To MINI or not to MINI ?? Or should I Flex

Mary B

Mary B

New member
Thinkin` a Rupes mini would be my next machine, is it worth the $$
For another 100$ I could get a Flex 14 rotary.
Keeping these :
Boss 15
Flex pe8

Upgrading these :
Torq10 ( hate it )
TorqX ( like it may keep as dedicated 3" )

​I don`t know ??
 
Kinda two different animals. I love my Rupes mini, but may not be using it as much now that I have the Nano. It de-ends on what you want your next machine to do.
 
It depends on what you need, to me the Pe8 gets cannibalized by the PE14. I use the PE14 just like I use the PE8, for very tight precision polishing on classics or contouring very sharp angles like fins. Also keep in mind the PE14 might be bigger but offers the most control of ANY polisher out there besides a Festool rotor. The advantage of having a rotary for tight precision polishing is not having to worry about throw which can impede and even damage raised/tight areas. The PE14 offers slow start FROM 600 which means you could run it at around 2-300 on partial throttle. To me, the most important feature of a rotary is the soft start. I like my Mini, but it does tend to get cannibalized by the Nano.

It`s kind of like having a laptop, tablet, and a large size smartphone. You tend to reach for the extreme, rather than the middle because you have the choice.

My line up right now


Flex PE14
Dodo Juice Spin doctor V1
Rupes 21 MKII
Rupes 15 MKII HD
Rupes 75 Mini
Rupes Nano LN


Sold
Flex 3401 - Too much vibration
Flex PE8 - Too small of a machine for not having a soft start + 1000 rpm starting is not always great...
Rupes 21 Legacy - Only machine I regret selling (I gave it away to a friend; however I plan on getting another)
Rupes 15 Legacy - The MKII was just such a step up!
Griots Garage BOSS 21 - By far the most powerful machine I`ve ever used. However, the Rupes MKII was smoother.
Griots Garage 6 inch II - Broke
Griots Garage 6 inch III - Replacement, best bang for the buck machine out... it`s not a Rupes, though!
Griots Garage 3 inch II - Not enough power, great sander @ 8mm throw
Metabo 14 Rotary - Too wonky
 
I have been looking at this Zentool ZEN-12EM mini dual action. It`s $100 cheaper then the Rupes mini, and looks to be about the same to me.
The ZEN-12EM operates a 700W motor which will provide plenty of power without bogging down, but still providing the safe operation of a dual actiuon polisher.
Electrical: 110VAC/60Hz
Power: 700W (0.939 hp)
No Load Speed: 2500-5500 RPM
Orbit: 12mm (0.472 in)
Weight: 1.8kg (3.968 lb)
Backing Plate: 76mm (3 in)
 
I`m glad I got my mini on open box.

love that tool. going to use it here in a few minutes in fact

to the op: I`ve never used a flex but I`d bet they are all solid polishers.

the rupes is almost bubba proof so I like it a lot, haha

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
 
I love my mini. It was my first Rupes and still use it when it`s needed. It has its place in my arsenal just like my nano. Mainly because I use the mini for bumpers and the nano for bumper tops. The nano just doesn`t have the power sometimes to be as efficient as the mini.
 
Rupes if you wanna be slick. Kinda seems like a tool that labels you an elite detailer just using it


Sent from my iPotato using Tapatalk
 
mikejames said:
I have been looking at this Zentool ZEN-12EM mini dual action. It`s $100 cheaper then the Rupes mini, and looks to be about the same to me.
The ZEN-12EM operates a 700W motor which will provide plenty of power without bogging down, but still providing the safe operation of a dual actiuon polisher.
Electrical: 110VAC/60Hz
Power: 700W (0.939 hp)
No Load Speed: 2500-5500 RPM
Orbit: 12mm (0.472 in)
Weight: 1.8kg (3.968 lb)
Backing Plate: 76mm (3 in)
Click to expand...

I`m checkin` it out now. WOW what a cool lookin` machine, plus has 700W

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I will vote the rupes mini. I have one and use it a lot for small touch-ups with very good results.It starts very smooth and runs vibration free with the rupes pads.
 
Mary B.

I got my mini on ebay since they never go on sale. Every once in awhile AG / Autopia do a 15% NO EXCLUSION sale which could help on a flex. I browse ebay every day for RUPES, FLEX polishers. Being a retired autopian this is what I do along with checking on open box deals :)
 
Civicclutch said:
but which one runs smoother and cooler
Click to expand...

That plus, power ratings/efficiency.

I will speculate that it`s not 700 watts. If it produces 700 watts, it probably isn`t as efficient as the rupes. The difference is the rupes saves you money on the electric bill and probably runs smoother.

This power rating reminds me of LED torches; there are tons of companies that say 3000 lumens when in fact they are under driven with crappy diodes and put out a ton less. It`s a very well known thing in the LED world that "Chinese lumens" are about 2/3 of actually advertised, were as the real deal companies put out lower but accurate numbers.
 
The Driver said:
That plus, power ratings/efficiency.

I will speculate that it`s not 700 watts. If it produces 700 watts, it probably isn`t as efficient as the rupes. The difference is the rupes saves you money on the electric bill and probably runs smoother.

This power rating reminds me of LED torches; there are tons of companies that say 3000 lumens when in fact they are under driven with crappy diodes and put out a ton less. It`s a very well known thing in the LED world that "Chinese lumens" are about 2/3 of actually advertised, were as the real deal companies put out lower but accurate numbers.
Click to expand...

I was just reporting what is posted on the Opti-coat store website for specs. I have watched a few youtube video`s of the Zentool 12EM mini and it seems to me to be a quality piece. The rag company has a video of them using it, with a gentlemen from Optimum.
 
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