Rupes Mille or Flex 3401

[Mike Phillips]

The new 3401 is dropping soon. Wait for that if you decide to go for the corded version.

The word "soon" is a kind of relative term. This new version of the BEAST is available overseas but it's not available here in the U.S.

[Mike Phillips]

Hey Mike. Thanks again for the constructive help. After lots of debate and reading, I think i will give the Flex a try. The only thing I am cautious of is getting used to the rotation direction after using Rupes but I suspect thats not too big of an issue. However your post about the CBEAST got me thinking about that.

I don't want to talk you into anything, keep that in mind.

As for which direction a tool pulls you or jerks you? That's a silly topic in my opinion. I get it that some guys are sensitive to tool-pull, but not me. I'll never forget one of the guys on this forum purchasing the Makita PO5000C and then returned it in a week because he didn't like the direction it pulled him. He then purchased the Mille because he LIKED the way it pulled him around.

How silly.

I never pay attention to how a tool pulls me, I point the polisher in the direction I want it to go and I MAKE IT GO THERE. I make it go there fast and I get the job done fast. I don't invest or waste any time contemplating the direction of pull by any tool.

I have LOTS of power tools and for me personally, I am not a usually a fan of cordless in a tool that requires a lot of power and torque. An extreme example of this might be a cordless weed eater or lawn mower....WHY? Sure they work, but not well if grass if very thick or not for very long.

Now with that said, and in my quest for getting things done faster, I pose these questions to you since you have used the CBEAST:

Do you feel the cordless does the job equally in time and quality as the corded 3401?

If not, what are some of the differences to consider when comparing the two versions?

What run time can we expect on the C?


Thanks

In a previous post in this thread I shared the link to my brand new article specifically on battery run time. In that thread I also answer your above questions. The reason I share a link in a thread is because it contains relative info to the topic being discussed.

Here's the link,


How long does the battery last? 40 minutes - Cordless FLEX XC 3401 aka the CBEAST



Now I'll answer your questions and all I will do is copy and paste what I've already written using what I wrote in the above article.

Do you feel the cordless does the job equally in time and quality as the corded 3401?


If not, what are some of the differences to consider when comparing the two versions?

From the section with the heading Review

Review
In my opinion.... the battery longevity was more than acceptable to do away with the hassle of dealing with an extension cord AND enjoy the freedom of cordless machine polishing. The cordless version of the FLEX 3401 has a max RPM of 380 while the corded version has a max RPM of 480 and if you use the corded version a lot then you'll key right in on the speed difference.

Why the lower speed limit? The reason why is the battery will last longer running at a slower speed while still providing plenty of power and run time to do correction work.

If I really need to plow through the heavy correction or compounding step on a car as fast as I can then I'm going to grab the time-tested FLEX 3401 aka the BEAST. But if I don't have work as fast as humanly possible then 100% for sure I'm grabbing my now trusty and dusty CBEAST.

What run time can we expect on the C?

The FIRST sentence in my article

I averaged 40 minutes battery run-time when compounding hard -Mike Phillips

After reading your last post if I were asked to make a recommendation for you specifically I would recommend the RUPES Mille. The pad will rotate in a clockwise motion, the way ANY free spinning orbital polisher spins (when not used on edge and forced to reverse rotate - see my RUPES how-to book), and then you'll already be accustomed to the way the tool is going to pull you. It's important to be happy and comfortable with how the tool feels when buffing.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I don't want to talk you into anything, keep that in mind.

As for which direction a tool pulls you or jerks you? That's a silly topic in my opinion. I get it that some guys are sensitive to tool-pull, but not me. I'll never forget one of the guys on this forum purchasing the Makita PO5000C and then returned it in a week because he didn't like the direction it pulled him. He then purchased the Mille because he LIKE the way it pulled him around.

How silly.

Definition of SILLY: having or showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish

What's really SILLY is your post, Mike.

Mike is referring to me as the member who returned the 5000C. I returned it because of Mike's INACCURATE information about the tool. Prior to me buying it, he claimed on this forum that the 5000C spins CLOCKWISE, when it actually spins COUNTERCLOCKWISE. I would have NEVER purchased the tool if he reported CORRECT information from the get go. I already have a 3401 that spins counterclockwise. I wanted to try something DIFFERENT, in which the Mille brings to the table in the direction it spins for a forced rotation polisher. I guess I should have kept the 5000C because YOU reported inaccurate information and it doesn't matter to YOU which way a polisher spins. Well, it's not all about you, Mike.

