The FLEX Cordless PE-150 Rotary Polisher
Backstory
When FLEX introduced their cordless version of the PE14 corded rotary polisher, they gave me the first prototype in the summer of 2017 to test and torture. I still have this prototype cordless rotary in my tool collection and have buffed out hundreds of cars with it and it's still going strong.
Quality doesn't cost money, it makes money...
FLEX tools are sometimes referred to as the Mercedes-Benz of polishers. This implication being FLEX tools are the highest quality tools money can buy and will exceed your expectations in all aspects including, quality, durability, usability and longevity. You can purchase less expensive tools but they will not hold up like the FLEX brand.
Lots of options but only one best
Since the introduction of the cordless FLEX tools, there were no competitors. Now there are multiple tool manufactures offering cordless tools but not all tools are the same and this is especially true when it comes to two primary considerations.
1: Tool quality
2: Battery technology
Tool Quality
The first thing I like to share about flex tool quality is the gears are precision machined stainless steel. What this means to use is a QUIET running tool. This is why when using the FLEX rotary polishers, whether the cordless or corded models, they operate quiet enough you can listen to the radio as you're buffing. Less expensive rotary polishers use stamped, steel gears. Their is no precision to the to the gear-to-gear fitment and for this reason the gears GROWL when you use them and these creates more noise. The stainless steel aspect also means no rust issues and dramatically longer service life.
Low vibration
The precision machined stainless steel gears also mean a smoother operating tool with no felt vibration. This is true when operating the polisher at low speeds or high speeds and this dramatically reduce muscle fatigue and nerve damage, especially over time.
Lightweight, compact design
The cordless FLEX rotary polisher chassis or tool body is compact in size and lightweight, weighing in right around 5 pounds. Even though this polish is lightweight and compact in size, it delivers all the power of full size competitor models only it a LOT more enjoyable to use, especially for extended periods of time. I detail cars professionally and I teach both car and boat detailing classes, and I can say from decades of first-hand, real-world experience, using a rotary polisher when doing any major paint correction or when buffing out oxidized gelcoat boats, lighter, quieter and compact size rotary polishers make the work so much more enjoyable and physically easier on you.
Ergonomic design
The head of the FLEX cordless PE-150 Rotary Polisher has a rubber over mold design that makes holding and gripping the head of the polisher easier and safer to your hands. The polisher does come with a stick handle that can be attached to either side of the head, but my own preference is I never use it, as in never. The rubber overmold is not only easy to grip and hold, but it enables you to apply downward pressure direction over the spinning buffing pad and this also reduces muscle fatigue in your forearms. The rear of the tool is also ergonomically designed with the speed trigger, speed lock button and speed dial all conveniently placed to make operating the tool, setting the speed to the desired RPM and then locking the speed in place fast and easy. On the top, middle of the tool is a RPM setting guide showing you what speed the tool will run when selecting the different tool speed setting on the tool speed setting dial.
7-function microprocessor
Inside the FLEX cordless rotary polisher is a 7-function microprocessor that offers,
- Constant speed control via a tachometer generator
- Soft start motor
- Accelerator trigger switch
- Restart protection after power interruption
- Electric overload protection
- Temperature monitoring
- Speed selection
I don't know that any other rotary polisher offers this much advanced technology in their design?
Battery Technology
FLEX battery technology is supplied by EGO Power Tools. Both FLEX Power Tools and EGO Power Tools are owned by Chervon and as such, FLEX is able to incorporate the words best lithium-ion battery technology for their cordless tools.
Smart Battery Charging Technology
FLEX batteries have a microchip built-in as does the FLEX battery charger. This enables the battery to talk to the charger. When you first place a discharged battery onto the FLEX charger, the two start communicating. The charge is able to test and determine how far down the lithium ion batteries have drained down and then will start the charging process delivering the power needed to bring the battery up to full charge in the shortest amount of time.
Long battery run time
FLEX 5 Amp batteries will run under load between 30 and 40 minutes, I know first hand because I did a lot of the initial torture testing for FLEX. The main factor as to how long the battery will last simply comes down to how hard you're pushing on the tool. built-in microprocessor sends MORE power to the electric motor to maintain the speed you've chosen no matter what the load. This mean, the harder you push, the more electricity the battery will send to the motor to maintain the speed you've selected. This is what you want.
This also means if you're doing light buffing, the battery can easily lat up to 40 minutes of run-time. If you're pushing hard, like when you're pushing the cordless rotary against the side of a boat hull when removing either oxidation or sanding marks, you'll get around 30 minutes of run time. Run time is determined by you and how you use the tool But one thing I can say for sure, the FREEDOM of buffing on anything without having to deal with a power cord can not be understated. Give a choice, I will ALWAYS choose the cordless FLEX rotary polisher over the corded version.
