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I know I'm a bit late in the game, just now getting a Flex 
But I thought I'd post my impressions of this machine since I've been getting a lot of questions asking me how I like it.
First off, this thing is super light! That right there is a huge plus in my book! We really never think that 8lbs would kick our butts. But after 6-10 hours, lifting 8lbs all day, wears you out! I'm not sure of the exact weight of this unit, but I'd guess around 5lbs. That extra 3lbs makes a world of difference!
Another good quality about this unit, is it's shape, very thin! I know this won't be an issue for some people, but sometimes I grab the machine I'm working with by it's body. Getting in and out of tight spots, grabbing the machine by it's body gives me a bit more control over it.
Straight out of the box, I absolutely hated this machine. The stock handle over the top of the unit has to be the worst possible handle for this thing(for my tastes). After speaking with Mark Kleis, he told me he had another handle for it, one more like a buffer handle(wish I had pictures). Comes out the side, like the handle on the G100, but this one has rubber bushings inside of it adding a bit of dampening. For me, this was a HUGE improvement for the machine! I'd really like to thank Mark for sending me this handle, and encourage ALL of you guys to PM him about it
Yesterday I finally got a chance to play with the Flex for a good while. Usine the Flex on speed 5 with a green CCS pad and M205, here is a 50/50 shot after just 1 pass...
You can see the tops half has been worked, and the bottom half is untouched. I have to say that the side handle was the single, biggest improvement for me. I guess with the stock, top handle, I was applying too much pressure, which makes the machine jump around, and wore me out. Very frustrating! Almost sold this machine right after I got it With the side handle, I was able to just apply very light pressure, and let the machine, pad and products do the work instead of trying to push hard and force it. After I figured that out, I really started to like this thing
This machine cuts pretty good, not better than a rotary, but pretty good. I could definitely see myself reaching for this machine on more jobs. It finishes out very nicely also. Has the ability to leave the finish in pristine condition. I just bought a new truck, and plan to play with the Flex a bit more on it. I buffed this truck out a few months ago(right before my surgery), and the owner didn't really take care of it. Now that it's in my possession, I hope to give it a bit better of a life
Anyhow, thats it. I know a horrible review(and a late one), but there it is. One thing I would like to add, buy some gloves! Wearing gloves was a good improvement on vibration and keeping my hands from throbbing after a long period of time with this machine. I use a pair of Mechanix brand, thin gloves.
Nick
But I thought I'd post my impressions of this machine since I've been getting a lot of questions asking me how I like it. First off, this thing is super light! That right there is a huge plus in my book! We really never think that 8lbs would kick our butts. But after 6-10 hours, lifting 8lbs all day, wears you out! I'm not sure of the exact weight of this unit, but I'd guess around 5lbs. That extra 3lbs makes a world of difference!
Another good quality about this unit, is it's shape, very thin! I know this won't be an issue for some people, but sometimes I grab the machine I'm working with by it's body. Getting in and out of tight spots, grabbing the machine by it's body gives me a bit more control over it.
Straight out of the box, I absolutely hated this machine. The stock handle over the top of the unit has to be the worst possible handle for this thing(for my tastes). After speaking with Mark Kleis, he told me he had another handle for it, one more like a buffer handle(wish I had pictures). Comes out the side, like the handle on the G100, but this one has rubber bushings inside of it adding a bit of dampening. For me, this was a HUGE improvement for the machine! I'd really like to thank Mark for sending me this handle, and encourage ALL of you guys to PM him about it
Yesterday I finally got a chance to play with the Flex for a good while. Usine the Flex on speed 5 with a green CCS pad and M205, here is a 50/50 shot after just 1 pass...
You can see the tops half has been worked, and the bottom half is untouched. I have to say that the side handle was the single, biggest improvement for me. I guess with the stock, top handle, I was applying too much pressure, which makes the machine jump around, and wore me out. Very frustrating! Almost sold this machine right after I got it
With the side handle, I was able to just apply very light pressure, and let the machine, pad and products do the work instead of trying to push hard and force it. After I figured that out, I really started to like this thing This machine cuts pretty good, not better than a rotary, but pretty good. I could definitely see myself reaching for this machine on more jobs. It finishes out very nicely also. Has the ability to leave the finish in pristine condition. I just bought a new truck, and plan to play with the Flex a bit more on it. I buffed this truck out a few months ago(right before my surgery), and the owner didn't really take care of it. Now that it's in my possession, I hope to give it a bit better of a life
Anyhow, thats it. I know a horrible review(and a late one), but there it is. One thing I would like to add, buy some gloves! Wearing gloves was a good improvement on vibration and keeping my hands from throbbing after a long period of time with this machine. I use a pair of Mechanix brand, thin gloves.
Nick
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