If you have a woodshop you have dust and debris. What is the best broom for your wood shop. I have researched many different ones and purposes and will put them together here for you to make the best decision on which broom will work best for your wood shop.
The best broom for your wood shop depends on the surface you have in your wood shop. Whether wood, concrete, or vinyl floor for example. Your choice of brooms to sweep is purposeful. Here is a list of the best brooms for your wood shop.
- Soft (Straw/Corn) Broom
- Push Broom
- Hand Broom
- Metal/Plastic Handled Broom
- Wood Broom
- Bamboo
- Fiberglass
With so many options for brooms on the market, what is the best broom for your wood shop. Which one will be the best for your money and purpose. I did a lot of research to help you determine which one works best for you and your wood shop.
What Is A Good Broom to Buy
There are many different types of brooms on the market and they all have different purposes. It can be very confusing when you go to choose one which works best for your wood shop.
Let’s look at the different types of brooms which would be ideal for your wood shop.
Angle Broom – Recommendation #1
This type of broom is fairly new and modern to the market. It is typically seen in stores for use in the kitchen, bedrooms, or living room. It is very generic in nature with typically plastic bristles slanted at an angle.
PROS:
- The angled bristles allows you to get into corners and cracks in the floor. As well it being a small broom on the end allows you to get under work benches and behind shelving easily as well.
- Easy to clean – with a water hose for example
- Dirt and dust will typically not stay on bristles
CONS:
- Requires many strokes to effectively sweep
- Bristles are stiff and tends to fling dust and debris
If this works for your wood shop you can purchase an angles broom from amazon here.
Soft (Straw/Corn) Broom – Recommendation #2
These are made with different types of materials and the one you choose is really a personal choice for you or available in your area. They are the most common type of broom and most widely known.
They have a fan shape, not an angled shape so the ability to get into corners is decent but better with the angled shape broom. The name is soft broom although it is a little misleading because the broom bristles are very firm.
PROS:
- The bristles allows you to get into corners and cracks in the floor. As well it being a small broom on the end allows you to get under work benches and behind shelving easily as well.
- Easy to clean – with a water hose for example
- Dirt and dust will typically not stay on bristles
- Will last a long time
CONS:
- If used on a finished floor may mark the floor
- Bristles are stiff and tends to fling dust and debris
- Difficult to use at first
- Bristles over time will begin to bend in the direction most used
If this works for your wood shop you can purchase an corn broom from amazon here.
Push Broom – Recommendation #3
In a wood shop this is the typical type of broom you would see. However, although these are great for moving most dust and debris they are not great for getting into smaller places such as under a workbench or around tools.
If you have a larger wood shop this would be ideal for you to use in the open spaces and a smaller broom in the tighter spaces. They would complement each other very well.
PROS:
- The bristles are very sturdy and with the size allows you to move a lot of dust and debris.
- Easy to clean – with a water hose for example
- Dirt and dust will typically not stay on bristles
- Will last a long time
CONS:
- If used on a finished floor may mark the floor
- Bristles are stiff and tends to fling dust and debris
- Not good for getting under tables, corners or small spaces
If this works for your wood shop you can purchase an corn broom from amazon here.
Best Broom for Saw Dust And Fine Dust
As noted above there are many different types of brooms for different purposes. When I started researching for this article frankly I thought a broom was a broom. I found out I was completely wrong.
For the best broom for fine dust, you will want to look for a Flagged Bristles broom. What is a Flagged bristle broom?
Flagged bristles have split at the ends of the broom bristles, this creates a frayed surface that sucks up fine dirt and dust. You will want to use a flagged broom for hardwood floors and other smooth flooring surfaces, like stairs, bedrooms, and hallways.
This type of broom is optimal if you have a wood shop that produces a great deal of small dust. It works very well on smooth surfaces however I can tell you it works pretty well on rough surfaces as well.
Best Natural Broom
What is a natural broom? A natural broom is a broom created using natural materials. This can range from natural materials for the handle as well as the bristles on the broom. The materials can range from corn straw, hay and other natural materials.
