Flex 3401- how safe is it?

budman3

budman3

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I know that not too many people have had the Flex for a long time but there's a few questions that I've been thinking of.

Since the flex is more powerful than the PC / UDM and is direct driven per se, how safe is it in reality? I've seen paint damage from a PC and it would make sense that it would be easier to damage with the flex- ie burn. Has anyone burnt or damaged paint yet? Has anyone intentionally left the Flex in one spot (on spare hood or junker) to see if it would actually damage the paint? Would you give a rookie this machine and allow them to work on your personal vehicle? How are the vibrations? If I have a PC and a rotary, would a Flex be worth it? How far off is the Flex from a rotary in working times and results? Can you damage trim, moldings, doorhandles, etc if the pad on the Flex touches it (like a rotary)?

Sorry for a million questions :)

Thanks :cheers:

PS- I have a PC, UDM and Chicago Electric rotary and my next buffer purchase is either going to be a better rotary or a Flex, depending on the feedback I hear about the Flex in the months to come, since they cost the same.
 
I wouldn't think you would have a problem if you just used your head and didn't do something stupid.
 
The flex is a tool that is an ideal primer (Rotary 101, if you will) this tool was made for paint correction (used by EU car manufacturers, much like the Cyclo is in the for production line paint correction)

Like all tools there is a learning curve with it, so first gain experience on a paint surface that doesn’t matter i.e. a scrap panel, practice until you feel confident enough in its use and capabilities to use it on your own vehicle.

The immediate future in automotive clear coat paint is something very similar to CeramiClear i.e. very hard. A Flex has the ability to correct this type of hard paint, whereas a PC/UDM requires a quite a few passes to correct them, and also struggles to breakdown diminishing abrasives (something else that car care products are going over too) as it doesn't provide sufficient friction)
 
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the machine also has alot of safeguards built in, but as with most tools, must be used with care and with paint care should not be tested to extremes. I for one cannot wait to get my hands on one ...
 
budman3 said:
I know that not too many people have had the Flex for a long time but there's a few questions that I've been thinking of.

Since the flex is more powerful than the PC / UDM and is direct driven per se, how safe is it in reality? I've seen paint damage from a PC and it would make sense that it would be easier to damage with the flex- ie burn. Has anyone burnt or damaged paint yet? Has anyone intentionally left the Flex in one spot (on spare hood or junker) to see if it would actually damage the paint? Would you give a rookie this machine and allow them to work on your personal vehicle? How are the vibrations? If I have a PC and a rotary, would a Flex be worth it? How far off is the Flex from a rotary in working times and results? Can you damage trim, moldings, doorhandles, etc if the pad on the Flex touches it (like a rotary)?

Sorry for a million questions :)

Thanks :cheers:

PS- I have a PC, UDM and Chicago Electric rotary and my next buffer purchase is either going to be a better rotary or a Flex, depending on the feedback I hear about the Flex in the months to come, since they cost the same.
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These are some very good Questions?
 
I have the Flex and will be using it next week. I will come back to answer some of your questions. I hope to do some timed comparisons b/t it and the PC. Giving each a far chance. I already have the replacement backing plate coming and have the 6" and 5.5" hard backing plates with it now.
 
budman3 said:
I've seen paint damage from a PC
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thinker.gif
 
jesselyons2002 said:
I also would like to know how fast is it compare to a rotary ???
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You can't compare the two speed wise because one rotates and the other rotates and orbits. Rotations are measured in RPM (Flex tops out at 480 RPM whereas many use their rotaries at over 1,000 RPM). The Flex also orbits (tops out at 9,600 OPM whereas tops for the PC is 6,000 OPM).

Because the two motions are different you can't compare the two machines speed wise. It's apples to oranges.
 
MikeyC said:
You can't compare the two speed wise because one rotates and the other rotates and orbits. Rotations are measured in RPM (Flex tops out at 480 RPM whereas many use their rotaries at over 1,000 RPM). The Flex also orbits (tops out at 9,600 OPM whereas tops for the PC is 6,000 OPM).

Because the two motions are different you can't compare the two machines speed wise. It's apples to oranges.
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I was talking about how much faster is a flex of getting a job done compare to using a rotary. Not rpm's.
 
The flex machine is my first detailing machine i've purchased. I've used my friend's pc a few times before.. but the flex is definately a step up. I decided to try the machine out on my brother's car. The first thing I noticed was that the vibrations from the flex were much less than the PC. As I started using it, the flex did quite a great job with getting rid of the swirls on my brothers car. It wasn't perfect, there was definately still some swirls left on the car, but the results exceeded my expectations. I believe the corrections I made would have taken a much longer time on a PC. The Flex on level 5 and 6 are quite powerful.

I consider myself a rookie, and I think the flex is very newbie friendly. It doesn't take much to get rid of swirls and get great results. As far as burning paint... I think anyone can burn paint from any machine, whether PC/UDM/FLEX.. just be careful and don't leave it in one spot and you should be good to go. A problem that I encountered was plastic trim...be very careful and tape off your plastic trim as it might burn the surface off just a tad. (I wasn't careful enough and didn't tape it off, doh.) Burning paint is a possiblity, as with any machine, but it will be difficult if you're careful and if you're foolish enough to leave it one spot for too long.

Is better/worst than a rotary? I have no idea, I've never tried using a rotary. I will be interested in what other people have to say comparing the flex against a rotary machine.

Here's a before/after pic after using the flex with just Menzerna SIP...
 
Those are some really good questions budman. I'm interested on hearing more feedback regarding the Flex.

I'm really torn right now whether to get the Flex or not. I currently have a PC, UDM and a cheapo rotary that I'm getting quite proficient with. I had my mind set on getting a Metabo come this spring, but I'm now considering the Flex. It's one of two options:
-Sell the PC and UDM and go with the Flex and cheapo rotary.
-Sell the PC and the cheapo rotary and get a Metabo.
 
