3 in. Wire Cup Brush

Comments about 3" Crimped Carbon Steel Wire Cup Brush:

Every tool has its use... and its useful lifespan. I've tried the crimped wire cup and the knotted. Both are effective. The crimped is a little more compliant (better for bumpy surfaces, brushing around posts/bolts/obstacles, etc). It has a tendency to fan out due the centrifugal force. I think this contributes to its short lifespan. So far my knotted cup is holding up better. The bundles of bristles seem to keep their shape better, but are also a little stiffer and more aggressive. Just depends what you're working on. All told, I probably got about 3-4 hours out of my crimped cup before it disintegrated.

Mine didn't really start throwing bristles until the last 30 minutes or so. I was being a tight-wad and trying to use it till the very end, and that was a mistake. I was cleaning rust off the interior floor-pan of my Jeep. When I finally came up for air, it looked like a horror show. There were hundreds of bristles poking out of everything imaginable: the headliner, the seats, the carpet, the door lining... I'm still finding bristles here and there. I even had one bury itself about 1/4 inch into my scalp, just above the full face shield I was wearing. I had one nail me in the privates (though thankfully it didn't break the skin). I should have quit when I was ahead...

Point is, don't be surprised when these things fail. That's just what they do. Sandpaper gets dull. Wire cups loose their bristles. You can pay A LOT more for one of these elsewhere, and you may get one that lasts a little longer. Don't know, haven't tried. For my money, the HFT versions are very effective tools. If you have a big project, buy a couple. Wear your safety gear and WHEN IT STARTS THROWING BRISTLES, THROW IT AWAY.

Comments about 3" Crimped Carbon Steel Wire Cup Brush:

Nice looking brush for a great price, but!

Apparently the wires are so hard they're brittle, they snap off constantly during use. I was cleaning my car's rusty gas tank for painting when the brush lost all its bristles, and I was only about halfway through.

To make it worse the broken wires stuck like needles in my clothes and skin. I looked down to see a virtual "carpet" of shiny projectiles sticking out the front of my T-shirt and shorts. While picking them out I noticed about a dozen literally hanging from the bare skin of my legs. One must have hit a vein because tugging it out caused a trail of blood down toward my ankle. Now, about a week later, I still have a purple bruise as a reminder.

I'm not lying or trying to be funny here, just warning people about this brush.

At a lower RPM it wouldn't be so dangerous, but my grinder is a single-speed high RPM machine like most are.

Even at a lower speed the bristles will still break off quickly.

Hopefully the twisted wire cup wheel will last longer, I'll pick one up next time I'm at HFT.