Occasionally you start using a new product and think, “Where have you been all my life?”. The Buff Brite Fur-eel is definitely one of those for me!
Pet fur is a stubborn enemy of pretty much every detailer, and for those of us in island/beach states, sand is another constant enemy. The Fur-eel is a short, somewhat crevice-shaped attachment with tiny rubber nubs on the perimeter of the tool. It attaches to the Buff Brite Fang, which can also be used as a crevice tool (although I think it’s too wide to be ideal for that – I’ll stick with the Rigid Flexible Crevice tool for edges/crevices).
It’s important to note two things:
- The Fur-eel WILL degrade over time as the rubber nubs wear away. Consider this an expendable part, just as you would chemicals. How long the nubs last depends on how you use it; how much force you use, the materials you use it on, etc.
- The Brite Fang is necessary, as the Fur-eel is a rather unusual oblong shape that won’t fit on standard shop-vacs. Conveniently enough the inner diameter of the Brite Fang is 1.25″, meaning it will fit many standard vacuums while the the 1.5″ outer diameter fits many shop vacuums. You can get both the Fur-eel and Fang in one package here.
Before the Fur-eel, I typically had to use a combination of five tools to get stubborn sand out of carpet:
- The Ridgid flexible crevice tool
- The Ridgid stiff bristle brush tool
- DI Brushes Pet Hair Removal Brush
- DI Accessories Speedy Stone Pet Hair Remover
- Steel bristle brush
This Mazda3 was typical of the amount of sand I deal with here, so a good example of how effective the Fur-eel is:
First I would have to scrub with the DI Brushes Pet Hair Removal Brush, DI Accessories Speedy Stone Pet Hair Remover, and/or steel bristle brush before vacuuming with either the crevice tool or bristle tool, and keep switching back and forth constantly. Now I can do an entire car with just the Fur-eel, Ridgid crevice tool, and occasionally the bristle brush to loosen up sand along edges. I would say I can work around 40-50% faster with the Fur-eel, which is ABSOLUTELY worth the measly $15 I’ll be spending once every few months to replace it.
Conclusion
Appearance: Not applicable – it’s a vacuum tool.
Effectiveness: 5 out of 5
Longevity: 3 out of 5
Value: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
If you do interiors, you need this tool.