FLEX 3401 "power" question...

[WRAPT C5Z06]

What gives the Flex the ability to remove worse defects and faster compared to the other "new" DA polishers? Obviously the power is more, is that the only thing? Lets say I used a a Griots ROP on speed 5 to remove defects and it wasn't doing the job. What speed would I start with on the Flex?

[C30-Mike]

The Flex is a forced directional polisher. It rotation will not stop when pressure is applied like a PC or Griots. PC and Griots are ramdon orbital. It is possible to stop the machine if enought pressure is applied.

See this link by Mike...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...g-project.html

[Rsurfer]

What gives the Flex the ability to remove worse defects and faster compared to the other "new" DA polishers? Obviously the power is more, is that the only thing? Lets say I used a a Griots ROP on speed 5 to remove defects and it wasn't doing the job. What speed would I start with on the Flex?

I agree with what Mike said, but if you can't remove defects with the new Griot then your doing something wrong or not having the right combination of polish and pad. The problem with the older generation of da/ro is that if you applied too much pressure the machine would stop rotating and there by taking a longer time to correct the defect. With the 2nd generation da/ro you would be hard pressed to stop it from rotating. Until the new polishers came out recently, the Flex da ruled...not anymore. With Meg's 105/205 KBM...you can correct almost any defect that is not too deep.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

I agree with what Mike said, but if you can't remove defects with the new Griot then your doing something wrong or not having the right combination of polish and pad. The problem with the older generation of da/ro is that if you applied too much pressure the machine would stop rotating and there by taking a longer time to correct the defect. With the 2nd generation da/ro you would be hard pressed to stop it from rotating. Until the new polishers came out recently, the Flex da ruled...not anymore. With Meg's 105/205 KBM...you can correct almost any defect that is not too deep.

So you're saying the new Griot's ROP can remove the same type of defects and as fast as the Flex? Hmmm, the Flex must be severely overpriced then.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

See this link by Mike...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...g-project.html

Thanks.

Answered all my questions. Flex still has more correcting ability compared to the new DA's.

[Chris Thomas]

You are not considering a crucial variable...time. The Flex will save a considerable amount of time over the other two machines mentioned even if comparable results are reached. More product will be needed with more passed required of the other two as well. The Flex also have sensors to prevent it from overheating and a higher OPM. OPM+RPM=$$$ in less time.

[Mike Phillips]

PC and Griots are ramdon orbital. It is possible to stop the machine if enought pressure is applied.

The problem with the older generation of da/ro is that if you applied too much pressure the machine would stop rotating and there by taking a longer time to correct the defect.

All 3 of the new generation dual action polishers have much better ability to keep a pad rotating and it's when the pad is rotating over the surface that paint is removed best and removing swirls and scratches means removing a little paint.

With the first generation dual action polishers, the pad would stop rotating if you applied too much pressure but just as important if the pad became wet or saturated with product or if you held the buffer in such a way that the pad was not flat against the surface or if the face of the pad was on a high point so that thee was more pressure on one portion of the pad and less pressure on the surrounding areas of the pad.

The Flex is a hybrid polisher in that it oscillates like a Porter Cable 7424XP but it's forced, that is there is no slippage like there can be with a Porter Cable or Griot's or Meguiar's polisher. This means no matter what, the pad is going to rotate and oscillate on the surface and this equates to more power to remove paint.

[Mike Phillips]

but if you can't remove defects with the new Griot then your doing something wrong or not having the right combination of polish and pad.

I strongly agree. From experience with all 3 new dual action polishers, you can't apply enough pressure to stop the pad from rotating when buffing on a flat panel, while holding the pad flat to the panel and when using a dry pad. Not dry as in no product on the surface, dry in that it's not saturated with product.

If you hold any of the DA Polishers on an edge you can slow down and stop the pad from rotating but not as easily as the first generation polishers. At the Dallas, Texas class at Nick's shop I purposefully held the Griot's on edge to see if the pad would rotate under pressure and it did and the reason I did this wax because the car we were working on had a long, thin, grooved panel and everyone wanted to know how to remove the swirls in that cupped out area and I showed them using the GG ROP. First generation polishers would never do this.

[WRAPT C5Z06]

If I'm understanding this correctly, the new generation griot's(and other new DA's) has really closed the gap as far as defect removal compared to the Flex? If used the same way, the Griot's will remove as much paint as the Flex? It seems as though if I already have the griot's, there's really no advantage of buying the flex? If the Flex will make it easier AND faster(compared to Griot's) to remove defects on hard paint of the Vette, I'm buying it, period!

[Rsurfer]

If I'm understanding this correctly, the new generation griot's(and other new DA's) has really closed the gap as far as defect removal compared to the Flex? If used the same way, the Griot's will remove as much paint as the Flex? It seems as though if I already have the griot's, there's really no advantage of buying the flex? If the Flex will make it easier AND faster(compared to Griot's) to remove defects on hard paint of the Vette, I'm buying it, period!

You should then buy it.