As a road.cc tester I'm used to recieving reproachful e-mails from the testing database reminding me that my review for product X is overdue. I've lost count of how many e-mails I've had regarding the Top Kett lube but that's tough, since I've only had to apply it twice since I first took delivery. Which was back in August.
The omens weren't good, it's a thin spray-on lube and I don't have a high opinion of thin lubes. Previous experience said that it would be the kind of delicate rubbish that evaporated after a harsh look, never mind a muddy hundred miler. I was wrong.
Applying the stuff isn't easy. It comes in a spray can, but it's the pump action kind so keeping the can levelled at your chain while pumping the nozzle is a trying experience best undertaken with a thick wad of kitchen roll behind the chain. The thin white lube covers everything really easily, so your aim doesn't have to be spot on. It's not the most efficient method of application and a pressurised spray can would make life much easier.
Brunox don't give much away but they make lube and anti-corrosion products for more intense applications than just bike chains and whatever goes into the Top Kett lube, it's serious stuff. Having squirted it onto a clean chain I waited a whole 520 miles before chickening out and applying some more. Usually what happens when a lube stops working is that your chain starts to squeak, rust spots appear and shifting performance drops off. None of that happened, I just got cold feet that a thin lube could last so long. When it came to cleaning off the first application my chain was remarkably free from grot and filth. You would be forgiven for expecting this from a dry lube, after all that's what they are famous for. What they aren't renowned for is longevity. Getting both from one lube is a real bonus. The second application survived some pretty foul weather, the Dartmoor Devil audax (muddy, grim) and is just running dry after over 300 miles. That's really quite remarkable.
If you can cope with the faffy delivery method then this is a cracking lube for all conditions. Despite my initial preconceptions I'm impressed.
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Brunox Top Kett chain oil
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Blurb says - "Brunox Top-kett is a high-tec-lubricant for chains, gears and all moving parts. It has a relatively high viscosity forming an even, non-hardening, compact anti-corrosion and lubrication film with 100% coverage especially around edges with up to 3 times longer between lubrications."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Sounds great, buggered if I know what any of it means:- "Physical properties:
Film thickness: 5-10 my
Expected coverage: 40 m2/l at 5 my, 20 m2/l at 10 my
Guaranteed lubrication effect: up to -41 C
Heat resistance: up to 150 C short time, up to 100 C permanent"
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
10/10
Superb, even in filthy winter conditions.
Rate the product for durability:
10/10
Brilliant by any standards, quite extraordinary for a thin spray-on lube.
Rate the product for value:
9/10
Modestly priced and a can will last you for ages, even with the wasteful application method.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
As good as it gets.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Lasts for absolutely ages and doesn't cover your chain with foul cack.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Squirty can application is a pain, but one application will last you for a month or more.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes, when this can runs out in 2013.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yup
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
Superb heavy-duty light lube. Only loses a point because of the wasteful and fiddly applicator.
Age: 42 Height: 5' 8 Weight: er....85kg
I usually ride: Kona Dew Drop, Dawes Century SE, Carlton Corsa My best bike is: Guess SC1 scandium
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, Audax and long distance solo rides
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