That's the million dollar question and the answer comes with a clause. If you beat the car with it, then yes. If you use it upside down, then yes. If you are as crazy as I am and do what I do in these videos long enough, then yes.
If you use the polisher the way it was designed to be used, you will have a very hard time trying to damage your paint with it. That is especially true with the clear coat on your cars.
There are basically three types of polishers today. The orbital, the dual-action and the rotary. The rotary polisher is the one that you have heard horror stories about. The orbital is the polisher of novices around the world. This polisher is so safe that I show kids how to use them in my many clinics as I travel around the country. Take a look!
Little Angelin is using one on my Corvette...
Another youngster is giving it a go while his proud papa watches:
And here's a video of yet another youngster going at it during my appearance at the Hot August Nights Car Show in Reno, Nevada:
As you can see, this polisher is so safe, a kid can use it. But in my introductory thread, you also saw how powerful this little polisher can be when used correctly. So kick your feet up and check out these videos. Then ask yourself, "Why am I doing this by hand, when I can be getting much better results using a machine that is safe enough for a kid?"
I think you'll come to the same conclusion that I have. You need to get yourself a PC!
Here are the videos!
As I check the web, Tools-Plus has the best price going right now at $119 shipped! They were $109 shipped when I posted this thread!