Review: FLEX PE14 Rotary Polisher by Mike Phillips

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Review: FLEX PE14 Rotary Polisher by Mike Phillips



My favorite rotary buffer or rotary polisher, whatever you like to use....

The FLEX PE14 Rotary Polisher

Besides all the cool features I'll showcase below, here's why I love my FLEX PE14


Only weighs about 5 pounds.
Not a big deal when buffing out a horizontal panel like the hood or trunk lid but as soon as you switch over to vertical panels where you have to hold the too up AND PUSH IT AGAINST the surface, it makes a big difference.

Super quiet
In fact, I'd say it's the quietest rotary polisher on the market that I've used or tested to date. And if you buff for hours with rotary this is a real blessing because now you can actually listen to something else like the radio or a person talking to you.

Compact size
Once you start using a lightweight, quiet compact size rotary with the power of a bulky, loud full size rotary buffer there's simply no going back.

German quality
Yeah that's right... this is the Mercedes-Benz of rotary polishers. If you deserve the best then don't settle for less.




Variable speed dial is located exactly where you need it to simply and quickly adjust speed on-the-fly...

Speed Trigger is solid feeling when you press the pedal to the metal on a Mercedes-Benz....

Speed lock button - right where it's needed. Easy to depress and lock in the speed or press again and unlock all that power!

Cool running
The internal cooling system pulls air from the rear vents and flushes the air through the forward vents to keep temperatures down...

Handy RPM to speed dial guide right where you're eyes are looking when buffing....

Lower RPM = 400 RPM off the trigger
Low Locked RPM = 600 RPM
Max RPM = 2100 RPM

Easy-grip overmold on the head of the polisher to make it easy to GRIP and CONTROL

Especially important for those of you who aspire to be The God of The Rotary Buffer!

Comes with stick handle that can be placed on either side of the polisher
D-handles are worthless in my opinion and experience. While they can look cool they simply wear out your forearm muscles. It's real simple --> the further you move your hand/grip away from the tool the more muscle and energy it requires to control the tool.

Or be like me - sans the handle. I never use handles on rotary buffers

Don't nobody got no time for handles!

Be sure to install the plastic bolts or steel replacement bolts where the handle attaches as these are designed to also hold the housing to the chassis.

Gear-Lock button is RECESSED so all you cavemen detailers don't accidently press it down while running the polisher.

If you don't know... this is to lock up the gears to remove stubborn or tight backing plates or extensions.

The KEY to using this polisher and maximizing it's potential is to use 7.5" or 6.5" wool pads when cutting or compounding. These are my well-worn pads from years of heavy cutting projects....

She's so sexy!

Best of all... this one is mine! All mine! And the Number #2 production unit in the world.

Perfect for doing what I call surgical or precision buffing on old 2-door Fords....

Or removing wet sanding marks on old 2-door Fords....

Yeah baby.... that's what I'm talking about!

Exotics? No problem - Heavy cutting with wool pads....

Surgical buffing in tight areas....

Supa sexy....

On Autogeek.com


FLEX PE14 Rotary Polisher

 

[Kamakaz1961]

The Oracle has shown us the way AGAIN! Thank you! Love the Flex Brand!

Keep on ROCKING!

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

What an amazing and easy to control machine. I remember the first time I picked one up and gave it a run. I could not believe how easy it was to operate/handle. It really did feel like an extension of my arm.

Now that I have one, I have regulated the other rotaries for the ugly work of polishing less than paint.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Just to note...

And that my friends is how you create a write-up from scratch in REAL-TIME!

It took me about 20 minutes to take the pictures

About 20 minutes to process and upload the pictures

20 minutes to add the words to the pictures and this is the part I did in real-time.


icture:

 

[JustJesus]

Definitely a great machine. Feels so good in my hands. Love the size and weight. Oh so smooth.

Just need to use mine more.

 

[JustJesus]

.
And that my friends is how you write a write-up from scratch in REAL-TIME!

It took me about 20 minutes to take the pictures

About 20 minutes to process and upload the pictures

20 minutes to add the pictures and then add the words including making the link >clickable< to itself so I can share it for the next 10 years here in the cyber-world....

It's going to take me much more than 20 minutes just sorting through a ton of pics for a VW write up I'm planning. It's one reason I haven't done it

One hour is pretty darn fast, Mike. You're a machine!

 

[Aaryn NZ]

What an amazing and easy to control machine. I remember the first time I picked one up and gave it a run. I could not believe how easy it was to operate/handle. It really did feel like an extension of my arm.

Now that I have one, I have regulated the other rotaries for the ugly work of polishing less than paint.

I 100% couldn’t agree with you more Mike! Exactly what you have written is how the PE-14 feels & handles . . . Sadly these beautiful machines do not work here in New Zealand . . . I’m off to sit in the corner & cry . . . Thanks guys. :awman:

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[DaveT435]

I love my PE4, of course I'm going to have to get the new Rupes and try it out. Then I'll decide which one I want to keep. The Rupes has some features I really like.

 

[saturn2]

The PE-14 to my eye the Flex looks smaller than the Rupes

 

[Ronin47]

Agree with Mike about D handles and the preference of no handle. My issue with the PE-14 is it runs crazy hot and shuts off especially when using pads larger than 6”. The Rupes LH19E will run cool all day and never shut off on you as it won’t over heat. The Rupes is the nicer tool on horizontal panels, the Flex being shorter is nicer on vertical panels especially lower doors.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Just for reference, here's some pictures of the FLEX PE14 next to other full size rotary buffers. Years ago I used the terms

• Full size
• Compact size

To differentiate the (at the time), new FLEX PE14 from the other rotary buffers available on Autogeek.com (as well as most online or brick-n-mortar stores).



Here's some pictures to show relative sizes...

The two Flex rotary buffers on the left are in the Compact category while the other 4 rotary buffers are in the Full Size category. Comparing the compacts with the full size rotary buffers can be done but it trends towards the comparing applies to oranges analogy as in person and in use you can tell right away when you switch from a full size to a compact or visa-versa.

The new DeWALT DWP849X is wider and more bulky like the other full size rotary buffers in these pictures.

You can that the Flex is more narrow from top to bottom...

I only has access to the new RUPES rotary polisher for about a day and a half and in that time I used it and the Mille to do a full-on, multi-step show car detail to a 1970 Chevelle, so I didn't get a picture of the RUPES rotary next to the FLEX PE14 BUT I did take a picture of the new FLEX tools (cordless), next to the new RUPES tools and because the FLEX PE14 Cordless Rotary Polisher is the same chassis from the back of the tool to the head of the tool, you can easily use these pictures for size comparison.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I love my PE4, of course I'm going to have to get the new Rupes and try it out. Then I'll decide which one I want to keep. The Rupes has some features I really like.

I've only buffed out one car with the new RUPES Agile, (my name for their rotary polisher, see here ) so I'm not able to make a final judgment on which rotary I like best. I do like the larger overmolded head on the FLEX to grip though.

The PE-14 to my eye the Flex looks smaller than the Rupes

From my pictures above, I'd say the FLEX PE14 is a tick shorter in length but they are both about the same weight and are both compact in size.

My issue with the PE-14 is it runs crazy hot and shuts off especially when using pads larger than 6”.

That's not my experience. "Yes" I have had the FLEX PE14 turn itself off, (a SAFETY feature built into the FLEX PE14 to protect itself), but that's when I've been pushing hard for long periods of time which is not the norm for me and my guess most people.

Also, because I'm going to assume that many reading this thread have NOT pushed on rotary buffers hard enough and long enough to get the HOT - in the pictures below, ANY rotary buffer will get HOT if you push hard enough and long enough. In the picture below, while removing deep oxidation out of the side of the hull on this boat the BODY of the FULL SIZE DeWALT became so hot I could not touch it.


24' Pro-Line Boat - Extreme Marine Makeover - Oxidation Removal


This is how you lean into the buffer....

DeWALT 849X sans handle and grabbing the rubber overmold on the head of the unit and the pushing down hard...

The Rupes LH19E will run cool all day and never shut off on you as it won’t over heat.

I'll need more time with the tool to come to this conclusion. I had the RUPES rotary stop on my twice while buffing out the 1970 Chevelle.

The Rupes is the nicer tool on horizontal panels, the Flex being shorter is nicer on vertical panels especially lower doors.

Sorry.... I don't see that...

Once you get to lightweight and compact in size, these two characteristics are the same to me...

Everyone's mileage will vary...

 

[Justin at Final Inspection]

Man I have been wanting to add this to my lineup but my old school Makita rotary is still rocking along. But it is a bit rough lol. Maybe time to grab a pe14

 

[SWETM]

I 100% couldn’t agree with you more Mike! Exactly what you have written is how the PE-14 feels & handles . . . Sadly these beautiful machines do not work here in New Zealand . . . I’m off to sit in the corner & cry . . . Thanks guys. :awman:

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

Is the electric outlet the problem in NZ?

Flex pe14 rotary polisher with 240v outlets has a range with pe14-1 pe14-2(as the US specs except 240v) pe14-3

Pe14-1 180mm backing plate 250-1350rpm and has a different gear to the pe14-2 and that makes the higher torque otherwise the exactly same body and motor and so on. The weight is just a little tick more but no big impact.
Pe14-3 125mm backing plate 1100-3700rpm a higher rpm to be easier to step down in backing plate size 3" - 5" otherwise also the same motor and vr processor.

I wonder if Flex does those in 110v versions?

The Flex pe14-2 and the rupes agile are the ones I think of for now when it's time for rotary.

 

[Paul A.]

God I want my old rotary machine to DIE!

 

[TMQ]

Hummm....with 4 boats coming up, I prolly need to get me one!

And if needed, can I finish out or remove holograms using rupes mk II and final polish?

Or can a rotary with capt one step polish be enough to get the job done?

Tom

Oh BTW---I do have your book over on my wish list!! Will get it once I place a another order.

Tom

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hummm....with 4 boats coming up, I prolly need to get me one!

And if needed, can I finish out or remove holograms using rupes mk II and final polish?

Or can a rotary with capt one step polish be enough to get the job done?

Tom

Oh BTW---I do have your book over on my wish list!! Will get it once I place a another order.

Tom

I've shared my secrete recipe for success when it comes to doing high quality boat detailing fast and furious a number of times on this forum... would have to do some searching to find it. The version I share in the book is close except...

Lake Country discontinued the coarse blue Hybrid cutting pad. So now I show the RUPES coarse blue foam cutting pad (with the Captain's Compound). Then after this you can seal her up or take her to a higher level. I show it all in my classes.

At this last boat class I gave the students the real-deal, down and dirty get in and get it over and all at the same time getting show car or rather show boat results. And while I had the DeWALT, Makita and 3M rotary buffers out - everyone grabbed up the FLEX PE14s first.


Might have to hold another boat class each year. Problem is - getting the perfect boats for "teaching". Plenty of white boats out there... no visual impact. Need severly oxidized gel-coat boats so people can see the visual difference from their work.

 

[Aaryn NZ]

Is the electric outlet the problem in NZ?

It is. It has something to do with the way our electrical current is delivered.

I have three Flex 3401 polishers (230v) that I purchased through Autogeek & all work extremely hard & never miss a beat. The New Zealand distributor for Flex tools are as helpful as a pocket full of water & have shed no usefull light on the subject at all, & they also have no product knowledge on the 3401. Didn't even know what I was talking about.

The PE-14 is offered in Australia but not here in New Zealand and I'm told it's because we have a slightly different delivery of our power.

A real shame because te PE-14 is really beautiful machine to use. I have owned my fair share of rotary polishers & I have to say, nothing comes close to the Flex PE-14. I am excited for the cordless Flex PE-14, I have hopes that these will work down here.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

 

[SWETM]

It is. It has something to do with the way our electrical current is delivered.

I have three Flex 3401 polishers (230v) that I purchased through Autogeek & all work extremely hard & never miss a beat. The New Zealand distributor for Flex tools are as helpful as a pocket full of water & have shed no usefull light on the subject at all, & they also have no product knowledge on the 3401. Didn't even know what I was talking about.

The PE-14 is offered in Australia but not here in New Zealand and I'm told it's because we have a slightly different delivery of our power.

A real shame because te PE-14 is really beautiful machine to use. I have owned my fair share of rotary polishers & I have to say, nothing comes close to the Flex PE-14. I am excited for the cordless Flex PE-14, I have hopes that these will work down here.

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

I did a little google search and it seems like you have 230v 50hz. And the pe14-2 is capable of 210v-240v 50hz/60hz. So as long you get the right plugg or switch the cord or a plugg converter. I think you would be able to use the pe14-2 without any problem. And since you have the 3401vrg I really could not see a problem to use it. The 3401vrg has 900w and the pe14-2 has 1400w and as long as your outlet can handle 1400w it's good. A thing would be the warrenty when importing it maybe. Otherwise I think you would be able to use a pe14-2.

The cordless Flex seems to be a great tool also.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Man I have been wanting to add this to my lineup but my old school Makita rotary is still rocking along.

But it is a bit rough lol.

Maybe time to grab a pe14

Yeah it's tough when the tool you have is still working.

If you don't use the rotary very often then stick with your Makita as it's a great rotary buffer. If you use the rotary buffer a lot then go for it!