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That fancy automatic taper I was sure was a waste of money | Drywall Installers - Thought Shares

That fancy automatic taper I was sure was a waste of money

My buddy brought one to a job in Toledo last week and I watched him finish a whole living room ceiling in 2 hours flat. Has anyone else tried one and actually found it worth the cost?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_west214mo ago

I mean, I get why people are excited, but I guess I see it a little differently. "Like magic" sounds great, but I've watched guys burn through a ton of compound and still have to hand-finish most of the tricky corners and angles. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather take the extra time and do it all manually, because I know exactly how the mud's going to lay and I'm not wasting material. Idk, I feel like the cleanup and the cost of those joint compound buckets adds up fast, plus you gotta lug that thing around. I'm not saying it's useless, but I think for the price and the hassle, a good banjo and some patience still wins out for most jobs.

skyler_jackson274mo ago

Dude I was the exact same way, I saw the price tag on one of those automatic tapers and just laughed. But then my cousin convinced me to borrow his for a basement ceiling I was dreading, and let me tell you, it was like magic or something. I finished in one afternoon what would have taken me two full days with a manual banjo and a lot of swearing. I still had to go back and do the tight spots by hand, but the main part was so much faster it honestly surprised me how good it felt not hating my life the whole time. I'm actually saving up for my own now, it's just that good once you get past the sticker shock.

kelly6384mo ago

Wait, are you saying the automatic taper actually works on ceilings too...? I always figured it was just for floors and walls, but hearing you two talk about ceilings has me second-guessing that. Maybe I should stop being stubborn and finally give one a real shot.