We’ve been testing several of the Flex 24V brushless power tools so we can give you an idea of what to expect from this new brand. We’ve got a bunch of their tools, but for today, we’ll start by looking at their FLEX hammer drill, FLEX impact driver, FLEX 7-1/4″ circular saw, FLEX reciprocating saw, and FLEX oscillating multi-tool. Bringing power, Pro features, and a 5-year tool AND battery warranty, these tools are positioned to go head to head against the top dogs in the industry.
Where to Buy These FLEX 24V Power Tools
- FX1151-2A 24V Brushless Drill – $179.99
- FX1251-2A 24V Brushless Hammer Drill – $199.99
- FX1171T-2B 24V Brushless Drill w/Turbo Mode – $229.99
- FX1351-2A 24V Brushless Impact Driver – $199.99
- FX1371A-2B 24V Brushless Quick Eject Impact Driver – $249.99
- FX2131A-1C 6-1/2″ 24V Inline Circular Saw – $249.99
- FX2131A-1C 7-1/4″ 24V Circular Saw – $299.99
- FX2271-1C 24V Brushless Reciprocating Saw – $249.99
- FX4111-1A 24V Brushless 24V Oscillating Multi-tool – $199.99
- FX2221-Z (Barrel Grip), FX2231-Z (D-Handle) Jigsaws – $199.99
- FX3171A-1C 24V Brushless Angle Grinder (Paddle Switch Kit) – $249.99
- FX3181A-Z 24V Brushless Angle Grinder (Side Switch Bare Tool) – $179.99
- FX3171A-Z (Paddle Switch Bare Tool) – $179.99
- FX5131-Z Flood Light – $129.99
Flex 24V Brushless Power Tools Video Transcript
But before we get too far—let’s start at the top…or bottom—with the battery. This is a 24V Max system. Like Kobalt, it’s a 6-cell system instead of 5 like 18V and 20V max tools.
Out of the gate, Flex has 4 available batteries. It starts with a compact 2.5Ah pack and moves to 5.0Ah for most of your drills, impact drivers, oscillating tools, and other handheld power tools. But, for higher draw tools like circular saws and reciprocating saws, 8.0Ah and 12.0Ah batteries take center stage.
Inside each pack, Flex has what they call “Therma Tech”. According to their research, it keeps the battery cooler, extending its overall life and giving you up to 25% longer run time.
Flex 24V Hammer Drill
If there’s one tool we’ve handled the most—it has to be the cordless hammer drill. When the Flex 24V model showed up at the Pro Tool Reviews shop, we jumped right in and got to work. We were immediately impressed with its speed.
Most drills top out around 2000 or 2100 RPM. Flex does something that’s unusual. It has a Turbo mode—that’s a performance boost you engage with a button at the base of the tool. In High Speed, our tachometer showed it taking the Flex from 2000 RPM to around 2560 RPM. It also works with Low gear, bumping the speed from 575 RPM to around 725.
It’s not all speed, though. There’s plenty of muscle to back it up—1400 in-lbs worth. And that makes it one of the strongest hammer drill drivers available. Now, we wouldn’t say that unless we had actually tested it…
To do that, we wanted to see how that power translated into the real-world work of rough-ins. We chucked up a 2-9/16” self-feed bit to see what it can do in 2×4 studs. Normally, you’d do this type of drilling with a bigger right-angle drill. But check this out—not only did Flex chew through these holes without a problem—it did it in high gear! Nearly all cordless drills we’ve tested need to do this type of drilling at Low speed.
To make it even more impressive—we could drill these holes even more quickly by bumping up the drill into Turbo mode.
Drilling with bits that big that fast comes with some risk. Using the side handle helps a lot, but it’s the built-in kickback control that we’re really excited to see. If the tool binds up while drilling, a sensor automatically stops the motor before it does major damage to your wrist or elbow.
Overall, we’re seeing Pro power, Pro features, and class-leading performance in this tool. This is impressive—even more so when you figure this is a first-generation tool!
Flex 24V Impact Driver
We love testing impact drivers at Pro Tool Reviews. Mostly because of how much you can do with these tools. They’re just fun to test, and Flex moved directly into the top tier of cordless impact drivers with its premium 24V brushless model.
But FLEX also made some pretty innovative moves with these 24V brushless tools. For example, right below the 1/4“ hex collet, you see this little button—it’s the Quick Eject button. Instead of pulling out the collet to install or release your bit—just push the button. You never have to move your hand or set the tool down. It’s one of the more innovative features we’ve seen on an impact driver in a while.
There’s also some eye-popping performance built-in. Topping out at 3600 RPM, you get a monster 2500 in-lbs of torque. You need some control with that much power, and Flex gives it to you with 3 standard speeds and 2 self-tapping screw modes.
