I was never interested in this machine, but I just picked up a used one in order to use the Adhesion Promoter Polish for the new C6 Ceramics (Yvan Lacroix's new company) coating. That polish requires a short throw machine in order to not overwork the ceramic content of that product. They recommend using a small orbital sander, but I hate that form factor and the inherent vibration that it creates.
I have a couple Flex 3401's so I just pulled the trigger on the new Rupes Mille to add to my tool box. Will post up my thoughts on it after this weekends detail.
I can’t decide which one to get everyone has a different opinion. Since you do hard surfaces I’m need a gear driven to work on boats and gel coat which machine you think has more power and won’t bog down is the better choice for boats? Thanks!
for solid surfaces and gelcoat you honestly cant beat a good rotary polisher. This Rupes broke on me twice and i no longer have it however my FLEX 3401 has an easy 1000 hours on it and abused since 2010 and it sill works perfectly.
Awesome review and real world use comparison. I had 2 flex 3401s and miss them tremendously. I need a polisher now and was considering the LK900, but it seems the well rounded flex is the way to go again. If you had to choose just one for auto detailing would you pick the flex again? Thanks for the great info and honesty 😎
actually the flex was not -the first forced rotation machine - Festool had it first with the Rotex which is forced and random orbital. However it is not the best one. Makita also had one in the BO6040 and now with the 6050 which is the most powerful of any forced rotation machine but spins to the left. Rotary is still the pinnacle for correcting but it has one fatal flaw - it can hologram sometimes. Those short throw random orbitals you mentioned were crappy, I couldn't stand those things. when you say that the Flex runs at a lower speed than a conventional rotary, you are partially correct. when your talking makita 9227 and De walt yes. But many other machines exist that run even lower than the Flex 3401. Fein WPO 14-15 XE which I own is 250-1200 rpm and the new Rupes LH19E and Flex rotaries. Nice channel mate
Dylan von Kleist perhaps your correct in terms of gear driven polisher. According to festool website the rotex was launched in 1979. Its more a sander than a polisher. Anyways doesnt matter, the rupes would be smoother
Actually Makita PO5000C. Is the most powerful 780 RPM the bo50J whatever. Makita got. Bumped up to match the 6800 OPM of the PO5000C but same RPM as the bo40j w.e mldel
My Mille was delivered last week, can't wait to get some time with it. I wanted to bridge the gap between my rotary and DA. I'm really liking the idea of using the Rupes blue and yellow wool pads.
im polishing boats and want to try a DA been using rotary for 10 years but never da and such newer machine, can you recommend rupes mille over mikita or the newer flex series of the 3401? apricciate any advice, using it gel coat professional every day need to be able to withstand being used.
I work on boats and I'm looking at the ropes mille. What is your experience with heavy correction on gel coat with the mille? I'm always trying to see what tools pads and products are working for you.
Hi i do lots of gelcoat for sculptures and furniture the Mille is a bit hard to use on deeply curved sections based on the size of the unit and i prefer the Flex 3401 or the Makita P0005C
I haven't tried the makita but I've been looking at it. Do the makita rupes and flex all have the power to cut through the oxidation or should I stick to a rotary and finish with a dual action. (I'm trying to stream line my work, more production style)
@@davidolsen4435 i use both machines when i need to, a rotary when im finish sanding fisheyes from the gelcoat or removing bad oxidation or resin pop marks but if the finish is not needing that the flex or Makita work perfect if you use the right pads
I’ve seen lot of videos about the Mille and non of them gets inside de machine to see how are the internals …the flex has a plastic gear attached to the plate so that’s why maybe is less noisy than the Mille because maybe the Mille is all metal gears ⚙️ without internal plastic.
@@manrex5238 yes i love the Flex and also the Makita i did a review on the Makita on this channel thats a really awesome machine. I think the Rupes machines are not perfect too noisy and too much vibration which is why I do not use them anymore.
i do not think so none of my tools say China however I did order their small cordless mini and that was made in China, i hated it anyways and returned it
I’m in the market for a good DA polisher, and looking between the Flex 3401 and the Mille. I’m just using this for my own cars, so won’t be needing a workhorse to do many cars. I already have a PC that I have been using for the last 7 years or so, and it works great on minor defects/scratches, but lacks the oomph to get rid of slightly deeper scratches on harder paint- even with using aggressive Mazerna compounds and heavier yellow cutting pads. That being said, I do want a polisher that is strong enough to take out defects that my PC cannot. Any thoughts?
get the Flex3401 you can not kill that machine i have mine over 10 years and use of often each week. I broke several Mille and got rid of them a while back after i posted this video.
