Flex 24v 7-1/4" Brushless Circular saw Review - FX2141 TESTED | Circ saw ep.9

We check out the new kid on the block. Flex FX2141-1D. FX2141 is the model of the saw and the 1D specifies it's a kit that includes an 8ah battery and charger.
Inheriting some heritage from the Kobalt line, this 24v flex brushless circular saw is a premium professional grade tool. It cuts fast on the track, but we've experienced a few issues with thermal overload and cut outs. Currently it is in 3rd place on our leaderboard.
For light duty work or non back to back cutting for periods of time it'll do well and cut quickly, but due to thermal issues it can't be recommended for heavy cutting applications.
THE FLEX ADVANTAGE - 20% more power with 24V lithium, 25% longer runtime with THERMA-TECH™ heat management, up to 50% faster charging with high-power, dual fan chargers
SENSOR-FREE BRUSHLESS MOTOR - Every FLEX 24V tool is built around an intelligent Sensor-Free™ brushless motor. This improves durability, efficiency and control while reducing overall tool size
EXCEPTIONAL RUNTIME - Up to 520 cuts in 2x4 lumber with an 8.0Ah battery
MAXIMUM CUTTING CAPACITY - Cuts 3x lumber in one pass (2-5/8-in. depth of cut)
MAGNESIUM FOOTPLATE AND GUARDS - Lightweight and durable
LED LIGHT - Illuminates dark work areas
FLEX 24V CROSS COMPATIBILITY - Compatible with all FLEX 24V batteries, chargers and tools. This kit includes 8.0Ah Lithium-Ion Battery and 280W Rapid Charger
FLEX FOUNDERS LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY - Register your new FLEX tool, battery or charger within 30 days of purchase through December 31, 2021 to receive a limited lifetime warranty on your new FLEX product
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[@starseeddeluxe]

I just looked at this saw, and was able to pick it up and check the fit and finish and ergonomics. After seeing it in person at Lowes, it's by far the best designed saw on the market. It's much more compact and nimble feeling, and the blade view is much better than the Milwaukee, and it has a cast magnesium shoe, unlike the Dewalt. The Dewalt is very similar, but it has a stamped aluminum shoe. I just think Flex got every design detail correct, and the high blade RPM is much better for cordless tool applications where you are going to be doing fast, short cuts, not long brutal heavy cutting where you would use a worm drive saw. I would have purchased it, but it is $299 for the kit, versus Milwaukee $249. Then I saw the Flex 6 1/2" worm saw with a compact belt drive system, and it was only $189 with a 5.0 battery kit; the deal was too good to pass up. The belt drive left blade saw has seriously good ergonomics, and dust port features.

[@galvanizedgnome]

Neat. That saw looks like it feels good in the hand.

[@robertcasey3528]

I got something that feels good in the hand 🤣

[@starseeddeluxe]

Dude, don't go to Lowes and handle the Flex tools. Dammit. I went there last night and I held their saws and ended up buying one. They are love at first sight (also offering a lifetime warranty right now until 2024 on all tools). Their ergonomics and build quality are just unreal. They have all metal levers and guards, and the shoe plates are extremely rigid and don't wiggle, and they have cast magnesium shoe (not stamped steel or stamped aluminum like on the Dewalt). Also, the Flex tools are much more compact with less "fluff." There is no bulky plastic or unnecessary bulk, they are so nimble, once you pick up their tools and realize how well designed they are, you have to buy some of them. So don't go to Lowes.

[@makingstuff242]

Good Stuff! Thanks for reviewing it. looks like they may have prioritized speed and performance.

[@TheSaint135]

That's why they now come with the 10AH stacked lithium, the current version is a total monster!

[@quevas93]

How is your channel not alot larger Keep up the good work 🤜🤛

[@4thewinak]

that my friend is a mystery. thanks!

[@rickyperkins232]

@@4thewinak I accidentally found you guys and you are doing better than anyone other content creator for.tools

[@4thewinak]

@@rickyperkins232 thanks!

