When painting, one of the first steps to any paint job is to cut in along the ceilings, moldings, corners, and any other areas that require painting in a straight line. It can be one of the most frustrating and time-consuming parts of being a painter since it requires accuracy and a lot of patience.

Traditionally, painters use tape or angled brushes to cut in, but painting tool manufacturers have always been trying to find the next best thing when it comes to edgers. Many have tried to find a solution that saves people time and improves accuracy. One such tool that promises to cut in quickly and accurately is the Accubrush.

Accubrush here to save the day

No longer is painting a room a two-step process! The Accubrush is a patented roller, brush and shield that lets you cut in and paint with one tool. There is a tiny, fine line brush that fits neatly behind the roller. This brush spreads the paint to the areas where the roller cannot reach, like to the edge of the wall. Thanks to the shield, paint can’t spread onto the trim.

According to Accubrush, with their tool, you can edge eight feet with just one load of the roller. Accubrush claims that you will have a perfect line every time.

Putting it to the test

We tried out the Accubrush and there are somethings that we have noticed. When using the Accubrush, it does make a dragging and scratching noise, something that a paintbrush does not make. The little wheels that help guide the tool leave track marks on the wall. There is also a small gap that isn’t covered, which is bothersome to a perfectionist or a professional.

If you are working on a big room, you may find it frustrating that to roller runs out of paint relatively quickly. We covered 3-4 feet before the roller needed refreshing. You will have to keep putting more paint on the roller, not really saving you much time than if you were just using a regular paint brush.

Quality

When it comes to the rollers, you’ll be left wanting. Just touching them, they shed little fibers that will definitely affect the clean finish most people are looking for when they paint. Plus, they have a deep pile that is not well suited to a smooth surface.

They have plastic caps on the ends, so cleaning is problematic. The company claims they can be cleaned by immersing the entire mechanism in water, but that seems (and is in practice) terribly impractical.

Works everywhere! Or not…

We found that the Accubrush works “best” under ideal conditions. What are ideal conditions? Surfaces that are perfectly smooth, low textured, with no imperfections. For uneven surfaces, like many ceilings and walls, the Accubrush doesn’t paint in the promised straight, even line. It also doesn’t paint well in corners or around edges.

It does work pretty well on long smooth areas, but the wheels will still leave little marks that you’ll have to go back over anyway. Plus, if the ceiling is wet and you want to paint the wall, the plastic guard will smudge the paint.

Tried and true methods prevail

At the end of the day, as a professional, it’s probably easier and quicker to cut in the edges by hand. You can use your trusty regular rollers and brushes that you already have. If the area is dry, you can just use tape or an angled brush.

The Accubrush might save you some time, but the results are imperfect. You would still need to go back and fill in the areas where the wheels left marks and, depending on your standards, the gap left along the edge. This tool is only suitable for some DIYers, who don’t mind the imperfections of the cut in.