I got my PXE within a day or so of release, other than opening it briefly when I received it, I have not used it in anyway until I could get my hands on a Rupes iBrid. I purposely waited as this is the first nano polisher I have purchased and until now.
I had wanted the Rupes iBrid for a long time but then heard through the grape vine Flex had one in progress due for release at the end of 2019, so decided to hold out until then.
I currently have the Flex XFE Cordless Polisher and Flex BW18, with a Flex PE150 due in the near future. It may seem I am a bit biased towards the German brand and being honest the reason why is I have found the Flex range generally to be of a high quality.
I popped down to see David at Knight Detailing to use, test and compare his Rupes iBrid with my new Flex PXE.
As I said, I purposely did not use the Flex before I could get both side by side for my initial thoughts being the first nano polisher I have purchased (although I had bought the Flex anyway).
My thoughts
My initial thoughts were that the Flex was certainly the chunkier, heavier tool but also felt better quality and well manufactured in comparison to the Italian machine. It could be my preference but I like a bit of weight in the tools I use.
What I do like about the iBrid is the switch/flap to power the nano polisher, a little easier to operate whilst in use, the PXE is not badly made, I think it just take a little more getting used to when you are actually using the machine polisher.
Following the above the iBrid also has the longer neck, I think with some of the more modern sports/supercars with crazy aero, the extra bit of length you have with the Rupes neck really helps getting into the hard to reach areas.
The Flex PXE does feel like the more powerful machine out of the two, the Rupes just felt a little gutless in use, although having said that the PXE does come with a 3" backing plate and whilst in use also felt a but gutless when on full power using a heavy pad, personally in this situation I would use a 3" machine polisher like the Flex PE 8-4.
In the box/cost -
Flex offer 3 different options for the PXE, polisher only, standard set and P-set.
Flex PXE 80 (Polisher Only) - RRP £230
Flex PXE 80 Set - RRP £419 - 2 batteries, 3 backing plates, rotary & DA attachments and charger - Click Here
Flex PXE 80 P-Set - RRP £439 - As above with set of pads, polish and microfibre. Click Here
For more information on what is included in the kits, please visit www.countydetailingsupplies.co.uk
Rupes like Flex have 3 different kits available, polisher only, short neck and long neck.
Rupes iBrid (Polisher Only, Short neck) - RRP £451
Rupes iBrid Kit (Short neck) - RRP - £500 - Click Here
Rupes iBrid Kit (Long neck) - RRP - £525 - Click Here
More information on Rupes machines can be found at www.slimsdetailing.co.uk
As you can see the Rupes is circa £100 more than the Flex, although I am sure if you called around you could make a saving on each one.
Flex PXE - First proper use
Before posting this blog about the Flex PXE/Rupes machine, I wanted to use the Flex properly in real life conditions, well luckily we had this BMW i8 booked in for a light enhancement and IGL Ceramic Coating.
It goes without saying for a car like the i8, the Flex PXE is a required tool for any detailer! There are many challenging vehicles out there and this is certainly one of the most challenging I have worked on.
It worked perfectly and produced fantastic results no matter what backing plate I used.
My suggestion for any detailer or enthusiast is somehow get your hands on one to hold, use and play with to really get an idea of how good this little machine is.
A perfect addition to any detailers arsenal, if you would like one there are discount available. I bought mine from County Detailing Supplies (www.countydetailingsupplies.co.uk), if you shop cleverly you can find discounts too. Check out www.facebook.com/detailingcentral for example.
This is my first blog review, so feedback is more than welcome to improve and continue doing them. Perhaps some ideas for future comparisons would be great to.
Next up we will be reviewing Tenzi Detailer Quartz Shampoo and Quartz Spray.
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