Old timer said skip the power stretcher on this one, he was right

Been doing this for 8 years and always used a power stretcher for every room. Last month I had a job in a 10x12 bedroom with really soft padding and a tight hallway. The guy I was working with, 30 years in the biz, told me to just knee kick it since the room was small and the carpet was a dense berber. I thought he was nuts, but I tried it and honestly the finish was cleaner, no overstretching near the walls. Took me about 20 minutes less too. Has anyone else had a job where skipping the power stretcher actually made sense? I'm still on the fence for anything bigger than 12 feet, but this one surprised me.

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wesley_jones14d ago

The 10x12 rule of thumb is solid, but even at 12 feet I'd still grab the power stretcher if the pad is mushy. That berber was probably what saved you, dense carpet holds its shape way better on a knee kick.