As with everything else on this board I'm sure a lot comes down to personal preference. Although when Mike endorses a particular tool over another I take that advice seriously. I didn't have the luxury of borrowing or testing the Flex, Rupes, or GG because there are very few English speaking detailers here, so I went with someone no one can Question in the expertise dept. I'm sure in time I'll test the Rupes or GG and who knows, maybe I'll even like those better. But in the meantime I'll enjoy my Flex. It's def superior to the PC for the more difficult corrections which was my goal.
Looking to buy a flex 3401
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StuDLei
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Flex is the only DA I've ever used, but I imagine it's more tiring and more difficult to use than others, that aren't direct drive. The Flex tends to want to walk.... and you can talk about holding the pad flat all you want. Yes it does help a lot if the pad is flat, but it still requires some muscle to keep in line and how many panels on your car are as flat as a tabletop themselves? Your hood and your trunk IF you're lucky.
rmagnus
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Not sure youre using 5.5" pads or not but they are super easy to control. You can even operate it with just one hand. Keeping the pads flat is beneficial with any polisher.
hernandez.art13
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How much harder would a Rotary be to operate vs a Flex?
rmagnus
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Flex is easier because it oscillates as well as rotates. Learning to use a rotary is important, seems to be a fading skill. Mike has demonstrated people without any experience can use a rotary. He's done the same with DAs.
RBs have changed lower rpms like 600 rpms and smaller pads have made them more controllable.
If you run a RB like they did in the old days 2000+ rpms with a large wool pad I'd say the rotary would be very difficult to control.
StuDLei
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Is there that big of a difference between the 5.5" pads and the stock 6.5"s? I would have liked to buy some, in fact, I recently made an order with AG, but I was already at $200. That was more than enough this time around.
StuDLei
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I need to get a scale to get some sort of feel for what 15lbs. of pressure is too. Sometimes I feel like maybe I'm putting too much weight into the thing, but one of the issues I had when I first started was using to little pressure because I was afraid of burning paint. The more pressure the more it wants to walk. It's not even so much this dramatic feeling of it wanting to walk, but trying to make perfect, parallel passes is tough, lol!
hernandez.art13
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This might sound weird to some, but I have found that using a DA has been a new skill that I've had to learn.
(The PC with the clutch and Flex with the hops)
However using a Rotary is more normal for me.
(Just saying)
Anthony Onorato
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I want going to sell my flex...but i haven't used it for a while. I'll do $220 shipped for anyone interested.
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rmagnus
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To your earlier post, I totally get the addiction of always buying new detailing stuff. I try and separate consumables from tools. Guess its my way to justify.
Bite the bullet and buy one Hydro flat 5.5" pad for your 3401.
In terms of pressure DAs use more than rotaries. You really don't need to use much pressure. Get a bathroom scale and place your buffer on it then press down till it reads 15 lbs. I've never measured downward pressure. Id guess 10-15 pounds is more than enough. I just go by feel and observe how the paint is responding.
Walking is an issue of tilting the pad. The larger the pad the easier it is to tilt. 5.5 are easier too control but you still need yo keep them flat. Pay attention to the compression of the pad as it should be even. Use less pressure try using just the weight of the Flex itself. Personally I like being able to steer it by varying the tilt of the pad. I've never experienced the Flex being difficult to control. I took a long time to buy one but never regretted it for a moment.
rmagnus
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Hard to go wrong with a GG especially as a first polisher. Big bang for the buck.
rmagnus
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It's a god move. Put a small backing plate and 4 " pads on your PC and you'll have a great tag team polishing system.
The price tag is what kept me from jumping on the Flex. It's not really an issue, we all waste money and once you buy it you'll never think about the price again. It's a proven polisher. Take nothing away from the GG like I said previously its a great bang for the buck.
hernandez.art13
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How much?
TundraPower
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Skip the Flex...save up your money and get a Rupes.