Auto Fanatic - Oh wow. Thanks so much for your candid input. Just the info I needed. And if I wanted to replace my PC with a free spin longer throw polisher, what do you think of the Rupes LHR15 MKIII?
Griots Boss G15, far superior warranty and I honestly like it better. I tried the Mark3 they are an improvement over the older ones but i still feel for the money they need to make them better.
Very nice tool 21 lhr mk2 15 lhr mk2 after 2years to have a problem 300€ Mile to have a problem😕😕😕😕 And i use all the day Chinese tool And flex and no problems...
my advice buy them all they are all so different and can be used for various jobs like i use them of, i have been using the Makita the most and love it, i would buy the Makita plus it is cheaper
Makita PO5000C is the best forced. Machine on the market, side. By side it'll take out 1000grit sanding marks out. Smoother, more comfy. Can turn it into a 3in forced. Sadly freespin mode is worthless unless you simply. Plan to use it up apply LSP or machine sand.. Rupes screwed up on their specs, allot of OPM, but barely any more. RPM over the 3401 to compensate for lack of MM orbit.. Makita on other hand has 780 RPM 6800 OPM with 5.5mm throw
bquattrog they all broke. I Do huge metal refinishing projects for one of my businesses so i am running machines non stop for hours these can not handle heavy industrial work for car detailing they work great
I own all of them, each tool is for different types of jobs not one tool will work best for all projects but to get started the 3401 is the best one to start then work up to a DA and rotary and build your skills and you can tackle any job.
my 900 blew up i gave it away and now use the Flex 3401 and Makita exclusively for forced DA both tools can run all day no issues ever. I am disappointed in this RUPES to be honest thanks for also posting your feedback. Mine failed rather quickly so i gifted it to a friend who was sending it in for repair.
@@autofanaticcars Wow, that is good to know. I have the Rupes 21 and went to use it yesterday and it was dead. The sad thing is I only used it 4-6 times over the 4 years I had it (DIYer only). I had to resort to my old Porter Cable machines which shook my hands to no end, but they started and got the job done - more than I can say for the Bigfoot. It put a bad taste in my mouth and now this. I was thinking about the Rupes, but this and my recent experience has my gun shy. I will check out the Makita and Flex for sure now.
@@autofanaticcars Wow are you serious? That super disappointing. I too have the 3401 and I love it. I agree that they should do some type of update on it. After seeing this comment I think I'll stick with Flex unfortunately. Was doing alot of research on the 900 because I was interested. But after seeing this, I'll stick with the Flex 3401.
the Boss and these machines in this video are considered professional machines while the cheaper G orbital and Porter Cable are not and considered light duty hobby machines it is hard to explain in all the detail here but there is no comparison at this level of machine for $400+
The "original" Griots, is a small 8mm orbit, whereas the Boss is a long throw 21mm orbit. Much faster cutting. However an 8mm free spin machine is far from junk. It will still do the job, but it might take longer. I still prefer a simple light weight 8mm for polishing/sealing, and a long throw, or gear driven for cutting. However if you're only going to own one polisher, a gear driven is the obvious choice in my opinion. No pad stall in corners, edges, etc. means you can effectively work all areas and correction stages of a vehicle without needing a 3" machine. 👍✌
New like 400$ to boss but I got mine from a guy in offer for 160$ looks new only used it once and put it away and then I came in and bought it came with its correction creams pads thick microfiber towels brush and cleaning pads chemical for 160$ I had to take it. I bought my flex “the finisher” for 400$+ and I love it but they do need a better handle
just looked that up, seems really neat how you can switch from forced to non forced rotation. Any feedback about this tool yet? thanks for sharing i had no idea Makita offered this.
