Who Makes Flex Power Tools, And Are They Any Good?

It's an open secret that many popular tool brands that you'll find in hardware chains like Lowe's and Home Depot are in fact owned by the same handful of companies. Flex, for example, is owned by the Chinese company Chervon (not to be confused with oil giant Chevron), which also owns the well-liked Ego and Skil brands. Chervon acquired Flex in 2013, but the manufacturer has actually been around for over a century — it was founded in 1922 by Hermann Ackermann and Hermann Schmitt.

The company was originally called Ackermann + Schmitt. Its modern name has its roots in the "flexible shaft," a revolutionary component that bridges a power tool with its motor. It was developed by Ackermann and Schmitt, who founded the company near Stuttgart, Germany specifically to sell their new invention. However, its flexible shaft isn't the only major impact that Flex has made on the power tool industry. In 1954, the manufacturer built the world's first high-speed angle grinder, which is now a must-have tool produced by most major tool brands. 

Flex is still making tools decades after pioneering these innovations, and launched its first cordless angle grinder in 2017. The manufacturing headquarters are located in Germany, and Flex tools are sold and used around the world. You can find Flex products at major hardware chains like Lowe's, Grainger, Ames, and Acme Tools, as well as online from retailers including Amazon.

Flex may have made a name for itself with its flexible shaft and high-speed angle grinder, but many professionals and consumers find that the brand offers plenty of other high-quality tools. Last year, SlashGear placed Flex at the very top of our list of every major impact driver brand. Flex's cordless impact driver is one of the brand's 24-volt power tools, which can all be powered by beefy, proprietary lithium-ion batteries and state-of-the-art chargers.

This 24V line of products covers a wide variety of devices for all kinds of applications, from its cordless drill/drivers to its wet/dry shop vacs, which are just some of the Flex power tools you'll want for your next DIY project. If you're wondering if these tools are worth purchasing, the feedback of experts and customers who've handled them seems to suggest they are. After testing the Flex 24V Cordless 7 ¼-inch Rear Handle Circular Saw, Pro Tool Reviews gave the product a glowing review, scoring it an excellent 9.7 out of 10 and reporting that, compared to Milwaukee's counterpart, it was "able to push Flex noticeably harder before it stalled."

After visiting a Flex factory, Tools in Action came away very impressed and stated that the brand produces "one of the best battery packs in the marketplace," as well as "quality tools that are powerful." Among other devices, the hardware publication also tested the Flex Dual-Powered Fan and called it "a valuable companion" that "can pack quite a punch at the higher speed settings." Consumers seem to agree with these experts. The Flex 24V Cordless Oscillating Multi-tool, for example, has a strong 4.6 out of 5 overall user score on Amazon, averaged from dozens of ratings.