Long battery life
Beside offering the longest run time, FLEX batteries offer the longest cycle life. Cycle life refers to how many times the battery can be recharged BEFORE the actual battery cells are negatively affected reducing run-time . FLEX batteries can be recharged 1000 plus recharges before the runtime is affected. Competitors batteries can only be recharged up to 300 to 400 life cycles.
Cool running batteries
The number #1 enemy of rechargeable batteries is heat. FLEX tools and FLEX batteries have built in air passages and the way this works is when the tool is operating, so the motor is turning and thus turning a cooling fan, not only does the fan cool the motor, it also pulls air through the battery to keep the battery cool. This feature alone provides longer battery life and run time.
Tech Specs and Comparison to the Corded FLEX PE-14
FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher
1400 watt and 10 amp motor.
Maximum pad size = 6.5"
Maximum backing pad size = 6"
No load speed range = 150 rpm to 1,450 rpm
Battery voltage = 18 Volts
Size = approximately 15" long
Weight without battery = 4.2 pounds
Weight with 5 amp battery = 5.5 pounds
U.S. Standard 5/8" Coarse Thread Spindle
SoftGrip Rubber Overmold Head
Optimized air ducting for optimum cooling of motor and gear. No annoying exhaust air for the user.
Innovative combination of planetary and angular gears reduces noise to an absolute minimum.
Flat gear head reduces distance to the surface. The machine can therefore be operated safely in any position.
Electronic management system (EMS) protects the
machine, extends the service life, and increases efficiency.
Brushless electric motor for greater efficiency and a longer service life
Batteries have LED display screen showning battery charge level.
FLEX PE 14 Corded Rotary Polisher
1400 watt and 10 amp motor.
Max. polishing pad diameter 8"
Max. back-up pad diameter 8"
No load speed range = 600 rpm to 2,100 rpm.
Power input 10 amp.
Power output 880 watt.
U.S. Standard 5/8" Coarse Thread Spindle.
Size = approximately 16" long.
Weight 5.6 lbs
10' Rubber Power Cord.
SoftGrip Rubber Overmold Head.
Optimized air ducting for optimum cooling of motor and gear. No annoying exhaust air for the user.
Innovative combination of planetary and angular gears reduces noise to an absolute minimum.
Flat gear head reduces distance to the surface. The machine can therefore be operated safely in any position.
Let's take a look at what's inside the box?
Included in the set are the polisher, the battery charger, two 5 AMP Lithium-Ion batteries and a stick handle.
The batteries have protective plastic covers and to remove them you press the unlock button like you would if you were removing the battery from the polisher.
After you plug-in the FLEX Smart Battery Charger, the charger will do a self-test and then display the word OK if everything is functioning properly and the charger is ready to use.
Align the charging side of the battery with the recessed grooves in the battery charger and the slide the battery into place and all the way forward until it locks into position.
Immediately the Smart Battery Charger will start communicating with the battery and determine how far down the battery is drained.
Next the LCD panel will display how many minutes are required to bring the battery back up to full charge. A fully charged battery will read 45 minutes.
Let's take a closer look at the tool and all the features -
Note, the polisher does not come with a backing plate. You will want to purchase separately a backing plate or multiple backing plates in different sizes depending upon your style of buffing.
Ambidextrous Variable Speed Dial - The body of the polisher is designed to enable you to adjust the speed on either side of the top of the tool conveniently located where you grip the tool. Perfect for people that are right or left handed.
Variable Start Speed Trigger
The speed trigger offers total user control over the start-up and operation of the tool speed. You can feather the trigger to run the polisher as low as 200 RPM or when completely depressed, run the polisher at the RPM chosen via the variable speed dial - your choice.
Speed Lock Button - The speed lock button is conveniently located to make it fast and easy to lock or un-lock the speed trigger. I highly recommend learning to lock the tool speed when buffing to reduce muscle fatigue and to extend the life of the trigger assembly.
Recessed Spindle Lock Button - The Spindle Lock Button enables you to lock the drive gears in place to prevent the spindle from rotating when you're trying to remove a backing plate. It's normal for a backing plate to self-tighten from use so this feature makes it easy to remove a backing plate. The recessed design prevents you from accidentally depressing the button during operation, which could damage the gears.
5/8" Standard U.S. Standard Coarse Thread Spindle
Stainless steel wire mesh screen for fresh air intake - This allows fresh cooling air to be taken in to keep the battery and the tool running at cool temperatures while filtering out dust and wool bunnies normal to using a wool pad with a rotary polisher.
There are also stainless steel wire mesh screens built into the battery to allow clean fresh air to circulate into and out of the battery. This increases battery life and battery performance by keeping the battery cool during operation.
Battery Charge Status Button and Power Bars - Each FLEX Smart Battery has a button you can press to check and monitor the power status of the battery. A fully charged battery will show 4 bright green bars.
My comments
Back in the spring of 2017, FLEX in Steinheim, Germany, sent me a prototype to test both the function of the tool and how long the battery will last in real-world use.
