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My old boss in Tampa swore by the knee kicker for everything, but I switched to a power stretcher full time about a year back.
I got tired of my knees hurting and the seams not being as tight as I wanted on big rooms. The first job I used it on was a 400 sq ft living room, and the difference was night and day. Now I won't go back, it just gives a better finish. Anyone else make that switch and notice a big drop in callbacks?
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piperbailey7mo ago
My uncle in Orlando still uses a knee kicker on every job and his work looks fine. I get the power stretcher is faster for big spaces, but saying it stops callbacks feels like a stretch. The tool doesn't replace skill. I've seen guys with kickers do perfect seams and guys with power stretchers rush and get wrinkles. Maybe @dakotab93's boss had a point about not needing all the extra gear.
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viola_allen7mo ago
Honestly, it's not really about the tool replacing skill, you're right there. But a power stretcher gives you a more even pull across the whole width of the carpet, every single time. With a knee kicker, your strength and angle can change with each hit, which can lead to a seam that looks good at first but relaxes unevenly. That's where callbacks can creep in, from the carpet settling, not from a wrinkle you'd see right away. It just takes that variable out of the equation.
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the_thea6mo ago
That Orlando humidity will test any seam over time. A knee kicker can look fine until the carpet relaxes in a different way than it was stretched. The power stretcher just gives you a more even pull from the start.
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