[QUOTE=donv]
Thanks! The pricing turned out to be $105 w/tax at my local store. I ended up going with the Coastal Tool deal because it includes the accessories (other counterweight, velcro pad, buffer, etc.) in a $127 delivered price - should arrive Friday, ready to enable my first car cleanup day of the year this weekend. 
I'd been sitting on the idea of getting the polisher for a while, thanks to you folks for giving me the inspiration to get me going. 
[/QUOTE]
get yourself one of those brushes that looks like a tooth brush with metal wires.
Its good fro scraping off the wax before you hand wash the pads. Sonus make a good soap called wunderwasche that isn't too harsh on detailing towel and polishing pads.
a popular tip: take a sharpie and write the product you use on the pad. I have several Sonus blue finishing pads, on one I have written S100, SG on another.
I wrote AIO on my blue polising pad. 3M on my red cutting pad(hard swrils), etc.
Ditto for my applicator pads when working by hand. Even after machine washing not all the product gets out.