Introducing the Flex XC 3401 VRG
As an owner of Detailed Image, I consider myself very fortunate and privileged to be sent products from manufacturers around the world. The volume of products we receive is overwhelming at times, so it’s very difficult for products to really stand out. With that being said I was extremely excited to test the new Flex XC 3401 VRG orbital buffer and it blew me away with its polishing power, ease of use, functionality, design and best of all, RESULTS!



Flex Power Tools was founded in Germany in 1922 and we are very proud to be one of the first companies in the US to stock their buffers. Orbital buffers are generally very easy and safe to use, but they have limited cutting power when polishing to correct imperfections. Previously if you wanted more cutting power you needed to use a rotary buffer but these buffers can easily burn right through the clear coat and they take a long time to master. The Flex XC 3401 VRG combines the best of both worlds to give you the perfect balance of strong cutting power and safe buffing. With this buffer you’ll be able to get a near flawless finish when polishing and still apply your favorite sealant or wax with ease.

My first impressions of the buffer
The buffer feels relatively light and very solid as any good buffer should. It’s listed as weighing 5.75lbs which is exactly the same as the PC. I'm extremely pleased with the location of the two grips, primarily the top one. My right hand is placed low, near the trigger and my left hand is above the pad (approximately 3.5 inches) so your hands are at 6 and 12. With the PC (no handle) and rotary buffers I typically have my hands in a similar but slightly different position. My right hand is typically towards the bottom of the buffer and my left hand is typically positioned directly on top of the spindle applying downward force. This leaves my hands at 6 and 12 but I'm far more likely to exert pressure more towards the bottom of the buffer. With the Flex design your hands are more evenly spaced out above and below the spindle so you are more likely to exert even pressure across the pad.

Using the Flex XC 3401 VRG
The buffer sounds about as loud as the PC, with less rattling. It feels far more powerful than the PC and almost impossible to bog down. When moving from speed 1 to 6 (min - max) it doesn't increase in volume to the extent the PC does. I found it relatively easy to handle and move smoothly around the surface. It's slightly more challenging to use around trim, but manageable with a little care. I started off with the Power Gloss and a 6.5" Yellow Cutting Pad. I set the speed to 6 but I held the trigger down lightly to help me spread the product first, then I clenched the trigger tight for full power and locked it in. It worked the polish in so well that I stopped after four passes with the Flex because of how clear the polish looked. Typically with a PC I would have applied more pressure and done 6 - 10 passes to get the polish to look that thin and clear. The Flex easily delivered more cutting power in less time, I was thoroughly impressed. After removing the left over polish I was impressed at how well it removed the imperfections with minimal hazing. While on speed 6 it has a slight tendency to want to take off on you, like a rotary buffer, but not nearly to the same extent. When you position the buffer right and adjust your stance you can control it with ease. To watch our video of the Flex buffer in action please visit the Detailed Image Flex XC3401 VRG product page and scroll down to the end of the description. The video documents the ease of use and strong cutting power from just four passes over a small area.

Flex XC 3401 vs. Porter Cable 7424
The Flex XC3401 VRG and Porter Cable 7424 have some similarities and differences that are outlined below. Both buffers move in a random orbit or oscillating motion, designed to replicate a hand buffing motion. They are both approximately 5.75lbs and use a six inch Velcro backing plate. The Porter Cable 7424 requires you to purchase an aftermarket backing plate while the Flex buffer comes with a built in 6” Velcro backing plate. Both buffers are typically used with 6.5 inch pads while they can use most Velcro pads over 6 inches. This means that most pads used with the Porter Cable 7424 will be compatible with the Flex buffer. The Porter Cable 7424 has a speed dial that is the only means of adjusting the speed. The Flex buffer has a speed dial which sets the maximum speed you can reach with the variable speed trigger. Hold the trigger down lightly and it will operate at low OPMs and squeeze it tightly to reach the maximum OPMs relative to what speed you have the dial on. If you wan the buffer to operate at the maximum OPMs, relative to what you set the speed dial to, you can lock in the trigger so you don’t have to continuously hold it. The Flex XC 3401 VRG has over 60% more power than the Porter Cable 7424 (9,600 OPMs vs. 6,000 OPMs). This allows the Flex buffer to give you more cutting power to remove deeper imperfections. The additional power will help ensure your buffer will not bog down under moderate to heavy pressure. Both buffers have a detachable handle, but the Flex buffers handle is positioned directly over the buffer as opposed to on the side. The design of the buffer puts your hands at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, so your hands are equidistant from the middle of the buffer, which helps you evenly distribute pressure. The even distribution of pressure really helps you work in the polish and get optimal results. Compare the specifications of the Flex, Porter Cable and UDM below:

Comparing Buffers
Flex XC 3401 VRG - $264.99
Power input 900 Watts (7.5 amps)
Power output 590 Watts
Rotary RPM: 160-480
Orbital OPM: 3200-9600
Recommended pad size 6.5"
Velcro back plate (included)
Weight 5.75 lbs

Porter Cable 7424 - $109.99
Motor Amps 3.7
OPM 2,500-6,000
Recommended pad size 6.5"
6" Velcro back plate (+$19.99)
Weight 5.75 lbs.

