Have a dog or cat that sheds tons? Looking for a reliable, effective and easy-to-use way to get rid of that hair or fur before it takes over your life?
Then you may have heard of a tool called the FURminator. Like the Terminator, it takes no prisoners: in the case, pet hair. However it's expensive. There is a 'knock-off' available called the FurBuster which works as well according to most users. Read on and judge for yourself.
Deshedding strips out dropped or 'dead' hair
All animals (including people) shed even though some dogs and cats are billed as non-shedding or hypo-allergenic. Those lo-shedding animals are not as common though, as the ones that really drop hair and fur all over the house.
If you have a dog or cat that sheds a lot, you know that regular combing or brushing doesn't really get to the problem. After a grooming session, you'll still see hair-tumbleweeds or fur-bunnies all over the house. That's where the blade-type tool like the FURminator or the FurBuster comes in.
How FURminator works
Like the FurBuster, the FURmininator is basically a handle with a blade on it. This blade is a stainless steel, small-toothed kind, the same one that's used on electric hair clippers like Wahl. However, you're not using it to cut your pet's hair - instead, you drag it gently over the surface of the coat and it grabs and removes the shed or 'dead' hair.
In just a few strokes, you'll have gobs and gobs of hair!
Both the FURminator and the FurBuster come in various sizes: blade types to suit short-haired or long-haired pets, and blade length for ease of use. The toy dog model for example, has a blade edge that's only 1.25" long. The giant dog model, has a 5" wide blade or edge.
Cost of both products
FURminator deshedding tools start at about for the smallest and go up to -plus for the larger models. FurBuster, made by Bamboo, is about half that cost.
Plus the FurBuster blade can be changed with other ones, for different kinds of animals if you have more than one shedder in your home. Blades on their own cost about .
Consumer Reviews
In online reviews by real users of both products, they were pretty well equally rated on
effectiveness in removing hair
ease of use
The price point difference was mentioned quite a lot; many FURminator fans felt that although the cost was high, it was well worth it, since the product does such a good job. FurBuster users said that product works just as well for half the money, although some users said it "didn't seem as good quality as the FURminator."
Many of the negatives about both the FURminator and the FurBuster, were around the deshedding process itself, and not directly related to the tools. For example, one customer said the process "takes too long." Other comments included:
messy
my cat hates it
too much hair comes off
Conclusion
Both models have their merits. If you're a brand-buyer, you'll probably go for the established version, the FURminator. If cost is a key driver for you, then the FurBuster might be perfect. Either way, both tools do a great job in getting shed or dropped hair off your animal before it gets all over you and your home. With an investment in money and the time to do the grooming, you can be virtually fur-free.
FURminator pros
very effective
easy to use
works well
original model
well established company
guaranteed
FURminator cons
high price
FurBuster pros
more affordable
very effective
easy to use
works well
interchangeable blade heads for different animals
guaranteed
FurBuster cons
an imitator - perhaps not the same high quality
