Customer Reviews

Black & Decker PKS160 Power Scrubber

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have used the Black & Decker Scum buster for years. I like these little power scrubbers better because:

1. It's smaller and more portable than the Scum buster.

2. It performs the same as the Scum buster, so if I can get the same cleaning power in a small handheld device, I will pick that anytime.

3. The Scum buster uses those proprietary Ni-Cad cylindrical batteries. Those are a specialized battery that you have to buy at Sears or the hardware store and they are expensive.

This power scrubber uses four AA batteries. We all have those around the house. Moreover, I use Sanyo eneloop rechargeable batteries which means I am never out of power.

4. What I really like is that this power scrubber is small, light and easy to use. You don't get tired using it. The huge Scum Buster eventually gets tiresome to use and it's awkward to handle.

5. B & D designed the Power Scrubber to spin fast and powerful enough to really scrub things, like pots and pans, tile, etc. But it does not spin so fast to where it would shoot water, cleanser, or whatever all over the place. It's speed is perfect for keeping the cleaning material in the pad and on the surface you are scrubbing.

6. This is perfect for its intended uses, scrubbing the sink, things in the sink and the shower/tub. I even used it on my tires!

7. Bonus Tip: I find it works quite well when applying medium pressure to the scrubber. It's powerful enough that when applying pressure it does not stall, it simply scrubs harder, which is what I want in a device like this.

8. And I like that it can stay submerged up to ten minutes (per the owner's manual). That means you can leave it in the sink with the water running without worrying about it shorting out.

Bonus Tip: In fact, the owner's manual says that if water does get into the battery compartment you only have to stop using it and let it dry out over night. How cool is that, not having to worry about water damaging the unit.

All in all a great device. It has saved me a lot of work in the kitchen.

I'm using this with the bristle replacement head to clean grout. It does a great job.

I bought this to replace an older version that my mom had that the battery had corroded. We couldn't replace the battery on the old one so I bought a new one. The new one is not very powerful, the attachments from the old one do not fit the new one, also the surface of the old one was much larger to allow you to clean a larger surface. She never told me that this product was not any good so it was too late to return it. She is stuck with it and I'm trying to find an old one I can get for her that will allow her to continue to use her old attachments. My mom is 79 and has bad shoulders so this product was a great tool for her to clean things. I don't understand why manufactures have a good product and then change it to make it better and in the end they make a very useless tool. I would not recommend this product for anything.

I LOVE THIS ITEM....IT REALLY MAKES CLEAN UP'S A SNAP. I PURCHASED ADDITIONAL BRUSHES, PADS ETC., SO I CAN CLEAN BATHROOMS AS WELL AS THE KITCHEN BY JUST SWITCHING THE BRUSHES OR PADS. I JUST LEAVE THE ATTACHMENTS IN EACH ROOM.

Although I'm a sucker for gadgets, the usefulness of the battery-operated, immersible Power Scrubber was so self-evident that I had to have it. This type of device is only as good as its attachments. So far, with the various attachments, it has fulfilled my expectations in a variety of ways:

BRISTLE BRUSH
I use the Bristle Brush attachment for cleaning dishes, pots and pans -- especially frying pans (even Teflon) that are coated with oil and fried eggs - tile countertops and grout, refrigerator handles and shelves, and stovetops.

GLASS/JAR BRUSH
The glass and jar cleaner gives short shrift to milk-coated bottoms. I had a couple of glasses with mineral-coated bottoms that were impossible to remove even with the brush. So, I placed a blue scrub pad on the bottom (adding an inch of soapy water) and whirled it around with the brush; voila! The glasses came out clean.

SCRUBBER PADS
The heavy-duty scrubber does a great job on sinks. I sprinkle scouring power on the sink and let the Power Scrubber do the work. I bought a second PS (and a second set of attachments) for the bathroom, and the toilet gets sparkling clean with little effort.

Although the Scumbuster cleaning pads (SBP4)weren't designed for this device, I bought a package, cut back the circumference and found them to be far more durable than the blue scrub pads that come with the Power Scrubber.

EXPERIMENT!
I think the usefulness of the PS is only limited by your imagination. I've even used the cleaning pads for removing dirt and fingerprints on doors and woodwork.

One attachment I wanted but isn't available is a buffing pad. So, I fashioned one by cutting up a round circle from a square buffing pad and applied Velcro in a crisscross pattern to the bottom of the buffer.

The fact that the PS doesn't rotate like Gangbusters is actually an advantage because it allows one more control over the unit and it doesn't send water splashing sky-high all over the place.

If I was made of money I'd also get the Scrubbing Bubbles HT Sonic Scrubber, which comes with a cone attachment for cleaning corners and tight areas. However, I've found that the edge of the Power Scrubber can accomplish much the same task, albeit not as elegantly.

The scrubber is quite slow so it still takes long time to clean old stains from a bathtub. I hoped for something more like drill with a buff adapter.

This scrubber is great for scrubbing pots and pans. has plenty of power to do a great job.. I love mine. Dick

I think the people who complain have not figured out how to use this. I could not get the hard water stains off my shower. Then I put in some premium batterys and used some buffing compound and the water stains came right off. Now the shower is bright and shiny and looks new compared to it's old dull surface. The polish or wax also helps keep the shower clean. This is a great tool if you get the right cleaner for the job your doing. Allow the scrubber and your cleaning agent to get the job done for you. Of course it is not as powerful as an orbital buffer polisher, but those things are to big and to powerful for a lot of the little jobs around the house. They can not go in and clean out the tight spots like this one can. Our woodwork is dull and dirty, and some may consider to paint it. But with this scrubber along with some auto polish cleaner it cleans up nice and is a lot easer then have to paint it to get that fresh shine back again. This is a scrubber, but you can put a buffing cover on it and do polishing also. It is velcro so you can put the pad on a bit to the side and turn this into a orbital cleaning tool. I would like something a little bit bigger and more powerful, but for the price this one will get the job done. Of course if you need exercise do it the old fashion way and get a good workout.

I bought this for my wife to assist in cleaning the sinks, etc. It enables her to do it more efficiently because she does not have the strength in her hands, wrist, and arm to facilitate the job. She likes it and it saves a lot of time in cleaning.

Black and Decker is such a good company, but I was not pleased with the power scrubber. Not powerful and not a good scrubber. And the pads wear out very quickly and are very expensive to replace. A motorized toothbrush works better.