Always hated rotary brushes until last week

I thought those spinning brush kits were a gimmick for lazy sweeps. Then I used one on a rental property that had three inches of crusted creosote and it cut my time by 45 minutes. Anyone else find a job where they actually saved you?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_gavin20d ago

Did you ever stop to think about the actual physics of the brush versus a traditional sweep? I used to hate them too, but after watching a demo video in slow motion I realized the spinning motion actually lifts the soot off the wall instead of just smearing it around. The bristles hit at an angle that breaks the crusty stuff loose from the bottom up. That vertical sweeping motion we've all been doing for years just pushes the heavy stuff sideways. Its like the difference between scrubbing a pan with a sponge versus trying to wipe it with a rag. Has anyone else noticed how much less elbow grease you actually use with one of these things?

troy_ross20d ago

Dang @the_gavin, I was totally the opposite before. I saw these brushes and thought they were just some gimmick to separate people from their money. But your breakdown actually makes a ton of sense. I never considered how the spinning action changes the physics of the whole thing. Now I'm picturing that slow-mo demo and it clicks why my old sweep just pushes grime everywhere. Guess I gotta give one a shot and see if it saves my back like you said.