Ultimate Detailing Machine 7424 - $150
Motor Amps 4.2
OPM 2,500-6,000
Pad size 6"
Velcro back plate (4.75” included)

From left to right Makita 9227C Rotary, Flex XC 3401 VRG, Porter Cable 7424



Additional Features
The Flex buffer also comes with many other technological advancements that make it one of the premier buffers on the market. Flex uses seven-fold microprocessor electronics: with consistent speed control by tachometer generator, soft start, accelerator trigger switch, restart protection after power interruption, overload protection, temperature monitoring, and speed selection. The oscillating motion moves the buffer precisely 8mm during one orbit. The handle is removable and easy to hold so you can detail for hours with no problems. Quality shut-off carbon brushes: if the carbon brushes wear down, the motor will be automatically switched off and thus protected from damage. There is spindle lock to prevent damage as well. It also comes with a 13 foot power cord and the Flex red plug. The Flex buffers come with a one year warranty and service centers across the US and Europe. This helps ensure that you’ll be using this high quality buffer for years to come.

The best deals on the Flex XC 3401 VRG
Right now Detailed Image is proud to offer two outstanding deals on the Flex XC 3401 buffer. Detailed Image is selling the Flex buffer for $264.99. We are also offering members of Detail University a special offer where you get the Flex buffer and your choice of the Menzerna Super Intensive Polish or the Menzerna PO106FF for just $299.99! Check Detail University to view more details on this offer, what others have to say and a Flex XC3401VRG vs. PC 7424 comparison.

The review explains how we were able to go from this:


To this:


We are very excited about the Flex and the impact it will have on the detailing community. We believe that this buffer will help detailers achieve results that could only be achieved with a rotary buffer, but much safer and easier to use.

Thanks for reading!

George

 

This is by far the best da polisher out there bar none.The pc/udm cant even come close to this machine,i have had mine for about a month and the clarity of the paint cant be matched by the pc/udm.It takes well less then half the time then the pc and it breaks down the polish with ease....................and btw george has easily the best price on the flex.I bought mine from the manufacture,s main dist in the us and george beats them by $5 bucks.

 

I mean, how shiny can you really get? No matter what, the UDM and the 7424 still provide excellent results. I dont think the cost of this buffer is worth the marginal results of either buffers.

 

The bane of the orbitals is that none of them had the power to remove serious marring. That was traditionally left to the rotary polishers.

If this can removing marring that rotaries only could handle and do that with the safety of a random orbital, then it might be worth it.

 

The problem with the PC and UDM is the amount of time required to get those excellent results, its normal for a car to take 8-10 hours of polishing if its in poor shape with the PC, if you could cut that down to 4-6 hours, it would pay for itself quickly.

 

I completely see your side of things, and I do not think the Flex XC3401VRG buffer is right for everyone.

As Jeff92se and redlude97 have pointed out, two of the biggest downfalls of the PC/UDM is that they cannot correct deeper imperfections and they take a good amount of time to properly break down a polish. If you properly maintain your vehicle from day 1 and you are aware of the proper washing and drying techniques and have a good working knowledge of using a PC, then a PC may be a perfect fit for you.

I have always achieved great results with the PC, but never exceptional. Comparing the finish of a skilled PC user and a skilled rotary user is like comparing apples to oranges. The idea of why the Flex would be appealing to someone who is looking to achieve a finish similar to a rotary, but with the safety of a random orbital. The time savings alone with the Flex compared to a PC/UDM is worth its weight in gold when you think of it as a long term investment.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

George

 

It is not how shiny you can get but it is about how you get there.The flex will cut the time down to less then half of what a pc/udm will take you to do a car and the results are so much better.I have had a pc for years and could not stand how long it took to get my paint the way i wanted it to be.......sooooo along comes the flex and i tried it out.Well all i can say is the pc is now used to clean carpet,s and that is it.

 

Well put George! As you already know I ordered my Flex yesterday. First on the list of why was the time savings I expect to see. Watching the video on your website it looks like the Flex's extra power allows one to break down polishes much more quickly. Second was the finer finish I expect this machine to provide. A rotary has the power to break down polishes so fine that the final result is much more shiney than what you could ever get with a PC or UDM. There is a great thread on Autopia about finishing with a rotary vs. a PC written by Dave KG. I'll see if I can find it. My belief is that the significant increase in power that this machine has over a PC/UDM and the forced rotation will give similarly fine results.

 

Question. Would the increased amperage (power) also increase the burn risk? ie.. relative to the less powerful random orbitals?

 

When used properly, the risk of burning the paint is minimal. I say minimal because there are always parts of a vehicle where the paint is thin and you risk damaging the paint. This typically will happen where there is an edge on the panel. Here's an example of someone who damaged their e90 BMW with a PC...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95080

When using the Flex properly with any sort of detailing knowledge, there is little to worry about when it comes to damaging paint. I was working the buffer on full speed with about 40 lbs of pressure, with Power Gloss and a yellow cutting pad. I could have easily went to LSP, which is impressive considering how aggressive the combination of Power Gloss and yellow pad is.

I'll take out a test panel next time I break out the Flex and see if I am capable of damaging paint. I'd venture to guess that at some point with enough time and pressure in the same spot, yes it would burn the paint. Anyone who did that in a real detailing situation, shouldn't be detailing.

Hope that helps.

George

 

Wow! That's pretty impressive considering he wasn't getting too aggressive with his pad/polish. However, he was polishing down on an edge and that's never a good idea.

A guy I know burned his paint (flat surface) with a 4" pad (not sure what color) and Power Gloss. He just left it in place for a LONG time. I think he unwisely thought it was a good idea to try and polish off the dealer logo sticker.

 

I didn't know you made a video with this. That machine was quick. What products did you use ???

 

The video showed a yellow Lake Country cutting pad with Menzerna Power Gloss. We followed that up with a white Lake Country polishing pad and Menzerna PO106FF to really bring out the depth and gloss.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

George