Video: Long Throw Polisher Sound Comparison

[RaysWay]

Video: Long Throw Polisher Sound Comparison

Disclaimer: One thing to keep in mind, is no one that did any of the testing here is a scientist or engineer. So keep in mind there is a margin of error. We're just a bunch of "regular" guys in a garage sharing our results and data.

This video is in response to Mary B's request for a sound and vibration comparison between the new FLEX XFE7-15 and the Griot's Garage BOSS G15. (original thread) Thanks for the request Mary B!

We decided to put the FLEX XFE7-15 against the 21mm polishers because all of the polishers in the test use 6 inch backing plates OEM. Since the FLEX XFE7-15 is powerful enough to spin a 6 inch backing plate, we wanted to test it against other 6 inch polishers.

For sound level data, we used the "Sound Meter" app on my LG G4 phone. After calibrating, we tested the sound decibel meter with other devices and found it was surprisingly consistent. We all agreed it would work to compare sound level between these 3 polishers.

We primed each pad with McKee's 37 Fast Polish and the same product was used on each machine.

Now....without further ado.....the video....

https://youtu.be/3KASUpRU8jw



p.s. Thanks to Nick@Autogeek for lending us a hand.

Average DB results:

61 db FLEX XFE7-15
64 db Griot's Garage BOSS G21
66 db RUPES LHR 21ES

Now we all thought this would be a good opportunity to compare the size and weight of each machine...

You can really see a size difference when the 3 polishers are lined up side by side.

The RUPES LHR 21ES is the longest of the 3 coming in at 16 inches.

The Griot's Garage BOSS G21 came in at about 15.5 inches.

The FLEX XFE7-15 came in at 14 inches.

Now for the weigh in...

The piece of fancy cardboard we used registered at .10 lbs.

The FLEX XFE7-15 registered 5.3 lbs

The RUPES LHR 21ES registered 6.1 lbs

And the Griot's Garage came in at 6.2 lbs

Summary Data:

Average DB results:

FLEX XFE7-15 61 db
Griot's Garage BOSS G21 64 db
RUPES LHR 21ES 66 db

Length:

RUPES LHR 21ES 16 inches
Griots Garage BOSS 21ES 15.5 inches
FLEX XFE7-15 14 inches

Weight:

RUPES LHR 21ES 6.1 lbs
Griots Garage BOSS 21ES 6.2 lbs
FLEX XFE7-15 5.3 lbs

Final Thoughts:

Another request we had was to compare the vibration of each machine. Both Paul and I tested each machine side by side, back to back, and concluded the FLEX XFE7-15 had the least amount of vibration by a very small margin. We tried each machine with thin and thick pads (the FLEX works and feels great with RUPES pads btw). One thing to note is the RUPES Mark II felt like it had the most power, again...by a very small margin. We weren't able to bog down any of the pads with any of the machines, so the days of stalling backing plates on long throw machines are behind us.

Also, we tested the vibration of the 21mm throw of the RUPES and Griot's Garage v.s. the 15mm throw of the FLEX. The larger rotational pattern may attribute to the slight increase in vibration, but again; we wanted to compare 6 inch polishers across the board.



Thanks for reading everyone!

If you have any questions or comments, let us know!

 

[mjlinane]

Awesome comparison! Thanks Paul & Ray!

14dB ambient - a very quiet place you found.

 

[Migue]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, the Flex will be my next polisher purchase.

 

[donbeezy]

interesting and awesome test.

i wonder if the 15mm throw w/ 6inch pad has anything to do with less vibration? i wish flex would have went with the conventional route and go 5 inch BP

 

[Merlin]

WOW! Very interesting...all the machines seem fairly close within 5dB's, 3/4 pound, and 2" in length.

Thank you for taking the time to present this in a semi-scientific manner. To me they're fairly similar.

The one thing I noticed is :

FLEX XFE7-15 (15mm)
Griots Garage BOSS 21ES (21mm)
RUPES LHR 21ES (Not the new MKII) (21mm)

I wonder how it would compare with these three 15mm machines?

FLEX XFE7-15 (15mm)
Griots Garage BOSS G15 (15mm)
Rupes BigFoot LHR15 MarkII (15mm)

 

[Migue]

Totally overlooked the 6" OEM BP, i hope they release a 5" BP for it.