[Mike Phillips]

Mike is referring to me as the member who returned the 5000C. I returned it because of Mike's INACCURATE information about the tool. Prior to me buying it, he claimed on this forum that the 5000C spins CLOCKWISE, when it actually spins COUNTERCLOCKWISE. I would have NEVER purchased the tool if he reported CORRECT information from the get go.

That was an error in how I viewed the pad spinning and I fixed the mistake. I should have placed my hand on the pad and that would have told the real story. In the tens of thousands of posts I've made making a mistake once in a while is definitely the exception to the rule, not the norm.

And yeah I do think it's silly that anyone would choose a tool because of the way the pad spins as it relates to how the tool is going to pull you or your arms around. All gear-driven tools are going to do this including rotary buffers.

So to say I like this tool because of the way it pulls or yanks as compared to not liking a different tool because of the way it pulls or yanks to me is really just silly.


I can see your point about wanting something different if you already own a FLEX 3401.


Did you ever buy a Mille and if you did, do you use it?

[Mike Phillips]

Definition of SILLY: having or showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish

What's really SILLY is your post, Mike.

I apologize Mark. I should have kept my opinion about pad rotation direction to myself.

I always appreciate your contribution to the forum and completely understand we're all different.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

That was an error in how I viewed the pad spinning and I fixed the mistake. I should have placed my hand on the pad and that would have told the real story. In the tens of thousands of posts I've made making a mistake once in a while is definitely the exception to the rule, not the norm.

And yeah I do think it's silly that anyone would choose a tool because of the way the pad spins as it relates to how the tool is going to pull you or your arms around. All gear-driven tools are going to do this including rotary buffers.

So to say I like this tool because of the way it pulls or yanks as compared to not liking a different tool because of the way it pulls or yanks to me is really just silly.


I can see your point about wanting something different if you already own a FLEX 3401.


Did you ever buy a Mille and if you did, do you use it?

Mike, yes, we all make mistakes. We're human, it happens. Totally agree. I ONLY mentioned your mistake because the claim of silly in regards to me had no correlation to why I returned the polisher.

I did purchase a Mille. As far as forced rotation, I still prefer the Flex 3401.

I apologize Mark. I should have kept my opinion about pad rotation direction to myself.

I always appreciate your contribution to the forum and completely understand we're all different.

No problem, Mike. I appreciate your hard work and helping others. I've posted that that plenty. On the flip side, I will speak up when it's necessary. Anyhow, no hard feelings.

[Mike Phillips]

Mike, yes, we all make mistakes. We're human, it happens. Totally agree. I ONLY mentioned your mistake because the claim of silly in regards to me had no correlation to why I returned the polisher.

Copy that.

I did purchase a Mille. As far as forced rotation, I still prefer the Flex 3401.

And that's personal preference. I too prefer the longer 8mm stroke of the FLEX 3401 but I see a lot of guys that have owned the FLEX and have purchased the Mille, (or the Makita PO5000C), prefer the 5mm stroke.

No problem, Mike. I appreciate your hard work and helping others. I've posted that that plenty. On the flip side, I will speak up when it's necessary.

Anyhow, no hard feelings.

Thanks Mark.

[Trevine]

Well, I am glad you two hugged it out. After much debate and reading, I think I am going to give the Flex a try.

How about Pads? Was probably going to get the 6 pack of lake Country Forced Hybrids.

Good choice?

Better choices?

With 6 being ordered, which ones? I think 3 orange and 3 gray to start with as I will likely keep the Rupes LHR15 for final white pad polish.

Thoughts?

[Mike Phillips]

How about Pads? Was probably going to get the 6 pack of lake Country Forced Hybrids.

Good choice?

Better choices?

With 6 being ordered, which ones? I think 3 orange and 3 gray to start with as I will likely keep the Rupes LHR15 for final white pad polish.

Thoughts?

I use these pads a lot and mostly on the 3401 and I never or rarely use the grey foam cutting pads, they are too hard and too aggressive for my use. The hardness factor means they don't conform great to curved body panels until they soften up with your compound and by then I would have just done the same work with the orange. That's must me though.

If you're getting 6 pads I would get,

3 orange - for cutting
1 white - for polishing
1 black - for finishing on softer paints or to machine apply a wax or sealant

[Trevine]

Well that was an expensive thread. Decision is done. Flex 3401 VRG HD. Ordered it along with some pads.

Thanks everyone for your input.