Tool Review: B’laster ProStraw with Control Flow Technology
Whether seized up due to corrosion or covered in dirt and debris, stuck-on nuts and bolts are a common problem for technicians to deal with. Having a penetrant with a pre-attached stray that allows the choice of either a concentrated spray or a wider spay is “amazing” says this tool reviewer.
For Beth Peyton, shop technician at Griffin Pavement Striping in Columbus, Ohio, the B’laster ProStraw with Control Flow Technology not only functioned well, but Peyton also appreciated the straw was already attached to the can.
“I love this because sometimes just trying to push in a tiny straw can be tricky,” Peyton says. She has used products before where she had to insert the straw manually and would end up bending the straw or even breaking them.
With little setup and directions printed on the can, Peyton said it was as easy as “setting how much or how little I wanted to spray and holding a button.” The spray volume adjuster, she adds, allows the user to have better control of the penetrant.
In addition to being able to increase or decrease the spray volume amount, she also liked being able to select the spray pattern: wide or concentrated.
“It’s easy to do in one quick motion,” she notes. For a wider spray, simply flip the straw down and for a more concentrated spray, flip the straw back up.
Previously, the product (PB B’laster) offered only one spray pattern. Peyton said that this was fine, although sometimes product would tend to get everywhere and would splash off of whatever was being sprayed. This newer version with Prostraw with Control Flow Technology is better, Peyton says.
In the shop, Peyton used the product to remove bolts from a grinding machine that were covered in dirt, and on a water blasting truck where some nuts and bolts became corroded.
After spraying the parts, Peyton said you could see the penetrant foam up and soak into the threads. Within minutes the stuck parts broke loose without much difficulty.
From a combination of working in the shop and getting some of the penetrant on her hands, Peyton noted that her hands would become greasy, which then made it hard to push the button for a lower setting. She would suggest adding texture to the can to help prevent slippage.
Overall, Peyton said the product worked out great and did exactly what she needed it to do. “I will definitely buy in the future,” she concludes.