 

[GearHead_1]

Thank you, very cool! Just an observation but watching the wrist watch it appeared the Rupes was vibrating a bit more. Anyone else see this.

 

[nothingface5384]

Yeah only reason I didn't get it..already have a G21/may get the new flex forced

The Rupes registers louder in DB but the G21 is at a higher frequency which makes it sounds louder to me and making the Rupes not seem loud

 

[felixthecat]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, the Flex will be my next polisher purchase.

Ditto^^^^^^^& to add the Flexxfe7-15 sounds very similar to the 3401.

 

[felixthecat]

interesting and awesome test.

i wonder if the 15mm throw w/ 6inch pad has anything to do with less vibration? i wish flex would have went with the conventional route and go 5 inch BP

I'm sure they're going to offer a 5.5'' bp later on.

 

[Angus]

Cool video and comparison. What caught my eye was how little the Flex appeared to vibrate Nicks arms/ watch with in use - watch closely as he switches to the GG and then the Rupes - his arms/ watch bounces around significantly more with the later 2.

 

[GearHead_1]

Cool video and comparison. What caught my eye was how little the Flex appeared to vibrate Nicks arms/ watch with in use - watch closely as he switches to the GG and then the Rupes - his arms/ watch bounces around significantly more with the later 2.

That's what I saw with the Rupes bouncing the most. Maybe Nick's arms were tired.

 

[Migue]

Agreed on the vibration going on his watch/forearms, there was barely if any when the flex was in action. The sessions with each were very short so I personally don't think there was fatigue.

 

[RW215]

Ray,thank you so much for that test,Flex is the quietest,the lightest,smallest,low vibrations,i think its my next DA.
Now ill have to wait for the 220v version..

 

[Smack]

Very cool! Thanks for putting it together and sharing with us.

 

[Wing Commander]

When I tested it at Detail fest it was super smooth and I tried to put more downward force than would ever be used to work on paint and it still powered thru it.

 

[Bunky]

It was a not a calibrated setup. The other important aspect is tone. Of the three, I liked Rupes. A higher pitched unit can be more annoying.

 

[Todd@RUPES]

Thank you, very cool! Just an observation but watching the wrist watch it appeared the Rupes was vibrating a bit more. Anyone else see this.

The reason the RUPES appears to vibrate more is because they are using a thicker pad on which the tool has been sitting. This yellow foam is softer, which causes it to compress to one edge. This compression will work itself out quickly (although not quite as quick as the video is shot), which is why you have some up and down movement as the pad rotates to the compressed edge and back to the uncompressed edge.

The way to judge vibration is in free air. When applied to the paint, the foam pad becomes a shock absorber. Since a thicker pad compresses more it will take a few seconds longer to work itself true. This is particularly true if you grab a pad that hasn't been used (and thus is at room temperature).

As Mike Phillip's picture below shows, you cannot vibrate less than zero...

 

[Angus]

The reason the RUPES appears to vibrate more is because they are using a thicker pad on which the tool has been sitting. This yellow foam is softer, which causes it to compress to one edge. This compression will work itself out quickly (although not quite as quick as the video is shot), which is why you have some up and down movement as the pad rotates to the compressed edge and back to the uncompressed edge.

The way to judge vibration is in free air. When applied to the paint, the foam pad becomes a shock absorber. Since a thicker pad compresses more it will take a few seconds longer to work itself true. This is particularly true if you grab a pad that hasn't been used (and thus is at room temperature).

As Mike Phillip's picture below shows, you cannot vibrate less than zero...

Makes perfect sense to me! Thanks for the explanation, Todd

 

[RaysWay]

Awesome comparison! Thanks Paul & Ray!

14dB ambient - a very quiet place you found.

Thanks for reading. Yep, we got lucky and were able to use the garage while no one was in there.

Thanks a lot for the info guys, the Flex will be my next polisher purchase.

