XERO or Tucker: Who has the BEST Water Fed Brushes?

XERO and Tucker, the two Goliaths of the water fed industry. I’ve seen my fair share of Facebook debates over which takes the crown. Today, we’re just here to talk brushes from the two of them. Bristle types? Same. Sizes? Same. Features? Same. The only real difference? The price, one brand saves you serious cash. I’m here to break it all down for you.

First, let’s define some terms so we’re all talking about the same thing: 

• Basic - means your standard brush with the comparable socket from each brand. For XERO, it will be the Fast Lock Socket, and from Tucker it will be the LOCT Socket. 
• Premium - means the brushes include a rinse bar and a swiveling adapter. 
• Dual Trim - means the interior brush bristles are shorter than the exterior bristles, allowing the exterior ones to splay out while the inner ones stay stiffer to scrub the glass. 

NYLON - The Everyday Essential

We all love those customers who actually schedule their bi-yearly cleans. No crazy build-up here, just a relaxing day of bristles on glass to get it shining again. The perfect brush for the job? I’m taking the Nylon out of the toolkit. It’s got that smooth glide I love and I don’t have to worry about pulling it off the glass for rinsing, so I can have an easy day on my shoulders. 

XERO uses all white bristles for this brush, so it’s easy to identify when I’m trying to grab it out of the truck. Tucker uses a mix of white outer bristles and dark inner bristles like a hybrid brush. It’s a choice. I can easily picture all the time my crew would be wasting running back to grab the right one.

One thing I appreciate about the XERO version is the shorter inner bristles. It gives me better splay on the outer bristles for getting into corners and edges.

HYBRID - The All-Arounder

If I could only have one brush for the rest of my life, it would be the Hybrid. You can’t beat it when it comes to versatility. You have the nylon bristles that splay out so you can actually get into the corners and the edges of the frames, but the boar’s hair lets you really get to scrubbing when you need it. Do I recommend only having one brush? It’s not ideal, but if your budget is tight, this is my choice. These are the brushes that come on all XERO water fed poles because it’s such a handy one to have. XERO and Tucker have almost identical offerings for their hybrid brushes. The only difference I know of is the price with XERO coming in significantly cheaper.

BOAR'S HAIR - The Final Boss

Picture this; it’s springtime and there’s an abundance of that noxious yellow pollen floating around. It’s your first time visiting a new client, and you can tell these windows haven’t even seen Windex in a few years. What do you do? If your first thought is “pop some Claritin”, I don’t blame you. But I hope your second thought is, “I’ma need my boar’s hair.” These brushes are great for the most intense scrubbing on windows. Sometimes you just need to bring out the big guns. But I have three complaints with these brushes, which is why I don’t use them more. 

1. They’re heavy. Now, don’t look at me like that. If you haven’t felt one of these buggers when they’re soaking wet, you won’t understand. Those natural bristles just hold in so much water.

2. You have to be super careful to keep the bristles off the glass when you rinse or you could get spots. I don’t know about you, but sometimes at the end of the day, I know my crew is just trying to rush and get out of there and aren’t paying enough attention. The last thing I need is a callback because someone was lazy. The natural bristles are great at grabbing the dirt, they just don’t want to let go of it either. That’s why, when left on the glass, they can transfer what they took off, right back. Not awesome.

3. They wear down faster than my synthetic bristles. It’s just the nature of the beast. These bristles aren’t going to last you forever, and I get it. That’s why I save these for special occasions. I don’t need to be blasting through a hundred bucks every couple of months on a fresh brush.

XERO and Tucker have very similar style boar’s hair brushes. They both offer them with four pencil jets to help the rinsing process. Other than that? You’re just looking at a better price with XERO.

REVERSE HYBRID - Boldy Backwards

Reverse Hybrids are a little newer to the market, and not something I’ve messed with much. It’s a cool concept for the solar guys. You have boar’s hair on the outside and nylon on the inside. They have that extra weight from the boar’s hair (which in this case you actually want), but the nylon helps them glide across the panels. 

