Originally Posted by JARblue

Well, I think it depends on the direction you are going with your gear. If you're looking to get spend the $$$ and have the full range of equipment, I would go for the full thing. I haven't personally heard a lot about the Dewalt, but I'm sure it's fine. My buddy has the Porter Cable version and loves it. Also, the pads are bigger, so the jobs get done faster.

If you're like me and don't have the time or money to sink into detailing, I would go with the Meguiar's DA. I actually do everything by hand at the moment, but it takes so much time that I don't get to do it more than a few times per year. The DA would also be useful for some of the deeper scratches that I have had trouble doing by hand or if I need to polish larger areas. I already have the full lineup of Meguiar's pads, so that's another reason I would lean towards the Meguiar's DA. You should be able to purchase the DA, a two pack of each type of pad (compound, polish, and wax), as well as rubbing and polishing compounds for <$100.