Star brite’s Extend-A-Brush system of marine accessories begins with telescopic handles of between 3- and 10-feet long made of corrosion-resistant anodized aluminum. Time spent aboard my boat, which is moored in saltwater, has not affected the finish or performance of the handle. The literature that came with the handle stated that it floated…. so I immediately chucked mine overboard.
Yep. It floats.
Compared to other all-in-one handles on the market, I noted that the handle can be extended by a twist-and-lock motion, rather than by the the use of quick-connect push-button connectors. This has the advantage that you can extend the handle to any desired length –up to its maximum, instead of being relegated to the pre-fixed lengths where the pushbutton connectors and holes are fitted. On the downside, with my hands wet and soapy, I found extra care was needed to make sure I twisted the handle enough to lock after extension. No big deal, but be aware of that.
The second difference is that the heads and brushes *are *fitted with the pushbutton connectors, while competitor heads are drilled with holes and the handles have the buttons. So if you have accessories from another maker, you may need to purchase an adapter, which Star-brite offers ( Part # 040135, about $8 bucks on the web)
Extend-A-Brush couples with a variety of brush heads, boathooks, mops and more. I’ve been using the non-rotting synthetic wood medium brush with anti-scuff bumper ($30) and microfiber reggae mop ($20) and am pleased. Handles: $21-$49, starbrite.com
