2 of my Flex's are down for the count!

**Sizzle Chest** · 10-03-2020, 04:56 PM

What is going on? 2 of my new Flex's are down for the count.

My 'supa beast' XCE 10-8: It is spitting some type of black stuff out from behind the backing plate and it is going all over the panel I've corrected. What sucks is I've had it for more than 30 days...so I have to send it back to Flex for repair!

My XFE 7-15: I noticed some vibration/something not right. My backing plate was loose and was coming up a bit from the main plate with the bearing. I attempted to tighten the screws and the brass inserts on the main plate are spinning/stripped. There is no way to hold them/stop them from spinning and I can not tighten the backing plate screws.

This is the main plate with the threaded brass inserts:

Both machines are very well under a year old...

VERY FRUSTRATED!!!

**Rsurfer** · 10-03-2020, 05:31 PM

Sorry to hear that Scott. Goes to show you that even a well respected brand can fail.

**PaulMys** · 10-03-2020, 05:33 PM

Damn, that sucks Scott.

Keep us posted on the repair process........

**JustJesus** · 10-03-2020, 05:35 PM

Oh, say it ain't so! Not good.

I wonder if the heat caused the plastic to expand ever so slightly, causing the brass inserts to come just a bit loose.

This sucks. Sorry man.

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**57Rambler** · 10-03-2020, 05:38 PM

That's a bummer. But as someone who has spent many, many years in manufacturing, I have to say it is not surprising ... the quality of both design and manufacturing has really degraded over the years, even amongst "high end" manufacturers.

On your "Supa", is the black stuff greasy, suggesting it could possibly be a bearing seal leak ?

As for the XFE, if the threads are stripped, that's just a bad design on the threaded inserts in the first place, as brass is very soft. It'd be nice if you could find replacement stainless steel threaded inserts, but even if you could find ones with the right thread specs, removal and replacement would be difficult/impossible - with plastic parts, metal thread inserts may be installed in a variety of ways, depending on the type of plastic used ... press-fit, heat-staked, ultrasonically welded, etc. To begin with, you'd likely damage the plate just getting the little boogers out.

If the inserts are spinning, that could indicate that the insert installation method (see above) was done poorly, or was not the appropriate method for the type of plastic.

Sorry no real answers/solutions here. But certainly concerns I would highlight when I called Flex to give them a piece of my mind.

**DeadlySheds** · 10-03-2020, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by 57Rambler

That's a bummer. But as someone who has spent many, many years in manufacturing, I have to say it is not surprising ... the quality of both design and manufacturing has really degraded over the years, even amongst "high end" manufacturers.

Truer words have never been spoken. The quality of everything seems to be getting worse and worse. High end motorcycle manufacturers like KTM are producing more and more in India. I owned an Indian built KTM and it's not even close to the quality of my Austrian built KTM.

Last year I needed a new snow thrower. Trusty Japanese Yamaha got my business as they generally make an excellent product. The machine was triple the price of the other garbage out there ($3000 vs $1000) and I get the damn thing home and find a big "made in China" sticker on it. And the paint/built quality is clearly not the same as the ones I've compared that were Japanese built.

Maybe this is just a fluke, but I'm certainly glad I picked up the original 3401.

We are certainly paying the price for our obsession with "cheap" products....

**WaxMaster1** · 10-03-2020, 07:16 PM

Oh man, that stinks, Scott. I remember messaging you about the XFE when it broke last time. I did a one step on a car today and was going to use my Supa Beast but used my MKII 15mm Rupes instead. I'll be following this one

**Dr Oldz** · 10-03-2020, 07:19 PM

Call or contact Chris Metcalf from Flex. He will take care of you.

**Sizzle Chest** · 10-03-2020, 08:13 PM

^^^^Thanks Doc!

The black debris is both plastic bits/almost like an ash type material, and some grease spots.

Yes, the method attaching the brass inserts needs to be reconfigured!

I have two 'old school' 3401's that I can use in the meantime as well as the rest of my arsenal, but these two I had found myself grabbing more and more often.

I will keep everyone posted!

(WaxMaster: I think that was a backing plate issue if I remember correctly...)

****Chris Metcalf, if you peruse this forum/thread, please contact me! Thank you!****