Product review (5 stars): A journey through the Kingdom of Lint
I bought this device to clean the vent duct from our clothes dryer, which had not been cleaned since its installation several years ago. My ductwork is 16 feet long and 4 inches diameter with several bends. It's stiff aluminum with accordion corner pieces, all held together with aluminum duct tape. The duct cleaning system has no breakable plastic parts - only the reel cover and crank handle are plastic, and those are not likely to break. I have written a complete report on my website (A Journey through the Kingdom of Lint,[...]/) but here are a few key points: (1) I first cleaned with a smaller brush, then finished with a larger brush; (2) if you crank as you push the brush in, the cable will kink - it's better to push it in, then crank as you pull it back out, to scrub lint from the walls; (3) I was able to push the brush past the 45 degree bends but not a 90 degree bend - I wound up removing the tape at the 90 degree corner and cleaning the parts on either side separately; (4) I had to buy a roll of aluminum duct tape (required by code - it's fireproof) from the hardware store to re-assemble the ducting - it was not expensive; (5) there is no point in using a power drill to spin the brush - you have more control turning it manually; (6) it's helpful to have another person's hands at some points - the reel housing is light weight and wants to walk around while you are trying to maneuver the brush and the cable; (7) I got an IMMENSE amount of lint out of the duct, really surprising since there was no evident blockage and since we clean the lint filter after every use; (8) this is a sturdy, well designed product with a box that holds it well between uses and with all necessary tools provided.
I hope this review helps your own do-it-yourself project!