[@TacticalThib]

I bought the 1j with the 10.ah flexstack battery and no sag no overload no thermal protection ever and ive ripped and ripped all day switching to the 8ah while my 10.ah charges but very fast rapid charger 40 mins 10.ah battery 36 for the 8ah

[@TacticalThib]

I bought this saw with the 10.ah flexstack battery im sure it will deffinatly improve this saws time

[@OUTILSCLIPSQC]

I didnot expect this saw to be so fast but have a overheating issue ? The motor seem small

[@4thewinak]

could have been a dud or maybe I was pushing it too hard. Under normal use of cutting framing lumber or regular sheet good it would probably do fine, but full depth cuts could be an issue.

[@OUTILSCLIPSQC]

Please test this saw with the stacked 10ah lithium !! Love the content.

[@makingstuff242]

this

[@starseeddeluxe]

I think the standard $299 kit at Lowes comes with the stacked 8AH battery? Is the 8AH different in quality to the 10AH?

[@ArmandShahinian]

Thank you for the great and helpful video🙏🏻

[@4thewinak]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davygarcia363]

Nice video FYI THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TILL DECEMBER 31.2022. Read the fine print. Have to registre 30 days of perchase. The batteries only three times.. Nice tool.

[@4thewinak]

Thanks for the info!

[@bryang9158]

There better now n they have better batteries now 👍

[@dreamcat4]

cool thanks for reviewing this. maybe not the best tool in their lineup. wonder if the overheating can be improved with better heatsinking design. to get the heat out of the motor. and / or a bigger integrated fan. or maybe the vent holes are too small and restrictive. its usually one of those things. so maybe its a good feedback while they are new and more willing to make improvements on early models. for a version 2 hmm but lets sat they fix that issue. then does it really compete favorably with a makita 40v top handle of equivalennt specs? maybe the makita have a better quality in the finer details for paying the extra cost of a makita 40v. wheras flex seems likeis the value play here. when on a tighter budget actually flex may have other good tools but their circ saw specifically did not seem anything special jut going from their initial release event. but now i remember: the circ saws that are supposed to be the best are skilaw. however the cordles skilsaw model is supposed to be pretty expensive right? more than these other regular brands

[@4thewinak]

It's a good tool. I can't imagine trades people swapping over to flex right away, so at this current time it's mainly going to be the DIY, enthusiast, home owners picking up the flex stuff. Most of the users probably won't ever run into the heating issue. We probably ran into it since we're pushing the saw hard in full depth cuts to get the fastest numbers. Most users of this tool probably will take their time and make the cut slowly or more accurately; I would imagine. it would obviously be an issue for any production framing group. For a house brand, at least at this time it'll probably do fine. If kobalt is lowe's ryobi, then flex is probably lowe's ridgid i would imagine.

[@dreamcat4]

@@4thewinak well i looked a bit into the history of the flex brand and it seems they are originally from germany / europe as FLEX-Elektrowerkzeuge GmbH. This is what wikipedia says. Any indeed if you go to the new Flex USA website, at the very bottom of their whole 24v lineup. They then include some red color flex tools in other voltages (and AC corded too). And those red ones do correspond exactly to the ones we can buy here in europe. So aparrently flex branding rights in america market got sold and resold until finally they ended up being aquired by Lowes eventually. Yet with no success to dat. Then what I'm thinking is that as part of the newer American partnership with lowes they decided to bring back some better relationship with the original German brand. But also improve the Flex brand to better compete, with something to differentiate themselves and gain new market share in USA home market. Actually over here in UK we can buy all the GERMAN Flex tools (18v platform). But nobody here ever really knows of them. Perhaps the original Flex brand tools are more popular in DE. However there are also many other better known and higher quality German brands over there, such as Festool for example. Which generally have a better reputation. What you do see a heck of lot in original Flex range though are all of the types of products that resemble angle grinders. Such as polishers, buffers etc. Because they invented the angle grinder apparently (so it says). But enough about the history! What's more important is how they do in future. And continue to increase more different products for next / the year season

[@rickyperkins232]

@@4thewinak I was contemplating getting this saw but I won't because I am a framing carpenter however I noticed this saw getting wet and still worked. Question, are you going to do a review on the 6 1/2" Flex. I really want to get that saw

[@4thewinak]

@@rickyperkins232 the saw is built well. Unless you are doing some torture testing (back to back constant full depth cuts) it may still work out. Depends on your use case. It’s still new on the market so it hasn’t been time tested but I would be surprised if it didn’t hold up. I’m not trying to sell you the saw, I just want to point out the testing that was done to put the saw in thermal overload is usually not realistic on most job sites. Also since I only had one battery at filming of the video I wasn’t able to ascertain if it was a battery or saw issue. I can’t imagine anyone picking up the saw to be disappointed. Any how, I didn’t have any plans for picking up the 6-1/2, but next time I’m in lowes I’ll see if it’s around.

