have used porter cable 7424xp for a few years now & want to upgrade. private use only for my pickup, elcamino & wife's suv subaru. I've narrowed down my search too the flex 3401 dual action or the rupes lhr 15es. I like the 25' cord available with the flex . I like using 5.5'' pads (mostly cause the 7424xp struggles with the 6'' thick pads jmo). the rupes sounds good to me, but I'm concerned about the 15mm. throw. will this unit be harder to use with all the curves & creases in the newer vehicle's ? I also have a good supply of lake county 5.5'' thin pads. can I use them with either the rupes or flex ? on my 7424xp I can stop the pad with my hand(preventing me from burning the paint). Is this also true about the flex 3401 ? I see mention of it being gear driven & I'm wanting something safe for an occasional user. looking for some helpful hints to help me decide ? thanks.
hmardown