Flex 3401 and pad size question...

[ZL1Mark]

Let's take the LC hybrid pads. Being that the 3401 is forced rotation, does pad size really matter as far as correction ability? Will a 6.5" pad correct better than a 5" pad? I'm not talking surface area, instead, the amount of correction of the area being polished.

 

[colinpd137]

Well, in my opinion (YES OPINION, NOT A FACT)

I Prefer the 5" over the 6.5" because of curvy car body's these days. With the 5" Ill have much more control over the machine which in turn = better correction.
Now if there is a giant flat panel, then the 6.5 would be preferred over the 5" because it covers a larger surface area and can the extra 1.5" of pad help finish up faster, but not correct any better than the 5"

So my answer to your question is: No, the correction would be the same.

 

[Todd@RUPES]

Let's take the LC hybrid pads. Being that the 3401 is forced rotation, does pad size really matter as far as correction ability? Will a 6.5" pad correct better than a 5" pad? I'm not talking surface area, instead, the amount of correction of the area being polished.

IME, because of the forced rotation and power of the FLEX it will act more like a rotary in this regard. That is, a larger pad will move faster per given RPM, and thus create more cutting power. However, because of the orbital movement, the effect is negated slightly.

I would say, in my experience, a larger pad is SLIGHTLY more aggressive than a smaller pad but the difference isn't as exaggerated as it is on a pure rotary.