loganl22•13d agoMost Upvoted

Tried a rotary brush over a regular brush on a heavy creosote job

I had a chimney in an old house near Boston last month that was caked with that shiny stage 3 stuff. Used a poly brush first and barely made a dent, switched to a rotary brush with chains and it cut through like butter in half the time. Has anyone else found the rotary worth the extra setup hassle?

2 comments

2 Comments

samwalker13d ago

You know, it's funny how that works. I've noticed the same pattern in other things too, not just chimneys. Like with my lawnmower, I spent years using a basic blade then finally tried a mulching blade and it cut grass way cleaner with less cleanup. Sometimes the tool that looks like overkill is actually the right fit for the tough jobs. So yeah, for heavy creosote I'm with you on the rotary. The setup is a pain but once you're going it's just a smoother experience overall.

wadecooper13d ago

Wait, are you mixing up mulching blades with rotary chimney brushes? Mulching blades chop grass finer, but a rotary brush with chains is a totally different beast. I mean yeah, I get the point about sometimes needing the right tool for the job, but comparing a lawnmower blade to a chimney brush is apples and oranges. A mulching blade still just cuts grass, it doesn't spin chains that knock creosote off the walls. If you tried that on a heavy glaze job, you'd be there all day with a regular brush, no question. The rotary brush's chains are what make it work, not some general "overkill tool" idea. So I'd say stick with the rotary for creosote, but don't expect a lawnmower analogy to help you pick the right brush.