Flex XC3401VRG. A German-tough true dual-action polisher! Product review by Terry Freiberg
Many enthusiasts refer to the Porter Cable 7424 as a D-A or dual-action polisher. It isn't. The 7424 is an orbital polisher. This Flex XC3401VRG is a true dual-action machine. There's a huge difference between the two. With the Porter Cable 7424, the pads do not rotate, they oscillate, or jiggle, in a random pattern designed to simulate hand application. The "throw" or amount of "jiggle" is not disclosed by Porter Cable but it is very, very small. With the Flex XC3401VRG, the pads do have a forced circular motion, they rotate or "cut". Plus, as the pads rotate, they oscillate, or move, in a random pattern. Hence the name, dual action. One action is the circular rotation and the second action is the random movement of the pad while it is rotating. This random oscillation also has a exceptionally "long throw" of 8 mm. The forced circular pad rotation coupled with the long throw of the oscillations give the Flex considerably more cutting power than the Porter Cable 7424. In fact, after spending an afternoon with this machine, I feel it will do 90% of what a pure circular polisher can do with the safety of the random oscillations to prevent swirls. A case of having your cake and eating it too!
Speed Control Note: Since the Flex XC3401VRG has a forced circular motion, every speed setting is slightly more powerful when compared to the Porter Cable 7424. If you are stepping up from a 7424, we recommend starting one speed setting lower than you would with the 7424. In other words, If you typically polish in a speed range of 3 to 4 with the 7424, start with a speed range of 2-3 with the Flex. You can always increase the speed if you need more cutting power.
Front, adjustable bale-style grip.
Thumb speed control with lower, finger-control, squeeze trigger.
The machine comes with a 5-1/2 inch padded backing plat that is not changeable but will accommodate all of our 6-1/2 inch, OEM-Style pads, 6-1/2 inch, CCS, 1-1/4 inch pads and all of our 7-1/2 inch, CCS pads.
The bale handle is adjustable up and down but it requires an Allen wrench. I wish there were a button that I could press to quickly raise and lower the handle.
My second nit pic is the supplied 5-1/2 inch backing plate. While the size fits the pads I use most often it is not replaceable with any other size backing plate. If I'm working on a small defect, I like to use a 4 inch pad but the Flex doesn't give you that option.
Six inch backing plate is not changeable to other sizes.
Awesome machine! I personally own a Porter Cable 7424 and a DeWalt 849 Circular polisher. Knowing everything I know about machine polishing, if I were starting over, I would own this machine in a heartbeat and call it quits. It's that good!
Specifications:
Motor Amps 7.5 Rotary RPM: 160-480 Orbital OPM: 3200-9600 Recommended pad size 6.5" - 7.5" 6 inch Velcro® backing plate included (not changeable) Weight 5.75 lbs Warranty 1 year