[@almerino3497]

The cordless skilsaw is on sale for 259 right now on lowes

[@OUTILSCLIPSQC]

Shoptoolreview have had the same issue with the rearhandle while testing (thermal issue)

[@4thewinak]

Glad it’s not just me.

[@cristianbautista9497]

I need that dust extraction adapter for my 7 1/4 flex close!!! where can i get it?

[@unclefester4626]

In spite of these results i think i will still buy it in the kit with the 10ah stacked lithium battery. My work pace will be slower as i don't do house construction full time.

[@starseeddeluxe]

Project Farm tested this saw and it performed basically better than any other of the 8 or 10 saws he tested. It never reached thermal overload or had a stall, while using a difficult weighted test to try to stop the blade. Project Farm's conclusion was that the Flex saw was the best saw in the category, followed by the Milwaukee and Craftsman. I am set on buying more Flex tools, after seeing them in Lowes, they are ergonomically amazing.

[@unclefester4626]

@@starseeddeluxe i went ahead and bought it a couple of months ago....the 10ah stacked kit. It has enough power to immediately make a person respect it. It doesn't jump as bad as an older worm gear circ saw but it gets my attention every time i use it. My only issue is its blade right configuration. I have never figured out a way to operate a blade right saw that feels even remotely normal. My plans are to build some kind of plywood cut table that has a dual sided cut guide to keep the saw on track. I plan on buying every last tool Flex makes. I bought the router and orbital sander. Haven't used router yet but I'm utterly impressed with the orbital palm sander. It has a turbo mode. I suggest not using it. Its a little bit too much! Kinda like something tim taylor from tooltime would build....😳😳😳😳

[@starseeddeluxe]

@@unclefester4626 Wow!?? I definitely want to get the Flex saw you have. If it wasn't $300 I would have got it. Regarding the right blade saw, be glad that you don't get sawdust on you when using it. That's the main advantage, all of the dust blows nicely away from you. My advice is to buy a cheap plastic triangle "Speed Square." Then just hold the speed square against the wood and make the cut, using it as a straight edge. I don't ever make free hand cuts. You don't really need to see a cut line or see the blade doing it's work, just use the speed square as a guide. If you do need to do "free hand" cuts then you get a worm drive saw. But I enjoy using various straight edges.

[@unclefester4626]

@@starseeddeluxe that inline saw has a dust port that can be turned left or right. For cutting 2x4s i off times use my miter saw as a chop saw. I use my circ saws mostly on plywood and osb. I love building stuff out of osb! Its super affordable. Plywood is pricey. I like the radiatia pine plywood from Home Depot. Has a nice look. Someone was telling me the smooth side of osb can be stained. Makes sense to me?

[@starseeddeluxe]

@@unclefester4626 Yeah OSB looks amazing! I collected some 1" thick pieces of OSB from a construction site, and they have a polished smooth side that looks really nice, I just can't figure out what to make!

[@rexoliver7780]

I would not expect "power feed" ripsaw performance from a cordless circular handsaw.The smallest power feed saw is a Woodmaster 230V single phase planer-molder-sander-ripsaw combination machine.3 hp motor.bigger commercial industrial ripsaws have 15hp and larger motors-require a 3ph supply.Cordless circular saws weren't designed for this kind of production ripping.Mostly for cutting material to length.Did you try the stock blade on the Flex machine? Interesting report on the Flex machine.

[@4thewinak]

The stock blade is pretty good. probably a bit better than the avanti if i had to say, but didn't do a direct side by side comparison. could also just be a psychological thing. agree with you on the 240v 3 phase power for like production mills. Wouldn't expect to see one of those on the job site though.

