Discwasher D3 brush vs. Discwasher D4 brush

Sam Cogley

Last of the Time Lords
Subscriber
Are there any functional differences between these, or is this just the result of a production change?
 

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I have owned the new-style D4 for more than 7 years now, and here are some caveats:

The corduroy material gets pretty stiff after about a year or so. I have tried cleaning it to bring back the softness, but it's not coming back.

Now, when I use the D4, it doesn't get fully into the bottom of the grooves.
I have been looking for a decent-quality D3 ever since.

Ultimately, it works, but not as well as the older one!
 
Oh, and the D4 can be used in either direction, although the directions say not.
The material is so thin, it doesn't matter which way you push it!
 
Since were on the topic . . . I have 2-D4's. I also have another that says DC-1. Where does that one stand?
 
Both of these have the directional markings, I just didn't take a picture of that side. I have two nearly-complete Discwasher setups and only need one...just trying to figure out which bits to keep.
 
I've got both D3 and D4 brushes bought new and near as I can tell the brushes are the same, only difference is the cleaning fluid.

Dave/ChairSpud
 
The shape of the cleaning fluid bottle changed, so the shape of the handle changed to match.
 
I thought the D-4 was the brown/tan colored one that looks like courderoy. I got one new a couple years ago and wont use it. Its no where near as soft as the older D-3's I have
 
I havn't done a comparison between the original DiskWasher brush and the "new" RCA D4 DiscWasher brush but from all reports I'v read from people that had both they prefered the original and noted that the D4 material was inferior and wore out quickly. I have about four original DiscWasher brushes and all are still in good shape and very usable probably being 30 years old. I don't know why anyone would purchase the new D4 when you can get the original brush for the same price or less.
 
Things are getting mixed up here. Sam's photo shows a D3 & D4. The way I remember them and owned many times in the last 35 years. Neither is corduroy. The one available now is called a D4 also BUT is made with brown corduroy and made in China. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Cactus Bob your not wrong, that was my impression also that both looked like original DiscWasher brushes, either D3 or D4, and the "new" brush uses a tan cordroy material.
 
I have a new NOS D-4 still sealed from 1982. Looks just like the one on the right. And heres a new brown one that i had for a year and it is worn allready.
 
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The brown D4 (call it the RCA or brown or Chinese D4, or D4+ to go with the black bottle of fluid) could almost be called a counterfeit Discwasher. It's useless. Unconscionable that they'd give it the same name as the real D4 brush, which does constitute an improvement over the D-2/D-3 brush-- the fibers are more dense and more directional.
 
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As previously noted, the D3 brush is on the left and D4 is on the right. Both original Discwasher products from Columbia, MO. I can't really decide if one works better than the other.
 
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The brown D4 could almost be called a counterfeit Discwasher. It's useless. ...

I never had one of the older Discwasher models, but I did buy the brown corduroy RCA-branded one a while ago and found it to be a worthless POS. It doesn't do much except push the crud into a line and leave it there, perhaps causing scratches in the process. Don't know why I still even have it. I suppose it might do an OK job as a shoeshine brush ... :scratch2:
 
You just read Andy Hs appraisal of the "new" D4 DiscWasher brush, made in China. Like I said there is no reason not to have one of the "original" Columbus MO made in USA D3/D4 DiscWasher brushes. There's a steady supply on the auction site, some new, some used, but by most accounts far superior than the "new" D4 imposter and selling for the same price or less.
 
Sam I stand corrected, COLUMBIA MO USA, home of the real DiscWasher. My guess is the name/rights got sold to RCA, whoever that is today, and RCA contracted to a factory in China to make the "new" brushes that at best resemble the original brushes for a fraction of the price that it cost to mfg the original brushes. If your a novice to vinyl there's a good chance you'v run across the DiscWasher name while reading about turntables and assume that this brush is the same brush as the one your father/grandfather used 30-40 years ago. If your lucky your father/grandfarther gave you one of their DiscWasher brushes that is still in excellent shape and older than you. If you were unlucky you fell for the slick advertising and bought a new POS brush made in China that will be useless within a year.l
 
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