Auto Fanatic unfortunately, I have not used this tool. But, once I get a few more things, I will be getting the Makita model. Like you said, the fact that you can switch between DA and Forced Rotation is awesome. If you end up getting it, I'm sure all your subscribers would appreciate a video! 😀
@@Siggydawg Well get all personal with it and make yourself look bad, I owned 6 details shops throughout California and detailed professionally for over 22 years but ya I'm a weekend warrior. Like everyone else on this video, I gave an opinion you're welcome to disagree, its just that, an opinion. I do not find the flex to be in the same category, FYI, I own both of these buffers
@@Raynorrealestate then you simply don't know how to use the machine and your inferior skills make them inferior to YOU. Also you detailed for 22 years, meaning you a dinosaur and in both technique and power
@Christopher Raynor again with the 6 shops etc... You are so wrong. The Flex cuts better, easier and faster than the Mille. If it hasn't then you definitely doing something wrong. Also not to mention the flex is a better built machine by far. Just say the revered motion is confusing you and walking away from you. But don't hate on a spectacular machine
![Gear-Driven vs Random Orbital - [RUPES C.O.R.E. Series Webinar]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/x0cbONI3NPw/mqdefault.jpg)
All my LK900 inventory has been sold and shipping out tomorrow. thanks guys and reach out if you have questions using it. AF
I just ordered a Mille, I'm so pumped. It looks like the perfect solution for everything.
Was it as good as you hoped for?
I was never interested in this machine, but I just picked up a used one in order to use the Adhesion Promoter Polish for the new C6 Ceramics (Yvan Lacroix's new company) coating. That polish requires a short throw machine in order to not overwork the ceramic content of that product. They recommend using a small orbital sander, but I hate that form factor and the inherent vibration that it creates.
I have a couple Flex 3401's so I just pulled the trigger on the new Rupes Mille to add to my tool box. Will post up my thoughts on it after this weekends detail.
cool let us know here, i gave mine to one of my guys and i have been using the Makita and love it ck my videos on that
And your thoughts.....?
So what do you think of the Mille compared to the 3401?
I can’t decide which one to get everyone has a different opinion. Since you do hard surfaces I’m need a gear driven to work on boats and gel coat which machine you think has more power and won’t bog down is the better choice for boats? Thanks!
for solid surfaces and gelcoat you honestly cant beat a good rotary polisher. This Rupes broke on me twice and i no longer have it however my FLEX 3401 has an easy 1000 hours on it and abused since 2010 and it sill works perfectly.
@@autofanaticcars I have a rotary the forced rotation is for takining out swirl and hologram
Awesome review and real world use comparison. I had 2 flex 3401s and miss them tremendously. I need a polisher now and was considering the LK900, but it seems the well rounded flex is the way to go again. If you had to choose just one for auto detailing would you pick the flex again? Thanks for the great info and honesty 😎
Look into the Makita P005000C i did a review on it, might be a good option for you
actually the flex was not -the first forced rotation machine - Festool had it first with the Rotex which is forced and random orbital. However it is not the best one. Makita also had one in the BO6040 and now with the 6050 which is the most powerful of any forced rotation machine but spins to the left. Rotary is still the pinnacle for correcting but it has one fatal flaw - it can hologram sometimes. Those short throw random orbitals you mentioned were crappy, I couldn't stand those things. when you say that the Flex runs at a lower speed than a conventional rotary, you are partially correct. when your talking makita 9227 and De walt yes. But many other machines exist that run even lower than the Flex 3401. Fein WPO 14-15 XE which I own is 250-1200 rpm and the new Rupes LH19E and Flex rotaries. Nice channel mate
check out my demos of the Makita on this channel
Technically RUPES was the first to market with a gear driven movement back in 1996 with the EK150.
My original 1989 Black and Decker is gear driven rotary, still have it and still use it
Dylan von Kleist perhaps your correct in terms of gear driven polisher. According to festool website the rotex was launched in 1979. Its more a sander than a polisher. Anyways doesnt matter, the rupes would be smoother
Actually Makita PO5000C. Is the most powerful 780 RPM the bo50J whatever. Makita got. Bumped up to match the 6800 OPM of the PO5000C but same RPM as the bo40j w.e mldel
My Mille was delivered last week, can't wait to get some time with it. I wanted to bridge the gap between my rotary and DA. I'm really liking the idea of using the Rupes blue and yellow wool pads.
Same here... Use the flex with sonax cut & finish before my regular DA. Does pretty good, rarely need my rotary now.
Great review sir thanks I have the flex 3401 and thinking of getting the rupes millie
im polishing boats and want to try a DA been using rotary for 10 years but never da and such newer machine, can you recommend rupes mille over mikita or the newer flex series of the 3401? apricciate any advice, using it gel coat professional every day need to be able to withstand being used.
The Rupes LHR MkIII is an option too, its not forced rotation.
Now you need to compare it to the new flex XCE, I just got the cordless version 👍
How the cordless version performing for you?
Such an excellent review and discussion. Thank you.
thanks for watching i got many more polisher reviews on the channel check them out as well. AF
@@autofanaticcars Yes. I'm watching another one on the Makita
I work on boats and I'm looking at the ropes mille. What is your experience with heavy correction on gel coat with the mille? I'm always trying to see what tools pads and products are working for you.
