Cover story : Flex power tools

Whether you are in the workshop or onsite, grinding with water using the new LE 12-3 100 or dry with the SE 14-2 125, Flex gives you the tools to get the job done. Add a VCE35 extractor with an ‘M’ class filter and you will clean up.

The extraordinary success of Flex power tools continues. Sales have increased every year since Stuart Colclough joined the company as its UK Sales Manager in 2009 – and everyone knows what the economy has been like since then.

In 2013 sales increased 24%. At the end of the year the German company was taken over by Chinese power tool giant Chervon (although the tools are still made in Germany), which gave it the injection of cash it needed to finance its growth. Last year’s target was to add an extra 15% to sales but Stuart exceeded 50%.

That, of course, has increased the workload for him and he is currently recruiting someone to help him spread the load by covering the North of England, leaving Stuart to concentrate on managing the UK sales team and covering Scotland and Northern Ireland. To pay for it, his target this year is an extra 40%.

Stuart puts the Flex success down to the company’s ability not just to produce the tools the industry wants, but to produce them at a quality that is appreciated and to continue to improve them.

The Flex LW 1503, for example, is the company’s most popular wet grinder in the stone industry but is now being replaced by new generation wet stone grinders – the L 12-3 100 WET and the LE 12-3 100 WET.

There are electronics in both that provide a smooth start to the high torque 1150W motor, overload protection and constant speed control via a tachogenerator, but the ‘LE’ also has variable speed control from 1200–3700rpm. And for additional protection against rust and wear from abrasive dust the pad is powder coated and varnished.

A particular improvement is that the water feed and control system is now mounted below the housing, providing much more free space in the grip area above the grinding disc. The water control system is easy to operate and instead of being fixed directly to the tool, the 12mm brass water hose connector is at the end of an extremely flexible 2m hose that requires no additional hose safety devices. This makes it really flexible, lighter and means you don’t catch yourself on the hose clip.

Flex has also introduced a new tool for dry grinding and polishing, the Supraflex

SE 14-2 125. Until now, stone processors have tended to buy the L1506 grinder with the L1503 polisher – a combination which has been Flex’s best seller in the UK for some time, although the Supraflex might now give the combination a run for its money.

This is back to roots for Flex, providing quick and easy stock removal and polishing. But now more than ever the focus is on the health of the user and dust control, which is why the SE 14-2 125 was developed.

The tool-free height adjustable extraction guard with brush ring enables you to work near edges and in corners at maximum extraction power. A pivoted edge segment can easily be opened without using tools and when the unit is used in conjunction with Flex dust extractors such as the VCE 35 wet & dry vacuum with its self cleaning ‘M’ class filters, the working environment will be almost dust-free.

The Supraflex 1400W motor with soft start and stepless speed control from 600 to 2100rpm (sustainable even under load) runs exceptionally quietly thanks to an innovative combination of planetary and angular gears.

The handle cover is ergonomically shaped with SoftGrip, the spindle lock is ideally positioned to prevent operating errors and does not interfere with the grip area and the flat gear head means you stay close to the material surface to operate safely in any position. Even airflow through the machine has been addressed to cool the gearbox and motor and stop the housing getting too hot. And there is no exhaust air blowing at you.