How to machine scrub tires using the Cordless FLEX PE14

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

How to machine scrub tires using the Cordless FLEX PE14

Comedy
When I teach my car and boat detailing classes, I do my best to include comedy. One of the long-time jokes I use is that I try to show as many things as possible by MACHINE and the reason why is....

Here at Autogeek... we don't sell hands... :laughing:


But seriously, I am part machine and I work like a machine and I try to do everything by machine. Love the Cordless FLEX PE14 because it does a dramatically better job of cleaning tires than a human could ever do working by hand. And because it's cordless there is no SHOCK risk and I've been shocked before, so speaking from first hand experience, I prefer cordless over plug-in when working in a wet environment.



Wheels and tires first
Ever since I started detailing cars, that would be before the Internet, I figured out right away the correct order to do clean and wash each area of a car. For me, after doing the 3 messy things, (I teach this in my car classes), the next thing is to do the OPPOSITE of what the major car wax companies tell you to do and instead, I start at the bottom not the top. That is, start with wheel and tires. The order you wash a car is relative - that is it doesn't really matter to the car what you do first, so work smarter instead of harder and after the 3 things that get a car messy start with wheels and tires.

Iconic tires on a classic muscle car but they look kind of dull and boring.

The cordless FLEX PE15 with a 5 AMP battery fully charged and ready to tear into the tires.

Wheel Woolies Black Boar's Hair Wheel Face Brush - if you don't have one, get one and thank me later. Coolest, handiest brush for all kinds of job.

The art of photography....
Holding the camera in one hand while squeezing the spray with the other hand and timing the exact moment to get this type of "action shot".

Yeah buddy....

Have to admit, normally I would hold the FLEX with both hands but in this moment the other hand was manning the camera.

The most awesome wheel face brush...
I teach a lot of classes and one of the things I remind people of is out of all the "things" you do to your car... washing is the most common and most repeated thing you do. So it only makes sense to have GREAT car washing tools and products to make a job I really don't like doing as fast as possible while keeping my results professional quality consistently. Make sense?

Ready to rinse...

Now that's a clean tire.

Final results...

Here's everything I used....

On Autogeek.com


Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Long Bristles

Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Short Bristles

Wheel Woolies Boar’s Hair Wheel Brush

TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner 22 ounce

SONAX Wheel Cleaner Full Effect

FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher

SONAX Polymer Net Shield 340 ml

Mighty Mini Cordless Polisher

2 Pack Cyclo Polisher Grey Ultra Soft Upholstery Brush

 

[mk9750]

Mike,

You did this same write up with the Mighty Mini about 8 months ago, and I went that route. By far the easiest method I've used to clean tires so far.

 

[Klasse Act]

This is just me, spray cleaner, grab tire brush, scrub and rinse is much easier, not trying to be Richard head here but just thinking outloud I guess

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[mk9750]

Klasse,

Generally, I think your method is more efficient. But when I'm trying to prep tires for a tire coating, your method usually takes three or four attempts. Using the machine takes me one attempt usually, and two at most.

But you're right - If all I'm putting on is a tire shine product, soap and water, a good brush, and a bit of elbow grease is all I use too.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike,

You did this same write up with the Mighty Mini about 8 months ago, and I went that route. By far the easiest method I've used to clean tires so far.

Yes - the Mighty Mini. When it first came in I was told it was for doing spot polishing. I looked at it and noticed the 5/16 threaded input and knew I could attach a Cyclo brush. Then I knew the best use for the Mighty Mini is not for spot polishing but for machine scrubbing ties and NOT getting shocked.

I've been shocked machine scrubbing tires with a plug-in polisher - not fun.

So yeah, the Mighty Mini is a much cheaper way to safely machine scrub tires versus purchasing the cordless FLEX PE14. Luck me, Bob Eichelburg gave me one of these cools tools at SEMA in 2017 when they were introduced and I also have about a half doze of them for our classes here. They do work better than the Mighty Mini only because they are more powerful and the brush head is larger.

Here's my article on using the Mighty Mini for machine scrubbing tires.


Review: Machine Tire Scrubber by Mike Phillips - NO SHOCK HAZARD WHILE WASHING YOUR CAR!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

This is just me, spray cleaner, grab tire brush, scrub and rinse is much easier,

not trying to be Richard head here but just thinking outloud I guess

Million ways to skin a cat. No harm intended PETA - just an old saying.


I always say and figure everyone can figure out what works best for them. I've been machine scrubbing tires since I figure it out back in 2013 and have never looked back.

Best darn tire cleaning brush I've ever used!