From XERO, it’s the Reverse Hybrid, and from Tucker, it’s the Honey Badger. Tucker uses their synthetic boar’s hair bristles for the outer trim with a stiffer bristle on the inside. The XERO Reverse Hybrid has natural boar’s hair on the outside, with nylon bristles on the inner trim. These premium brushes both feature a rinse bar to make rinsing the solar panels that much faster. Is there a big difference between synthetic and natural bristles? Eh, in my opinion, not so much. But if you have a preference, you know which brand to buy from. If you’re just as indifferent as I am? I’m going the more affordable route and picking XERO.

SLIDE - Boar, but Better

If you’re a die-hard boar’s hair kinda guy, but hate how fast they wear down, and how often they shed, maybe you want to try something new. Tucker and XERO both offer a synthetic boar’s hair option. They have the same aggressive scrubbing as traditional natural boar’s hair, but are more durable. They also act more like nylon bristles when it comes to releasing dirt while rinsing so you’re less likely to encounter spotting.

These are also great options for beginners who are just starting to get used to boar’s hair because they are more forgiving. Whether it’s the XERO Slide or Tucker Glide, all options come plumbed with four pencil jets. 

SOLAR - Size Matters

Solar panels can be a great addition to your business. There are plenty popping up all over the place, and they all need a good scrubbing from time to time. So what makes a good solar panel brush? I would say that’s going to vary based on who you ask. Some people like the fancy rotating brushes, some do full automation. I usually just grab an 18” that I have on hand for the rare occasion I mess with it. But from what I’ve heard in my circle is that a longer brush with lots of flow will get the job done perfectly. 

XERO and Tucker have some interesting options in this category. This is the only brush where it’s not exactly same, same. XERO keeps it simple with a 23-inch hybrid brush that has 6 internally plumbed pencil jets and two rinse bars that run the length of the brush. You can choose which set up you want to run for cleaning. All the hose and fittings are included so it’s easy to swap between the two options. 

Tucker went a different route, and they have more of a whole kit. Based on a slightly smaller, 20” brush, you get two different sets of bristles. There is a set of Glide bristles (synthetic boar’s hair) and a set of white scrub pads. You can swap between them depending on what you need, but that requires unscrewing the current setup and swapping the blocks. Because of this Tucker doesn’t include any internally plumbed jets. Instead, you have two rinse bars, one on the front and one on the back. The caveat is that if you want to run both at the same time, you NEED to have a booster pump, or the flow will be terrible. Tucker’s set up also includes 50’ of hose, which could be a benefit if you need more hose, or could just force you to pay more if you already have plenty. Which brings us back to the question: Why pay more? 

DEEP SCRUB - Grime-be-Gone

You know how sometimes you get those spots on the glass that just REFUSE to go away? I could stand there all day scrubbing, and it wouldn’t make a difference. That’s when I swap out to a scrubber. If the windows were ground level, I’d be at it with some steel wool, but that’s not always an option. This isn’t my go-to tool for a full job, but it’s perfect for certain situations.

XERO and Tucker have almost the exact same option. You get a plastic block with a swivel adapter, rinse bar, and white scrub pad. Both have a standard and XL version. Both come with replacement pads. If ever there was an apples-to-apples match, it’s this. The only difference? You’re saving $30+ with the XERO version. So, why pay more? 

THE VERDICT IS IN...

The bottom line is simple: both brands have standout brushes that’ll get the job done. But if you’re sticking with Tucker just because they’ve been around forever, I think you might be missing out. Or… you could step out and try XERO brushes. I promise I won’t tell. What’s the worst that could happen? You might just find a new favorite tool and have a little extra cash in your pocket. I love XERO brushes, and I think you will too. So tell me, why pay more?

You can check out exactly how much you'll save in our comparisons below!

Meet the Author: Jed left the construction world for water fed and hasn't looked back since. He's a self-described gearhead ready to talk tools with anyone who will listen. Want to know the best techniques for the tricky jobs? Jed is your guy.