Atlantic Euro
New member
OK - initial report. I found out today that my son's adventure with my Nikon D70 is going to cost me $220, so no pix until it gets back in a couple weeks :wall.
I couldn't wait for the weekend, so I had a swipe at my wife's 2002 Honda Odyssey. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been waxed or detailed in several years (just washed), so it was an interesting test platform. I washed and claybared the hood, then divided it into three sections. I used the Flex on the passenger side, the Porter Cable on the driver's side. The middle I left untouched for comparison.
Cliffs: The PC is old faithful. The Flex is the new badass, and I love it.
The left and right sections got a medium treatment from my GlossHaus kit - Foundation II/Orange pad for rough cut, Foundation III/Orange Pad for fine gut, GlossHaus Glaze finished with GlossHaus Perfect Carnuba wax. Ordinarily, I would have followed with the GlossHaus Polymer Wax, which is pretty much a sealant and wax, but I didn't have time to let it glaze (30 min.) since it was time to put the kids to bed. It was a little dark to assess whether the most aggressive polish (Foundation I/Yellow pad) would have helped - I'm thinking not, though I think the Honda clear coat is pretty dang hard.
The Porter Cable is the easy old classic. No worries, no hurry. I noticed the "bog" of the PC a little more, especially once I'd used the Flex. It is easy to use, even with one hand, and I don't feel like I'm pushing anything. The sum of the PC is "Easy, Effective".
The Flex feels like a MACHINE, and a German one at that - it sums up as: "Powerful, tight, purposeful". It does want you to have a firm hand - I won't say that it skips or runs since the handle is perfectly placed to control it, but you do feel a pull, especially with motion to the right and downward. The trigger that allows you to work the product over the area at a slower speed before going full bore is plain ol' cool. The head keeps moving no matter what, and you really get a sense that it is working the product. It wants you to work. I was really expecting it to be more of a polisher than a wax, but I really think it worked the wax in more effectively. I really liked the way it felt with the wax pads on it - it was just effortless. And in the light of dusk, if felt like the Flex side was better corrected and had more gloss. I'd cheated a little and gave the Flex the side that had a few scratches. They are gone. The noise is much more even than the PC - it doesn't seem to resonate the metal like a PC does, and it doesn't vibrate in your hand as much (though as I said, it wants your attention).
I'll have to wait until morning and full light for comparison, but I felt like I got more optical quality out of the Flex side, and the wax really seemed to burnish well and looked glossier in the evening light. The PC side looked pretty darn good, too, though I felt I worked longer, if a little easier, at it. I'll get a better look tomorrow.
In summary, I was a little worried about the Flex, and now I'm just a convert. It does require you to manage it more than a PC, but you can feel the combination of power and the safety it has. I've always taped trim, etc. anyway, so I'm not worried about the additional power there - it goes to good use in all stages. If you are considering a Flex, I can recommend it completely.
FLEX FTMFW!
(If my stupid phone camera can catch enough of the difference, I'll try to post pix tomorrow)
I couldn't wait for the weekend, so I had a swipe at my wife's 2002 Honda Odyssey. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been waxed or detailed in several years (just washed), so it was an interesting test platform. I washed and claybared the hood, then divided it into three sections. I used the Flex on the passenger side, the Porter Cable on the driver's side. The middle I left untouched for comparison.
Cliffs: The PC is old faithful. The Flex is the new badass, and I love it.
The left and right sections got a medium treatment from my GlossHaus kit - Foundation II/Orange pad for rough cut, Foundation III/Orange Pad for fine gut, GlossHaus Glaze finished with GlossHaus Perfect Carnuba wax. Ordinarily, I would have followed with the GlossHaus Polymer Wax, which is pretty much a sealant and wax, but I didn't have time to let it glaze (30 min.) since it was time to put the kids to bed. It was a little dark to assess whether the most aggressive polish (Foundation I/Yellow pad) would have helped - I'm thinking not, though I think the Honda clear coat is pretty dang hard.
The Porter Cable is the easy old classic. No worries, no hurry. I noticed the "bog" of the PC a little more, especially once I'd used the Flex. It is easy to use, even with one hand, and I don't feel like I'm pushing anything. The sum of the PC is "Easy, Effective".
The Flex feels like a MACHINE, and a German one at that - it sums up as: "Powerful, tight, purposeful". It does want you to have a firm hand - I won't say that it skips or runs since the handle is perfectly placed to control it, but you do feel a pull, especially with motion to the right and downward. The trigger that allows you to work the product over the area at a slower speed before going full bore is plain ol' cool. The head keeps moving no matter what, and you really get a sense that it is working the product. It wants you to work. I was really expecting it to be more of a polisher than a wax, but I really think it worked the wax in more effectively. I really liked the way it felt with the wax pads on it - it was just effortless. And in the light of dusk, if felt like the Flex side was better corrected and had more gloss. I'd cheated a little and gave the Flex the side that had a few scratches. They are gone. The noise is much more even than the PC - it doesn't seem to resonate the metal like a PC does, and it doesn't vibrate in your hand as much (though as I said, it wants your attention).
I'll have to wait until morning and full light for comparison, but I felt like I got more optical quality out of the Flex side, and the wax really seemed to burnish well and looked glossier in the evening light. The PC side looked pretty darn good, too, though I felt I worked longer, if a little easier, at it. I'll get a better look tomorrow.
In summary, I was a little worried about the Flex, and now I'm just a convert. It does require you to manage it more than a PC, but you can feel the combination of power and the safety it has. I've always taped trim, etc. anyway, so I'm not worried about the additional power there - it goes to good use in all stages. If you are considering a Flex, I can recommend it completely.
FLEX FTMFW!
(If my stupid phone camera can catch enough of the difference, I'll try to post pix tomorrow)