[patrickleung]

Hi,


I just finished detailing my car, and my finger hurts now.
I am thinking of upgrading it to a flex.But,
to those who used Flex and PC, how do they perform?
Does Flex vibrate like PC? how is the handling and the weight as well?
Or i should move on to the Makita?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by patrickleung

Hi,

I just finished detailing my car, and my finger hurts now.
I am thinking of upgrading it to a flex.But,
to those who used Flex and PC, how do they perform?
Does Flex vibrate like PC? how is the handling and the weight as well?
Or i should move on to the Makita?

The Flex XC3401VRG will vibrate, but not to the same extent as the PC. After a long polishing session, my hand isn't fatigued like I'd be with a PC7424.

I find that the Flex corrects twice as many imperfections in half the time. The time savings alone makes it worth every penny after one polishing session.

Weight wise they are pretty comparable, I do prefer the over the handle grip on the Flex and the variable speed trigger is a feature I don't know if I can live without. You'll also be able to apply a lot more pressure when needed for those deeper imperfections without the motor giving out or bogging down like on the PC.

The only downside of the Flex is there aren't really any options for different sized backing plates, so you're stuck using 6 or 6.5" pads.

If you jump up to the Makita, you're going to run a much higher risk of potentially damaging your paint. It only takes 1 bad move with a rotary buffer to burn the paint, with a random orbital it's much more forgiving for enthusiasts.

If you have any other questions comparing the two units, please do not hesitate to ask.

George

[BK]

Honestly, if you're not detailing a lot of cars, I'd just go with the Flex 3401. It does a terrific job, can do fairly serious correction if you need to, and works quickly with little chance of screwing up your paint. Note the Flex can burn paint, but you'd really have to try to do it -- as opposed to just not paying attention like with a rotary.

As for not having smaller pads, that's an issue, but I find I'm able to use my Flex in all but the smallest areas.

The only thing I'd caution about the Flex is that tolerance between the housing and the backing plate is very tight. As a result, I and others have had issues with the backing plate hitting the housing, heating up, and eventually failing. The backing plate is replaced under warranty, but it was a PITA for me as I didn't have a backup buffer while I waited for the replacement. You can read the stories over at autopia.org, as well as the advice to keep it from happening (double-check bolt tightness before beginning and lightly oil the felt ring).