Dude, i dont remember the last time i used Orange cutting pad with Flex. If im CUTTING, like really trying to cut out defects, wool every time. Right now im using Purple foamed wool, they shed a tad at first, but im going to pick up some LC Hybrid power finish wool pads (shed less, more foam in wool and better finish) and some Tufbuf wool pads (Tufbuf+flex is supposed to cut like a
monster)
The reason wool is usually used more with rotary is because it causes less drag on the paint which builds less heat (im sure you are aware)- same thing applies to the Flex 3401 (being forced rotation); wool makes it even easier to control, cuts faster/deeper and stays cooler. Flex is still awesome with foam. But for deep cutting i prefer wool, depends on the application. My PFW pads finish really well, looks very similar to the micromarring you get with a foam heavy cutting pad and compound. (also similar to the Micromarring left after using a MF cutting pad with a rupes)
I can use M101 and PFW (most aggressive combo i own cutting wise) and go straight to final polishing, even on very soft paint.
There is a very respectable member of Live2Detail that fully corrects and coats 99% of the clients he does, he's worked on all types of paint. He has a Flex3401 and a Rupes 21 and he says that in his experience a Rupes with MF
"wont touch" what a Flex+wool can. He even said he would sell off the Rupes if he could get anything close to what he paid for it.
Im not downing the Rupes, please dont misunderstand, its an EXTREMELY capable machine and has its benefits (its also beautiful). But too many people dont even know about using wool with flex which really exacerbates the cutting ability of the Flex, showing the full potential of the machine.
Another AWESOME thing about wool pads is that they really maintain their cut after alot of sections if you brush/clean them after each section. I brush it with a foam pad brush after each section, then after every other section i run the wool pad face against a MF to help remove excess/spent product. Once you prime the pad it takes NO product to do a section as well.
Here is a link to those pads im gonna pick up
Lake Country Hybrid Wool polishin pad (blue foamed wool)
TufBuf wool pad - These come in 3, 4, 5 and 6" which is sweet. I have a small 4", a 4 3/8ths and a 5.5" BP for my Flex.
I also just picked up a Carpro Cool Wool pad as well to try, just out of curiosity.
SO Sorry for threadjacking....lol serious reading material, learned your lesson about asking questions to Moddedmach didnt you!
