Switched from hand taping to a banjo after 12 years on the job and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long

I used to think my corner bead was good enough with a manual roller but after a buddy let me try his automatic banjo on a big basement job in Cleveland last month I got perfect mud application in half the time so has anyone else made the switch and regretted not doing it sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea24621d ago

Have you tried one of the automatic taper tools yet? I was in the same boat a few years back, stuck with hand taping for way too long because I thought the banjo would be a hassle to clean. Once I finally borrowed one from a coworker on a big remodel, it changed everything for me. The mud consistency was way more even, and I didn't have to stop every few feet to reload. I still keep a manual roller around for small patches and tight corners, but for anything bigger than a closet, the banjo is my go-to. Your mileage may vary on the cleanup, but I found it's not that bad if you clean it right after use.

the_derek21d ago

Oh man, that's exactly the trap I fell into! I was stubborn about my little hand trowel and pan setup, thinking a banjo was just some overcomplicated toy for pros. Then I tried one on a buddy's basement job and I felt like an idiot for waiting so long. Yeah, cleaning it is a pain if you let it sit, but I found that running hot water through it immediately is way easier than scraping crusty mud off a manual roller for an hour.