Right now I have a set of used American Racing wheels on my daily driver and I also have a set of WELD billet wheels on my show truck. I really like the shine I get out of the Weld wheels, but the American Racing aluminum wheel is really an alloy mix. It is hard to shine, like what you can get from a true billet aluminum wheel. I would venture to say that if there are some Boyds wheels out there that don't shine well, they could be some of the ones that was created by the subsidized company that Boyd allowed to make wheels under his name, during his little escapade with his wife and the divorce. He now makes his own wheels again, and the ones that I have seen are fantastic for a shine.
As for polishing the wheels, I use the grinder style buffs, but I use the small ones (Like what I referenced to in the entry earlier in this forum). The trick is not to put much pressure on the buff and let the polish do the work. Second, It works best with the polishing compounds that come in a brick, because it is a stiff material and NOT a semi-liquid. This way it stays on the buff and not flipped off onto everything but the wheel. As for using the Mother's billet polish on a buffing tool, this stuff is approximately $12.00 for 5 ounces and it takes very little to go along way. If you want to do that with a buffing tool, then use the Mother's mag and aluminum polish on a buffing tool like a Flitz ball. (Look into Eastwood catalog) The mag and aluminum polish is approximately $7.00 for 10 ounces. Use it for your starting polish, the billet polish will take you to a mirror finish. Mothers used to sell the Billet stuff for $50.00 for 5 ounces under the "Reflections" name, and you had to call the personally to get it.
Hand polishing is the only way to finish something RIGHT, unless you want to get streaks and smears in your metal. The most important thing is to finish the work with a metal sealer to keep soap particles and dirt out of your wheels. I coat mine and then I don't have to wax or do anything serious for six months. I use Wizards "Power Seal" and have no problems
www.wizardsproducts.com ALSO use a good set of brake dust guards behind your wheels, that stuff is what cuts into your wheel finish the most.