Mike Phillips recommended foam pads for the FLEX Family of BEAST 8mm Gear-Driven Orbital Polishers

Mike Phillips recommended foam pads for the FLEX Family of BEAST 8mm Gear-Driven Orbital Polishers


I get asked a LOT about which pads to get for the FLEX family of BEAST tools. If you don't know, the BEAST family of tools includes,


FLEX XC 3401 VRG - the original and also known as The BEAST - and the BEAST is spelled with all capital letters. This is a 8mm gear-driven fixed orbit orbital polisher.

FLEX XCE 10-8 125 aka The Supa BEAST - Supa is short for super and only the first letter is capitalized. This is a 8mm gear-driven fixed orbit orbital polisher.

FLEX XCE 8-125 18.0 aka The CBEAST - All capital letters and the letter C before the word BEAST simply stands for cordless. This is a 8mm gear-driven fixed orbit orbital polisher.



As of February 9th, 2021 - here are my preferred choices for pads for compounding, polishing, finishing work and when using AIOs


http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...T_pads_001.JPG




For heavy correction work I like the Lake Country 6.5" Force Hybrid Orange Foam Cutting Pad. When doing this type of work you should have at least 6 pads per car.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...T_pads_002.JPG




For polishing, finishing work or when using AIOs, I like the new RUPES yellow and white CP foam pads. The white finishing pad is NOT the softest finishing pad on the market, so if you're working on soft paint you may want to go with a Buff & Shine white finishing pad or a Lake Country 6.5" BLACK Force Hybrid pad. It does work great on most paints though.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...T_pads_003.JPG




For a complete set of pads, cutting to finishing, the Buff & Shine 7" Uro-Tec Pads are a good match for the BEAST tools. They would be better if Buff & Shine redesigned them and created a pad with a tick more taper like the old, now discontinued RUPES 7" foam pads.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...T_pads_004.JPG



:updated:

7 inch RUPES Coarse Wool Polishing Pad

I have also been using these for when I need more aggressive paint correction.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...ishing_001.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...ishing_002.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...ishing_003.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...ishing_004.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...ishing_005.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...ishing_006.JPG




Here's the links to get them on the AG Store


6.5 inch Lake Country Force Hybrid Orange Cutting Pad

Buff & Shine 7" Uro-Tec Foam Pads

RUPES 180 mm / 7" Foam Pads

7 inch RUPES Coarse Wool Polishing Pad



NOTE: RUPES likes to use metric measurements for their line of products because the metric system is more accurate when it comes to small dimensions. This "forum" and the AG store being in the United States of America does in fact cater to the world, but I think it's also fair to say that a lot of our customers are here in the states and because the metric system never took-off or never caught-on here in the U.S., most Americans still use the U.S. Standard system for measuring. Thus the reason you see 180mm or 7" - they are close to the same in measure.

Make sense?


Also - for what it's worth, I have not arrived to the point where I like the new RUPES Blue foam cutting pad. I have not given up on it yet, but I find myself still preferring the Lake Country Orange Force Hybrid pad for cutting, compounding, paint correction - whatever you prefer to call aggressive work. :D



:buffing:

More.....

The Supa Beast and the CBEAST will ship with a 4 7/8" backing plate. Let's just call it a 5" backing plate.

There is an optional 5 3/4" backing plate, let's just call it a 6" backing plate.


IF YOU WANT TO TURN AND CHURN THE LARGER SIZE FOAM PADS ON THE Supa BEAST and the CBEAST you will need to order the optional backing plate.

Here's my article on this topic with links to the backing plate.


Supa BEAST and CBEAST Backing Plate Swap by Mike Phillips


http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...Options_05.JPG





:)

Even more....


FLEX has announced they are going to discontinue production of the original BEAST - the XC 3401 VRG.

IF you own one or if you decide to purchase one, I strongly recommend you stock up on spare backing plates. Backing plates are WEAR ITEMS. Yes, they wear out. They actually last as long and even longer than any backing plate I've ever used but at some point - something's got to give.


So don't be slack, get yourself a couple of back-up backing plates before the window closes.



Flex XC 3401 VRG 5.5 inch Backing Plate




:)

Thank you very much Mike!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StevenK

Thank you very much Mike!

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No problemo and congratulations on being the new owner of a Supa BEAST!


:dblthumb2: :buffing:

Thanks so much Mike, this really helps!

So...Should I go ahead and put on a larger backing plate on the CBEAST?

Thought CBEAST works better with smaller pads.

Tom

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TMQ

So...Should I go ahead and put on a larger backing plate on the CBEAST?

Thought CBEAST works better with smaller pads.

Tom

---

Good question, here's the deal, after RUPES introduced their new CP foam pads, I switched my personal Supa BEAST and CBEAST over to 6" backing plates and started using these new RUPES yellow and foam 7" pads.

And I liked them. :)


It is true, the smaller pads are less taxing on the battery powered CBEAST but smaller pads don't FEEL as good when buffing with any of the BEASTS. So it's a trade-off. I'll trade off a better feel, larger footprint (the pad face), for whatever benefit came from smaller pads.


On the corded BEASTS it's a no-brainer. Go with the 6" backing plate and the larger pads. These tools HAVE the power, it's up to us to utilize it.


Make sense?


Also -

RUPES CP foam pads? CP stands for Contour Profile, thus the RUPES CP Foam pads



:)

This is a great thread. I personally love the smaller pads, just personal preference. But knowing the 3401 is going away, i'm thinking of ordering another one. Mike, any idea where I can find a pink one? I regret not grabbing one a few years ago

Thanks Mike...

Just heads up....Having bit of a problem finding Rupes CF pads at the store!

They have DA pads listed. Are these the same as the CF's?

Tom

Thanks! I used the 3401 in my training class and I liked it but compared to the Supa BEAST I Love the SUPA BEAST!