FLEX Prototype Polisher
This is the prototype FLEX PE-150 the Engineers at FLEX sent me for torture testing and also to test how long the 5 Amp batteries last in real-world use.
Note there's no serial number - Only production units come with a production number.
Real-World Testing - 1970 Buick GS Muscle Car
To test out the capabilities of the FLEX PE-150 Rotary Polisher I did a full paint correction on a clients 1970 Buick GS in which the paint was completely filled with swirls, scratches and oxidation.
Yup, that's me putting a wool pad on edge and I methodically buffed out the entire car.
This polisher is smooth and powerful plus lightweight and compact in size - the best rotary polisher money can buy.
Final results...
The tool worked flawlessly and the paint came out perfect. Using a wool pad on this prototype tool I easily obtained 30 to 35 minutes run-time with a single battery and this was PUSHING HARD!
As I type, it's March, 16th, 2023 approximately 6 years later and I still have and use this polisher as my primary, go-to rotary for all my professional detailing work and for use in all my car and boat detailing classes. This polisher has been used and abused and till performs flawlessly.
Using the FLEX Cordless PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher to buff on a 1967 Ford Fairlane Muscle car
Teaching a class with my prototype FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher how to remove sanding marks out of the custom basecoat/clearcoat paint on a 1948 Mercury Convertible Streetrod.
Teaching a class with my prototype FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher how to correctly buff on the side hull of a center console boat.
My opinion for what it's worth...
When it comes to rotary polishers, in my opinion and real-world experience, this is the BEST rotary polisher on the market today and has been since the production versions were introduced at SEMA in November of 2017.
Why is it the best rotary polisher on the market?
It's lightweight and compact in size. Compared to other any other rotary polisher it's quiet and that's due to the precision machined stainless steel gears. The design is such that the tool runs cool even under heavy load over time. It has all the power you need for any type of work including machine compounding boat hulls, which is one of the most taxing jobs to tackle with a rotary.
You get what you pay for
I'm very active in the online car and boat detailing world, I've been teaching detailing classes, documented since 1987, that's 36 years, not as long as some, but longer than most still breathing. Here's what I see in the online world, people see the price of FLEX tools and instead of getting the best, they go cheap (on themselves), and purchase less expensive brands, in both corded and cordless rotary polishers. Here's what happens, all the money they think they saved purchasing the less expensive cordless polishers they end up spending on MORE BATTERIES and even more battery chargers.
Why?
Because rotary polishers PUNISH the battery unlike any other tool and other brands of batteries simply don't last as long and take DRAMATICALLY longer to recharge once they are drained. And just as bad, these other inexpensive brands, their batteries have dramatically shorter service life, (called cycle life, how many times the battery can be recharged before it's so worn out it's worthless), and when these lower quality batteries are recharged over and over again, the batteries decrease in run-time. This is a triple whammy.
Less run time to start with and less run time as the more they are used.
Longer charging time to the point you need about 10 batteries to get through a normal car or boat detail (more for boats)
Shorter overall lifespan
It's the best example of the old cliche, you get what you pay for.
Treat yourself!
Here's another observation I've made over time, detailers are genuinely hard workers and this is because detailing both cars and boats is really hard work. This profession does NOT attract lazy people. Anytime a naturally lazy person gets into detailing detailing spits them out quickly. Another characteristic of people with a true good work ethic, (people that can and will work hard), is they also tend to be high caliber people in all other aspects of life.
Always nice to others
People with good work ethics tend to also be people that are thoughtful and this shows up when they purchase gifts for others, like birthday gifts, graduation gifts, anniversary gifts etc. So if you're reading this and I just described YOU - how about being nice to yourself? Instead of going cheap and buying yourself a less expensive tool because in your head you think you're saving money, buy yourself a nice gift. Buy yourself a FLEX Cordless PE-150 Rotary Polisher. Use it one time for one job and then call me and tell me you're glad you read this article and you're 100% over the top happy you took my advice and bought yourself the best cordless rotary polisher on the market.
One more thing... the FLEX Cordless PE-150 Rotary Polisher set comes with two 5 AMP Lithium-Ion Batteries. When buffing out a car or boat, after you drain one battery down and place it into the charger so it can re-charge while you use the other battery - if you're a tick on the paranoid side when it comes to anything electric or rechargeable - (I am), then at some point down the road, simply buy a 3rd battery and as long as you put into practice the discipline to place drained batteries immediately into the FLEX Smart Battery Charger, you'll never be without power. Guaranteed.
FLEX Polishers - The Mercedes-Benz of polishers!
On AutoForge.net
FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher Set
Lake Country Rotary Extension Kit
Here's my personal cell phone so you can call me after you've used the FLEX Cordless PE-150 Rotary Polisher for your first job or shoot me an email.
760-515-0444 - Mike@AutoForge.net
-Mike Phillips