Fired up 3401 for the first time...

[spazzz]

Excellent read and review.

I know I love mine.

The first time I heard praise for the grey Force pad.

[lane5515]

Great write up. I had a Flex and went to Rupes and back to Flex. I now have a 15 MKII, Flex 3401, Rupes Mini and Nano. I reach for the Flex most of the time unless it is a large flat panel. It's tough to beat the Flex with Hybrid pads.

[BudgetPlan1]

Great review! Did you ever felt the 3401 was controlling you or you were in complete control (no walking the dog)?

Thanks...the 6.5" pads were a bit of an adventure when they weren't flat on the surface which at first happened at the ends of a pass. Started using more body movement instead of just arm movement; the, uh, 'alligator arm' technique? The 5" rarely dragged me around unless I was being sloppy and lazy/inattentive.

Great review. It will be interesting to see which machine becomes your "go to" machine over the next few months. I assume both will see a fair amount of time before you decide which is best for you. I would think the mini will see action on almost every detail.

I see the Mini getting a lot of use; it's really nice with the limited time I've had it so far.

I'm sure one will naturally rise to the top but much probably depends on what kinda projects I get involved with. Sometimes ya need a chain saw, sometimes a jigsaw works better for the task at hand.

If someone was leaving a silver Chevy Cruze for a day and it just needed a quick hit with a light or medium polish with light swirls/ defects, I'd probably grab the Flex, get it done and drop a sealant or inexpensive coating on it.

If I was doing our 2004 black corvette before putting a high $$ coating on it, I'd take a week and finesse it with the Rupes. In that case it's not just about the results, it's also about the process and the enjoyment of the 'artistry' and slow, quiet deliberation that goes into that particular task.

You've mentioned your age a few times now. I'm wondering how old you are. I see a lot of 40 year olds making these kind of comments and reality is they have no idea what's ahead of them. I'm 55 and it was a ver rough first 45 which has left me with a lot of plates, screws, and bolts holding me together and a really bad back. So how old are you?? More importantly how old do you feel?? lol I feel a lot older than my years unfortunately.

Currently 53 but body feels much older; things really start slowing down at 50 unless you really stay on top of it. Takes a bit longer to get up off garage floor.

Was a IT Geek/Software guy in a cubicle for a large company for 25 years but left that to go work for a swimming pool service company a few years ago (another interest of mine in addition to car stuff) so I don't live a completely sedentary lifestyle but it's still not enough to offset the aging. Was kinda worried the Flex might be a bit much but was pleasantly surprised by my first 5-6hrs with it. Was quicker than the GG6, but not necessarily more tiring, both on vertical and horizontal panels.

so have you used the rupes fifteen a while and think the flex is a lot better?

Did a GMC Sierra pickup w/ the Rupes, maybe about 6-8 hrs is all so far.

I don't think the Flex is better, just different. I think it will naturally become apparent when to use one over the other. Compounding really distressed paint I could see being done with Flex, follow up polishing/Finishing with Rupes. Things like a fleet of work vans where 70% correction is as good as it'll get (or needs to get) and Flex would be the way to go.

Excellent read and review.

I know I love mine.

The first time I heard praise for the grey Force pad.

Yeah, I was kinda surprised with the gray pads and how well/easily they worked with the Flex. Previous experience with a really firm pad was with M101 w GG6 using LC Flat yellow pad which paled in comparison w GG6, D300, micro cutting disc in that instance.


Have only been doing this since April 2015 so not a whole lotta experience, maybe 15 cars total last summer. Lack of experience probably makes it easier to get 'acceptable' results with Flex as opposed to Rupes and even to some extent, the GG6. Flex forced rotation and attention grabbing "you're doing it wrong" consequences of poor technique probably lend themselves better to beginners.

Free spinning machines just kinda quietly stall if ya get out of sorts until you adjust to get it spinning again. Flex is always spinning and doing *something*, even while your getting your act together.

The gloves helped a lot reducing fatigue/vibration...maybe really just a placebo effect but hey, as long as my brain thinks it helps, I guess that's all that matters. Could I see running a Flex for 8hrs straight? Uh...nope. Could I run the Rupes for 8hrs straight? Maybe.

Did one of these last summer, black, paint horribly neglected:


Entire car needed some real work with GG6,D300,micro cutting discs. Trunk was huge and flat, sides relatively flat but enough to occasionally stall GG6. I think the Flex woulda eaten that first compounding step for lunch as opposed to breaking into as many small sections as I had to to get pressure needed without stalling in order to do the job. Rupes would seem appropriate for the Menz 3500 follow up in that case. Flex for the heavy lifting, Rupes for the refinement.

