Used to buy cheap brushes for my kitchen cabinets, now I spend $15 on one good one

For years I grabbed those $2 packs of brushes at the hardware store for painting cabinet frames. They shed bristles into the paint and left streaks I'd have to sand out. About 6 months ago I bought a single Purdy brush for $14 at Lowe's and the difference was night and day. One coat covered as well as two with the cheap ones and no bristles stuck in the finish. I ended up saving time and paint, so the brush paid for itself in a single project. Has anyone else noticed a big jump in results from just upgrading one tool?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_mason17d ago

Purdy brushes are basically the gold standard once you try one. I switched to a Purdy 2.5 inch angle sash brush for trim and cabinets and it holds way more paint than the cheap ones, plus the bristles snap back into shape better after cleaning. The difference is mostly in the ferrule and how tight the bristles are packed, cheap brushes lose their shape after one wash. Once you feel how smooth a good brush lays down paint, it's hard to go back to the multi-pack stuff.

grant_palmer17d ago

Bought my first Purdy a few years ago for a kitchen cabinet job and I still use that same brush today. The difference is night and day once you load it up, the paint just flows out so much smoother and you don't get those weird bristle marks that cheap brushes leave behind. I remember being shocked at how much paint a good brush holds compared to the dollar store ones that drip everywhere. Clean up is way easier too, the bristles don't get all crunchy and weird after drying. My go to is the 2 inch angle sash for pretty much everything, it just works.