Battery Time - FLEX Cordless Polishers - Real World Detail by Mike Phillips at Autogeek

[Calendyr]

So is that :48 the amount of time it takes to charge the battery back to full (48 minutes) ?

If not, how long does it take to re-charge the battery?

If you get 35 mins of work time and it takes 48 mins to re-charge, that is very decent, you can almost work full time with 2 batteries. Of course with time charge will not hold as long, but still, I could see myself using a cordless in that scenario.

How was the power compared to corded model. Did you feel it was doing less work or about the same?

Thanks for the write up, I always enjoy articles you post!

[Mike Phillips]

So is that :48 the amount of time it takes to charge the battery back to full (48 minutes) ?

It takes 48 minutes to fully recharge if you FULLY drain or run the battery down to empty.

It takes less time if the battery still has charge, my guess some kind of balance in the mix.

If not, how long does it take to re-charge the battery?

If you get 35 mins of work time and it takes 48 mins to re-charge, that is very decent, you can almost work full time with 2 batteries. Of course with time charge will not hold as long, but still, I could see myself using a cordless in that scenario.

In my test - I buffed solid. Of course I turned the polishers off to do normal things like,

Move to a new panel.
Re-position my products and cleaning spur/brush.
Wipe product off.

Note I buffed out all the glass too...


You know, normal things I would normally do if I was using a corded tool. Besides these things, I buffed until I was done with the car from start to finish. Even though I am missing my leg - I'm a machine. Nothing slows me down when it comes to buffing out a car except for interruptions from people and that's always going to be a normal issue.

How was the power compared to corded model. Did you feel it was doing less work or about the same?

About the same, probably a tick on the less power side of the equation but considering I didn't hassle with a cord it was something I was definitely okay with.

Thanks for the write up, I always enjoy articles you post!

Thank you. Even though I'm a paid employee and that means I get paid to work on cars and write about tools, pads and products, that doesn't take away from my passion to do this type of work and share my experience.

[Calendyr]

Thanks Mike. Cordless definatelly sound good. Cords are so annoying when buffing. Next step will be gas powered buffers

[Aaryn NZ]

Nothing slows me down when it comes to buffing out a car except for interruptions from people and that's always going to be a normal issue.

Awh geeze, I cringe a little at the thought of being interrupted when I'm working but also I realise its a necessary evil of being in a service industry. I am comforted in the knowledge that you get interrupted too Mike.

About the same, probably a tick on the less power side of the equation but considering I didn't hassle with a cord it was something I was definitely okay with.

I had wondered this too. Thats great news, I had thought there would be a touch less power, it just makes sense that there would be but it sounds like maybe there isn't as much of a difference as I possibly was expecting. I am excited to try these out. Roll on Detail Fest.


Aaryn NZ.

[Aaryn NZ]

Thanks Mike. Cordless definatelly sound good. Cords are so annoying when buffing. Next step will be gas powered buffers

Haha, nice!

I can see them now . . . like Timber Sports & their "Hot Saws" . . . awesome. I'd like my one to be Miniature Flat Four with a megaphone exhaust & paint it up like Herbie . . . yup, I'm a VW guy.

Aaryn NZ.

[JHL88]

Mike you made that blue look liquid! What are your quick thoughts on those Sonax polishes?

[Mike Phillips]

Mike you made that blue look liquid! What are your quick thoughts on those Sonax polishes?

Thank you sir. That was the real-deal buff-out, no mock-up involved. Each square inch was clayed, compounded, then machine polished and machine waxed. By the time you put just about any car's paint through a multiple step process like this you can't help but to create a deep wet shine.

As for SONAX polishes?

Top shelf abrasive technology.


And in my book, the MOST IMPORTANT factor when it comes to polishing paint is the abrasive technology. In this order,

1. Abrasive technology
2. Pad
3. Tool
4. You

[Calendyr]

While we are on the subject of detailing Mike, can I pick your brain on something?

I do production detailing. My go to are Meg M300 for compounding, D166 and D151 for AIO polishing and M205 for polishing. My LSP are Menzerna PowerLock, CarPro Essence and CarPro Reload depending on the job.

Would a multi-step polishing make a big difference on the shine on a car. For example, if I was to polish with M205 on an orange pad, then again with a green or white pad to finish with a polish on a finishing pad, I think you call it jewelling in your book, would that make a dramatic improvement ? I am re-designing my packages for the next season and I have been thinking about putting a multi-step in there... just not sure it's worth it for daily drivers (which is all I do).

Also, since you try pretty much every product on the market, do you see a big difference from one product to the next in terms on result? I have not tried many polishes or compounds. I think Meguiar's products are pretty good, well... I hate M105 because of the dusting, but it does work well otherwise, and I keep reading about other products and I ask myself, can they really be that much better when this product already does a very good job? What are your thoughts on all this?

[Mike Phillips]

While we are on the subject of detailing Mike, can I pick your brain on something?

Sorry for the delay, it's hard to keep up this time of year...

I do production detailing. My go to are Meg M300 for compounding, D166 and D151 for AIO polishing and M205 for polishing. My LSP are Menzerna PowerLock, CarPro Essence and CarPro Reload depending on the job.

Would a multi-step polishing make a big difference on the shine on a car. For example, if I was to polish with M205 on an orange pad, then again with a green or white pad to finish with a polish on a finishing pad, I think you call it jewelling in your book, would that make a dramatic improvement ? I am re-designing my packages for the next season and I have been thinking about putting a multi-step in there... just not sure it's worth it for daily drivers (which is all I do).

Here's my honest answer on your question...

On a dark colored car I do think using great abrasive technology you can create a more perfect finish doing a multiple-step process.

That said, here's something else I say and I'll write a new article for it, (if I don't have one already?)

Wax is the great equalizer

By the above statement, I mean no matter how much you polish, by the time you apply a coat or layer of a product from one of these three categories,

1. Car wax
2. Synthetic paint sealant
3. Ceramic or whatever paint coating

You have just created a uniform appearance via the product you applied. You may have made the finish more perfect or possibly less perfect from the protection product and even the application process but the BIG PICTURE is the entire finish has now been equalized.

So from that point of view, it wouldn't matter if you did a jeweling step or not - at least from an appearance point of view because you shmooed the finish over with "something".

Also, since you try pretty much every product on the market, do you see a big difference from one product to the next in terms on result?

I have not tried many polishes or compounds. I think Meguiar's products are pretty good, well... I hate M105 because of the dusting, but it does work well otherwise, and I keep reading about other products and I ask myself, can they really be that much better when this product already does a very good job?
What are your thoughts on all this?

Yes.

I see big differences.

The two topics I talk/write about the most are,

1: Abrasive technology

2: Touching the paint

You no doubtedly have read enough of my writing to know I talk about these two topics a LOT.

[Cruzscarwash]

This has been great Mike, it's the battery time in the real world that kept me from buying these on the release. I want to use these for mobile sealant work and test spots at car shows. I also thing it would be great for spot scratch removal. The times seem more then fair for the size of the battery and how lightweight the tools are. I'm looking forward to the cordless beast as I think that's going to be the best of both worlds with going cordless.

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