comparing Rupes new BigFoot LHR 19E rotary to the Flex PE14-2 rotary king of kings

[rmagnus]

I personally prefer Flex 14-2 my other rotary is the Dewalt (Bumblebee) which is old school heavy workhorse. Rupes makes a great polisher as well although I have yet used the new 19E.

I doubt most people can tell the difference in 150 rpms in rotation. There are many ways to control the cut other than just rpms.

Keep in mind one of the best combos on a rotary is wool and foam/wool hybrid pads, just amazing vs the DA methodology. Many fear the rotary the 14-2 is so perfectly balanced you can run it with one hand and is much lighter than most other rotary polishers.

IMO every Detailer should have a rotary in their arsenal. Just keep in mind you’ll need some different pads and compounds/polishes to really make the package complete.

[DETAILROOKIE]

Would the Rupes and Flex be a good tool for 1 and 2 inch pads as well? Should I keep it at its lowest speed with those smaller pads?

I would like to learn to use a rotary so I would prefer to get one that can handle al pad size and still be safe enough for a newbie to use.

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[rmagnus]

Would the Rupes and Flex be a good tool for 1 and 2 inch pads as well? Should I keep it at its lowest speed with those smaller pads?

I would like to learn to use a rotary so I would prefer to get one that can handle al pad size and still be safe enough for a newbie to use.

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Get the Flex 14-2, Buy Once Cry Once. That polisher can do it all. The quality today means it really come down to personal preference.

[tattooman]

You have them reversed:

Rupes=450RPM
Flex=600RPM

Oops sorry. Ok same question but reversed, can I run the Flex down to 450 RPM with a partial trigger press ?

[tuscarora dave]

For me, the ability to spin the pad faster has more value than I'd think I'd see on the low end. I did own the PE14-2 and it sure was a sweet polisher for it's light weight and ergonomics. I sold it to get something more HD and recall regretting it a time or 2. I honestly don't think you'll top the build quality of the Flex branded tools. I wasn't impressed with any of the Rupes machines I've tried, considering the price.

They were nice machines, just not worth the money IMO.

[rmagnus]

Would the Rupes and Flex be a good tool for 1 and 2 inch pads as well? Should I keep it at its lowest speed with those smaller pads?

I would like to learn to use a rotary so I would prefer to get one that can handle al pad size and still be safe enough for a newbie to use.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Autogeekonline mobile app

Sorry I missed your question about smalle pads. Yes I run smaller 1, 2 & 3” pads on my Flex 14-2. Now I run dedicated 3” pads on my PC (Porter Cable and leave the 1 & 2 inch pads for the Flex 14-2 when I’m doing small detail work. Remember any time you start running smaller pads due to their size the are more efficient (aggressive). Definitely run them at slower speeds. You should also put an extension on the buffer for more clearance.

From my perspective I prefer forced rotation but I grew up with the Dewalt and large wool pads. Several decades ago Da’s were new machines and the rotary was the be all end all. Now we have light weight rotary buffers and 5.5” pads with hybrid and new technology wool pads. LOL its not your father rotary buffer!

I also use Fles 34-01 DA forced rotation. I try to keep machines, pads and polishing products simple. I wind up using a rotary (my preferred tool) 80% of the time. I keep the other buffers configuresd with smaller pads so I don’t have to stop and reconfigure buffers when I get to the smaller areas.

Hope that helps you.

[DETAILROOKIE]

Sorry I missed your question about smalle pads. Yes I run smaller 1, 2 & 3” pads on my Flex 14-2. Now I run dedicated 3” pads on my PC (Porter Cable and leave the 1 & 2 inch pads for the Flex 14-2 when I’m doing small detail work. Remember any time you start running smaller pads due to their size the are more efficient (aggressive). Definitely run them at slower speeds. You should also put an extension on the buffer for more clearance.

From my perspective I prefer forced rotation but I grew up with the Dewalt and large wool pads. Several decades ago Da’s were new machines and the rotary was the be all end all. Now we have light weight rotary buffers and 5.5” pads with hybrid and new technology wool pads. LOL its not your father rotary buffer!

I also use Fles 34-01 DA forced rotation. I try to keep machines, pads and polishing products simple. I wind up using a rotary (my preferred tool) 80% of the time. I keep the other buffers configuresd with smaller pads so I don’t have to stop and reconfigure buffers when I get to the smaller areas.

Hope that helps you.

Thank you for response! I think I'll pull the trigger on the 14-2!

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[B5visser]

Thank you for response! I think I'll pull the trigger on the 14-2!

I think you'll be very happy! My PE-14 sees pads ranging from 2" all the way up to 8" (on rare occasions), and hasn't missed a beat in the 3 years I've owned it!

I'm sure the Rupes polisher is fantastic too, but I'm leary of the forward grip on it becoming uncomfortable over time. When I owned the Mille, in order to put enough downward pressure on the pad, I would be using primarily my thumb, which fatigued my hands way sooner than my 3401. On a long throw, its is less of an issue because you tend to use less downward pressure.

With the large head grip on the PE-14, you are able to center the "Pad" of your hand on the forward grip which makes putting downward pressure that much easier. Also, the center of gravity (referring to distance between the front grip of the tool to the polishing surface) is less on the PE-14. Again, using my Mille as an example, it felt more "tippy" than my 3401. I imagine this also translates to the rotaries.

If you use a side handle, then these are moot points, and it looks like Rupes has a far superior side, and bale handle design.

Overall, both are great! Let us know how you like the PE-14!

[tattooman]

Min rpm with the Rupes rotary 19E is 450 while min rpm for the Flex PE14 is 600, ok got that. But is the difference in minimum rpm between these two machines (150 rpm) significant enough to warrant getting the Rupes over the Flex, assuming that other variables are equal (whether they are or not, just want to consider the 150 lower rpm difference alone). I want to know what you guys think about that extra lower 150 rpm capability means to you, particularly for small sections of damage on car paint, not working on boat hulls etc. Will the extra low 450 rpm give me additional benefits over a 600 low rpm in those scenarios ? Also will 450 rpm give me advantages in jewling over 600 min possible rpm ? I have not used a rotary nor have I jeweled, but I'm going to give it a shot after I can answer this question about the 150 lower rpm capability between the two machines. Also some driver installed a 4 ft paint transfer/scratches/dig to the metal combination of damage to the rear box panel on my F150. So I would like to start my rotary experience in working on those different types of damage very lightly, slowly, and delicately with one or the other of these two machines. I know I could do it by hand very safely, but that's not really my question. Any advice about that 150 lower rpm would be greatly appreciated.

[Dr Oldz]

To me yes the lower RPMs matter. For you learning on 450 is better than 600. When buffing edges or high spots, I like to take it easy so being able to keep the triggerlock on and work at 450 is valuable to me. The Flex will go lower than 600 if you throttle the trigger but the trigger isn’t as precise or comfortable as the Rupes. Jeweling I do like to do at the 450 RPM range if the paint reacts to it well. Sometimes I will bump it up to 600 or maybe 750 but having the option to go to 450 is great.

Just so you are aware the 450/600 speeds are on the trigger lock. Both machines go slower but I like to work with the trigger lock ON As much as possible so I con concentrate on what I am doing. Make sense??

To add: the lower RPM doesn’t matter to me when using smaller 2 or 3 inch pads as you will want higher RPMs for those but when getting to 5 inch or bigger pads it matters to me personally!