for those that have used both the makita &the flex pe 14

being new with a rotary i find myself haveing a hard time controlling the makita 9227 and was wondering if there is a big difference between the 2 rotarys as far as control goes.been tilting the pad some to help but have read that thats not good technique.thanks

 

yeah that can create swirls. I have a Dewalt 849 & the PE14 and the pe14 is smoother and lighter, but it kinda lags when you pull the trigger. At first it kinda builds up speed, then if you stop and need to start right again sometimes it takes a bit to get back up to lets say 1800 rpm or whatever your doing. But with the dewalt when you pull the trigger it goes so theres no lag time which is why the machine may be getting away from u. Both machines you can half trigger it to slow the speed down but i think its harder on the dewalt.. hope tht helps.

 

What pads are you using? I find foam pads to be kinda 'grabby'. I tend to keep the rotary for wool or foamed wool, and foam for the dual action. I recently got some Lake Country foamed wool pads and they work great! Nice sooth operation, although you'll need to finish down with a DA and foam to get rid of the holograms. In my book, rotary is for cutting, DA is for everything else.

 

John Baker -

One of the key questions has already been asked - what kind of pads are you using, and the next question - what size pads are you using?

Any machine will be easier to manage if the pad size is smaller - in this case, going from a 6" pad to a 5" pad will make a real difference in how the machine reacts.

Another thing that you might consider - are you priming your pads first? Are you spraying a little something on the pad surface after you prime it and apply your product, spread the product over the area using the pad, and then, starting the Makita ? What speed are you starting out at ? Makita has a "soft start" anyway, so what speed number do you have the machine on when you turn it on ?

Dan F

 

been useing 7 inch kompressor pads and primeing the pad and then adding product and been starting at 600 rpm

 

Thats your problem right there. Drop down to a 5.5" pad witha 5" backing plate and you will have better control with the rotary. Larger pads can sometimes take you for a ride and furthermore the Kompressor pads I am sorry to say are garbage and do not make for ultra smooth buffing.

The 9227 is big but it is also very smooth. The PE-14 is lighter but a littlr louder, as usual Flex build quality is great. Try smaller pads before switching machines, see how it goes.

 

Totally on board with dsms here -

7" pads are best used on big, big, things like Airplanes and Boats, where they might be the "smaller" pad to use. I dont even have any 7" pads, and I do a few Airplanes too.

Also confirm regarding the Makita 9227c and the Flex PE14-250. Makita is bigger, heavier, and really smooth, while the Flex PE14-250 is lighter, and the gears are noisy compared to the Makita.
I have both and use both a lot but tend to like the heaver Makita more, and for the bonus workout it gives your hands and forearms after a couple of 10-12 hour days, right, Dave ?
Dan F