yes, anything man made is going to have problems and that goes for all polishers. if I was doing this for a living and had to rely between the flex and rupes there's no doubt it would be a flex and yes i own both. more versatile with different backing plates/pads offered, and just a workhorse of a polisher. they have a repair facility here in the states which is another key factor if you have a problem down the line. the rupes has/d no place to repair them and their customer service was non-existent (i'm sure it's changed now) and i had a few problems that left a bad taste in my mouth. also, the QC control between the two IMO is better with the flex and feels more solidly built. however, i do want to purchase/try out the rupes torch but it's not cheap and i'm sure the same exact thing can be found for a lot less (if someone knows please let me know) in the end, it's your hard earned money and you have the right to spend it on whatever you personally like...