Hi i do lots of gelcoat for sculptures and furniture the Mille is a bit hard to use on deeply curved sections based on the size of the unit and i prefer the Flex 3401 or the Makita P0005C
I haven't tried the makita but I've been looking at it. Do the makita rupes and flex all have the power to cut through the oxidation or should I stick to a rotary and finish with a dual action. (I'm trying to stream line my work, more production style)
@@davidolsen4435 i use both machines when i need to, a rotary when im finish sanding fisheyes from the gelcoat or removing bad oxidation or resin pop marks but if the finish is not needing that the flex or Makita work perfect if you use the right pads
Very informative video, how soon will your new product line be available?
working on logistics and other stuff now we anticipate this summer but no definite date yet but stay tuned here for more updates.
Auto Fanatic Thanks
I’ve seen lot of videos about the Mille and non of them gets inside de machine to see how are the internals …the flex has a plastic gear attached to the plate so that’s why maybe is less noisy than the Mille because maybe the Mille is all metal gears ⚙️ without internal plastic.
I got rid of the Mille the noise and vibration got out of control and made me hate it more each time I used it.
@@autofanaticcars so the FLEX is better? I’m asking you because I wanna get a gear driven for myself so what do you recommend
@@manrex5238 yes i love the Flex and also the Makita i did a review on the Makita on this channel thats a really awesome machine. I think the Rupes machines are not perfect too noisy and too much vibration which is why I do not use them anymore.
@@autofanaticcars thanks man
Are the flex tools made in China now?
i do not think so none of my tools say China however I did order their small cordless mini and that was made in China, i hated it anyways and returned it
I just got a new 3401 two weeks ago, thankfully made in Germany. 🇩🇪
I’m in the market for a good DA polisher, and looking between the Flex 3401 and the Mille. I’m just using this for my own cars, so won’t be needing a workhorse to do many cars. I already have a PC that I have been using for the last 7 years or so, and it works great on minor defects/scratches, but lacks the oomph to get rid of slightly deeper scratches on harder paint- even with using aggressive Mazerna compounds and heavier yellow cutting pads. That being said, I do want a polisher that is strong enough to take out defects that my PC cannot. Any thoughts?
get the Flex3401 you can not kill that machine i have mine over 10 years and use of often each week. I broke several Mille and got rid of them a while back after i posted this video.
Auto Fanatic - Oh wow. Thanks so much for your candid input. Just the info I needed. And if I wanted to replace my PC with a free spin longer throw polisher, what do you think of the Rupes LHR15 MKIII?
Griots Boss G15, far superior warranty and I honestly like it better. I tried the Mark3 they are an improvement over the older ones but i still feel for the money they need to make them better.
Auto Fanatic - Awesome info. Thanks so much. Yeah, the Rupes line up are so expensive comparably to others.
Get the flex 3401! I have the 3401,,, griots G9 But the flex 3401 is a no nonsense beast!!!
What polish are you using for stainless steal
Hello. that you would choose the second machine, if you already have flex pe 14.2 150. thank you
Very nice tool
21 lhr mk2 15 lhr mk2 after 2years to have a problem 300€
Mile to have a problem😕😕😕😕
And i use all the day Chinese tool
And flex and no problems...
Dear friend, am I looking to buy a forced turning machine, between rupes mille, makita co6000 or flex 3401? What would you recommend? many thanks
my advice buy them all they are all so different and can be used for various jobs like i use them of, i have been using the Makita the most and love it, i would buy the Makita plus it is cheaper
Makita PO5000C is the best forced. Machine on the market, side. By side it'll take out 1000grit sanding marks out.
Smoother, more comfy.
Can turn it into a 3in forced.
Sadly freespin mode is worthless unless you simply. Plan to use it up apply LSP or machine sand..
Rupes screwed up on their specs, allot of OPM, but barely any more. RPM over the 3401 to compensate for lack of MM orbit..