Natural material broom has a more organic look and feel and generally appeal to a larger amount of folks. They are very effective in moving material and are cost-effective to purchase.
One of the downsides to a natural broom is they tend to mark up the surface on which they are being used. For example, if you are using a natural corn straw broom on finished hardwood floors this type of broom will tend to leave marks on the finish. This would discourage you from wanting to use this type of broom and want to migrate to more of a synthetic type of broom.
Additionally, the natural broom although very good for general use tends to want to bend in the direction you are always using them. This makes the broom less effective.
Lastly the natural broom longevity. Natural brooms do not have a long life span. With continued use, the natural broom will deteriorate and again become less effective.
Natural brooms are great for using outdoors, on a patio for example, or in your wood shop, however not great for using indoors. So what brooms are the best for using indoors?
Best Broom For Indoor Sweeping
Originally when the broom was conceived I’m sure it was meant for indoor use. Over time the broom has grown to many purposeful uses ranging from pet hair and fur to multi-uses including liquid spills and getting into those spaces between tiles and etc.
Indoor brooms have certainly changed over the years and you can purchase lots of different types of brooms. However, I wanted to make it a little more simple without all of the many types of brooms and descriptions.
If you have a specific purpose for your indoor broom it makes sense to look for a specific type of indoor broom. However, if you have the typical surfaces you want to clean my recommendation for you is to get a synthetic angled broom as mentioned above.
It doesn’t have the scratching effect on wood surfaces, gets into the small areas, and generally does a great job. If you are considering one for your home or wood shop I would also recommend an accompanying dustpan to help you remove dust and debris. They are great for helping you clean your indoor area and putting into the trash the dust and whatever you are sweeping.
If you would like to see information about “What’s The Best Dust Collector For A Small Shop” you can see my other article here.
Best Outdoor Brooms
Outdoor brooms need to be different from indoor brooms. This is due to the surfaces which are outdoors and the effectiveness of the broom to clean the area where it is being used.
For this reason, a good push broom is a recommended type of broom to use. If you are in a wood shop a push broom is great for getting a lot of dust and debris moved at one time. If you would like to see a good explanation of how to effectively use a push broom see the video below.
As mentioned push brooms are most likely the best option when looking at cleaning outdoors due to the type of bristles and the durability of the broom to go across rough surfaces and for this reason, I would recommend the push broom for outdoor use.
How Long Does A Broom Last
This is a question when I did my research that was a little elusive to answer. So there is no definitive answer on how long does a broom lasts. However, there are some guidelines that you can follow to help you know when to replace your broom.
- How often do you use your broom – In a typical wood shop or household you would typically use your broom daily. Depending on the type of broom you have (natural or synthetic) your broom will last based on this amount of use. The general guideline here is to replace it when it is no longer effective or has worn down so much it is unusable.
- Type of broom – Another big factor on replacement of your broom is what type it is. Typically a synthetic broom will last a lot longer than a natural broom. Additionally a synthetic broom will be more effective than a natural broom. If you are using a natural broom for your wood shop or home you can expect to replace more often.
- Cleaning – Do you clean your broom. That is an interesting question and I venture to guess that most folks don’t. It just doesn’t seem right for some reason. However, cleaning your broom will enhance its ability to clean your wood shop or home and as well will increase the longevity of the broom. When you feel it is needed you may consider cleaning your broom with warm soapy water and let dry.
- Surface – If you are using your broom on a rough surface vice a smooth surface it will most likely last longer. For this reason consider getting a purpose drive broom for rough surfaces and smooth surfaces to enhance the life of your broom.
Overall the amount of type a broom lasts has many variables. Consider some of the lists above for your situation in determining how long a broom will last.
Conclusion
Brooms have had a long history and many changes. Overall they are still performing the same function of moving dust and debris for you. As mentioned above there are many different types of brooms and different purposes for which they are used. When considering the purchase of your broom consider the purpose and then cost and they will serve you well and last a long time.
