The LHR15 Mark V is the all-round choice with a 15mm throw, and it is the machine most detailers standardise on. The LHR21 Mark III has a 21mm throw for covering large flat panels faster, though the longer throw is harder to keep flat at edges and on contoured panels. The Mini BigFoot LHR75E is the small-area machine for pillars, bumpers and mirrors. If you are buying one machine, buy the 15.

No, but the system is designed to work together and it removes a lot of guesswork. The D-A range pairs Coarse, Fine and Ultra Fine compounds with matching foam pads in blue, yellow and white, plus microfibre cutting and polishing pads and wool pads for heavy work. Third-party pads fit the BigFoot backing plate perfectly well. The advantage of staying in the system is that the pad and liquid combinations are already matched.

It depends on how much you polish. For occasional correction on your own cars, a mid-range DA does the same job for a fraction of the price. Rupes earns its cost where the machine is used for hours at a time: balance and vibration are noticeably better, which matters for fatigue, and the build stands up to daily professional use. If you are correcting cars for money, it is a tool purchase rather than a luxury.

Foam pads are the standard choice and come in grades from coarse to ultra fine for cutting through to finishing. Microfibre pads cut noticeably harder than foam of the same nominal grade on a dual action, which makes them useful on harder paint where foam is struggling. Wool pads are the most aggressive and are normally used for heavy correction or with a rotary. Always finish with foam, since microfibre and wool leave a haze that needs refining.