A high-torque impact driver like this will snap 1/2“ square adapters on our 33mm test rig all day long, but we can see how it translates that power to work by driving a series of 3/8“ x 8” rugged structural screws into stacked OSB. Check out how confident this tool is driving that big of a screw!
But, with the push of a button, you can take that power and turn it into perfect control with the assist modes. Designed for use with self-tapping screws, you can eliminate over-tightened, broken, or stripped fasteners.
One other thing—we really like how compact Flex made this 24V brushless impact tool. It’s just 4.75” from tip to tail and one of the most compact models we’ve tested.
Flex 24V Circular Saw
Over the last two years, as we’ve tested dozens of cordless circular saws head-to-head, models have split decisively into two categories: standard and advanced.
Based on our early testing, Flex’s first-generation 7-1/4“ brushless circular saw jumps straight into the advanced side of the group. Its cutting performance is excellent, and the tool competes with the top saws we’ve tested. We’re gearing up to put this one on our official Test Track—and right now, it’s looking really competitive.
You can see that Flex went with a traditional blade right design that helps this tool feel very natural for anyone used to a corded sidewinder-style saw. They also shaved some weight with a magnesium blade guard and footplate.
With circular saws, we look for a clear line of sight to where we’re cutting—and Flex did a great job giving you good access to the cutline with an extra set of notches near the blade.
The depth-of-cut is worth noting as well. You’re able to cut up to 2-5/8″ deep—that’s enough to get through 3x material in one pass for those of you who use it. If you’re ripping wood, that’s 5 sheets of 1/2“ plywood or 3 sheets of 3/4“ subfloor. And it’s not just about capacity—no matter what material is on your plate for the day, this Flex 24V circular saw has the power to muscle through it.
Flex also got the ergonomics right on this saw as well as their other 24V brushless tools. The main handle fits comfortably in your hand, and the front handle is just the right size to give you a secure grip without being too big.
Flex 24V Reciprocating Saw
At this stage of the game, Flex was going to have to put together something pretty special to compete with the top cordless reciprocating saws…and they delivered.
From our first cut with this 24V brushless recip saw, we could tell that it had less vibration than most of the other saws in this category. That’s thanks to what Flex calls “Shockshield Vibration Suppression”.
With a long 1-1/4“ stroke length that drives up to 3000 strokes per minute, it melts through metal cutting at speeds that go toe-to-toe with the best we’ve tested.
Switching over to wood-cutting, it has a major advantage over some of its competitors by providing a switch to engage orbital action mode which adds some aggression to its speed.
The surprising revelation is seeing just how compact Flex kept this saw considering how it performs and how well it controls vibration. It’s just 17.5” long—and that’s more inline with what we expect from standard cordless reciprocating saws, not higher-performing models like this one.
Add in a rafter hook, LED light, pivoting shoe, and push-button shoe length adjustment, and you’ve got a professional-level demolition tool that doesn’t leave you wishing you’d bought something else.
Flex 24V Oscillating Tool
We’ve worked with a LOT of multi-tools, so a few things immediately jumped out to us about the Flex 24V brushless oscillating tool.
First, we love Flex’s Shockshield Vibration Suppression. It isolates the head from the rest of the tool body—and that makes a huge difference in how much vibration you feel. There’s very little vibration on the main grip area and almost none of it reaches the battery.
Next, you gotta love that Flex went with the Starlock accessory interface! If you haven’t used this yet—it’s a big improvement over any of the other tool-free options. Just flip the lever on top to release the blade, push the tool head down on top of your new one, and flip the lever back in place to secure it. There’s no need to touch a hot blade, and you can swap accessories much more quickly.
We also like that you have a pair of LED lights on the front. These do a nice job of lighting up your work area compared to single-light designs.
Of course, we’re never happy until we test performance for ourselves. We tested this tool with cutting and sanding—both of which benefit from the 4° angle and up to 20,000 oscillations per minute. The tool seems to get a phenomenal amount of work done quickly. It’s fast enough that the models currently near the top of our Test Track charts have some serious reasons to feel nervous about this guy warming up for its Time Trial.
Flex decided to forgo the standard variable speed dial and opted for 5-speed electronic controls on the back instead. We’re totally good with that call, and it’s easy to see what speed you’re at without having to turn the tool to look.
The last thing is that Flex really did a good job on the ergonomics of this tool. It feels natural in your hand, and the size and shape don’t make odd angle cutting as awkward as some designs. So far, we think this is an oscillating multi-tool that’s worth some serious consideration.
Wrapping It All Up
I’m sure one of the big questions is going to be: “Are Flex 24V brushless tools any good?” With what we’ve experienced so far, they’re a legitimate contender among the best names in the business and they’re backed by a 5-year warranty. Let’s just say all of us at Pro Tool Reviews are looking forward to seeing how Flex competes head-to-head in our YouTube Time Trial series!
