Neilsen CT2803 Wire Brush Pipe Cleaner - Heavy-Duty Steel Bristles for 1/2" and 3/4" Internal and External Pipes

Perfect for the job. It does need some solid wrist to go around the pipe when is brand new!

I purchased this cleaner in preparation for a large scale DIY upgrade of my central heating. So far, I've cleaned 50+ copper joints for either soldered or compression fittings. All gave excellent results within just a few seconds of use, including 40 to 50 year old unpainted but heavily oxidised copper pipework (which also happens to be imperial sizing i.e. 3/4" and 1/2", and which this tool coped with just as well as contemporary 15mm and 22mm). Central to the excellent finish is that the wire bristles of the pipe outer cleaners are very stiff and tight fitting. It helps in that respect that the tool is shaped as it is, as the "handle" shape gives extra leverage. However, it also means that it can't be used in every case - e.g. where pipes are in very close proximity to others and there's no wriggle room. For that case, I also invested in a set of the "bottle cap" style cleaners. They were 4x the price of this tool and far less effective, barring the space issue. They take 1-2 minutes of work to clean an old section of pipe, compared to just 20-30 seconds for this Neilsen model. If you're in the trade, you'll already have as good quality cleaners which are powertool compatible but many times the cost. For occasional DIY solder work etc. pickup one of these but have other options ready too for where it can't be used due to tight spaces.

I’ve not used this myself yet but a friend of mine swears by his which caused my to order one. Little bit of a pain when soldering pipe in situ as it’s quite long if you’re against a wall where most pipes are but still a good bit of kit. Cleans both 22mm and 15mm copper including removing paint from radiator pipes.

Makes the job easier well worth the money.

Works really well and very easy to use for a newbie to copper pipe, diyer like me :)

Does exactly what was advertised. Very easy to use. Works well with both pipes and fittings. In particular it helps clean the fittings using the wire brushes on the ends, as the pipes were always easy to clean with emery paper.

DIY user. Found this excellent for preping pipes for soldering.

It breaks down quickly.