Griots or Flex Input

Dmb5450

Dmb5450

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Hello everyone, I decided to pull the trigger and get a polisher. I have been doing research and decided to get the Griots kit that includes the six and three inch polishers. After looking into reviews I'm not so sure if my choice is as good as I originally thought. The reviews for the three inch seem to indicate the machine isn't as useful as the product description makes it out to be. With that being said I am now looking into the Flex as an option as well. This is mainly due to all the five star reviews.

I do not own a business, so I just detail for fun. I am a high school teacher and have summers off. I would like to advertise to do wax/sealant and possibly small paint corrections. The following questions are what I am currently researching and having answers from trusted autogeeks would greatly help in my decision.

Would the Flex be overkill for the lack of use compared to someone who details for a living?

Can the flex accommodate three inch backing plates to apply paste wax?

I have read somewhere that the Flex and microfiber pads do not mix, is this true/ something I should even worry about?

Would buying the Griots three and six inch combo be a waste? Should I just look into the six inch machine?

I mainly apply wax and sealants to my DD ;I would love to keep improving my skills but at the same time don't want to buy a machine that I'm only using a fraction of its design for hobby use.

Thank you all so much for the feedback!

Griot's Garage Polisher Club Kit, griots orbital polisher, dual action polishers
 
Get the flex, it'll save you from buying the griots now and then the flex later on. With the flex, get the lake country backingm plate system so you can run 5" hybrid pads. The flex loves them.

And today is the perfect day to buy, 15% off and free upgrade to HD

Edit - for wax applicstion I use a griots mini or do it by hand.
 
If your new to machines I would start with the GRIOTS:)
 
IMO you made a good choice. I think based on what you do the Flex is not necessary. Your Griot's should be right for you. I have a PC7424 XP and I have the 3" backing plate and 5" BP. I am a sealant wax guy too and that DA is a decent one. Your GG is more powerful and should accomplish quite a bit.

Now all that being said I do have a Flex 3401 VRG. IMO it is the best DA out there period. It is a beast of a machine.

But based on what you do is it worth the $$ to get? IMO no, however, if you have discretionary $$ to buy one that would be fine.

Ever since I bought my Flex I have delegated the PC to a 3" backing Plate and I put sealant and wax on my ride.

But based on your situation...you made a good choice. If you ever tried a Flex you would understand.

I bought the PC 1st and moved up to the Flex and never looked back.

Both are in my arsenal for keeps. BTW, I do work on friends cars and I do about 2 to 5 details about every 4 months. That is why I got the Flex.

My good friends usually buy me a nice dinner when I finish.

I hope that helps.

Now if you have not pulled the trigger yet for the GG 6" and you have the $$ to get the Flex go straight to the Flex3401VRG and you will be extremely happy!! :props:

The Flex is the ONLY forced rotational DA. Rupes, PC, Megs, Harbor Freight and GG are all floating DA's which are not as effective as a Flex.
 
I had the GG 6" one and got rid of it and now have a Flex and a couple of Rupes (15 & 75). The GG stopped working on speeds 1 and 2 so I warrantied it and sold the brand new replacement to fund my new DA. I also have the GG 3" that I use strictly with a super soft interior brush for leather cleaning.

One thing to keep in mind, if you are doing something for money, make sure you have backup equipment. If you polisher fails in mid job, how are you going to finish that job? My GG didn't fail completely, but speeds 1 & 2 no longer worked, but it could have been a complete failure as well.
 
Kamakaz1961 said:
IMO you made a good choice. I think based on what you do the Flex is not necessary. Your Griot's should be right for you. I have a PC7424 XP and I have the 3" backing plate and 5" BP. I am a sealant wax guy too and that DA is a decent one. Your GG is more powerful and should accomplish quite a bit.

Now all that being said I do have a Flex 3401 VRG. IMO it is the best DA out there period. It is a beast of a machine.

But based on what you do is it worth the $$ to get? IMO no, however, if you have discretionary $$ to buy one that would be fine.

Ever since I bought my Flex I have delegated the PC to a 3" backing Plate and I put sealant and wax on my ride.

But based on your situation...you made a good choice. If you ever tried a Flex you would understand.

I bought the PC 1st and moved up to the Flex and never looked back.

Both are in my arsenal for keeps. BTW, I do work on friends cars and I do about 2 to 5 details about every 4 months. That is why I got the Flex.

My good friends usually buy me a nice dinner when I finish.

I hope that helps.

Now if you have not pulled the trigger yet for the GG 6" and you have the $$ to get the Flex go straight to the Flex3401VRG and you will be extremely happy!! :props:

The Flex is the ONLY forced rotational DA. Rupes, PC, Megs, Harbor Freight and GG are all floating DA's which are not as effective as a Flex.
Click to expand...

:iagree: :buffing:
 
The Flex is a highly capable machine, but it sounds like maybe a little overkill for what you are doing.

The standard DA machines have a little more flexibility in backing plates and even putting brushes on them. The Griot's 3" is pretty wimpy, the only thing that makes it usable IMO is microfiber pads (I can't for the life of me understand why Griot's just introduced 4" foam pads for it).

