Griots or Flex Input

[Dmb5450]

Hello everyone, I decided to pull the trigger and get a polisher. I have been doing research and decided to get the Griots kit that includes the six and three inch polishers. After looking into reviews I'm not so sure if my choice is as good as I originally thought. The reviews for the three inch seem to indicate the machine isn't as useful as the product description makes it out to be. With that being said I am now looking into the Flex as an option as well. This is mainly due to all the five star reviews.

I do not own a business, so I just detail for fun. I am a high school teacher and have summers off. I would like to advertise to do wax/sealant and possibly small paint corrections. The following questions are what I am currently researching and having answers from trusted autogeeks would greatly help in my decision.

Would the Flex be overkill for the lack of use compared to someone who details for a living?

Can the flex accommodate three inch backing plates to apply paste wax?

I have read somewhere that the Flex and microfiber pads do not mix, is this true/ something I should even worry about?

Would buying the Griots three and six inch combo be a waste? Should I just look into the six inch machine?

I mainly apply wax and sealants to my DD ;I would love to keep improving my skills but at the same time don't want to buy a machine that I'm only using a fraction of its design for hobby use.

Thank you all so much for the feedback!

Griot's Garage Polisher Club Kit, griots orbital polisher, dual action polishers

[Docpeanut]

Get the flex, it'll save you from buying the griots now and then the flex later on. With the flex, get the lake country backingm plate system so you can run 5" hybrid pads. The flex loves them.

And today is the perfect day to buy, 15% off and free upgrade to HD

Edit - for wax applicstion I use a griots mini or do it by hand.

[Sicoupe]

If your new to machines I would start with the GRIOTS

[Kamakaz1961]

IMO you made a good choice. I think based on what you do the Flex is not necessary. Your Griot's should be right for you. I have a PC7424 XP and I have the 3" backing plate and 5" BP. I am a sealant wax guy too and that DA is a decent one. Your GG is more powerful and should accomplish quite a bit.

Now all that being said I do have a Flex 3401 VRG. IMO it is the best DA out there period. It is a beast of a machine.

But based on what you do is it worth the $$ to get? IMO no, however, if you have discretionary $$ to buy one that would be fine.

Ever since I bought my Flex I have delegated the PC to a 3" backing Plate and I put sealant and wax on my ride.

But based on your situation...you made a good choice. If you ever tried a Flex you would understand.

I bought the PC 1st and moved up to the Flex and never looked back.

Both are in my arsenal for keeps. BTW, I do work on friends cars and I do about 2 to 5 details about every 4 months. That is why I got the Flex.

My good friends usually buy me a nice dinner when I finish.

I hope that helps.

Now if you have not pulled the trigger yet for the GG 6" and you have the $$ to get the Flex go straight to the Flex3401VRG and you will be extremely happy!!

The Flex is the ONLY forced rotational DA. Rupes, PC, Megs, Harbor Freight and GG are all floating DA's which are not as effective as a Flex.

[hilld]

I had the GG 6" one and got rid of it and now have a Flex and a couple of Rupes (15 & 75). The GG stopped working on speeds 1 and 2 so I warrantied it and sold the brand new replacement to fund my new DA. I also have the GG 3" that I use strictly with a super soft interior brush for leather cleaning.

One thing to keep in mind, if you are doing something for money, make sure you have backup equipment. If you polisher fails in mid job, how are you going to finish that job? My GG didn't fail completely, but speeds 1 & 2 no longer worked, but it could have been a complete failure as well.

[281]

IMO you made a good choice. I think based on what you do the Flex is not necessary. Your Griot's should be right for you. I have a PC7424 XP and I have the 3" backing plate and 5" BP. I am a sealant wax guy too and that DA is a decent one. Your GG is more powerful and should accomplish quite a bit.

Now all that being said I do have a Flex 3401 VRG. IMO it is the best DA out there period. It is a beast of a machine.

But based on what you do is it worth the $$ to get? IMO no, however, if you have discretionary $$ to buy one that would be fine.

Ever since I bought my Flex I have delegated the PC to a 3" backing Plate and I put sealant and wax on my ride.

But based on your situation...you made a good choice. If you ever tried a Flex you would understand.

I bought the PC 1st and moved up to the Flex and never looked back.

Both are in my arsenal for keeps. BTW, I do work on friends cars and I do about 2 to 5 details about every 4 months. That is why I got the Flex.

My good friends usually buy me a nice dinner when I finish.

I hope that helps.

Now if you have not pulled the trigger yet for the GG 6" and you have the $$ to get the Flex go straight to the Flex3401VRG and you will be extremely happy!!

The Flex is the ONLY forced rotational DA. Rupes, PC, Megs, Harbor Freight and GG are all floating DA's which are not as effective as a Flex.

[Setec Astronomy]

The Flex is a highly capable machine, but it sounds like maybe a little overkill for what you are doing.

The standard DA machines have a little more flexibility in backing plates and even putting brushes on them. The Griot's 3" is pretty wimpy, the only thing that makes it usable IMO is microfiber pads (I can't for the life of me understand why Griot's just introduced 4" foam pads for it).

If I were you I would consider something like a Griot's 6", the Meg's G110 (are they still going to be making that?), the new Meg's polisher, or a PC 7424XP. You can get yourself backing plates for 5-6" pads and for 3-4" pads. For what you describe you will be doing I'd seriously consider this system: Meguiars DA Microfiber Correction System, paint polishing system, car polish, car detailing system, compounding system, remove scratches

[allenk4]

Have you considered purchasing a Harbor Freight DA while you determine what this Summer gig will turn into?

[JHL88]

get the flex. period.

[JMP]

Flex and Rupes 75