I've used that Vikan stiff brush. It's useless for anything much other than brushing dirt of brick work.
I use the one with the softer bristles for almost every and any job and whilst it's a bit on the heavy side, it does the job.
And before any shout about Gardiners brushes, which are also excellent, I've used them as well in the recent past and still prefer the dead weight of the Vikan brush.
It does make your arms ache though and yes, it does scratch plastic roofing on conservatories so beware.