If I were you I would consider something like a Griot's 6", the Meg's G110 (are they still going to be making that?), the new Meg's polisher, or a PC 7424XP. You can get yourself backing plates for 5-6" pads and for 3-4" pads. For what you describe you will be doing I'd seriously consider this system: Meguiars DA Microfiber Correction System, paint polishing system, car polish, car detailing system, compounding system, remove scratches
 
Have you considered purchasing a Harbor Freight DA while you determine what this Summer gig will turn into?
 
Kamakaz1961 said:
IMO you made a good choice. I think based on what you do the Flex is not necessary. Your Griot's should be right for you. I have a PC7424 XP and I have the 3" backing plate and 5" BP. I am a sealant wax guy too and that DA is a decent one. Your GG is more powerful and should accomplish quite a bit.



Now all that being said I do have a Flex 3401 VRG. IMO it is the best DA out there period. It is a beast of a machine.



But based on what you do is it worth the $$ to get? IMO no, however, if you have discretionary $$ to buy one that would be fine.



Ever since I bought my Flex I have delegated the PC to a 3" backing Plate and I put sealant and wax on my ride.



But based on your situation...you made a good choice. If you ever tried a Flex you would understand.



I bought the PC 1st and moved up to the Flex and never looked back.



Both are in my arsenal for keeps. BTW, I do work on friends cars and I do about 2 to 5 details about every 4 months. That is why I got the Flex.



My good friends usually buy me a nice dinner when I finish.



I hope that helps.



Now if you have not pulled the trigger yet for the GG 6" and you have the $$ to get the Flex go straight to the Flex3401VRG and you will be extremely happy!! :props:



The Flex is the ONLY forced rotational DA. Rupes, PC, Megs, Harbor Freight and GG are all floating DA's which are not as effective as a Flex.
Click to expand...


Thank you for the confirmation, I still am doing some research. I want to purchase today due to the sale and HD upgrade. After hearing all the input I may look into the flex and maybe try to find a used GG three inch somewhere. Maybe I can have the best of both worlds, get the Flex on discount and get a used GG for paste wax and interior detailing. You all have been absolutely outstanding! I greatly appreciate the input and respect all of your suggestions. Everything that was said went into consideration!
 
If you are only using the 2nd polisher for spreading wax and interiors...you should save your money and get the Harbor Freight DA or a used Porter Cable 7424
 
Dmb5450 Thank you for your comment. As for getting the 3" GG Polisher, I would pass on that. I had one and donated it to an AGO member that could use it.

If you are looking for a dedicated 3" Polisher then I would get the Rupes Mini, however, that is really expensive.

What you can do (as I did) I turned my PC 7424 XP into a 3" DA. I got the extensions for it too. The PC 7424 XP is a little more (about $35 - $40) than if you were to get the GG 3". I do have the 5" backing plate for the PC too just in case for larger correcting.

I am not too familiar with the GG 6" but familiar with the GG 3". Giving it away lets you know my opinion on that DA.

I know that QC on the PC is top notch. Again, that would be the way I would go if you were going to get a dedicated 3" DA. For the more money to spend look at the Rupes Mini 3".

For Christmas Santa may be getting me one of those because I have been good!.....LOL
 
Kamakaz1961 said:
Dmb5450 Thank you for your comment. As for getting the 3" GG Polisher, I would pass on that. I had one and donated it to an AGO member that could use it.



If you are looking for a dedicated 3" Polisher then I would get the Rupes Mini, however, that is really expensive.



What you can do (as I did) I turned my PC 7424 XP into a 3" DA. I got the extensions for it too. The PC 7424 XP is a little more (about $35 - $40) than if you were to get the GG 3". I do have the 5" backing plate for the PC too just in case for larger correcting.



I am not too familiar with the GG 6" but familiar with the GG 3". Giving it away lets you know my opinion on that DA.



I know that QC on the PC is top notch. Again, that would be the way I would go if you were going to get a dedicated 3" DA. For the more money to spend look at the Rupes Mini 3".



For Christmas Santa may be getting me one of those because I have been good!.....LOL
Click to expand...


Can the flex be made to accept a 3 inch backing plate?
 
Dmb5450 You are correct about the GG 6". You can do the exact same thing as I did with the PC 7424 XP. The GG 6" is probably more powerful, however, my guess is that the QC is better with the PC. You can't go wrong with either.
 
allenk4, I used a rotary backing plate extender and the adapter for a DA. You can use 1, 2 or more backing plate extender and use the adapter and voila...extended 3" DA. When I have the chance I will post a Pic of my PC with the extension Buff and Shine has the Backing Plate Adapter and you can look at AGO's site for the DA adapter. I also used the rotary 3" Backing Plate for the Flex Kompact.

A simple process once you see how it is done.

Also Art Hernandez has a post for an extension I can't find the thread but he does one too.
 
Since this is your very first polisher, I would go with the Griots Garrage. I would hate for you to spend 350 and find out that you hate machine polishing. Its nice to have a spare polisher on hand in case one fails. the flex warranty is only 1yr to my knowledge. Not sure what the life of the flex is
 
goldenlight said:
Since this is your very first polisher, I would go with the Griots Garrage. I would hate for you to spend 350 and find out that you hate machine polishing. Its nice to have a spare polisher on hand in case one fails. the flex warranty is only 1yr to my knowledge. Not sure what the life of the flex is
Click to expand...


That's a great point, I think the Griots its a lifetime warranty. That would come in handy I would imagine.
 
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