Looks like we are in the same boat trlblazer. More feedback in this thread will make it easier to decide. At this point in time I don't see a need for the Flex if I can do heavy correcting with a rotary and finish up with a PC / UDM. I may be able to use the Flex on vehicles that may get by without using a rotary with minor defects and then only have one machine.

Is a rotary obsolete if you have a Flex? Will the Flex correct as much as a rotary? Is there a need for both?

Edwordsigh- Thank you for your feedback, its nice to hear from someone who recently used the machine. The results look great.
 
budman3 said:
Looks like we are in the same boat trlblazer. More feedback in this thread will make it easier to decide. At this point in time I don't see a need for the Flex if I can do heavy correcting with a rotary and finish up with a PC / UDM. I may be able to use the Flex on vehicles that may get by without using a rotary with minor defects and then only have one machine.

Is a rotary obsolete if you have a Flex? Will the Flex correct as much as a rotary? Is there a need for both?
Click to expand...

That's the part that is the hardest for me right now. I can't really figure out which way to go....
 
TOGWT said:
The flex is a tool that is an ideal primer (Rotary 101, if you will) this tool was made for paint correction (used by EU car manufacturers, much like the Cyclo is in the for production line paint correction)

Like all tools there is a learning curve with it, so first gain experience on a paint surface that doesn’t matter i.e. a scrap panel, practice until you feel confident enough in its use and capabilities to use it on your own vehicle.

The immediate future in automotive clear coat paint is something very similar to CeramiClear i.e. very hard. A Flex has the ability to correct this type of hard paint, whereas a PC/UDM requires a quite a few passes to correct them, and also struggles to breakdown diminishing abrasives (something else that car care products are going over too) as it doesn't provide sufficient friction)
Click to expand...

TOGWT

Which EU car manufacturers use the Flex?
Where did you learn this info?
Do the car manufacturers have to replace their bp's on the units they use?
How long has the Flex been around?

Thanks
 
trlblazer3 said:
That's the part that is the hardest for me right now. I can't really figure out which way to go....
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you and me both. I've been trying to secure a flex ever since they debuted on detailedimage but I wanted to make sure that if I got it to detail at LEAST part time, it would save me time, but most of all money.

I can see the time savings, and the money savings as well. But I would need to use it with menzerna vs. the polishes I have.

I have the PB SSR line and Optimum, I don't have menzerna as it is quite pricey. I don't know if it's justified because of my location, I can't do major detailing until spring starts, should I wait for the flex to come back and go on sale? Or should I bite now? That's my dilemma. I am very proficient with a UDM/PC (udm is mine now) but doing a WHOLE car with just a UDM is VERY VERY TIME CONSUMING, it doesn't matter if Im using PB SSR or XMT360, it takes a long time, and feels very time consuming as I keep on doing it.

Ive always wanted a rotary for correction, but if the flex can pretty much do the majority of cars out there, I'm in I guess.
 
So much talk and hype about the Flex ... yet so little answers. One would think all of the talk about how great the Flex is would lead to some answers ... :confused:
 
Comments below:
budman3 said:
I know that not too many people have had the Flex for a long time but there's a few questions that I've been thinking of.

Since the flex is more powerful than the PC / UDM and is direct driven per se, how safe is it in reality? It seems relatively safe to me. I've been using a pc and it seems to be about as safe but I would use more caution on fiberglass or plastic panels. I used my Flex for the first time yesterday. Takes a little more attention and control needed since it is direct driven. I've seen paint damage from a PC and it would make sense that it would be easier to damage with the flex- ie burn. Has anyone burnt or damaged paint yet? Thank goodness no. It maybe a little easier but then again you always need to be careful especially on edges, plastic, and fiberglass. Has anyone intentionally left the Flex in one spot (on spare hood or junker) to see if it would actually damage the paint? No Would you give a rookie this machine and allow them to work on your personal vehicle? Well we are all OCD so I would not let anyone to work on my vehicle unless its a reputable paint shop. How are the vibrations? Vibrations are less than the PC especially when you are at higher speeds. You are going to have vibrations due to the random orbit. Helps some to have a pad nice and centered. If I have a PC and a rotary, would a Flex be worth it? If you are pretty confident in rotary work then I would say not. But then again I feel the Flex is nice to have because it does do work faster than a pc and with the added power it works better with the compound and polishes designed for rotary work. How far off is the Flex from a rotary in working times and results? Not sure b/c I do not use a rotary. If you are having to go over rotary work with a pc/udm then the flex has the best of both worlds and can maybe safe time in that you do'nt have to go back over with a random orbit to get the finish right. Can you damage trim, moldings, doorhandles, etc if the pad on the Flex touches it (like a rotary)? Not sure as the amount of cars I do (not many other than my own) I tape those areas. I am sure you could if you intentionally left the pad on there too long.

Added info: I really like how the switch operates. I keep the machine on 5 and just feather the switch when spreading the polish then I go to full switch and lock the switch. The speed dial the right there if I need to lower speed or go up. Another is that I could not bog the machine down. I tried a couple of times and it wouldn't. Though I do not think that much pressure is needed.
I have more vehicles lined up for next week so I will get more experience and will come back if I find other likes or dislikes. Or if my opinion changes of anything. Right now I am really liking the speed (over the PC) that I can work.

Sorry for a million questions :)

Thanks :cheers:

PS- I have a PC, UDM and Chicago Electric rotary and my next buffer purchase is either going to be a better rotary or a Flex, depending on the feedback I hear about the Flex in the months to come, since they cost the same.
Click to expand...
 
Russecu -Thanks for your input regarding the Flex. Much appreciated!
 
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