Who knows...like I said, not very experienced at this stuff yet but that's how it works in my mind right now.

I also have the luxury of doing this for fun as opposed to for $$. Lotsa friends want this done so I can pick and choose what I'm willing to work on for free. Did one car for money last year, will not do that again as it completely took all the fun out of it. So for me, it's not just about getting it done but also the opportunity to get it done in a variety of ways. That's why I decided to get the Flex in addition to the Rupes machines which by themselves would have completely met my limited needs; I wanted to see what learning good and effective techniques using both tools/styles would be like.









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[fightnews]

These tools are completely different machines, I'm not sure why people keep trying to compare them. Both are great tools, I achieve great results with either . . . heck, I have an old Cyclo that will get the desired results too. Sometimes I use Megs. sometimes I use Pinnacle, Sometimes I use CarPro, sometimes . . . . the list is endless. There will never be only one tool, pad & product for every job.

Aaryn NZ.

because most of us can't afford to buy all four in one shot...

[fightnews]

Did a GMC Sierra pickup w/ the Rupes, maybe about 6-8 hrs is all so far.

I don't think the Flex is better, just different. I think it will naturally become apparent when to use one over the other. Compounding really distressed paint I could see being done with Flex, follow up polishing/Finishing with Rupes. Things like a fleet of work vans where 70% correction is as good as it'll get (or needs to get) and Flex would be the way to go.

ok ya i just got a g15 i found it stalls a lot even on a flat panel unless you have the innerflex pad on there. if you use 5" lc hybrid pads or regular 5.5 griots pads it doesnt stall at all. the first thing i did when i started using it was draw a couple white lines on the backing plate with a white paint marker, that helps a lot. i was going to get a flex but i figured it was similar to the gg6 so i got the longthrow. flex is next

[skipper1]

You have a very nice talent and don't even know it. If or when your bones give out, you could be a writer. All kinds of writing but the writing that got my attention was the ability to write compelling commercials for products. Read how others describe their adventure in buffing and re-read yours.

[fightnews]

You have a very nice talent and don't even know it. If or when your bones give out, you could be a writer. All kinds of writing but the writing that got my attention was the ability to write compelling commercials for products. Read how others describe their adventure in buffing and re-read yours.

idk can you get a writing position without a degree?

[BudgetPlan1]

You have a very nice talent and don't even know it. If or when your bones give out, you could be a writer. All kinds of writing but the writing that got my attention was the ability to write compelling commercials for products. Read how others describe their adventure in buffing and re-read yours.

Thanks for the kind words. Generally the conversations I have in my head end up flowing out thru the keyboard. I guess having little voices in your head is not always a bad thing.

idk can you get a writing position without a degree?

Undergrad degree was in Advertising Jornalism, back when term papers were written with typewriters. Degree path chosen partly because it involved no math...math is Kryptonite for me.

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[TTQ B4U]

Gald you enjoy the Flex. I have had mine for a year now and wish I would have just bought one several years back. I can't use a non-forced rotation unit any longer. For me it's either a rotary and/or a Flex 3401. Amazing machine.

Great review! Did you ever felt the 3401 was controlling you or you were in complete control (no walking the dog)?

If you've not used one it can in some instances feel like that. I know many don't like using MF Pads on it as it can be Grabby, but I've had huge success using the thin Griot's Garage Black MF Pads. It only gets Grabby with them when they become loaded with product and oxidation. I change them every two panels or more if the panel is big and have zero issues. Works fabulous and corrects fully in 2-3 maybe 4 passes. Very fast.

Grabbed a couple of sets of LC Force Hybrid pads, 6 each of 6.5" gray & orange

I've not had good luck with the Gray. Thankfully I only bought 2-3 of them but I've since not used them and instead use MF Pads.

[RippyD]

Currently 53 but body feels much older; things really start slowing down at 50 unless you really stay on top of it. Takes a bit longer to get up off garage floor.

Was a IT Geek/Software guy in a cubicle for a large company for 25 years but left that to go work for a swimming pool service company a few years ago (another interest of mine in addition to car stuff) so I don't live a completely sedentary lifestyle but it's still not enough to offset the aging. Was kinda worried the Flex might be a bit much but was pleasantly surprised by my first 5-6hrs with it. Was quicker than the GG6, but not necessarily more tiring, both on vertical and horizontal panels.

Thanks for sharing. On the age thing, I hear you. Building a PC with my kid last week. Sat on the floor for a while - 40 mins maybe. Went to get up. Body was not liking it. When did sitting become a problem?

Good to read your experience with the machines. If I did this for a living I'd absolutely want more machine than the GG6 (no complaints, it's more than adequate). Something smaller would be nice. Considering an air-powered tool.