Flex 3401 RPM & OPM

[mbret2004]

Good Afternoon everyone,
Just got my flex polisher, pads, polish, glaze, ect. yesterday afternoon. The living room looked like Christmas morning. I'm a little stumped over some polisher specifications, here is what I know so far:

Speed RPM (revolution) OPM (orbits)
1 160 3200
2 200 4000
3 270 5400
4 330 6600
5 400 8000
6 480 9600

I have some products that say to polish at 1500 to 2000 rpm. Looking at the info above I'm not sure what setting that would fall under. I'm assuming the orbits are referring to stroke.

Not looking to split hairs, I want to make sure I don't use the tool incorrectly and damage my vehicles.

Thanks for the help.

[Mike Phillips]

Not looking to split hairs, I want to make sure I don't use the tool incorrectly and damage my vehicles.

Thanks for the help.

Great question and it's real easy...

If you're doing correction work, no matter what the product you're going to want to be on the 4 to 6 setting and realistically you're going to want to be on the 5-6 setting. You want the high speed setting for removing a little paint PLUS the tool is a LOT easier to control at higher speeds than at lower speeds.


For polishing, use a setting from 3-5, and realistically, you're going to be on either the 4 to 5 setting. You'll need less aggressive power to refine any results created by the correction step plus you're trying to create beauty.

For machine applying a wax, use the 2-3 setting. When sealing paint with a non-cleaning wax or sealant after doing dedicated cleaning/compounding and polishing steps at this point of the process you're merely trying to spread out a thin layer of product so you don't need high speeds at all but you'll find the pad/tool moves over the surface better and easier at the 2-3 setting than on the 1 setting.


If using a one-step cleaner/wax to correct neglected paint, then you're back to the 5-6 speed setting.

When making recommendations, I like to give a range and let you do some testing and see what works best for you.

When not "recommending, here's what I use in most cases...

Speed 6 = Correction work
Speed 5 = Polishing work
Speed 3 = Machine applying a wax or sealant

And for using a one-step cleaner/wax I'll use the 5-6 setting and try to use a polishing pad, nothing more aggressive like a cutting pad. And foam over fiber with one-steps and you'll have a better chance of finishing without any haze or micro-marring.


Definitely list to recommendations from others and then after some time behind the polisher you can figure out what works best for you...

[Mike Phillips]

And I have an article on this...

Speed Settings for the Flex 3401





The below are recommended ranges for using the Flex 3401 Forced Rotation Dual Action Polisher. The tool is actually easier to control and move over the paint at higher speed settings versus lower speed settings. Keep this in mind if you're brand new to using the Flex 3401 and you turn it on for the first time using a slow speed setting.

Get a feel for the tool when you first turn it on using a slow speed setting and then use your thumb to turn up the speed as your comfort level increases.

When first starting out, practice on a large, flat horizontal panel like the hood or trunk lid of a car.


Show Car Detailing Work
Multiple Step Procedures using Dedicated Products & Pads

5-6 Speed Setting - Heavy Correction Work
With the Flex 3401 and doing any type of correction work, the tool is actually easiest to use and will do the most and fastest correction work on the high speed settings, so for any cutting or correction work use the 5-6 Speed setting.

You can spread your product out using the low speed settings just to get the product spread out over the area you're going to work and preventing slinging of product splatter but once you get the product spread out, use your thumb to move the dial up to the high settings.


4-6 Speed Setting - Polishing Work
For polishing work you can bump the speed down to the 4-5 speed setting or if you're using a polishing pad for correction work then use the 5-6 speed setting.

2-4 Speed Setting - Final or Finish Polishing/Machine Applying Wax
Any time you're doing any final polishing or machine applying a finishing wax or paint sealant then you want to be on the 3-4 setting.

Of course there's little personal preference to all of this but the above are good general ranges for using this tool.


The Variable Speed Dial on the Flex 3401














Production Detailing Work
If you're doing product work and using a one-step cleaner/wax or AIO, (All-in-One), type product you should be in the 4-6 speed range and you'll want the speed and power to aid in doing any correction work.


Flex 3401 Forced Rotation Dual Action Polisher

[Mike Phillips]

Down the road... the best way to maximize the potential for this tool is to get the Lake Country Backing Plate Adapter System to get the 4" Backing Plate.

Then get the Orange, White and Black Hybrid Pads.


New 5" pads for 4" Backing Plate on Flex 3401

New 4" and 6" Backing Plates for Flex 3401

[mbret2004]

Mike,
My apology in having you re-write the info. I looked through the posts last night and must have missed your post. I'll blame it on a huge box that arrived yesterday from PBMG. I did get the backing system and 4" pads. I'm waiting on the 50-degree weather and rain to clear then I'll be testing.
Thanks again to all that replied, I appreciate it!

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Incredible info Mike.

I would like to add that from personal experiance FG400 dosent play very well for me on speed 6. In fact I get about 2 complete passes before FG400 dries up and becomes useless. Bumping it down to the 3-4 speed setting is where I do my correction work.

After all if you look on the bottle of FG400 the recommended speed setting for rotary use is 900-1200 while for SF4000 it is 1500-2000

So my process is speed 3 for FG400 and speed 5 for SF4000. I know it is a bit backwards from the norm but this is what works for me.

I hope this may help someone.

[Mike Phillips]

Mike,
My apology in having you re-write the info. I looked through the posts last night and must have missed your post. I'll blame it on a huge box that arrived yesterday from PBMG. I did get the backing system and 4" pads.

4" pads?

Not sure if that's a type or not? You can use 4" pads on the 4" backing plates, just becareful because the shroud that surrounds the drive mechanism is larger in diameter than 4".

This kind of explains it...



Using a 4" Tangerine Hydro-Tech Polishing pad to get close to the hood ornamnet...

[WRAPT C5Z06]

After all if you look on the bottle of FG400 the recommended speed setting for rotary use is 900-1200 while for SF4000 it is 1500-2000

Very interesting, Mike. I had no clue.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Very interesting, Mike. I had no clue.

It was very interesting to see the speed difference between the two polishes.

Normally you run the compounds faster and the polishes slower but with these two it's backwards. They work better when worked backwards from the norm as well....

[WRAPT C5Z06]

It was very interesting to see the speed difference between the two polishes.

Normally you run the compounds faster and the polishes slower but with these two it's backwards. They work better when worked backwards from the norm as well....

I've noticed in some of your write-ups that you mentioned speed 3 with FG400 and I thought to myself, huh?!?! However, you results spoke for themselves.