Serious question, is the 15-foot rule for brush length actually outdated?

I was talking to a retired sweep named Frank from Albany last week, and he said he never used a brush longer than 12 feet in his 40-year career. He argued that with modern rods and cameras, you can do a better, more controlled job by working in sections instead of trying to force one giant brush down. It hit different because I've always just bought the 15-footers everyone recommends. Has anyone else moved to shorter brushes for certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

clairem381mo ago

My old boss in Toledo made us use 15-foot brushes for everything. I snapped two rods in one month on a simple 90-degree bend near a cleanout. Switched to a 12-footer and it was like night and day... way less whip, way more feel. I can actually steer it now. Frank is onto something.

angela_shah81mo ago

Ever try to push a 15-footer around a tight bend? It's a nightmare. I switched to 12-foot sections years ago and my accuracy went way up.

amymason2d ago

Yeah that tight bend is exactly where the 15-footers bind up. I keep a 10-foot section just for those spots, makes the turn way easier.