three years, and how close you get to that depends almost entirely on preparation. Iron removal, a clay stage, correction if needed and then a panel wipe to strip oils are what allow the coating to bond to bare clear coat. Apply indoors, out of dust and damp, and give it the full cure time before the car gets wet. Maintain it with a pH-neutral shampoo and a SiO2 spray topper rather than alkaline decon washes.