I teach this in all my classes too and everyone LOVES it. During the car wash session of my detailing classes I show a LOT of tips, techniques and tools, not just wash mitts and buckets. It takes around 3 hours to go through all the topics, tools and techniques JUST for the car washing session. And like I say, when I show people how to machine scrub tires and REALLY get them clean using tools that won't shock them but also take all the grunt labor out the task - well people like it. So its not just me.

But yeah - a brush and your hand and arm work good to. I still do it this way sometimes - depends on the situation. But as I like to joke - we don't sell hands here at Autogeek.... we sell tools and lots of them.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And for the hundreds, thousands and historically tens of thousands of members and lurkers that will read this thread into the future and MIGHT not know what a tire coating is....


Review: TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat by Mike Phillips


Machine cleaned

Starting the coating process

5 coats later

Cool looking tires on a cool looking car....

1971 Corvette Original Paint detailed by Mike Phillips

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And just to add....

There's not a lot of pictures of the car wash session for the recent May 3-day detailing Bootcamp class but enough to give anyone reading this into the future what a real hands-on class looks like. This class detailed 12 cars in 3 days. Very hands-on.


Pictures: May 2019 Detailing Bootcamp Class at Autogeek with Mike Phillips


Machine scrubbing tires on a Jaguar - one guy using the Mighty Mini and the other guy the FLEX PE14. On the other sides of the other 4 cars we washed there are more people doing the same. I think I had 8 cordless tire scrubbers outside for this part of the class.

Then later on Saturday afternoon, (the above was at 7:30am in the morning, we start early)


Continued.....


Tire Coatings
In all my classes I try to show how to apply both tire dressings and tire coatings. These are VERY DIFFERENT types of products.


Tuf Shine Tire Coating
What I teach in my classes is a technique yours truly created to quickly and effectively apply 5-6 coats of Tuf Shine Tire Coating and then both speed dry the coating to the tire, (so you can then apply multiple coats quickly), and also blow the coating in and around all the tire lettering and sidewall siping.

Not bad for being 19 years old...

I took these pictures out in the sun the next day. Looks like a freaking brand new car and it's 19 years old.

Over 400 pictures here showing what our classes look like - you can't find 10 pictures of any other supposed class. :laughing:


Pictures: May 2019 Detailing Bootcamp Class at Autogeek with Mike Phillips

 

[DetailKitty]

Is there an attachment to use that on the Flex 3401?

 

[Klasse Act]

Wow, that's quite an involved process for the tires

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[Klasse Act]

Is there an attachment to use that on the Flex 3401?

I think there a pic of it from the Roadshow Detailing Class

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[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Is there an attachment to use that on the Flex 3401?

No attatchment needed, the back of the brushes has velcro.

I recently machine scrubbed a vinyl top using the Beast and the brush. Works great.

When doing tires, it will work but the backing plate is going to oscillate and at the longest point of the oscillation the backing plate will hit the ground/pavement.

 

[Thomkirby]

Wow this is a great use of that Flex cordless rotary. It was a pleasure to have Mike show the January class how he uses the Tuff Shine product. After I did it by hand on my test tires I can fully endorse this machine method. Using the smaller Mighty tool or rotary would be the smart method if you do this for a business.

Thanks Mike for this tip.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Wow, that's quite an involved process for the tires

Just because I'm not sure the context of what you mean,

Do you mean what I'm showing is an involved process when applying a tire COATING to tires?

Or do you mean machine scrubbing is an involved process?



:dunno:

 

[Klasse Act]

Just because I'm not sure the context of what you mean,

Do you mean what I'm showing is an involved process when applying a tire COATING to tires?

Or do you mean machine scrubbing is an involved process?



:dunno:

The picking up a machine and going around a tire seems very cumbersome, awkward, maybe it's just me

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[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The picking up a machine and going around a tire seems very cumbersome, awkward, maybe it's just me

Gotcha....

Actually, running the FLEX PE14 around a tire is MUCH easier than hand scrubbing. Only by doing it yourself would a person appreciate not only the power of the rotating brush to get the tire so much cleaner than you can ever accomplish by hand but instead of using all the muscles in your hand, arm, shoulder and back to move some kind of brush in a back-n-forth motion over a vertical surface - with the rotary you just hold the body of the PE14 with the brush against the tire and the tool does all the work.

It's really easy.


If given the option to hand scrub or machine scrub tires I would choose machine scrub every time.

 

[DetailKitty]

No attatchment needed, the back of the brushes has velcro.

I recently machine scrubbed a vinyl top using the Beast and the brush. Works great.

When doing tires, it will work but the backing plate is going to oscillate and at the longest point of the oscillation the backing plate will hit the ground/pavement.

Thank you and good to know!

If given the option to hand scrub or machine scrub tires I would choose machine scrub every time.

I'm with you there :xyxthumbs: