WRAPT C5Z06
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Receiving it today. :dblthumb2:
Why is the Flex 3401 considered so powerful?
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A4 1.8tqm
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WRAPT C5Z06
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David,
The Festool 150 is a very solid feeling machine, and only weighs 5lbs. However, at $495 price tag I was expecting perfection..lol. It's very loud, much louder than I anticipated. The machine got VERY warm in my hands. Maybe it was a defective unit? Nonetheless, it bothered me. The Festool is very powerful, no doubt about that, but I still feel like the Flex 3401 is smoother. In the end, I found myself wanting the Flex again and saving $200, so that's what I'm going to do. I was able to return the Festool for a full refund(I knew that before I bought it). :dblthumb2:
Pros: well built, excellent correcting power
Cons: very loud, got very warm in my hands, pad didn't glide on the paint as smooth at the Flex
Cons outweighed the Pros.
ASPHALT ROCKET
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Hmmmm, sorry to hear that. I have several of their tools and never had any problems with them. One of your better made tools out there.
WRAPT C5Z06
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Yes, Festool has a stellar reputation, that's why I bought it. It was just strange how warm it got in my hand. Hot is actually a better word. Strange. It was also annoyingly loud. I developed a headache after using it for an hour. I didn't want to resort to earplugs. The correcting and finishing power is awesome, but the cons were just too much for me.
Impressions
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than you might not like the Flex......cause it gets downright hot after a short time in operation
Mike Phillips
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Most tools are going to get hot after buffing for a while, I prefer not to use a handle on most tool most of the time, just personal preference.
When I buffed out the 1973 Lincoln the first time around I used a 6" Purple Kompressor pad on the Flex 3403 and after buffing out 3/4 of the car I finally installed the stick handle as the tool was just too hot to hold comfortably. It never shut down by the way and this is a pretty large car.
A few years ago I sanded and buffed out a 1963 Ford Thunderbird M Series Roadster in Roseville, California in August and it was over 100 degrees most of the day. My Makita Rotary Buffer was so hot for so long, (3 passes around the car), that you could smell burning plastic wires.
Just a note not so much for Mark but for people reading this thinking about getting into machine polishing to let them know that tools don't stay cool when worked over time, they will get warm to hot and that's normal. Outside temp is a factor and of course type of tool, some will get hotter than others.
When I buffed out the 1973 Lincoln the first time around I used a 6" Purple Kompressor pad on the Flex 3403 and after buffing out 3/4 of the car I finally installed the stick handle as the tool was just too hot to hold comfortably. It never shut down by the way and this is a pretty large car.
A few years ago I sanded and buffed out a 1963 Ford Thunderbird M Series Roadster in Roseville, California in August and it was over 100 degrees most of the day. My Makita Rotary Buffer was so hot for so long, (3 passes around the car), that you could smell burning plastic wires.
Just a note not so much for Mark but for people reading this thinking about getting into machine polishing to let them know that tools don't stay cool when worked over time, they will get warm to hot and that's normal. Outside temp is a factor and of course type of tool, some will get hotter than others.
A4 1.8tqm
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Ahh... The Flex, regardless of the debates about "Power" and "Stroke" and "OPM" etc., it comes down to the fact that it is an amazing tool that is comfy, safe and effective. You had quite the adventure to get back here in the F.O.C. (Flex Owners Club).
rops:I'm glad you didn't say "OH man! It's the greatest in every way!"
Really? You mean the trigger handle? or the metal gear housing, cause I've never noticed the handle get hot. Maybe I'm just to preoccupied to notice. :dunno:
WRAPT C5Z06
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I've tried pretty much every buffer out there and do not remember saying to myself, "wow, this is really hot" other than the festoool. I owned the Flex for a while, and I remember the parts that you grab not getting hot. The festool got HOT everywhere on the machine. Maybe it was defective? I don't know, but what I do know is none of the other DA's I've tried gave me the same feeling.
WRAPT C5Z06
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I've tried pretty much every buffer out there for extended amounts of time and do not remember saying to myself, "wow, this is really hot!" other than with the festoool. I owned the Flex for a while, and I remember heat never being an issue. The festool got HOT everywhere on the machine. Maybe it was defective? I don't know, but what I do know is none of the other DA's I've tried gave me the same feeling as the festool.
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WRAPT C5Z06
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double post :doh:
At least I got my point across! LOL
At least I got my point across! LOL
Impressions
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the head unit gets hot...not the handle
to me "extended periods of time" is more than a couple of hours, multi steps turn into 8+ hours sometimes
to me "extended periods of time" is more than a couple of hours, multi steps turn into 8+ hours sometimes
I have evaluated Festool almost 3 years ago:
Google: ZoranC + Festool
It did have some big cons for me but loudness and getting hot were _not_ among them. My copy was reasonably "quiet" and not once I found it hot even though I used it for prolonged periods of time.