Homax TV713206 #0000 Super-Fine Steel Wool Pad (12 Pads)

By Homax

9.8Excellent matchFeature and use-case score

Homax's #0000 grade is the finest steel wool most hardware stores carry, and its long track record on furniture finishing and chrome cleanup is backed by tens of thousands of Amazon ratings — but it is plain carbon steel wool, so it rusts fast if it gets wet and isn't stored dry.

Grade #0000 (superfine) steel wool, the finest common retail grade
12 pads per bag
Sold under Homax's Rhodes American / Final Finish line

See Price at the store →Price, delivery, and configuration can change at the retailer.

ByTopFiveFind Research Desk

How this was made: AI-assisted research and drafting organize the evidence. Exact product identity, source claims, owner-feedback patterns, conflicts, and publication checks are documented before indexing. No hands-on or human-expert testing is claimed unless a page explicitly shows that evidence. Read the full methodology.

Best fitBest Overall

CategoryAbrasive & Finishing Products

BrandHomax

Catalog score9.8 / 10

Product overview

What the research shows about the Homax #0000 pad

Homax's TV713206 is marketed under the company's Rhodes American / Final Finish line and sold in a 12-pad bag of grade #0000 steel wool, the superfine end of the steel wool grading scale (grades run from coarse 3 down to superfine 0000). Homax has manufactured home-improvement finishing products for over 25 years, and #0000 is the grade traditionally recommended for smoothing shellac, lacquer, and varnish between coats, rubbing on a satin or matte sheen over gloss paint, and buffing paste wax into wood furniture.

This is a commodity abrasive, not a lab-tested product, so there's no independent third-party test data (no ANSI abrasive rating, no controlled scratch-resistance study) to cite — our assessment leans on the manufacturer's stated grade and a large body of aggregated Amazon and Home Depot customer reviews, which is a real limitation buyers should know going in.

That said, the review volume is unusually large for this category: Amazon lists this general product line at roughly 4.7 out of 5 stars across tens of thousands of ratings. The recurring praise is specific and consistent across retailers — buyers report it removes surface rust from chrome bicycle parts and tools without leaving scratches, and it's repeatedly recommended for delicate, non-marring cleanup work where a coarser abrasive (like sandpaper or a green scouring pad) would leave visible marks.

The recurring complaint is just as consistent: plain steel wool sheds fine metal fibers during use and begins to rust within minutes if it gets wet, whether from water, sweat, or humid air. Reviewers note fresh pads should be used per job rather than saved half-used, and the pads are not suitable for wet sanding or use on bare wood that will later be stained (embedded steel fibers can cause rust spotting under water-based finishes).

Net honest read: this is a well-regarded, inexpensive commodity abrasive with a strong reputation for exactly one job — fine dry buffing and rust removal on hard, non-porous surfaces — and a well-documented weakness (rust, shedding) outside that job. We found no independent lab comparison against synthetic alternatives like Scotch-Brite or synthetic steel-wool substitutes, so we can't tell you definitively how it stacks up on abrasive consistency; we can only report what a large number of real buyers experienced.

What Owners Report

Recurring themes synthesized from the linked owner-review sources. These are reported experiences, not TopFiveFind test results.

Rust removal on chrome

Multiple reviewers say it strips surface rust from bike and tool chrome without scratching the underlying finish.

Rusts fast once wet

A recurring complaint is that the steel wool oxidizes and starts rusting within minutes of contact with water or moisture.

Key Listed Features

Grade #0000 (superfine) steel wool, the finest common retail grade

12 pads per bag

Sold under Homax's Rhodes American / Final Finish line

Traditional uses: rubbing out varnish/lacquer/shellac, dulling gloss finishes, buffing wax

Also used for dry rust removal on chrome and other hard metal surfaces

Good fit for

Good fit for furniture refinishers rubbing out varnish/lacquer between coats or dulling a too-glossy topcoat
Good fit for dry cleanup of rust or grime on chrome, tools, and other hard non-porous metal surfaces
Not a fit if you need wet sanding, or you're prepping raw wood that will be stained (steel fragments can rust-stain under the finish)

Check before buying

Confirm you're buying grade #0000 specifically — Homax sells coarser grades (0, 1, 2, 3) under similar packaging and names
Plan to use pads dry and discard them promptly after use rather than storing a damp, partially-used pad
If the surface will later be stained or clear-coated, test on scrap first — trapped steel fibers can cause rust spotting
Check current package count/price on the Amazon listing, since steel wool multi-packs are sometimes resized between print runs

Research sources

Buying questions

Quick Answers

Is #0000 the finest steel wool grade?

Yes — the standard steel wool grading scale runs from 3 (very coarse) down to 0000 (superfine), and #0000 is the finest commonly sold at retail.

Will this scratch chrome or painted surfaces?

Reviewers report it removes rust without scratching chrome when used dry with light pressure; as with any abrasive, test on an inconspicuous spot first, especially on painted or clear-coated surfaces.

Can I use it wet?

It's not designed for wet use — plain carbon steel wool rusts almost immediately when it gets wet, which can transfer rust stains onto your workpiece.

Does it work for buffing wax finishes?

Yes, this is one of its traditional uses — buffing paste wax into wood furniture to bring up a smooth, even sheen.

Is there an independent lab test backing these claims?

No — we found no independent, controlled lab test of this specific product. Our review is based on the manufacturer's stated grade and a large volume of aggregated customer reviews, not our own or a third party's lab testing.