Makita on other hand has 780 RPM 6800 OPM with 5.5mm throw
yeah i no longer use the RUPES i have the Makita and have the same results as you, for a DA i like my Boss G15
Any particular reason you aren't using the Rupes anymore? Thanks!
bquattrog they all broke. I Do huge metal refinishing projects for one of my businesses so i am running machines non stop for hours these can not handle heavy industrial work for car detailing they work great
@@autofanaticcars Oh man that's not good. What was Rupes response? How did they handle your claim? Thanks
In Makita forced - dual action is poor
Flex is much better than rupes
i have to agree since i own about 11 Flex tools and never broke on yet
@@autofanaticcars wich flex is better..3401 or new force rotation xce 10 8? Is there big difrence? Sorry for my english i am from croatia so 😂
I own all of them, each tool is for different types of jobs not one tool will work best for all projects but to get started the 3401 is the best one to start then work up to a DA and rotary and build your skills and you can tackle any job.
Flex😍
my 900 blew up i gave it away and now use the Flex 3401 and Makita exclusively for forced DA both tools can run all day no issues ever. I am disappointed in this RUPES to be honest thanks for also posting your feedback. Mine failed rather quickly so i gifted it to a friend who was sending it in for repair.
@@autofanaticcars Wow, that is good to know. I have the Rupes 21 and went to use it yesterday and it was dead. The sad thing is I only used it 4-6 times over the 4 years I had it (DIYer only). I had to resort to my old Porter Cable machines which shook my hands to no end, but they started and got the job done - more than I can say for the Bigfoot. It put a bad taste in my mouth and now this. I was thinking about the Rupes, but this and my recent experience has my gun shy. I will check out the Makita and Flex for sure now.
@@autofanaticcars Wow are you serious? That super disappointing. I too have the 3401 and I love it. I agree that they should do some type of update on it. After seeing this comment I think I'll stick with Flex unfortunately. Was doing alot of research on the 900 because I was interested. But after seeing this, I'll stick with the Flex 3401.
Why is the original Griots orbital junk? It does not do the job? How much is their Boss much better and in what sense?
the Boss and these machines in this video are considered professional machines while the cheaper G orbital and Porter Cable are not and considered light duty hobby machines it is hard to explain in all the detail here but there is no comparison at this level of machine for $400+
The "original" Griots, is a small 8mm orbit, whereas the Boss is a long throw 21mm orbit. Much faster cutting. However an 8mm free spin machine is far from junk. It will still do the job, but it might take longer. I still prefer a simple light weight 8mm for polishing/sealing, and a long throw, or gear driven for cutting.
However if you're only going to own one polisher, a gear driven is the obvious choice in my opinion. No pad stall in corners, edges, etc. means you can effectively work all areas and correction stages of a vehicle without needing a 3" machine. 👍✌
New like 400$ to boss but I got mine from a guy in offer for 160$ looks new only used it once and put it away and then I came in and bought it came with its correction creams pads thick microfiber towels brush and cleaning pads chemical for 160$ I had to take it. I bought my flex “the finisher” for 400$+ and I love it but they do need a better handle
Makita also has a forced rotation machine. Came out early last year. PO5000C I wanna say is what it's called.
just looked that up, seems really neat how you can switch from forced to non forced rotation. Any feedback about this tool yet? thanks for sharing i had no idea Makita offered this.
Auto Fanatic unfortunately, I have not used this tool. But, once I get a few more things, I will be getting the Makita model. Like you said, the fact that you can switch between DA and Forced Rotation is awesome. If you end up getting it, I'm sure all your subscribers would appreciate a video! 😀
just ordered one up for fun
Auto Fanatic Hah sweet. If you don't like it just send it my way. Make a review video first though!
viva italia
If your Italian you should be able to pronounce Mile the Italian way :P
And you should be able to spell Mille correctly...
Buckhorn Cortez a comma missing after “and”
The flex is a mediocre product compared to the RUPES, the RUPES is simply the best polisher for automotive polishing and paint correction.
Why ?
@@Siggydawg Well get all personal with it and make yourself look bad, I owned 6 details shops throughout California and detailed professionally for over 22 years but ya I'm a weekend warrior.
Like everyone else on this video, I gave an opinion you're welcome to disagree, its just that, an opinion. I do not find the flex to be in the same category, FYI, I own both of these buffers
The flex is a mediocre product? 😳🤣🤣
@@Raynorrealestate then you simply don't know how to use the machine and your inferior skills make them inferior to YOU. Also you detailed for 22 years, meaning you a dinosaur and in both technique and power
@Christopher Raynor again with the 6 shops etc... You are so wrong. The Flex cuts better, easier and faster than the Mille. If it hasn't then you definitely doing something wrong. Also not to mention the flex is a better built machine by far. Just say the revered motion is confusing you and walking away from you. But don't hate on a spectacular machine
🌈☁️☁️🌈👨🎤👨🎤👨🎤️