[@rexoliver7780]

@@4thewinak for a job site-if you need to rip down the stock you can do that on a table saw before yo go to the job site. Did this at a vocational shop while doing building and renovation jobs in the field.

[@thomasoliver5095]

@@4thewinak Some of the really large 15hp on up run off 440-480V 3ph.And these have more than one motor-one for the blade-usually the largest and another for the power feed rollers.Blades are 14-18".

[@АртемВ-и5р]

Thanks useful as usual

[@4thewinak]

My pleasure!

[@ProxyFinal]

I tested their impact and hammer drill. It always felt like I was going to get blisters out of them if I used them long enough. Not sure if it’s the weight or the diamond texture rubbing against my palm. Never got used to that quick eject on the impact driver.

[@rickyperkins232]

I use the impact daily and it is easil the best impact I have use and I have use all the major brand except for Bosch. I used the impact 10 hours a day with lunch and break on the 2.5 amp battery and I get 2 days use and that is using it consistently. This impact is so powerful when I am shooting in 1/4×20s I turn the impact on its lowest setting as a matter of fact I don't think i use the 3rd setting outside of wobble bit and drilling This monster is short to get into tight spaces and it power into impact wrench territory.

[@ProxyFinal]

@@rickyperkins232 yea, but ergonomically is a different story for me.

[@starseeddeluxe]

@@ProxyFinal I picked up the Flex compact drill at Lowes and it loved it!! I have to own it someday. It's really an artistic masterpiece, and feels incredibly nimble and compact. But $150 is too much for a drill kit with battery. It should be $100.

[@theknifeconnection9571]

​@@starseeddeluxegood luck finding great strong tools for that price

[@TacticalThib]

Hey bro did you check to see if this saw has better results 🤔 with the 10.ah flexstack battery i bought it like this in a kit and ive never had a thermal issue id like to see how the lithium stacked battery's help this saw

[@4thewinak]

Unfortunately I did not. Will have to put that on the list to do. But if flex sells it with the stacked lithium I bet they know it’s power hungry and will provide a significant increase in performance.

[@TacticalThib]

@@4thewinak yeah my kit came with the stacked 10ah

[@TacticalThib]

@@4thewinak yes sir I'm really hoping you test it again and beat the Makita lol 😂 that just took 1st

[@OUTILSCLIPSQC]

Are you planing to do the milwauke 2732-20

[@4thewinak]

Wasn’t Planning on it since I don’t own that one nor know anybody that does. But I probably will now. Expect it in a few weeks.

[@ProxyFinal]

I do want to point out that other brands do need to take note on how to deliver a complete tool. I hate to buy a tool and it’s missing a fence guide or a dust attachment adapter. Don’t make us order little things like that separately because it’s very annoying. Edit: the thermal cut out seems a bit disappointing especially when you compare it with Milwaukee 2732 (latest gen 2 circ saw) that is also known to thermal cut out on long rip cuts. I think it does have lots of power, but for that reason it tends to overheat easily as a result. I think they are at a odd situation with the 24v system and haven’t found the right balance and methodology/engineering to have things work well together. That’s the down side of being an earlier adopter of a new brand (new in the sense that this is Flex going to 24v from 18v). You will stress over the things that don’t work and hope they will soon improve on them or else you end up losing faith on the brand or even the 24v platform altogether as kobalt has similar issues with their high demand tools. The one thing I like about kobalt, I feel they have a solid impact driver and I particularly like their lighting solution and also their supplementary tools like sanders, blowers, and such, which are all solid and brushless. Just wish Chervon would put more attention on the Kobalt line even if it’s deemed as a diy. At least become the diy king just like ryobi.

[@4thewinak]

good point.

[@TacticalThib]

I never got a thermal you might wanna send that saw in bro I use the 10.ah stack battery so mabey its giving enough power but mabey you should try do you need a 10.ah stack battery @4thewin

[@starseeddeluxe]

The most important part of ripping is just using a good straight edge, and not cutting twisted lumber. And also using a Diablo blade. If you're using a cheap factory blade or no-name blade, of course it's going to suck down 50% more power. Diablo "glue line rip" thin kerf blades cut so effortlessly for a rip cut, I can't imagine any motor stalling or overheating when using that. This review video shows a painted blade, with painted teeth. Painted teeth produce huge friction, and are not good blades at all. I would like to know if anyone has had overheating issues on this saw with a new Diablo ripping blade? You don't need a crosscut blade for anything except fine plywood.

