Are Flex Power Tools any good? (7 Helpful Tips)
Flex power tools are making a bold penetration in a market dominated by the imperial likes of DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Craftsman. Despite being a first-generation tool, it has been interesting to see Flex 24 volts tools disrupt this hard-to-break-into space. But is Flex just a fluke? Are their power tools any good?
Flex power tools bring uncommon power, functionality, and remarkable ease of use into the power tool market. The ergonomics is no less outstanding, with most of their tools designed to give you the perfect grip for a safe and seamless user experience. The speed and torque we see from their hammer drills and impact drivers are rare for power tools as affordable as Flex. Flex batteries also count among the longest-lasting we have seen.
Who makes Flex Power Tools and where?
Flex power tools are essentially produced by FLEX-Elektrowerkzeuge GmbH. The latter is a German manufacturing firm that has been operational since 1922, with headquarters situated in Steinheim.
Flex was responsible for the unprecedented design of the angle grinder back in 1954. The Flex facility, also situated in Steinheim, is mainly responsible for producing the bulk of Flex power tools supplied to the North American market.
It is also noteworthy that in 2013, Chervon Holdings, a Chinese manufacturing conglomerate, took over Flex.
How good are Flex batteries?
A good power tool needs a good battery to keep you happy for longer. Flex impresses with its 24-volt max system battery. This battery shares more resemblance with Kobalt and is quite a departure from the 18v and 20v max tools we see around.
Typically, Flex power tools come with four batteries. These are the 2, 5, 8, and 12 amp-hour batteries.
The 2.5Ah battery works well for people keen on compactness. It can sustainably power anything from an impact driver to an oscillating tool.
However, the Flex 2.5Ah battery wouldn’t do for draw tools (with higher drawing power) like reciprocating and circular saws. For this category, you would need something bigger in the region of Flex 8Ah and 12Ah batteries.
The lasting capacity of Flex batteries is perhaps their biggest attraction. Thanks to being enhanced with Flex’s indigenous Thermotech technology, Flex batteries are cooler, ultimately resulting in extended lifespan with a 25% increase in operational time.
The next aspects of Flex power tools we would examine include performance, ease of use, compactness, ergonomics, and safety.
But given the broad range of power tools Flex offers, we will specifically examine each of Flex’s prominent tools (like impact drivers, cordless hammer drills, and circular saws) in the light of the aspects mentioned above.
Are Flex Impact Drivers worth any good?
It would be unfair to Flex to deny our level of admiration for their 24volt Brushless impact driver tool. Anyone who has used this driver would readily list it among the best cordless drivers in the market today. Let us examine the specific aspects of these drivers.
Was it easy to use Flex’s impact drivers?
Flex’s esteem for user experience is demonstrated in the pack of user-friendly innovations its impact drivers come with. Most notable among them is the Quick Eject Button functionality.
This button sits nicely just under the Hex collet. Compared to the often rigorous process of manually pulling the Hex collet to install a new bit, the Quick Eject functionality does it with just a button push.
This means lesser interruptions of setting your driver down or moving your hand.
How is the performance of Flex impact drivers?
Flex’s 24-volt Brushless impact driver tool didn’t disappoint performance-wise. 3600 rpm was as high as it got, and this fascinatingly translated into a torque of 2500 inch-pounds. Not bad, is it?
Controlling something that powerful all on your own would be challenging, no doubt. Therefore, Flex did well in outfitting its impact drivers with double self-tapping and triple standard speeds mode.
This layers the amount of power, giving you different levels for different applications.
How compact are Flex 24V Impact Drivers?
Yes, performance was one feature that thrilled us about these drivers. But we wouldn’t ignore how compact these drivers were, either.
Measuring from the drivers’ tails to the tips, we had just 4.75 inches. This quickly enthroned Flex’s 24V Impact Drivers as some of the most portable drivers in the market today.
Are Flex 24V Cordless Hammer Drills any good?
To better evaluate if the Flex hammer drills are a good buy or not, let us analyze their speed, safety, and power.
How fast are Flex hammer drills?
Speed is a core determinant of a hammer drill’s performance. A stroll through the market shows that the conventional speed range for 24v hammer drills comes around 2000rpm.
Flex hammer drills beat this by far, coming at a peak of 2560rpm. At low gear, the speed is raised from 575rpm to 725rpm. This speed differential can be beneficial when you have lots of rough-ins on your hand.
How powerful are Flex hammer drills?
If you thought speed was all Flex hammer drills have got, then you are in for a huge shocker. This baby packed as much as 1400 inch-pounds. Very few hammer drills can rival this strength.
Are Flex hammer drills safe to use?
The speed and power of Flex hammer drills undoubtedly elevate the risk of using them. To eliminate such hazard vulnerabilities, Flex furnished their drills with a kickback control facility.
Thanks to this, a sensor triggers an automatic halt in the motor if the hammer drill binds up as you drill. This incredibly reduces the risk of injuring your elbow or wrist while drilling.
Is the Flex Circular Saw worth any good?
The Flex 24V circular saw can be rightly classified as an advanced saw, considering its cutting performance, ergonomics, and ease of use.
How well does the circular saw perform?
If you have used a corded sidewinder-style saw before, then you would love how seamlessly this circular saw works. This is courtesy of its blade right design.
It feels a bit lighter to work with, thanks to a more portable footplate and magnesium blade garden. The ergonomics also had an A grade, with the front handle coming at the perfect size for a convenient and firm handle grip.
An unhindered line of sight when cutting is a core decider in a circular saw’s cutting performance. Flex impressed with its clear view of the cutline.
The blade borders are girded with additional notches. We also liked the cutting depth.
Was it hard using the flex 24v circular saw?
When it comes to a circular saw’s ease of use, you want to watch out for its stroke per minute rate and how much it vibrates. Interestingly, Flex’s saw recorded nice scores in both categories.
Flex’s saws deliver as much as 3000spm (strokes per minute). That means a speedier cutting experience when working through metal.
It also excels at wood cutting. These saws have switches that ramp up the saws’ cutting power along with their speed. This is especially when the saw is set to orbital action.
These reciprocating saws don’t have scary vibrations. Flex did well in equipping these saws with its Shock shield vibration suppression technology. This means far fewer vibrations when in use.
How much do Flex power tools cost?
From our investigation, Flex has different prices for its drills and drivers, grinders, and rotary tools. Depending on the functionality, you can get a Flex drill and drivers between $199-$249.
Flex grinders come between $49-$399, with the cost varying with the length and ampere rating. The generality of Flex rotary tools we saw was around $99.
Do Flex power tools have warranty coverage?
Yes, Flex power tools are supported with a 5-year warranty. This covers the battery and the tool itself.
There is something even more interesting. A project that began in 2021 saw Flex aiming to introduce 100 new tools into the power tool market.
Those who manage to buy a Flex power tool before December 31, 2021, stand a chance to enjoy a unique lifetime warranty on their products from Flex called Founders Warranty.
Resources
What You Don’t Know About FLEX Tools
FLEX Power Tools 24V Line-up Review
Flex Group has been sold to Chervon Group