Thanks for reading! And I think it will be my next polisher too. After this test, I'm itching to give one a complete review with a full correction detail using RUPES or Thin Pro pads.

interesting and awesome test.

i wonder if the 15mm throw w/ 6inch pad has anything to do with less vibration? i wish flex would have went with the conventional route and go 5 inch BP

Before starting, we went back and forth trying to decide whether to test the FLEX XFE against other 15mm polishers, or other 6 inch polishers. Ultimately we decided the 6 inch polisher test was best, since a size difference with the backing plate makes a big difference. Also, since the main priority of this test was a sound comparison, we opted to test machines that were able to spin the same size backing plates from the factory. Although the FLEX only has the 15mm throw, it has enough power to spin the 6 inch BP; so we put it in the "heavyweight" class.

But who knows, maybe you'll see another test in the future.

WOW! Very interesting...all the machines seem fairly close within 5dB's, 3/4 pound, and 2" in length.

Thank you for taking the time to present this in a semi-scientific manner. To me they're fairly similar.

The one thing I noticed is :

FLEX XFE7-15 (15mm)
Griots Garage BOSS 21ES (21mm)
RUPES LHR 21ES (Not the new MKII) (21mm)

I wonder how it would compare with these three 15mm machines?

FLEX XFE7-15 (15mm)
Griots Garage BOSS G15 (15mm)
Rupes BigFoot LHR15 MarkII (15mm)

Thanks for reading Merlin and I agree, there all awesome machines. I feel like I work for Car and Driver and have to compare the new Mustang v.s. the new Camaro when we run these tests. Testing all of the 15mm machines seems to be a popular request...

Totally overlooked the 6" OEM BP, i hope they release a 5" BP for it.

We do too! I hope they release a wide range of backing plates for it.

Thank you, very cool! Just an observation but watching the wrist watch it appeared the Rupes was vibrating a bit more. Anyone else see this.

You guys are observant! I didn't even notice that when watching the video (I was keeping my eye on the decibel meter). The sound comparison was really top priority for this test between 6 inch long throw polishers. If vibration was top priority, maybe we would have tested all 15mm machines against each other. The RUPES feels like it has the longest throw and most power when using it hands down. One thing to keep in mind is the test was done with all polishers on max speed 6, which is usually uncharted territory for long throw polishers. The BOSS 21 in comparison felt like the only part of the polisher that was moving, was the backing plate. It has a very "direct" feel which I like. If I was blindfolded and someone handed me the G21, I would probably guess I was using a 15mm polisher. Maybe the rubber grips have something to do with absorbing some of the vibration.

Ditto^^^^^^^& to add the Flexxfe7-15 sounds very similar to the 3401.

You're right, it does. Although I think it moves a lot more air than the 3401. I remember Paul commenting on how much air the FLEX XFE moves while using it. Maybe it can be used to dry a car too

I'm sure they're going to offer a 5.5'' bp later on.

Let's hope FLEX hears our prayers. I'd like to try it with a 4 inch backing plate with 5 inch LC Hybrid Pads.

Cool video and comparison. What caught my eye was how little the Flex appeared to vibrate Nicks arms/ watch with in use - watch closely as he switches to the GG and then the Rupes - his arms/ watch bounces around significantly more with the later 2.

Thanks for reading Angus. After taking all the video and pictures we played with all the tools in the garage with various pads and Paul and I agreed there was very little difference between each machine, but a difference nonetheless.

Ray,thank you so much for that test,Flex is the quietest,the lightest,smallest,low vibrations,i think its my next DA.
Now ill have to wait for the 220v version..

Thanks for reading! I'll check with FLEX to see when the 220v version is coming.

Very cool! Thanks for putting it together and sharing with us.

Thanks for reading Smack!

When I tested it at Detail fest it was super smooth and I tried to put more downward force than would ever be used to work on paint and it still powered thru it.

Thanks for the feedback. I agree, I'm really happy with the amount of power FLEX put behind the polisher. I think they did their homework.

It was a not a calibrated setup. The other important aspect is tone. Of the three, I liked Rupes. A higher pitched unit can be more annoying.

YES! I'm happy that came through the video. The RUPES hands down had the lowest frequency sound (lowest pitch) while using. Also you're right, we definitely have to consider some margin for human error. After watching the video a few times myself, I thought it would be better to have the sound meter in a stationery position. Then put the polisher in the same position to test sound, but while recording we decided someone holding the meter was best to avoid glare from the overhead lights. Overall I'm happy with the test though. We had fun running it and learned a lot.