[@cineaudiophile4465]

Comes standard w/ Stacked 10ah now and with permanent price drop to $299...

[@OUTILSCLIPSQC]

Yessir very cool

[@jasminsanchez9070]

Is this right handed or left handed ?

[@unclefester4626]

Yes...

[@robertcasey3528]

At least the Bosch was able to cut even with the 4ah battery

[@4thewinak]

true

[@almerino3497]

Do a review on the cordless skilsaw

[@4thewinak]

need one of those...

[@samyang1387]

The light flashes to protect the battery pack，and you‘ll see more power if use the 12.0 Ah battery pack. Probably more powerful than DeWalt.

[@rickyperkins232]

Question, do own one with the 12 amp battery? I have a Ridgid 7 1/4", a Ridgid 6 1/2" and a Milwaukee 7 1/4" rear handle. The smaller Ridgid is garbage and the bigger Ridgid is barely better with Dewalt Dewalt Premium blades. The Milwaukee is excellent for everything until it has to be used above the waist height. As of this writing I am supposed to pick up the Flex 6 1/2" which is supposed to work above the waist and head. If I buy this it should be as good as the Milwaukee and I will buy the 12 amp battery but I would like to know that is work.

[@carterscustomrods]

It's not more powerful than Dewalt's Flexvolt version. But as Dewalt continues to decline, I wouldn't doubt that it gets downgraded to a hamster with a steak knife by 2023. Lol. Flex Brands have put a ton of money into marketing, and is only at Lowes so those are both the kiss of death for any tool.

[@carterscustomrods]

It's still Chervon, so it should last a year before it catches fire.

[@4thewinak]

It’s possibly.

[@carterscustomrods]

@@4thewinak have you given it a hard run to see how hot it gets, yet? (Also, I'd love to see you try the better Bosch saw... the GKS18V-25G series. It's amazing, and a Left blade comes next year. The Bosch you tested is 💩. Lol) Thanks again!

[@theknifeconnection9571]

I highly doubt this would thermal on a jobsite unless youre endlessly ripping 2x10s at high speeds. If you run it normally itl last

[@nohcho84]

Not really pro grade is it now with all the thermal issues. Torque test channel also had an isse with flex impact driver overheat where they had to let it sit for 30 min to cool down. Pass

[@4thewinak]

True.

[@reaperreaper5098]

@@wadelujan8714 That doesn't change the fact that in order for it to have lost that much grease on Philly's test, it had to either overheat to the point that the grease failed outright, had poor tolerances in the nose's seal, or very likely both. And they're not the only ones that have had thermal issues with Flex tools either. Either way, if it's a common theme with Flex tools that they overheat, they're not pro grade. Which is a shame, their drywall tools, multitool, vac, and inline saw all looked interesting.

[@1barticus]

It might be a faulty saw should probably have taken it back and tried another one

[@4thewinak]

yeah probably should have done that

[@steffendetrick9403]

No it didn’t make it if you were on a job site that would be very concerning. I’ve personally never used any of there tools and I’ve never seen them on the job site. Another channel was testing their drill it didn’t shut down but got extremely hot and started acting erratic. I’m sure they’ll figure it out but there’s more to these tools than people are seeing and not in a good way.

[@4thewinak]

sounds about right. seen a few videos of flex tools over heating. but in this case yes i was pushing it hard. I think under normal usage it would go longer before it thermals out

[@bryang9158]

Good channel , but mby u could ease up on the coffee

[@prov-instrument]

Привет, классный канал, тебе нужно изучать русский, тут огромная аудитория, удачи

[@nohcho84]

А модет России выучить английский? Английский это будущее

[@herbertherbomoore415]

Thank you for the video. I won't be buying FLEX!

[@4thewinak]

seems torque test channel had similar thermal issue with a impact driver... but some folks are running along just fine... sooo.. maybe it could have been a dud who knows...